Al Goes to the Dogs is the 22nd episode of season 10 of Married... with Children and the 233rd overall series episode. Directed by Sam W. Orender and written by Laurie Lee-Goss & Garry Bowren, it premiered on FOX-TV on March 24, 1996.
Synopsis[]
After taking Lucky out to the backyard at 3:00am for several days in a row, Al decides to build a dog house. Marcy complicates things by calling a building inspector to hassle him and make sure the doghouse is "up to code". Meanwhile, Kelly tries to woo her boyfriend Carlos by changing her looks. Finally, with Carlos's money and help, Al gets the doghouse up with all permissions intact.
Plot Summary[]
After having to wake up at 3:00am multiple times to let Lucky out, Al decides to build a dog house. With no help from the kids or Jefferson, Al begins working by himself in the backyard. A few moments later, Marcy politely asks him to keep down just for a bit so she can focus on some work documents. But when he decides to make an absurd amount of noise just to spite her, Marcy decides to bribe a building inspector to inspect Al's work and make his day even harder.
Meanwhile, Kelly desperately tries to get Carlos's attention decides that she will go out and get a "make-under" to look like the women from his native village in Mexico. She asks Bud to keep Carlos away from Al, believing that it would be disastrous. But, after a mysterious woman shows up and asks Bud for dinner and sex, he ends up forgetting Kelly's request and let's Carlos in. Upon meeting Kelly's boyfriend, Al believes that he is nothing more than a freeloader who is taking advantage of Kelly. But after Carlos reveals that he come a rather wealthy family, Al immediately calls him "son" and asks for help with building the dog house, while also dealing with the inspector, who keeps find issues.
As Al and Carlos get closer by working together and spending all of Carlos' pocket money, much to Kelly's dismay, she then proceeds to continue furthering her "make-under" hoping that he will finally fall in love with her. By the time the dog house finally passes inspection, Kelly ends up with little make up on, wearing her hair in braids and dressed in a traditional Mexican dress. As it turns out, Carlos has spent a lot of money to come to America to get away from the women of his village! He breaks up with Kelly, as she is no longer the American stereotype of a woman he was hoping to end up with.
In the end, Al ends up with a lot of Carlos's money and wasted a lot of his time since Lucky refuses to sleep in the doghouse. After telling Kelly that he and Carlos will be going to a basketball game later, he then comforts Kelly by revealing that he's getting his revenge on Marcy by having the construction workers dump the remaining concrete onto her Mercedes.
Recurring Cast/Regulars[]
- Mark Espinoza as Carlos
Guest Stars[]
- Ian Patrick Williams as Inspector Fitzpatrick
- Angela Strader as Turquoise
- Don Dowe as Foreman
Quotes[]
- [Al confronts the kids after they forgot to help him with letting Lucky out again]
- Al: I gave the two of you one more chance. You failed miserably. Tomorrow night, Lucky spends his evening in the yard.
- Bud: Dad, you can't put a dog outside in the middle of winter. It's inhumane.
- Al: No, Bud. Inhumane would be to force him to work at a shoe store for minimum wage and then have him come home to a redheaded Shih Tzu.
- Kelly: Hey, Daddy if you're gonna put Lucky outside, you're gonna have to build a doghouse.
- Bud: [puts his hand on Al's shoulder] We can even build it together, as a family project.
- Kelly: Yeah!
- Al: You mean like that perfect family on Party of Five?
- Kelly: Dad, their parents were killed in a fiery car crash.
- Al: [nodding, laughing] Exactly.
- [As Carlos helps Al with building a dog house, Al decides to annoy Marcy by running his chainsaw loudly while walking along the fence by her window]
- Al: [amused] Hey Marcy, how's that bank report coming along?! Hehehe!
- [As Al walks backwards towards his house, while still amusing himself with the chainsaw noise, Marcy and the inspector sneak into the Bundy backyard unnoticed.]
- Al: [mockingly] What's that?! I'm sorry, I can't hear you! Hehehe!
- [Marcy sneaks behind Al and hits him on his butt with a beam of wood]
- Al: Owwww! [turns around, stunned] WHAT DID I EVER DO TO YOU?!
- Marcy: You were born! And You live here! And... I don't know what you did to my bird-bath, but the little birdies won't go there anymore!
- [Kelly reveals her "make-under" to Carlos, transforming her into a woman with little makeup, braided hair and wearing a traditional Mexican dress]
- Kelly: So, Carlos, what do you think of my new look? Heh [twirls around to show off her look] I spent $700 to achieve the look of the women of your village.
- Carlos: [disgusted. upset] I spent $7000 to come to America to get away from the women of my village! Kelly, I have decided you are not the Angora sweater-wearing pointy-breasted woman who'll frost my Duncan Hines cakes while bearing my 2.6 children as I watch wrestling on TV!
- Kelly: [stunned] Carlos, you never wanted those things before.
- Carlos: Oh, yes, but I never spent the day with your father before. He is a very wise man. He reeks of wisdom... [pauses] and something else I cannot identify. Heed his words, Kelly. Now I must take my leave. Adios.
- Kelly: Wait, wait, Carlos, I am a slut! I can be a big slut! Huge slut!
Notes[]
Title[]
- The title of this episode is a reference to the saying, "...goes (or is going) to the dogs", meaning that something is decreasing in quality.
Trivia[]
- Katey Sagal does not appear in this episode due to her pregnancy/childbirth.
- Ian Patrick Williams, who plays Inspector Fitzpatrick, previously appeared on MWC in the season 2 two-parter, "Poppy's by the Tree (Part 1)" and "Poppy's by the Tree (Part 2)" as Beany the cook.
- This episode marks the second and final appearance of Mark Espinoza as Carlos, Kelly's boyfriend,
- He has the distinction of being one of three guys that Kelly has dated more than once in different episodes, the others being Vincent "Vinnie" Verducci and Genghis.
Cultural References[]
- Al mentions the series Party of Five and how they were the perfect family, before Kelly tells him that the parents on the show died in a fiery car crash, causing him to smile.
- The series, which ran on FOX from 1994 to 2000 (and was produced by Colombia Pictures, which also produced MWC), focused on the lives of five children who have to raise themselves and run the family restaurant after their parents are killed by a drunk driver.
- When Al sees Bud in his pajamas, he calls him "Hef" and "Boy Wonder", referring to Playboy magazine found Hugh Hefner and comic book character, Robin from the Batman franchise.
- Before Bud talks to Turquoise, he is watching Red Shoe Diaries, an erotic drama series that aired on Showtime from 1992 to 1997.
- Previously MWC guest stars Matt LeBlanc, Heidi Mark, and Lisa Boyle appeared on the show.
- During his speech to Kelly about why she is not his dream girl, Carlos mentions the cake mix brand, Duncan Hines.
Music[]
- Al briefly sings the opening verse to the 1966 song, "Wild Thing" by The Troggs as he makes noise with his chainsaw in the backyard. Carlos later sings it as he walks inside and sees Kelly with her total make under.
Location[]
Sets[]
- Bundy Living Room / Kitchen
- Bundy Backyard
Goofs[]
- During the scene in which Al decides to keep Lucky outdoors, it's the middle of winter and you can see the snow-covered ground and trees. However, during the next scene, which takes place the very next day, Al is shown building a dog house outside, the grass is green, the flowers are blooming, and there is no snow in sight.
- When Jefferson tells Al that he could have bought a premade dog house instead of building it himself, Al's left arm is slightly bent as he leans onto the workbench and Jefferson is holding a beer in his right hand. The camera then switches angles as Al jokes about not having sex with the wife, and his left arm appears to be straightened as he leans away from the workbench, while Jefferson suddenly has the beer in his other hand
- When Al tells Carlos to give him the 2x4 in Spanish, ("Carlito, dame este dos por cuatro" with the subtitles reading "Carlos, give me that two by four"), Al uses "Este", which means "this" instead of "Ese" which would mean "that".
- Al refers to Kelly "Lil Pumpkito", but "Pumpkito" is already in diminutive form, meaning Al is essentially calling her "Lil lil Pumkin". Also, it should be "Pumpkita" as he is referring to a female.
- In Season 9 Episode 23 "User Friendly", it establishes that not only did Buck have a doghouse, but the switch under the counter controlled it's electricity so they shouldn't need another one. Though, following Buck's death in "Requiem for a Dead Briard", Al was suggesting to Bud to help him chop up the dog house for firewood, before Kelly stops them and insist that Buck's personal items not be destroyed.