Bearly Men is the 12th episode of season 10 of Married... with Children, also the 223rd overall series episode. Directed by Gerry Cohen and written by Russell Marcus, it premiered on FOX-TV on December 3, 1995.
Summary[]
Al and Bud go on a bear hunt in the woods to prove they're as manly as Peggy's father, Ephraim, so he can take back Peggy's unseen mother. Al and Bud bring back what they think is a dead bear they found in the woods, but they are in for a big surprise when the bear wakes up from hibernation and wreaks havoc on them and the city.
Plot[]
In this episode, Al tries to get rid of Peggy's mother and send her back to Wanker County. To do so, Peg tells Al that he must first prove himself as a man to Peg's father, Ephraim. On Bud's suggestion, he and Al go bear hunting with Ephraim, but are soon abandoned there by the elderly Wanker. In the middle of the night, the two male Bundys accidentally knock out a bear and bring it to Chicago assuming that it's dead.
Upon arriving back at home, as the family celebrates and prepare to send Grandma Wanker back home with Ephraim, the bear suddenly wakes up and begins to run amok in downtown Chicago. Knowing that the bear can cause of a lot of destruction, Ephraim declares that the move with Grandma Wanker will have to wait.
Ephraim and the male Bundys then decide hunt the bear down themselves. Despite Ephraim being knowledgeable about bears and nature, Al proves he has the advantage in the big city. Al then proves this by beating up a few bad-mouthed teenagers who are hanging out with the bear and refuse to let him take the bear back.
Ephraim is amazed at Al's performance but refuses to take back Peggy's mother until he can prove that he is a real man just like Al, leaving the latter frustrated over being stuck with Peggy's mother even longer. However, the bear walks into a strip club, scaring away several strippers as Bud and Al watch in delight.
Recurring Cast/Regulars[]
- Lucky the Dog as Lucky Bundy
Guest starring[]
- Tim Conway as Ephraim Wanker (Peg's Dad)
- Kathleen Freeman as Peg's Mom (voice only)
- Frank Lloyd as Vendor
- Angelo Vacco as Gang Member
- Vicki E. Milbourne as Mamie
- Kevin Curran as Voice of Lucky
Quotes[]
- [Al has just arrived at home from work with a big smile on his face]
- Al: [hangs up coat, smiling] Hey, Peg, you know what I was dreaming about at work today?
- Peg: [snarky] Me, Al?
- Al: Yes, Peg.
- Peg: [perks up] Was I in bed? [smiles]
- Al: [smiling] Yes, you were. In fact, I tied you up.
- Peg: Ooh, well, that sounds so kinky, Al. [smiles] What were you doing?
- Al: [grinning] Cindy Crawford. Hahahaha!
- [Bud and Al are laying near a campfire. He then tries to have a serious moment with Al.]
- Bud: Hey, dad. I know we're city tough and as an extra precaution you hung your socks from the branch, But, in case that bear does come back... [pauses, begins to tear up] I just want you to know... I love you, man.
- Al: You're not getting my beer, Bud.
- [After the family notices that the bear is no longer in the living room, Marcy suddenly appears at the front door, looking traumatized]
- Al: Hey Marcy, did you see some guy dragging off my dead bear?
- Marcy: He's not dead you chucklehead. He just violated my Mercedes!
- Kelly: How do you know?
- [Jefferson staggers in, looking disheveled and wide-eyed]
- Jefferson: Because we were in it.
- Peg: Marcy, are you okay?
- Marcy: [walks over to join Peggy on the couch] Oh, I'm all right. A little in shock and jealous.
- Peg: Jealous?
- Marcy: Well, you should have seen him go and go and go. [suddenly begins to smile] My God, if a car could smile. [Peg and Marcy let out a quick chuckle] One thing I know for sure. [turns to Jefferson] Tonight, Jefferson, we're playing "Buick and the Beast". [smiles]
- [Jefferson is now shown leaning against a corner wall, still looking rather traumatized]
- Jefferson: [stammering] I... I... I... I don't know Marcy. I might need some counselling. A-a-a And, I think you may have to do all the work for a while. I'm... I'm... not going to do it anymore.
Notes[]
Title[]
- The title is, of course, a play on "Barely men", as in doubting one's manhood and Al's attempt to capture a bear.
Trivia[]
- When Al tells Bud that they will turn Ephraim into "roadkill" in the morning, someone in the audience can be clearly heard saying "Go Al!"
- Frank Lloyd who played Al's friend Norris and served as the show's stunt coordinator, plays the vendor who is upside down in the hot dog cart.
Cultural References[]
- Al tells Peggy about his fantasy at work, and says that he doing Cindy Crawford while Peggy was tied up.
- Cindy Crawford is a model and actress who was considered one of the top supermodels of the 1980s and 1990s.
- While trying to go to sleep, Bud tries to soften Al up and praise his effort for keeping the bear away before saying "I just want you to know, I love you, man!". Al then tells him " you're not getting my beer, Bud!".
- This is a spoof of a series of Bud Light commercial that were made between 1995 and 1996. The original featured a middle aged man softening uphis dad up while fishing, eventually telling him "And I love you, man!", before the dad tells him, "You're not getting my Bud Light, Johnny!". The character, Johnny, appeared in several more similar themed commercials featuring singer Barry White and actor Charlton Heston.[1]
- When Bud and Al try to sleep, at one point, the sound of a guitar is heard. This is a reference to the song "Dueling Banjos" from the film, Deliverance.
- The song had been previously referenced by Al and Steve in the season 3 episode, "The Camping Show".
- After Al and Bud bring the bear to the house, Ephraim says that he was able to tame animals better than Siegfried and Roy a pair of German born magicians and animal trainers who performed in Las Vegas from 1990 until 2003, following one of the men sustaining injuries from one of their tigers.
- Ephraim tells his wife that he's there to "Free Willy", referring to the 1993 film involving a young boy trying to free an orca from captivity.
- When the kids and Al bring down Grandma Wanker's luggage, they say that they have "Fudgesicles", "Klondikes" and "Eskimo Pies" , which are frozen treat brands.
- At one point Kelly mentions that she saw a documentary about how a park ranger left out a picnic basket to capture a bear in Jellystone National Park. She is actually describing the cartoon character Yogi Bear and the various cartoons made about him.
- During their exploration in Downtown Chicago, Al and the guys find some bottles of Zima, believing they are close to finding the bear. As Ephraim questions how Al could tell, he points out that no human could consume more than one Zima.
- Zima was a clear carbonated alcoholic beverage that first appeared in 1993, during the "clear craze" (competing with soda brand, Pepsi, who made a clear version of their soda called Crystal Pepsi a year earlier). It was often mocked for its spokesman being an unattractive hipster and for being a drink for those who couldn't even handle beer.
- The scene where Al, Bud, and Ephraim Wanker think they killed a bear and take him home to Chicago, references a similar incident in the Three Stooges short Idiots Deluxe where Larry and Curly think they killed a bear and even put it in the back of the car only for the bear to wake up, scare them out of the car and drive off.
Music[]
- The song that plays as Ephraim, Al and Bud hunt down the bear through the streets of Chicago is "Teddy Bears' Picnic".
- "Dueling Banjos" is heard when Al and Bud try to sleep.
- Al and Bud sing "Daniel Boone" as they get back ready to drive into the city with the bear and again when they bring him into the house in a wheelbarrow.
Locations[]
- Bundy Residence
- Mountain
- Downtown Chicago
Sets[]
- Bundy Living Room / Kitchen
- Mountain
- Downtown Chicago Streets
Goofs[]
- In the beginning scene with Kelly and Bud setting up dinner for Peggy's mom, it is clearly a stuntman playing Bud, as he appears to be noticeably taller and skinnier than David Faustino.