Buck Saves the Day is the third episode of season 4 of Married...With Children, also the 60th overall series episode. The episode originally aired on FOX on September 24, 1989. Directed by Gerry Cohen, the episode was written by Marcy Vosburgh and Sandy Sprung.
Synopsis[]
To earn money for a concert, Bud rents out Al as a professional woodsman (Al "Danno" Bundy) who takes the neighborhood kids (and Steve and Bud) on a camping trip. They all have a miserable time there and put all their hopes on Buck to save them. Meanwhile, Kelly earns money for the same concert by fleecing Peggy's friends at poker. Michael Faustino guests.
Storyline[]
Kelly and Bud need to raise money for concert tickets for themselves, so Bud sells Al as a camping guide, and Kelly cheats at a poker game with Peggy's friends. With Steve and Bud along for the ride, Al has to take a bunch of kids camping and they end up stranded in the woods and only Buck can save them.
Recurring cast/Guest stars[]
Regulars[]
- Amanda Bearse as Marcy Rhoades
- David Garrison as Steve Rhoades
- Buck the Dog as Buck Bundy
Guest starring[]
- Aeryk Egan as Victor
- Michael Faustino as Joey
- Lana Schwab as Fern
- Charlotte Crossley as Louise
Quotes[]
- [Bud walks over to a depressed Kelly, after trying unsuccessful to borrow money for the "Oozing Meat" concert from her parents]
- Bud: Come on, Kel, just do like I do: Use your wits
- Kelly: I do!
- Bud: I said "wits"... With a 'w'.
- Kelly: Mommy, he's spelling at me again!
- Peg: Stop taxing your sister, Bud.
- Steve: Oh come Al, [with a hillbilly accent] if you trap too many barrs to carry home, I'll hep ya!
- Al: I'd rather slam my nose in a car door. [begins walk towards the couch] I'd rather have a proctologist named Dr. Hook. [sits next to Peg] I would rather watch Roseanne Barr do a striptease than take these little booger machines camping.
- Peg: Well, good, honey. Then we can spend the whole day together snuggling.
- Al: [after a brief pause] Well, campers! Let's go get us some gear! Chip in for gas and get me the hell outta here!
- Steve and Kids: Yeah! [Steve leads the kids outside]
- Bud: [pats Al on his arm] Have a good time, Dad.
- Al: Uh, not so fast, Dan'l Junior. See, if I'm a-going, you're a-going, the only difference is... I'm a-coming back. [grabs Bud back the back of his neck and escorts him outside]
- Victor: Tell us a scary story, Dan'l!
- Al: Okey dokey! Kids, gather 'round the flashlight. [the kids move in closer] Now. Once upon a time there was a young boy. A boy full of hope. He was single, thus he was happy. Then one night, much like tonight, something rose from the swamp. He heard a noise behind him... "Thump-thump, thump-thump". He walked a little faster... "Thump-thump, thump-thump". Then he saw it. And there, in the light of a bar, stood the evil, red-headed, high-heeled, spandex monster! [the kids, as well as Bud and Steve appear more interested in the story] He ran from it, he stood it up, he dated others, but nothing could stop it! He could hear it's wild call [in a higher voice] "Oh, Honey! Honey!" It was horrible! Finally, it trapped him. Opened... opened it's hideous mouth, bared its fangs and said... [in a high pitch voice] "Marry me?" [shudders and silently weeps at the thought of what happened]
- Victor: And did he marry it, Dan'l?
- Al: Yes, I'm afraid he did. And he was never heard from again. But the worst of it is, there's still some of them out there. There might be one behind that TREE! [the kids scream and look around] Then again, there might not be. But beware. Because wherever a man is free and has change in his pockets, they'll come a-creepin' and the can't be stopped. Now sleep, if you can... [laughs evilly]
- [Steve, covered in bandages and with socks over his hands, is laid out in front of Al and the boys, moaning in agony]
- Steve: Ohhh...
- Victor: What's wrong with Mr. Rhoades?
- Al: He's dying, Victor.
- Steve: [in a refined accent] Thus dies the house of Agamemnon! [changes into a pirate character]
- Steve: [in a pirate accent] Tie him to the yardarm, Mr. Christian! [laughing] Dahahahaha! [changes into a young, British boy]
- Steve: [in a British accent] Oh, look, Father, I sat in something icky! [his eyes suddenly roll back and he passes out].
- Bud: Shall I get a club, Dad?
- Al: Nah, at least watching him gives us something to do.
- [Offscreen, Steve is heard gargling and frothing.]
- Bud: [gleefully] Oh cool, he's foaming again!
Notes[]
Title[]
- The title of this episode is a reference to the saying that someone "saves the day", as Buck is expected to save the men after getting lost in the forest.
Trivia[]
- In this episode, Al reveals that he has two days off, whereas in other episodes, it is mentioned that he only has Sundays off from the store. This would imply that someone is either filling in for him or it is a holiday that would allow the store to be closed.
- This episode takes place on a Sunday, as Al is normally off on Sundays and Kelly mentions that she was getting the Sunday newspaper for Al.
- Michael Faustino, the brother of David Faustino appears in this episode as Joey, one of the neighborhood kids that goes on the camping trip.
- He previously appeared in "Life's a Beach" as the boy who built a sandcastle that Al destroys and one of the neighborhood kids in "You Better Watch Out".
- During the ending the credits, a still frame of Al and the campers sitting in the dark at the campsite is shown instead of Al and Peg sitting on the couch.
- While this episode shows Peg playing poker with her friends, Al can be seen playing poker with his friends in "The Poker Game".
- One of the neighborhood kids points out that Steve gives out potatoes instead of candy on Halloween.
- Peggy implies that she was a groupie in her younger years.
- Marcy reveals that her hate for her mother came from her telling Marcy that she would not grow breasts, never find a man or how her pelvis was not meant for childbirth and then lose her during card games during her childhood.
- Kelly implies that she played strip poker before.
- In the syndicated version (as well as the Sony DVD), there are some notable scenes missing:
- After Peggy and the girls begin their poker game, the scene with Steve singing "(Ghost) Riders in the Sky: A Cowboy Legend" is removed. Instead, it immediately jumps to Al already having a campfire set with the flashlight.
- When Al tells the scary story to the kids, it cuts off when Al says the person was never heard from again, omitting the lines "But the worst of it is, there's still some of them out there. There might be one behind that TREE! [the kids scream and look around] Then again, there might not be. But beware. Because wherever a man is free and has change in his pockets, they'll come a-creepin' and the can't be stopped. Now sleep, if you can... [Al gives a maniacal laugh]". Instead it jumps to Steve saying it was some story.
- After Buck runs off to get help while the boys cheer him on, the scene with Steve running back to the camp area and screaming and swatting away some bees is also cut.
- When Marcy calls Kelly a cheat during the game, the camera originally shows Kelly hiding a deck of cards on the back of her neck and starts taking a card. In the syndicated cut, it cuts out the remainder of the scene, where Kelly takes the cards and pulls them off her neck while Fern asks Marcy if the guys will be OK in the woods, followed by Steve asking Bud for more mud on his tongue. Instead after Kelly begins to reach her hidden cards, it jumps to Al warning the boys about what to do if they get out alive.
- In the Mill Creek DVD reissue, the scene remain fully intact.
Cultural References[]
- When Al talks about not wanting to go camping with the neighborhood kids, he tell Peg that he would "...rather watch Roseanne Barr do a striptease...", referring to the comedienne/actress best known for her ABC sitcom, Roseanne. She was originally offered the role of Peggy Bundy but turned it down.
- Al's nickname "Dan'l" is a reference on the politician and wilderness guide Daniel Boone.
- During Steve's delusional rant, he says "Thus dies the house of Agamemnon.", referring to the Greek king, Agamemnon.
- In Greek mythology, Agamemnon was born into the house of Atreus, which was plagued by curses and misfortune. He is killed by his wife and/or her lover (depending on the version) following his return from Troy, after he had sacrificed their daughter to the gods in order to fight in Troy. His son avenges him by killing his own mother and her lover and after a trial by the gods, he is cleared and the curse was finally broken.
- In the second part of Steve's delusional rant, he yells out "Tie him to the yardarm, Mr. Christian!".
- This may be a reference to Fletcher Christian, a Master's Mate in the Royal Navy who lead a mutiny on the HMS Bounty.
- Kelly tells Bud to kiss his Stridex pad, referring to the acne treatment that is typically sold as fibrous pads soaked with an astringent.
Music[]
- The song Steve sings while Al tries to start a fire is "(Ghost) Riders in the Sky: A Cowboy Legend".
- The song Steve sings after Al tells his scary story is the traditional English folk song "Greensleeves".
- The song that plays as Buck runs through the forest is the Lassie opening theme song.
Locations[]
- Bundy Residence
- Forest
Sets[]
- Bundy Living Room / Kitchen
- Forest
Goofs[]
- When Al leaves with Steve, Bud and the neighborhood kids, he is wearing a short sleeve blue shirt and brown slacks. Yet, when they all arrive at the campsite, Al is now wearing a long sleeve plaid shirt with the sleeves rolled up and blue jeans. Everyone else is still in the same clothing.
- Towards nightfall, Al and Steve have jackets and Bud has a red hoodie, even though they rushed out of the house and didn't pack anything for the trip.
- Buck somehow is at the campsite and sitting next to Al, just as he decides to use Buck to get help. Yet, Buck wasn't home at the beginning of the episode and he didn't leave the house with Al and the others.
- The boys give Steve poison oak which causes him to hallucinate after licking it. Poison oak does not grow in Illinois nor in the Midwest and southern states. Also the leaf that Steve holds doesn't resemble what poison oak would actually look like.
- Steve mentions that they ended up in the forest after Al crashed the van. It was never explained how Al got a van in the first place, as neither Al nor Steve own a van and renting a van from a car rental business would have likely required a reservation in advance.
External Links[]
Buck Saves the Day at the Internet Movie Database- Buck Saves the Day on Bundyology
- Buck Saves the Day - Transcript on albundy.net
- #61 Buck Saves the Day - MWC Podcast on Horrorphilia
