Chicago Shoe Exchange

Chicago Shoe Exchange was the 24th and final episode of Season 11 of Married... with Children, it also being the 259th and final overall series episode. Directed by Mark K. Samuels and written by Eric Abrmas & Matthew Berry, it premiered on FOX-TV on June 9, 1997.

Synopsis

Al and Griff simply must have the nifty massage chair from the upscale gadget store. Since they are broke, they decide to barter their way to more relaxed muscles. Meanwhile, Kelly practices her newly learned massage techniques on Bud.

Plot Summary

Gary is restocking the shoe store, donating old shoes to Filipino orphans, who according to Al, "made them". As Al and Griff are getting corn dogs for lunch, they realize they can barter payment with shoes. This gives them an idea on getting some other stuff around the mall.

Elsewhere, Kelly gets a masseuse license. She decides to try out her new license on Bud, who has just become Delta Burke's agent and is "a bit tense". However, while Kelly is massaging Bud, she puts too much pressure onto his back. Her attempts to fix the situation result in Bud not being able to move his legs.

Al and Griff go to one of the other stores in the mall, where they discover the Swedish Ecstasy 5000, described as "almost as good as sex". However, the two can't afford the $3000 price. They try to barter for the chair with shoes, but the owner instead wants a a set of graphite golf clubs, at the sporting goods store. At the store, they arrange to get the golf clubs for 50 pairs of stiletto heels, size 12, and a push-up bra.

Meanwhile, Kelly pricks a needle (along with an arrow) into Bud to see if he has feeling in his legs, though he has none. Bud implores Kelly and Peggy to call a doctor. Jefferson soon arrives to help, boasting of his multiple experiences at massage parlors. Peggy asks the two to move Bud to the table so she can have the couch. Jefferson controls Bud's vertebrae while moving his spine clockwise to try and heal him, though Bud is soon left in pain. Jefferson moves his spine counter clockwise, which hurts just as much and leaves Bud motionless.

Al and Griff are at the mall, which is devoid of shoes after a series of trades. "To get the chair, we had to get the golf clubs. To get the golf clubs, we needed to get a push up bra. To get the push up bra, we had to get him the kayak and that apology for being in the fitting room. Now all we need to do is get this driving mower to the Gap. And Mr. Zippy the chimp to Hickory Farms."

The two are then busted by the mall cops, for violation of mall code 274, illegal bartering. Al tries to get off the hook by saying that they are all accessories (such as a barbecue grill as a foot warmer and a piano as the customer lounge - "The Shoe Room"). He barters with the mall cops with "free stuff" and Griff playing at the mall policeman's ball.

Kelly, Jefferson, and Peggy are trying to get Bud into the car to drive to the chiropractor's office at the mall, which doesn't work until they put him on top of the hood of the car. However, Kelly fails to tie him down (thinking they said to put a tie on him), as Bud tells them to slow down, as Kelly thinks he said to stop, throwing him off the hood of the car.

Griff and Al and finally gotten rid of all the items and now just have the Swedish Ecstasy 5000, until Gary calls. Retro has come back in style, meaning that she wants all the shoes back. They now have to trade everything back, including the chair. Al and Griff are at the store where they got the chair originally, where Kelly, Bud, Jefferson, and Peggy are also at. Peggy explains the cost of the chiropractor to Bud, as she then buys a titanium shower head. Kelly tells Bud that Delta Burke fired him as her agent, as decides to cheer him up by giving him a tan. Al and Griff have traded everything back, except the chair for the clubs. Al asks for the clubs back, but the owner rejects them. Al discovers Peggy at the store, as Jefferson and Kelly open the tanning booth to reveal a burnt Bud. Al comes up with an idea, moving Bud to the Swedish Ecstasy 5000 and claiming that the chair paralyzing and burning him. The owner decides to give the clubs back to Griff and Al, and the two promptly leave. Kelly tries to cool off Bud's burnt skin with a fire extinguisher.

Al and Griff run back with all the shoes, just as Gary returns to the store. She met someone on the cruise she had taken, who will pick her up at the store. While looking at herself in the mirror, she runs out after seeing Mr. Zippy.

The final scene involves Mr. Zippy, now wearing a shirt and tie like Al, giving shoes to a customer, and sitting on the chair between Al and Griff, with his hand in his pants, just like Al.

Recurring Cast/Regulars

• Harold Sylvester as Griff
• Janet Carroll as Gary

Guest Stars

• Larry Bagby III as Clements
• James Nardini as Chris
• Matthew Sutherland as Grad
• Michael C. Mahon as Larry
• Abbey Nayor as Jean, the Corn Dog Lady
• Lisa-Gay Tremblay as Cathy
• Cheryl Rhoads as Rachel
• Gita Isak as Gloria
• Zippy the chimp as Himself

Notes

Title

• The title of this episode is a reference to the Chicago Stock Exchange and Al and Griff trading shoes for other goods among the other mall employees.

Trivia

• This was the final episode of Married... with Children to air on FOX.
  • This episode was aired out of production order five weeks after "How to Marry a Moron (Part 2)", which was designated as the season finale and also widely considered the finale episode.
  • Because of this, the DVDs and sites that stream MWC list this episode as the last episode on the Season 11 DVD/Listing.
• This was the final new episode aired on any Fox network until "I'll See You in Court", which was filmed during Season 3, aired on June 18, 2002 on FX which was rerunning the series at the time.
• With this episode, Ed O'Neill was the only cast member to appear in every episode of Married... with Children.
  • Coming in second was David Faustino who only missed two episodes.
• Amanda Bearse does not appear in this episode
• The final line in the entire series from a main cast member: "That's one desperate little chimp, huh."

Cultural References

• The main topic of this episode is about bartering or trading goods and services between two or more people without involving currency.
• The uniform that Jean, the Corn Dog Lady is wearing is a reference to Hot Dog on a Stick, a fast food restaurant chain that is commonly found in malls across the United States and specializes in serving corn dogs.
• Bud says that he is representing actress Delta Burke, an actress who was best known for her role on the CBS sitcom, Designing Women and its spin-off, Women of the House.
  • She was previously referenced during Season 6 of MWC as Al mistook her for Canadian actor Raymond Burr.
• The Smithstone store, where Al and Griff barter for the Swedish Ecstasy 5000 Chair is a parody of Brookstone, a store that sells various electronic gadgets, including massage chairs and are usually found inside malls.
• When Al tells Griff "Why don't you take five, Little Stevie." as he plays the piano in the shoe store, he is referring to musician Stevie Wonder.

Music

• Griff plays an instrumental version of the song "Shout" by The Isley Brothers

Locations

• Bundy Residence
• New Market Mall
• Gary's Shoes & Accessories for Today's Woman
• Smithstone
• Pro Shop
• Chicago Expressway

Sets

• Bundy Living Room / Kitchen
• Bundy Garage
• Gary's Shoes Seating Area
• Smithstone
• Pro Shop
• Dodge Interior / Chicago Expressway

Goofs

• When Jefferson and Kelly put Bud in the trunk of the Dodge, it is clearly a dummy.
• When Jefferson and Kelly put Bud in the trunk of the Dodge, Bud's feet are sideways and pointing towards the camera. Then, in the close up shot, his feet are pointing upward
• During the drive with Bud on the roof of the car, part of the green screen is leaking onto Peggy and Bud, most noticeably, in the shots with the camera behind Jefferson and Peggy.

External Links

• Chicago Shoe Exchange episode page at Bundyology