Married...With Prom Queen is the 17th episode of season 3 of Married... with Children, also the 52nd overall episode in the series. Directed by Gerry Cohen, and written by Ellen L. Fogle, the episode originally aired on FOX on April 23, 1989.
It is the first of a two part episode story arc.
Synopsis[]
Part one of two. Peggy's chances at being prom queen at her high school reunion are doomed when her old rival, Connie Bender ("Bring a friend, it won't offend her"), arrives. Meanwhile, Al meets his old rival in high school and continues the fight that they last had following graduation.
Plot[]
Bud and Kelly, both appearing hungry, are sitting at the kitchen table with a fork and knife in hand, each of them thinking of a way to eat each other if they have to resort to canniblism. Peggy comes in with a shopping bag and asks what they are doing, which they shout in unison "Food! Food! Food!" and then she joins them in the chant before they stop and look at her. Bud and Kelly tell Peg that they need to talk about the lack of food in the Bundy household, saying that no food equal no nutrition which equals no brain before pointing to Kelly, who then chimes in and tells Peg that kids at their school eat 3 meals a day, as Peg had convinced them that eating leads to food poisiong, but her and Bud are willing to take that risk. Peg responds by telling him that the money Al earns went to her new blue dress that she just bought, but there wasn't enough to buy food for them and suggest that they just eat the price tag from her dress. Bud keeps on pressing her, asking her if there is something left to eat in the house, as they turn their heads in unison and stare at Buck on the couch, before realizing what's going on and runs out of the house (as they had apparently tried to eat him on a Christmas awhile back). Peg tells them she understands what they're going through, but then tells them she dealt with it by going to Burger King on her way back from shopping and reveals that the dress is for their high school reunion.
Al comes in and comments on her dress, asking if Oprah is having a formal episode. Peg then reminds him that their high school reunion is tomorrow and that he needs to get his dress suit out of the hamper and iron it. He then tells her that he doesn't want to go, afraid of being asked questions about his life, but she reminds him this is for not taking her to their senior prom. Peg reveals that they spent their senior prom at her father's house, watching sports on TV while Al drank all the beer and she eventually told him that she loves him while he tells her to shut up as the game is still on. They later had sex on her father's coat and she mentioned that he was a tiger, but he told her that it was only because he didn't have any intention of seeing her again after that.
Back in the kitchen, Bud and Kelly are still digging for food in the freezer and thinking he may have found something, Bud keeps digging through the ice, before pulling out Freddy, his gold fish. He said he put him in there to preserve him until they could figure out what was killing him, but Kelly tells him the reason Freddy died was just because she wasn't feeding him and suggests that they just eat him and suggest that the next time she gets a pet, Bud can be the one who forgets to feed it. As he gets ready to throw it into the frying pan, he starts to indicate that he is hesitant, as Freddy was his friend and then realizes it might be better to just throw him in front of a car in order to collect insurance money, which Kelly happily agrees to do with him.
Peggy is happy to see the kids leave as they were depressing her with their demands for food and then tells Al that they have to go to this reunion because they are electing a prom queen this year. She says its important to her and that her only competition for the title is a women named Connie Bender, whom Al remembers, saying that "Her father had a great coat". An irritated Peggy tells him that his tactic to get out of it by making her jealous isn't going to work now, just like it didn't at their wedding. Bud and Kelly come back in, frustrated because out of all the cars on the road, he threw the fish into an uninsured driver and she didn't get in with the driver so they could have had $50 and they head back upstairs to see if they're spiders that they can eat. Al comments that since the kids have upstairs covered, and then asks Peg what is his dinner going to be "Furnace scrapings du jour?" before defends herself, saying that she does enough as a wife and mother.
Steve and Marcy come in, dragging a resistant Buck back into the house, saying that he ran into their house and hid underneath their bed, and has been doing this constantly, around supper time, in additon to pointing out that he needs a bath. Marcy then notices Peg's new dress and comments that she saw it on Michigan Ave. and was surprised that she got one, as Steve didn't want to spend $500 for that dress which upsets Al, who tehn reminds her that they don't have money and he'll be in debtor's prision the way she spends. Peg tells Marcy about the reunion and she insist that she needs to accesorize more than just going with that $500 dress. Steve jokingly asks Al if he's up for the Cartwheeling to the Grave award, but Al tries to use his veto power and tell Peg that there is no way they are going to the reunion, but is ignored as Marcy continues about how excited she is for her.
As Marcy helps Peg with the dress, Al wonders how isn't respected in his own home, saying that Robert Young, Fred MacMurray and even Fred Flintsone had more respect and asks if Fred Flintsone is better than him, with Steve pointing out that Fred did have a better job than Al. Marcy then tries to cheer Al up and remind him that reunions are meant to be fun and to be able to relive memories of the past, telling him that she and Steve can't wait for theirs, so they can make fun of their classmates failures. Marcy and Steve then talk about their classmates such as Marcus Belsky, who was the Visual Aides captain that bullied Steve and is now a tow truck driver or Courtney Pierce, who was a cheerleader and voted "Most Likely to Succeed" is now "bagging groceries for $3.20 an hour". Steve then tries to join in and cheer Al up, by telling him reunions are for making fun for of those who haven't done much with their lives since high school, before realziing its Al Bundy that he's talking to and apolgizies. Annoyed, Al tells him that even Barney Rubble was at least a supportive friend, unlike Steve, who then proposes to Marcy that they head back home, look up their classmates credit ratings and "make love by the flickering ashes of their lives" , which gets her excited.
Al still holds strong on his position to not go to the reunion, but Peg reminds him of all the times that she said fine, but this wasn't going to the same thing again:
"Listen, Al, you said, "I'm not taking you to the Prom." I said fine. You said, "I'll just be a shoe salesman for a few months till I get my feet off the ground." I said fine. You said, "I don't know what's wrong, I'm just tired." I said fine. But I'm not saying fine anymore. We are going to this reunion."
She also tells hime to lie and say that he is a garbage man, but he still tries to get out of going, saying "I don't wanna go to the reunion. Can't we just forget about the good times and get on with our lives?". She still tries to convince him with baby talk and promises that she won't asks him for anything else again, finally giving in. She then sets up some ground rules for him: First, he must not talk to Eli, a friend of his who would wager him to do something stupid, like running into a brick wall head first for $20. Next, he must not get into a fight, esepcially with Jack. Hearing this, Al starts reminiscing about his hated for him, being his high school rival who tried to outdo him on just about everything, and esentially spliting up the school between Al and Jack. He then mentions on graduation day, they were finally going to settle their rivalry by having a fight in the schoolyard until one gave up, but remembered that something happpened that prevented them from fighting. Peg reminds him that it was the bet he took from Eli that he could jump over a Mustang going 50mph that prevented the fight, though Al tells her that if he had just a couiple of inches to clear the driver's nose, he could have won the $10 bet. He then goes on that if he won the fight, he could have went on to play college football, married a debutante and became rich and famous, but says he has no complaints about his life, before say "Oh God!" and starts to cry.
At the reunion, which is inside a hotel lounge, a band called "The Why" is singing a psychadellic version of "Shotgun" while a girl in a short maroon dress is dancing in a cage next to the band. After finishing the song, and receiving a less than stellar applause from the crowd, the dancer asks "Can I take a break now, daddy?", as the lead guitarist clears the way for her. An excited Peg drags Al and reminds him about what he's suppose to say:
Peg: Now what do you do for a living?
Al: (depressingly) Garbage man
Peg: How often do we make love?
Al: (depressingly) 5 times a year
Peg: Its five times a week, Al
Al: Aw, c'mon Peg, no one's going to believe that
Peg: I'm not asking you to do it, just say it... Ok, now how many children have we got?
Al: (depressingly) None
Peg: (excited) Ok, I think we're ready lets go.
As they walk in with their arms interlocked, Peg tells Al that she loves him and appreciates him for doing this, but as soon as she sees her female she shoves him aside and runs off to greet them. One of the girls, Edna comments that she hasn't changed at all and then asks whatever happened to the sex machine that she would show off all around town. Al comes by and hearing this, tries to clear his throat and looks cocky, believing that they are talking about him, before its revealed that it was actually a guy named Todd Flemming. Peg tells them she though she could do better but ended up with Al and then introduces him. Edna says remembers him and also says that he still looks the same, though she says it disappointingly. Al comes back and tells her that she "doesn't look a day over 1000", but Peg defends Edna and tells her to ignore him, "much like success has" as they laugh at him and then asks if she has their vote for prom queen. Vicky then tells Peg that calling her in New Mexico must have cost a fortune, which she tells the girls that it was over $2000 to call all the people from her graduating class.
As Vicky leaves, Al (now revealing his suit has a burn mark from the iron sitting on it) watches Vicky from behind, while a noticiably annoyed red headed lady stares at Peggy from another table. She then taps her on the shoulder, sarcastically mistaking her for a waitress there, before saying its "Peggy?...Peggy Wanker ...Don't bother to thank her" while Peggy, realizing its her rival, Connie Bender says "Connie?...Connie Bender...Bring a friend, it won't offend her". Connie then turns to Al, saying he looks good and ask if she remembers him, which he replies with "What happened?" and then says that he meant to say that she looks better now standing up. As she asks him what's he doing now, Peggy pulls her aside and tell her that he's a garbage man and asks if she's now married or making her way west of the Mississppi. Connie reveals that in fact she is married and calls over her husband, who turns out to be Jack, Al's rival. Seeing him, he and Jack start to circle each other and size each other up, before Jack suggests they do the fight they didn't get to do at graduation.
As they are about to head out, Peggy stops them, tellin the guys that they is "no need to pick up exactly where we left off! If we did that, Connie would be in the coat room with the band." Connie, ignoring her remark, then tells Peggy that she will be the reunion queen and asks Peggy if she wants to be her "hag in waiting", but Peg tells her that she's wrong, just like her belief that women don't need deodorant. They start circling each other and Peg reassures her that she's going to be the queen, as she is ahead by 3 votes and called everyone in the English speaking world. But Connie chimes in and reveals that Peggy made a mistake, as she forgot about the foreign exchange students they had back then, the Yoshiro sisters from Tokyo who she flew in and is holding their passports in exchange for their votes. An angry Peggy tells her that she didn't spend $500 on her dress, $2000 in phone calls and $300 for her shoes just to go home empty handed with Al, vowing that she will be queen of the reunion, but Connie smuggly tells her she can't when she's one vote short now, leaving Peggy nervous about what to do now.
Recurring cast/Guest stars[]
- Amanda Bearse as Marcy Rhoades
- David Garrison as Steve Rhoades
- Buck the Dog as Buck Bundy
- Lisa Raggio as Connie Bender
- Jack Yates as Jack
- Catherine Carlen as Vicky
- Carol Mansell as Edna
- Betty Muramoto as Sumo Yohiro
- Andrea Parker as Go-Go Dancer
- Barbara Lee-Belmonte as Silky
- Patricia Matthews as Velour
Quotes[]
- [Bud and Kelly are sitting at the kitchen table with a fork and knife in their hands, waiting for food]
- Bud: [v.o., staring at Kelly and licking his lips] If we don't get any food soon... its "Donner Pass", baby!
- Kelly: [v.o., staring at Bud with a grin on her face] Hmm, he's a little stringy, but seasoned correctly... "Bud Chops"!
- Peg: Now be patient, kids, because your father doesn't earn enough for this dress and food. In fact, your father doesn't earn enough for this dress and gum...Actually, your father doesn't earn enough for this dress.
- [Bud, Kelly, and Peg are sitting at the kitchen table]
- Bud: C'mon, Mom, we're hungry. Isn't there anything to eat in this house?
- [the trio turn and look at Buck, sitting on the couch. After seeing them, he quickly gets up and bolts toward the laundry room.
- Peg: You know, I don't think he ever got over waking up that Christmas morning, surrounded by little potatoes with a pineapple ring on his back.
- Kelly: It's not like we glazed him or anything
- Bud: Mom, we're starving! Feed us or trade us!
- Steve: [laughing and smiling] Yeah, see, tha..that's what reunions are for! To laugh and point at the pitiful! [Al looks off in the distance with a depressed look on his face] You know, Al! The wretches! The failures! The people who haven't accomplished a damn thing since high school!
- [Steve eventually looks at Al and sees the depressive look on his face, causing him to quickly change his upbeat and positive tone]
- Steve: [regretfully] I,..uhmm,... I-I'm sorry, Al...
- Al: You know, Barney Rubble wasn't much, but at least he was supportive, Steve!
Notes[]
Title[]
- The title of this episode is a reference to the show's title and Peggy's attempt to become reunion queen.
- Alternate title: MARRIED... WITH QUEEN (PART ONE)
Trivia[]
- In this episode we learn Peggy's maiden name is Wanker.
- This episode was also shown in the UK, where the term 'wanker' is an obscenity. SkyOne cut out any reference to Peggy's maiden name.
- In the original first draft of the script, seen here, there were some notable differences in the dialogue and scenes, such as:
- Al still constantly thinking about not clearing the two inches that cost him the bet
- The phone company representative personally delivering the $2000 phone bill to Peggy
- Connie was originally named Nancy, who is greeted by Peggy with "Nancy Bender...suck the chrome off a fender"
- Steve points out that Buck runs to the Rhoades residence and hides under their bed around suppertime everyday.
- Edna reveals that Peggy's previous boyfriend in high school was Todd Fleming.
- In this episode, it is revealed that Bud had a goldfish named Freddy that he found in the freezer, beliving that it would keep him safe until they found a cure for what was bothering him. Kelly then reveals that what was killing him was that no one was actually feeding him. He then plans to eat Freddy's head, before deciding to throw his corpse into oncoming traffic for money.
- A similar story happens later in "Children of the Corns" when Bud finds Kelly's pet turtle, Timmy Turtle in the freezer.
Cultural References[]
- At the beginning of the episode, Bud stares at Kelly and says "If we don't get any food soon, its 'Donner Pass' baby!"
- Donner Pass is a mountain pass in the Sierra Mountains in California.
- More specifically, Bud is alluding to the Donner Party, a group of American pioneers traveling west to California in 1846, who eventually got stuck in the Donner Pass area, due to the harsh winter conditions, which forced the remaining survivors to resort to cannibalism.
- Donner Pass is a mountain pass in the Sierra Mountains in California.
- Peggy mentions to her starving kids that she ate at fast food chain Burger King on her way home from shopping.
- The band name 'The Why' could possibly be a reference to The Who, a popular rock band from the 1960s and 1970s.
- The names Al mentions when talking to Steve about respect were all fathers on television shows:
- Robert Young was the father on Father Knows Best
- Fred MacMurray was the father on My Three Sons
- Fred Flintstone was the father on the animated cartoon series, The Flintstones
- Al also mentions Barney Rubble, Fred Flintstone's best friend and neighbor when complaining to Steve about being a supportive friend.
Music[]
- The song that The Why is singing is "Shotgun" by Junior Walker & The All Stars
Locations[]
- Bundy Residence
- Polk High School Reunion
Sets[]
- Bundy Living Room / Kitchen
- Banquet Hall
Goofs[]
- As Al and Peggy were born in 1948, that would most likely mean they graduated in 1966, when they were 18 years old, unless they were held back a year or Al was drafted to fight in the Vietnam War, delaying his graduation. Yet, as this episode takes place in 1989, this would actually make it their 23rd year high school reunion if they were in the class of 1966.
- This would conflict with Al's football record, as students in American high schools graduate in June and high school football start to play in September, shortly after the new school year starts. Al stated that as he stated he was Polk High MVP in 1966 and scored his four touchdowns in a single game that same year in November, but he would have already been out of school by the time the 1966 football season started.
- Also, reunions typically are held every 10 years (or 5 years in some cases) and usually designate the specfic class year (ex. Polk High, Class of 1990), yet none of the banners or signs indicate the class year. So if this was a 20 year high school reunion, then they graduated in 1969 or if it was 25 year reunion, then it means they graduated in 1964
- In the beginning of the episode where Peggy and the kids are chanting about food, a microphone can briefly be seen moving right to left on top of the screen.
- On the Mill Creek DVD release, at the end of the credits, the Sony Pictures Television logo is shown but the original Colombia Pictures Television theme plays instead. This was likely an editing mistake on behalf of SPT.
External Links[]
Married... with Queen (Part 1) at the Internet Movie Database- Married... with Queen (Part 1) on Bundyology
- Married... with Queen (Part 1) - First Draft Script on albundy.net
- Married... with Queen (Part 1) - Transcript on Springfield! Springfield!
- #54 Married... with Queen - MWC Podcast on Horrorphilia
