Nooner or Later

Nooner or Later is the 21st episode of Season 8 of Married... with Children, also the 178th overall episode of the series. Directed by Gerry Cohen, and written by Nancy Neufeld Callaway, the episode originally aired on FOX, premiering on April 10, 1994.

Synopsis

As a part of a radio contest, women are asked to make their husband do embarrassing things. Peg tries to make Al sing "Wind Beneath My Wings", name her breasts and then come home so they can have a "nooner". She fails in everything. Meanwhile, Bud and Kelly wait in a long line for concert tickets and keep moving back as people exploit their weaknesses.

Episode summary

The twenty-first episode of the eighth season has the sex-depraved, romance starved Peg trying to get Al to sing to her over the phone, without explaining why, and a new 44-inch chest D-cup, but a 36-inch waisted, big tall black assistant in the shoe store - a new temp guy named Dexter, who stands about 6'5", and manages to pass out after one of the many portly customers manages to fall on him; the paramedics are summoned to try to revive him as he becomes unconscious as Peg tries to get Al to remember the "cute little names" that he calls her breasts when they make love!, as Peg is trying to coerce Al into an a response over the phone in order to win a prize on a radio call-in show hosted by Rick Dees. One act for Al is to come home to have a nooner with Peggy.  Al agrees, believing that a "nooner" is another word for lunch. Meanwhile, Kelly and Bud wait in line in the mall outside the shoe store for rock concert tickets. When Dexter comes to, he informs Al, who was asked by Peg, who on a suggestion from Rick Dees, in order to win the prize from the radio contest, to come home for a "nooner", that he agreed to come home to make love to her, much to his disdainful chagrin!

Recurring Cast/Regulars

• Amanda Bearse as Marcy D'Arcy  
• Ted McGinley as Jefferson D'Arcy
• Buck the Dog as Buck Bundy

Guest starring

• Rick Dees as Himself (voice only)
• Chi McBride as Dexter
• Christopher Douglas as Kevin (as Douglas Chrisopher)
• Fergie as Ann (as Stacy Ferguson)
• Peter Steinfeld as Pete (as Pete Steinfeld)
• Helen Siff as Leona
• Helen Faraday as Frieda
• Kelly L. Goodman as Barbara (as Kelly Goodman)
• Steve Graham as BBR Fan
• Nicole Nagorsky as Penelope

Quotes

• Bud: You can't be this dumb.
• Kelly: I can be anything I wanna be. It's the 90s.

Notes

Title

• The title is a play on the expression "Sooner or later", meaning that something will happen eventually and "Nooner" which is explained in this episode as heading home during one's lunch break for sexual intercourse.

Trivia

• This is the first episode in which they deliberately tried to hide Katey Sagal's baby bump behind objects such as a bag of chips, a box of cereal, and a telephone.
• This was the only episode to feature Al's temporary shoe store assistant Dexter. Though it was not explained why Aaron Mitchell was out that day.
• Ann, the blonde she-devil in the blue dress who cuts in front of Bud, is played by Kids Incorporated alum Stacy Ferguson. She would later gain fame as one third of the singing group Wild Orchid, who also hosted the talent show Great Pretenders. Still later, as "Fergie", she would become a member of the music group Black Eyed Peas...and, after that, a successful solo artist.
• Pete, the man in the biker vest who throws Bud across the shoe store after he and Kelly cut in front of him is played by Pete Steinfeld in his third guest appearance on the show.
  • He previously appeared in season 3's "Life's a Beach" as a lifeguard and season 6's "Kelly Does Hollywood (Part 2)" as television actor Rock Turboman.
• Rick Dees, the radio show host who talks to Peggy, is a real radio personality. At the time this episode was filmed, he was the morning show host at the Los Angeles based top 40 music station 102.7 KIIS FM.
  • Dees also contributed a chocolate cake recipe to the Married... with Children cookbook, "Pig Out With Peg."
• Leona and Barbara, the fat women that Al insulted in this episode reappear later in the season 11 episode, "Crimes Against Obesity" as part of the group of women that take Al hostage on his birthday.
• The rerun airing on ViacomCBS Domestic Media Networks does not include the opening scene with Penelope and her mother.

Cultural References

• When Al rants about older bands from his youth have better names than newer bands, he mentions 1910 Fruitgum Company, which was a pop rock band from the 1960s, as Bud mentions.
• After Bud laughs at Al for his rant about cool band names, Al quips "You laugh, but at least we could have sex without being wrapped in a tire", which is in reference to the heavy promotion of condoms during the 1980s and 1990s as a means for safer sex.
  • David Faustino appeared in a commercial to promote condom usage for safe sex in 1993, around the time Season 8 began.
• The first challenge that Rick Dees gives to Peggy is to make Al sing "Wind Beneath My Wings" a song that became famous as a cover version recorded by Bette Middler for the 1988 film, Beaches.
  • The film was previously mentioned in the season 5 episode, "Kids! Wadaya Gonna Do?".
• After Peggys second attempt to get Al to sing to her, he tells that he knows that she'll "...get as horny as the cape of the same name", likely referring to Cape Horn, the southernmost headland of South America.
• After trying to get Al to say the nickname for Peggy's breasts, he asks her "Peg, do you think Mrs. Iacocca calls Lee and says 'Lee, before you go back into the boardroom, what's that cute little nickname you have for my ass?!".
  • This is in reference to Lee Iacocca, an automotive CEO who was best known for reviving the Chrysler Corporation (maker of Dodge) as its CEO during the 1980s as well as being involved in the development of the Ford Mustang and Ford Pinto cars in the 1960s.
  • Iacocca was previously mentioned in the season 6 episode, "Al Bundy, Shoe Dick".
• When Al stands in line for the kids, the guy behind him sarcastically asks if they are selling Wayne Newton tickets as well, referring to the Las Vegas based entertainer.
  • Newton was previously mentioned in the Season 4 episode, "You Gotta Know When to Fold 'Em (Part 2)", as Al told the kids after they arrived in Las Vegas that he plans to key Newton's car.

Locations

• Bundy Residence
• Gary's Shoes & Accessories for Today's Woman
• New Market Mall

Sets

• Bundy Living Room / Kitchen
• Gary's Shoes Seating Area / Cash Register
• New Market Mall Walkway

Goofs

• When Bud is tricked by Ann, several men who look like football players push Bud back further in line. Yet when Kelly rejoins him later, one of the football players (blonde male with a black #25 jersey) is only two people ahead of Bud, while the rest of the men he was with are significantly further head of him.
• When the fat woman falls on top of Dexter, it is very obvious the actress is keeping her full weight off his chest.
• In the wide shot of Bud waving and calling out to Kelly after being forcefully moved towards the back of the line, a boom mic is clearly visible by his head.