Ship Happens: Part 2 is the 20th episode in Season 9 of Married... with Children, and was also the 203rd overall episode. Directed by Gerry Cohen and written by Katherine Green, the episode originally aired on FOX, premiering on February 26, 1995.
Synopsis[]
Conclusion of two-part story. The Bundys, the D'Arcys, a fat woman, and comedian-former SNL cast member Gilbert Gottfried are lost at sea and are the only survivors after the cruise ship sinks. Gilbert entertains them and finally Al goes for help. The rest get rescued soon and Al turns up two days later. Meanwhile, the media hound the kids for stories, and Bud starts to see the economic possibilities.
Storyline[]
Part two and conclusion of two-episode story arc. In this particular episode, the Bundys' ocean cruise aboard the S.S. Sea Dodge takes a turn for the worse when their ship sinks, and they are stranded on a life raft in the middle of the ocean as with the D'Arcys, a fat woman, and comedian Gilbert Gottfried, who tries to "lighten the monotony" by endeavoring to entertain them all telling bad jokes! The six are the only survivors. Meanwhile, Kelly and Bud endure the media circus that comes to their house asking about their missing parents.
Recurring Cast/Regulars[]
- Amanda Bearse as Marcy D'Arcy
- Ted McGinley as Jefferson D'Arcy
- Buck the Dog as Buck Bundy
Guest starring[]
- Gilbert Gottfried as Himself
- Leilani Jones as Reporter #1
- Keith Sellon-Wright as Reporter #2
- Kevin McBride as Reporter #3
- Melissa Chan as Reporter #4
- Scott Hartman as Reporter #5
- Teresa Parente as Miranda Veracruz de la Jolla Cardinal
Quotes[]
- [As Bud and Kelly plan to head out and find their parents, a swarm of news reporters barge into the Bundy residence and shove their microphones and cameras into Bud and Kelly's face]
- Bud: [upset] Now, wait a second now! You people can't just barge in here and invade our privacy! Kelly, show these people out! [walks back to the couch, as the reporter follows behind]
- Reporter #1: We'll pay you $1 million for your exclusive story.
- Bud: [after a moment, calmly] Kelly, get these people a Snapple.
- Peggy: Honey, we've got this. [pulls out a flare gun and points it near Al's face]
- Al: [concerned, pushing the gun away] Peg, Peg, Peg, that's a flare gun! We only use that when the rescuers try to find us.
- Peggy: Oh, but I don't want them to see my hair.
- Al: [nodding] Yeah...
- [As Al extends his hand out to take the gun, Peg throws it overboard, much to Al's dismay]
- Al: Well, now I know why Jacques Cousteau only has men on the Calypso.
- Gilbert Gottfried: Uh, that's not why.
- [At the Bundy residence, Bud and Kelly are being interviewed on the couch by several reporters, just as Miranda goes live]
- Miranda: Hello, this is Miranda Veracruz de la Jolla Cardinal. Live at the home of Kelly and Bud Bundy who are anxiously awaiting news of whether their parents will be found alive [Bud and Kelly suddenly stop and look up at Miranda, who now changes to a more dramatic tone] or if their decomposing corpses will be found weeks later in some South Florida bog. Ohh! [walks over and takes a seat next to Kelly] Bud and Kelly, I know that this is a difficult time for you but can you tell me how you're feeling? And please be as graphic as possible. [she and the rest of the reporters immediately shove their microphones up to Bud and Kelly's faces]
- Bud: [upset] We refuse to answer this line of questioning until we find out if they're alive.
- Miranda: [remorseful, leans back] Well, I apologize if I seemed insensitive. [suddenly becomes upbeat again] So tell me, did your parents ever abuse you? [she and the rest of the reporters shove their mics into Bud and Kelly's face again]
- Bud: [offended] No!
- Reporter #2: Surely your father must have seen your heinie? [shoves his mic towards Kelly]
- Kelly: Well, yeah, when I was a baby.
- [the reporters gasp and nod, before shoving their mics towards Kelly's face again]
- Reporter #3: Did Michael Jackson ever touch you?
- Reporter #4: Did Bob Barker ever touch you?
- Reporter #5: Tom Arnold?
- Reporter #1: Roseanne?
- Reporter #3: George Plimpton?
- [Miranda and the others nod and point to Reporter #3 for asking a good question]
- [After hearing the reporters' questions about who abused them, Bud becomes upset]
- Bud: Oh, what is the matter with you, people? Whatever happened to the noble image of the fourth estate? People like Edward R. Murrow and Walter Cronkite?
- Reporter #2: Who?
- Bud: [stunned] Walt... Walter Cronkite?
- Miranda/Reporters: [talking over each other] Walt.. Walter... Hmm, Don't know that name...
- Reporter #2: ...Was he ever touched by Michael Jackson? [the reporters shove their mics into Bud's face again]
- Bud: [disgusted] Get away from me, you ghouls! [gets up and walks to the kitchen] What was I even thinking, letting you people in here?! Me and my sister will not sell our parents out for money! Right, Kel?
- [Kelly is surrounded by the reporters and has one hand out with money. Reporter #2 begins to give her more money]
- Kelly: [stiffly] Well, then Daddy had Senator Packwood chase me around the bed. [Reporter #2 smiles and nods while handing her money, while the others gasp] Or was it Senator Mike Tyson? [the reporters smile and nod, while giving Kelly even more money] Yes, yes, it was both of them!
Notes[]
Title[]
- The title of this episode is a reference to the idiom "Shit happens", meaning that life is unpredictable and that bad things can occur, no matter how hard one tries to avoid them.
Trivia[]
- The name of the ship was "Sea Dodge".
- Gilbert Gottfried and Ed O'Neill both appeared in the 1990 film, The Adventures of Ford Fairlane.
- Coincidentally, the day that Gottfried died, April 12, 2022 was also Ed O'Neill's 76th birthday.
- Katey Sagal and Gilbert Gottfried were both costars of the late John Ritter. Gilbert Gottfried starred with him in the Problem Child films and Katey Sagal starred with him in his last sitcom 8 Simple Rules.
- Gilbert Gottfried and Ed O'Neill both appeared in The Adventures of Ford Fairlane.
- Melissa Chan, who plays the Asian female reporter would appear on MWC again in the season 10 episode, "Enemies" as Keiko, the waitress.
- Logo TV scheduled the episode to run on April 13, 2022 at midnight Eastern Time, which happened to be one day after Gilbert Gottfried had died. This had previously been planned and its timing of several hours after the announcement of Gottfried's death was purely coincidental.
Cultural References[]
- Although he does not appear in this episode, radio personality Wolfman Jack is mentioned by name at the beginning of the episode. He was in the previous episode, where he presented Peggy with the cruise tickets before staying on the Bundy's living room couch, much to Bud and Kelly's annoyance.
- Comedian Gilbert Gottfried is featured in this episode. He was previously mentioned as someone Al and Jefferson didn't like in the previous episode.
- During his rant about listening to his agent, Gilbert Gottfried mentions fellow comedians Sinbad and Carrot Top and how he was told that he wouldn't have had to follow them if he went on the cruise.
- When Al asks who would know the most about the sea, Gilbert Gottfried says "David Hasselhoff", an American actor and singer.
- Gottfried's response is a reference to Hasselhoff's role on the show Baywatch where he played a lifeguard.
- Al calls Marcy "Kathie Lee Gifford", an actress and singer who at the time this episode originally aired, was the host of the ABC morning talk show Live! with Regis and Kathy Lee
- She was also at the time a spokesperson for Carnival Cruise Line.
- Al calls Peggy's hair style as "Loch Ness Hair-do", in reference to Loch Ness Monster
- Joy laments that the cruise didn't get Gallagher so they could at least be eating watermelon.
- Gallagher was an American comedian who typically used watermelons as his props in his comedy routines. His routine would usually culminate with him taking a sledgehammer and smashing the watermelons that would send pieces out into the audience.
- During his comedy set, Gilbert Gottfried makes several references to famous actors and characters:
- Mickey Mouse tripping on acid.
- Clark Gable, mocking his large ears.
- Vincent Van Gogh, mocking the artist after he cut off one of his own ears.
- Detective Robert Ironside from the television series Ironside.
- Jerry Lewis, alluding to his role as Professor Kelp in in The Nutty Professor and his involvement with The Jerry Lewis MDA Labor Day Telethon.
- Jerry Seinfeld imitating the comedian/actor who had his own television series at the time and using his typical comedy routine bit.
- Ted Kennedy referring to the political figure who was known for his drinking and inappropriate behavior with women.
- Kelly is shown watching a cartoon featuring Bugs Bunny and Yosemite Sam.
- On the news, it is mentioned that Wolfman Jack was left in a dumpster tied up and bound at a Planet Hollywood.
- Planet Hollywood is a chain of themed restaurants that was originally backed by several well known celebrities in the early 1990s. The Chicago location opened in 1993, but closed in 1999 and as of 2019, has only 7 locations, with only 3 within the United States.
- When Kelly tries to tell the reporters that their parents might still be alive, the female reporter scoffs and says "Yeah and Hoffa's eating at Denny's!".
- This is in reference to the family restaurant chain and Jimmy Hoffa, an American labor union leader who mysteriously disappeared in 1975 and as of 2024, his remains have never been found.
- After the reporter offers Bud and Kelly $1 million for their story, Bud tells Kelly to get the reporters a bottle of Snapple, referring to a bottled juice product that was popular in the 1990s due to its marketing.
- As Al is getting ready to fish, he complains, "Why can't it be once, 'Al wake up, its Cindy Crawford! I'm hungry and horny!'", referring to the supermodel.
- After Peggy threw the flare gun into the ocean, Al says that he now knows why Jacques Cousteau only has men on the Calypso.
- Jacques Cousteau was a French oceanographer and filmmaker who was known for his documentaries about life beneath the ocean waters, while the Calypso was the research vessel that he used until 1996.
- The reporters asks Kelly and Bud if they had been touched by several celebrities:
- Michael Jackson - Pop singer who at the time was dealing allegations of child sexual abuse.
- Bob Barker - Game show host who had several lawsuits filed against him in the 1990s until his retirement in 2007 by former female employees that alleged sexual misconduct and workplace discrimination.
- Tom Arnold - Actor who at this recently had been divorced from Rosanne Barr.
- Roseanne Barr - Comedienne / actress who at the time was the star of her own sitcom, Roseanne.
- George Plimpton - Journalist who coincidentally was the host the MWC special, "The Best of Bundy".
- After being asked about being touched by celebrities, Bud complains to the reporters "Whatever happened to the noble image of the Fourth Estate? People like Edward R. Murrow and Walter Cronkite".
- The Fourth Estate is a term used to refer to journalists and the influential power they have, believing it is their duty to act as a watchdog to the government and keep the people informed without censorship of important events. In this case, Bud seems to be pointing out that they lack integrity and are just there to find some sleazy news.
- Edward R. Murrow was an American broadcast journalist and war correspondent, who was praised for his honesty.
- Walter Cronkite was an American broadcast journalist who served as anchorman for the CBS Evening News. He was often cited as "the most trusted man in America".
- While the journalist bribe Kelly, she tells them that Al had Senator Packwood and Senator Mike Tyson chase her around the bed.
- Bob Packwood is a former U.S. Senator who, in 1995, resigned his seat following allegations of sexual misconduct.
- Mike Tyson is a former professional boxer who was accused of rape in 1991 and sentenced to six years in prison, but was released in March 1995.
Locations[]
- Bundy Residence
- Ocean
Sets[]
- Bundy Living Room / Kitchen
- Ocean / Lifeboat
Goofs[]
- At the beginning of the episode, Al asks Peggy if he's thanked her for inviting him on this trip, to which she says that as a matter of fact, he hasn't. However, in the previous episode, Al actually thanked her, albeit sarcastically, twice for inviting him on the cruise.
- A boom mic is visible moments before Al Bundy is interviewed by Miranda Veracruz de la Jolla Cardinal.
- Al declares that he has watched all 3000 episodes of Gilligan's Island. The original series only had a total of 98 episodes. Even if he included spin-offs, made-for-tv films and the cartoon series, it would still be nowhere near 3000 episodes.