So This is How Sinatra Felt is the 12th episode of season 6 of Married... with Children, and also the 117th overall episode in the series. Directed by Gerry Cohen, and written by Stacie Lipp, the episode premiered on the FOX network, airing on December 1, 1991.
Synopsis[]
Peg is worried that a "shoe groupie" (guest star Jessica Hahn) may be seducing Al. She sends Kelly and Bud to spy on him. Al is made to choose between Peg and the groupie.
Storyline[]
In the sixth season's twelfth episode, Peggy is jealous of Al and orders the kids, Bud and Kelly, to hide in the store and spy on him all day to confirm her suspicion that Al's recent giddiness is the work of an extramarital affair, rather than Al's claim that he's only been flirting with a "shoe groupie" at the shoe store.
Al arrives and, while his kids peep at him, he throws his jacket aside, takes a deep breath, spreads his arms expansively, and declares, "Open for business!" Then he sits on a foot stool in the empty store, buries his face in his hands, and doesn't move a muscle for five hours.
A fat lady puts a momentary end to his despair by giving him a chance to rebut her claim that the shoes she bought yesterday are cheap because they split at the seams. They're like an elevator, Al explains, "There's a two-ton weight limit. How about if I nail them to the soles of your feet? That will give you more traction when you're pulling the ice wagon?"
Then the groupie enters, and she's a meal in a short skirt. She's brought a tray of muffins for Al and begs him breathlessly to tell her stories about shoes. Half way through a story, she moans, "Don't stop, baby!" Bud and Kelly are uncertain about telling Peggy.
When Peggy demands to know what went on, Bud looks thoughtful and ponders the problem. We hear his voice over as he turns things over in his mind, then thinks: "I wonder what Kelly's thinking." The camera pans to Kelly's giddy face and we hear HER voice over -- a Rocky & Bullwinkle voice sputtering, " Eenie meenie chili beanie, the spirits are about to speak." Bud finally tells Peg that nothing happened. Al sat there for hours, then a fat lady came in, and that was all. "Yeah," adds Kelly, "don't forget about the beautiful woman who was all over him."
It's significant that when Al gets home, Peggy demands to know what happened. "Well, I left high school, lost the will to live, and here I am." Marcy and Jefferson aid Peggy in finding out what is going on. Al didn't expect a night of questioning, but he also didn't expect to find the show groupie waiting for him in his bed.
Recurring cast/Guest stars[]
Cast Regulars[]
Guest starring[]
Quotes[]
- [Al has just arrived home and is walking with a bit of swagger over to the back of the couch, where the rest of the family is sitting]
- Al: [proudly smiles as he puts his hand on Bud's face] ...My child! [moves to Kelly and touches her face] ...My child! [moves to Peg, but stops before touching her face and becomes depressed] ...My God!
- Peg: Al, this is the third day in a row you've come home happy. Now, I just had physical and I'm fine. So what are you so happy about?
- Al: What if I said I've come to grips with my job and I've come to appreciate what the three of you mean to my life?
- Peg: We'd say you were lying.
- Al: And you'd be right! [laughs]
- Peg: Al, spit it out. What is it?
- Al: [smiling] Oh, alright, I guess it can't do any harm to tell ya. A pretty girl has come into the shoe store every day this week and flirted with me! [giddy] Hehehe! I think she likes me!
- [Bud and Kelly look at each other and burst out laughing.]
- Al: I'm not kidding, she's a shoe groupie.
- Bud and Kelly: Shoe Groupie! [laughing]
- Al: What's so funny about a shoe groupie?
- Bud: [sarcastically] Oh nothing, Dad. A lot of people think rock stars get the best groupies. But now it's clear. Nothing gets them antsy like a shoe horn in your pantsy! [he and Kelly burst into laughter again]
- Kelly: Shoe horn! [turns to Peg] ...funny, m---
- [They suddenly stop laughing as they notice that Peggy looks upset.]
- Bud: What's wrong, Mom?
- Peg: [pouting] You're father's cheating on me. [the kids reel back and give Al a dirty look]
- Al: I am not!
- Peg: I know you are. You waited until I was a tad over thirty and you cheated on me!
- Al: I have two things to tell you: I would never cheat on you, [pauses] and if you think you're just a tad over thirty, then I was just a tad drunk at our wedding! Hehehe!
- Leona: I want my money back. These shoes you sold me are as useless to me as a comb is to you. I've only worn them once, and they split at the sides. [presents the heavily damaged shoes to Al]
- Al: [takes hold of the shoes] Well, let me explain. See, it's... it's just like an elevator. There's a 2-ton weight limit on these shoes. What say I nail the soles directly to your feet? It'll give you more traction when you're pulling the ice wagon.
- Leona: You'll be hearing from my attorney!
- Al: Is that the law offices of Haagen and Dazs?
- [Leona quickly storms off, leaving Al by himself again]
- Al [breaking down] Serving number 2?.. Number 2?... [sobs] Oh, God!
- [Al immediately drops down to the stool and puts his face in his hands. Bud and Kelly, who are hiding behind the cash register, watch and become depressed at the sight]
- Bud: Well, Kel, I think we can go home now. The only person Dad's cheating on Mom with is Death.
- [Al hurries down the staircase after finding Ricki naked in his bed and eventually rejects her offer to sleep with him. He then finds an upset Peg sitting on the couch, who still believes that Al cheated on her]
- Al: Peg, we have to talk. [sits next to her on the couch]
- Peg: Well, I don't know what we have to talk about. I can understand those other times you cheated. That ten-cents-a-week-raise you pocketed for yourself back in '72. Those M&Ms that you had hidden in the aspirin bottle. [Al lowers his head in shame] Yep, I know about that! But this is different, Al. How could you do this to me? Especially when you know how sensitive I am.
- [Peggy suddenly becomes angry and throws a hook punch to Al's jaw]
- Al: Ow... [rubs his sore jaw] Now listen, Peg... [rubs his jaw again] if I was ever going to leave you, it wouldn't be for another woman. I don't want another woman! [rambling] Wouldn't mind having another TV though. You know what I'd really like, one of those picture-in-a-picture jobs. You know, sometimes they got a game on and at the same time they've got a good hooter movie, and flipping back and forth between the channels makes me kinda... anxious. Oh well, maybe some other time.... [confidently] Anyhow, I never have, nor will I ever, cheat on you!
- Peg: Really, Al?
- Al: Really, Peg. But I did have the opportunity.
- Peg: Well, what stopped you?
- Al: I don't know!
- Peg: Well, I do. It's because we've been married for twenty years. We have twenty years of the same memories, the same disappointments, the same life. Anyone else would have left us by now. [leans in close and smiles] But we can't. And we never will, because you know that we were meant for each other.
- Al: [shocked] Oh my God, that is it! I've never been so depressed.
- Peg: [happily] Oh Al, you do love me. Give me a kiss.
- Al: Aw Peg, I've warned you before about touching me.
- Peg: Come on, honey, let's go upstairs.
- Al: Well, why not. Already hit rock bottom.
- [Al decides to keep Peg downstairs with him on the couch and tightly embraces her to keep her from seeing the now dejected Ricki make her way down the stairs]
- Peg: Al, honey, tell me something. Were you ever tempted by that woman? Y'know, even a little bit?
- [Al grimaces and looks behind to see Ricki standing behind them in a trench coat. She opens up it to reveal her black and purple basque and stockings before closing it, as Al closes his eyes and nods before turning back to Peg]
- Al: [in a high pitched, painful tone] ...No! [quietly sob]
- Peg: 'Cause you know, at your age, that was probably your last chance.
- [Al looks over to the door and sees the hurt Ricki, with her basque visible again, sadly wave goodbye to him and then quietly exit]
- Al [defeated] ...I know. [frowns as Peg pats his chest]
Notes[]
Title[]
- The title of this episode is a reference to singer Frank Sinatra, who sang the MWC theme song "Love and Marriage" among his other popular songs.
Trivia[]
- Peg reveals that Al cries at the end of the animated film Bambi.
- This was Jessica Hahn's first credited acting role. She began a long time domestic relationship with series creator Ron Leavitt around the time of this appearance, which lasted until his death in 2008. She was best known to the public for being a Playboy Bunny as well as being the woman who ruined televangelist Jim Bakker in 1987, when she accused him of raping her in 1980.
- Al describes Ricki as a "Shoe Groupie". He previously used the term when describing the highlights of the shoe convention in Los Angeles in season 5's "Route 666 (Part 1)".
- Al reveals to Ricki that he was a rookie shoe salesman in the winter of 1968, which would imply he started working at Gary's Shoes & Accessories for Today's Woman earlier that year.
- In the Season 3 episode, "He Thought He Could" he had a "Rookie of the Year Shoe Salesman 1968" trophy, which would confirm that he started working at Gary's in 1968.
Cultural References[]
- When Leona threatens Al with lawyers, he asks if her lawyers are from "the law office of Hagaan and Dazs", a reference to the ice cream company Häagen Dazs.
- When Bud and Kelly are thinking of what to tell Peg about the shoe groupie, the dialogue that goes through Kelly's head is from the cartoon "Rocky and Bullwinkle", though it appears to be different voice actors saying the lines as heard here.
- The original voice actress of Rocky, June Foray, previously appeared on MWC as the voice of Scary Mary in season 6's "God's Shoes", just 4 episodes prior.
- As Al tries to defend himself from Peggy and Marcy's accusations, he mentions that Buck would defend him if he could speak. Buck then says "If I could talk, I would've taken the Carson job.". This is in reference to late night talk show The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.
- In May of 1991, several months before this episode aired, Carson had announced that he would retire from the talk show the following year after being on the air for almost 30 years, with some speculation as to who would take over. Some time later, it was announced that comedian Jay Leno would take over hosting duties and the show became The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. [1]
- It was only the start of a long fight as David Letterman thought The Tonight Show would be his. Letterman took his show to CBS which premiered as the Late Show with David Letterman August 30, 1993, and it marked the start of a long ratings battle with Jay winning most nights.
- Simpsons staff writer Conan O'Brien took over Dave's old time slot at NBC,
Goofs[]
- While Marcy records Peggy's reaction about his "cheating", the cassette inside is not moving, even though Marcy is holding the record button down.
- Even though Ricki is suppose to be naked in Al’s bed, it can be seen that she’s wearing a yellowish top underneath the sheets. It can be clearly seen on her back when she reaches out to Al's hand and says "Talk shoe to me".
- Bud says he always wondered what dad does all day in the shoe store. But in earlier episodes when he was younger he was there watching Al work, such as the "The Great Escape", and "My Mom, the Mom". Not to mention in "My Mom, the Mom" Bud spent the whole day in the shoe store to learn the value of a dollar since he kept losing his jackets in that episode.
- Peg says Kelly didn't start talking until 10, however in a much, much, later episode during a flashback it showed Kelly was a brainy smart child at age 4-6, until she bumped her head in the car.