Something Larry This Way Comes is the 21st episode in Season 9 of Married... with Children, and was also the 204th overall episode. Directed by Amanda Bearse and written by Alison Taylor, the episode originally aired on FOX, premiering on March 12, 1995.
Synopsis[]
Al is excited when Kelly hires Larry Storch as her acting coach and they star in a play together. Al and Griff dress up as wolves and try to sell more shoes. Larry comes to the store to meet Al and gets hit by Gary, who earlier describes her tough past with Larry. Al steps in to perform Larry's part in the play (as he is incapacitated) to help Kelly out.
Storyline[]
To sell more shoes, Al and Griff go to the extreme -- they try to dress as wolves!
In this episode, Kelly gets a big break while attending the Larry Storch School of Acting when she and Larry Storch are to appear on stage in a part of the show "Phantom of the Opera." But when the shoe store owner, Gary, knocks out comedian/actor Larry Storch himself, whom she holds a personal grudge against, Al must leave the midnight madness sale at the shoe store, leaving Griff solo, to go to Kelly's rescue at the theater.
Recurring Cast/Regulars[]
- Amanda Bearse as Marcy D'Arcy
- Ted McGinley as Jefferson D'Arcy
- Buck the Dog as Buck Bundy
- Harold Sylvester as Griff
- Janet Carroll as Gary
Guest starring[]
- Larry Storch as Himself
- Lynn Ann Leveridge as Woman
Quotes[]
- Al: Now, Peg, since you were the one who badgered me to ask Gary about the raise, let's hear some of your ideas to keep the cash flow coming into the house.
- [Al looks to Peggy, who is silent and unable to think of anything]
- Al: [mockingly] "Duh?" Well, I'll take that under advisement. But, as usual, I have a plan.
- Bud: Good. Just as long as it's not one of those stupid "Midnight Madness" sales. You know, where the employees dress up in those ridiculous costumes that have nothing to do with what they're selling.
- [Al clasps his hands and lowers his head in shame while Peggy laughs]
- Peg: Oh hohoho! Hohoho! [slaps her knee] Bud, your father would never do something stupid like that. So, Al, what's your idea?
- [Al angrily looks at Peggy and Bud]
- Al: [after a moment] ...I'm not telling ya!
- [Peggy, looking out the door, turns around and quickly moves towards the staircase]
- Peg: Hurry up, Kelly! Mr. Scorch will be here any minute!
- [Kelly descends down the staircase in a red, shiny dress then leans on the banner]
- Kelly: Oh, Mom. I am so excited. I mean, just imagine, me and Larry Storch on the stage together. Tonight, I become a lesbian.
- Peg: I think you mean a "thespian", dear.
- Bud: Yeah, well, the reviews aren't in yet.
- [Al receives a phone call from Peggy while at work, informing him that Larry Storch is at the Bundy residence.]
- Al: [hangs up the phone] Griff, the Agarn has landed. I gotta get home.
- Griff: But what if we get a customer?
- Al: Well, don't be silly. Who's gonna come in here? We're dressed like wolves. [suddenly, Gary appears and enters the store entrance and waves to them] No one is gonna stop me from meeting my TV hero.
- Griff: Uh, Al, uh, Gary.
- [Gary slowly comes up behind Al, while he is focused on Griff]
- Al: Gary's not gonna keep me from meeting him either. See, you know what your trouble is? You're afraid of the boss. Yeah, just because Gary's built like a man... [Gary is offended and stands there in disbelief] doesn't mean she can hit like one. Let her come in here and sell shoes! [begins walking backwards toward the door] I'm "awoo-o-out" of here!
- [Al turns around and suddenly sees Gary standing there with a bitter grin, leading to a moment of awkward silence]
- Al: ...Please don't fire me. [covers his face and slowly drops to his knees to grovel]
Notes[]
Title[]
- The episode title is an allusion to the 1983 film, Something Wicked This Way Comes, which was based on the 1962 Ray Bradbury novel of the same name.
Trivia[]
- The opening credits for this episode on the Mill Creek DVD version appears to be shortened, as it begins with the water fountain already spewing water and the couch gag scene being omitted.
- The scene with Kelly in her red dress looking up to the celling and saying that she "can soar with the beagles" would be used in the opening credits to introduce Christina Applegate for the final two seasons of the show, starting with "Reverend Al".
- Bud reveals that Larry Storch also operated a school for karate as well as a trade school for heating and air conditioning repair.
- Gary also reveals that she was business partners with Larry Storch and jointly owned the trade school.
- In this episode, Al and Griff are essentially forced to do a midnight sale while in costume. A similar theme previously happened in season 5's "Wabbit Season", when Al had to work a 16 hour After Midnight sale, that drives him to the point of insanity and Peggy eventually picking him up.
- When Gary arrives to see how the sale is going and Al insults her without realizing it, he eventually begins to sob and say "Please don't fire me!" as he drops to his knee. A very similar scene happened in "Business Still Sucks (Part 2)" after Kelly tried to convince Gary that she is a customer and the fake shoes were real women's shoes.
Cultural References[]
- At the beginning of the episode, Peggy is heard ordering the " 'NYPD Blue' naked-butt salt and pepper shakers" from the Shop-at-Home Network.
- NYPD Blue was a police procedural drama that aired on ABC from 1993 to 2005. It was known its grittiness and realistic portrayals as well as featuring nudity (usually the fully exposed bare buttocks of both male and female characters) and crude language that was not common on broadcast television at the time.
- The episode focuses on actor Larry Storch, who, as Bud pointed out, starred on the 1960s Western comedy, F-Troop as Corporal Randolph Agarn.
- After Peggy doesn't seem to know who Larry Storch is, she confuse him for actor Forrest Tucker who played Sergeant Morgan Sylvester O'Rourke on the show.
- Peggy's line about if Larry Storch had a big something before Bud cuts her off and says it was actually Forrest Tucker is in reference to his penis size. It was rumored that Tucker had gone so far as to challenge actor Milton Berle, who was also rumored to have a large penis, to compare each other's sizes.
- Kelly boasts that she and Larry Storch are going to be a team "Like Wally and the Beavis!". In this case she is mixing characters Wally and Theadore "the Beaver" Cleaver from the series, Leave It to Beaver and cartoon character Beavis from Beavis and Butt-Head.
- Jerry Mathers who played the Beaver previously guest starred as himself in the season 5 episode, "You Better Shop Around (Part 2)"
- After seeing Kelly in her red dress, Bud calls her a "limited edition condom packing Barbie", referring to the fashion doll that was the subject of several past MWC episodes such as "Sleepless in Chicago".
- After seeing Bud in a tuxedo, Kelly mocks him by telling that he should say "You'll never get me, Batman! Quack! Quack! Quack!" in reference to the vilian "The Penguin from the Batman franchise.
- The play that Kelly and Larry do is The Phantom of the Opera is a real play, written in 1986 by Andrew Lloyd Weber that was previously adapted from the 1910 French novel and 1925 film.
- Kelly plays the role of Christine Daaé while Al plays Erik (The Phantom of the Opera)
- Kelly opening line in the play, "Of all the opera joints in all the world he had to walk into mine." is actually taken from the film Casablanca.
Music[]
- Al sings a variation of "The Gold Diggers' Song (We're in the Money)" after coming home from work.
- Al plays the sports fanfare theme, "Charge" while on stage as the Phantom.
Locations[]
- Bundy Residence
- Gary's Shoes & Accessories for Today's Woman
- Larry Storch Performing Arts Center / Abandoned Movie Theater
Sets[]
- Bundy Living Room / Kitchen
- Gary's Shoes Seating Area
- Larry Storch Performing Arts Center Stage / Audience Seating
Goofs[]
- Al tells the family that Gary has switched Al and Griff to commission after trying to ask for a raise. Yet, it was mentioned in season 3's "My Mom, the Mom" that he already works on commission, as he told Bud that on a $20 sale, his commission is $1.97 and then after taxes, social security and Peggy, he earns a whole nickel for himself. Al's former co-worker Luke Ventura also had confirmed that they work on commission in season 1's "Al Loses His Cherry".
- In this episode, Al seems extremely excited to see and meet Larry Storch, even coming out of the shower after hearing Kelly say his name. Yet, several episodes earlier, in "No Pot to Pease In" when it is first seen that Kelly is attending the Larry Storch School of Acting, he doesn't seem to care who he is.