Ep. 71 - Straight From the Heart

September 28, 2018

Writer and Director: Dan Guntzelman
Original Air Date: November 4, 1981

Some episodes of "WKRP in Cincinnati" were written to explore social issues in America through the eyes a diverse group of individuals. And some episodes were written to have a scene in which that same diverse group of individuals end up in a porno theatre.

This is a very awkward episode. After a few episodes in which a lot of plot moved across our screens, this one seems like it's kind of treading water, with a few interesting set piece that don't quite add up to a whole.

The first thing is the running plot of Les winning the Copper Cob award for "conservative agrarian broadcasting" and needing to get to Omaha Nebraska to accept his reward. This gives us a strange scene in which Andy is overly proud of his wrapping job for Les' present and a staff presentation that no one, including Les, is interested in. But it does give us the line "Omaha! Oh, Omaha seems like  dream to me now!" which I've found can be used in all sorts of real life situations.

The next next major plot is Jennifer becoming suspicious of Herb's behaviour before he goes on vacation, resulting in her determining that he was actually going to the hospital. On one hand, it's sweet to see that it is Jennifer, of all the staff members, who takes the time to check on Herb. We have often suggested she is the "mother" to this group, and here is a prime example. EXCEPT, and here is an awkward moment, she does not accompany Les to the hospital to confront Herb. She is also not the person Les calls to help get him back to the hospital - he literally calls EVERY OTHER MEMBER OF THE STATION to meet Herb and him at the adult cinema and not the one person who knows what is going on.

The second half of the episode shifts to Herb, who runs away from the hospital to "embrace life." Of course Herb's idea of embracing life wouldn't involve going to see his wife and kids, but going to a 3D German porn theatre when (as we learned from Les' news story earlier) the city is in the midst of an "adult theatre" crackdown. But this all starts in the hospital, where Les sneaks in to visit Herb who is in for a "few tests." This might be the most awkward we have ever seen Bonner and Sanders act towards each other, as if the script just said "the two buddies improvise for three minutes before Herb escapes." The two of them are just sitting on the bed slapping each other. Herb is just starting to look at his own mortality but he is too shallow to look very deeply. All he sees is the fear, not of death, but that other may see him as weak; that being weak might cost him his job. There should be more going on here, but we're really just moving the scene along to get to the theatre.

Once at the theatre, the only real joke is the audience dodging whatever is coming out of the screen in 3D. Otherwise it's just the sight of our cast walking in the dark in 3D glasses and an argument between a scared and vulnerable Herb vs his young and healthy boss, Andy (once again I will point out, Andy is not actually Herb's boss - they are equals who each report to the station manager. But Andy takes on that role here). And why is everyone so concerned about what Bailey will see on the screen? Is THIS where the chivalry is going to come out of Venus and Johnny?

The final set piece is in the holding cell and here it all comes down to a game of chance. Simply cut the cards and Herb could win $200, two weeks vacation and a night with Jennifer "[he] will never forget." Personally, I would have liked about two seconds more of the camera to hold on Herb while he contemplates his card. I want to see him really consider how much each of his co-workers care about him, that they would get arrested with him AND offer up so much in an effort to get him to return to the hospital, before he says he drew the low card. We are suppose to assume this is why he won't show his card, but it's played too subtly for this episode.

By the way, Jennifer knows the holding cell guard by name?!? And not in a way that suggests she just learned his name, but in a way that suggests she has been here before. Who else has Jennifer had to bail out? As this whole episode has taught us, Cincinnati can be seedy after dark.

Roy

Other Notes - We learn Bailey was Summa Cum Laude from Ohio State University. Jan Smithers mistakenly flashes the card she drew towards the camera - it was the two of clubs!