Ep. 15 - Never Leave Me, Lucille

January 24, 2015

Writer: Bill Dial
Director: Asaad Kelada
Original Air Date: March 5, 1979

Here is a script that doesn't get written today. Herb and Lucille have a fight and he leaves her (or, more likely, she kicked him out. But he said he left so who am I to argue). There's no discussion of counselling or child custody or lawyers. All Herb can see is his chance to do all the things he thinks everybody else is doing - namely picking up ladies in singles clubs and eating dip without chips!

Maybe it's because divorce is more prevalent in our world today or, I think more likely, more TV shows have tackled the topic of separation and divorce in the past 30 years, that this take seems superficial. In the previous episode, WKRP tackled payola because it was the only show on TV that could. But LOTS of shows involve families and so many have tackled separation better.

Let's be real though. Separation is just a frame used to set up a few very funny bits. Starting right off with the image of Les coming into the office early to strip? do calisthenics while singing like Elvis, leading into a "Three's Company"-like misunderstanding of Bailey thinking Les and Herb are having a lovers quarrel. (I know he's not the writer of record, but that scene seems like it would have been Richard Sanders's idea)

Personally, I love the scene of Venus and Johnny in the control room when Les comes in and double-talks Johnny into taking Herb in for a few days. The scene runs like architecture to get to the payoff line "You're Dummy sign is on crooked." (Bill Engvall... you're welcome)

There are two big set pieces in this episode. The first is in Johnny's apartment and we have never seen it before. It looks like the apartment of a college student which is pretty much how Johnny has described his life in past shows. All the single and newly single guys at the station gather to take Herb out for a night on the town. Of course, all the guys really want to do is demonstrate to Herb how hard it is to be single in the 70's. Even Les tells him "One night stands gets old after a while." It seems too simple that just looking at a few pictures of his family is enough to convince Herb he has made a mistake.

You kids today (the blogger yelled, shaking his fist) will never know the panic that is visiting someone's house to see they have set up a slide projector and a screen. You know how on Facebook someone will post 350 vacation pictures? You have a choice whether you want to view any, some of all of those pics. But a personal slide show? You would have been in for the entire run, complete with narration. Herb having slides of his car mixed in with ONE picture from Disneyland is a pure slice of seventies. (It also gives us the classic WKRP line "The other guy is Goofy.")

Finally, we have the scene in the bar between Jennifer and Lucille (Welcome back, Edie McClug!). As much as Herb is looking for a chance to get out on the town, Lucille also wants to go even more. She is so excited someone would ever send a drink over to her, she is immediately ready to go say hi. Jennifer is of course a little more experienced with this, as the ridiculous number of drinks coming to the table shows us. I think, if Lucille learns anything from Jennifer here, it's that maybe she doesn't have to jump at the first offer. Eventually, Lucile even makes Herb squirm a bit before agreeing to take him back.

As hard as I've been on how blithely the issue of separation has been dealt with on this episode, the genuine fondness you feel between Herb and Lucille is well acted and very sweet. They are a couple who should be together - neither is too bright (one doesn't know you serve chips with dip; the other doesn't realized that "primitive" isn't a compliment in pottery class); both dress in colourful suits and both just want to have fun with each other.

The waiter droning "Short man in bow tie. Tall black man. Cowboy and Longshoreman" is funny enough; then you see the four men he's talking about, it's even better. The episode ends with each of the guys giving their opening lines to Jennifer. This is the last piece of our '70's flashback - only Les's pick up line would still work today. Ladies, would you turn your head for a guy asking "What's your sign?" or "Looking for a little action, sugar?" But who wouldn't look at the guy who sits down, lifts his drink and states:

"Hi! I'm incredibly wealthy!"

Roy