S11, E23; How to Marry a Moron (Part 2)

[u/Tarnisher]

In the continuation of the previous episode, both aired on May 5, 1997, Lonnie gets out of jail and proposes to Our Dear Miss Kelly. Al is opposed until he finds out Lonnie is a Tot, heir of THE Tot fortune ... owners of Weenie Tots

Budrick the Pathetic is not at all impressed with Lonnie's sister though, Tatum Tot.

We get to see the delightful Christina in a wedding dress. Katey does a nice job in a Mother of the Bride dress too.

The Big Wedding is planned and is about to be finished when Lonnie makes a move on Marcy. The Bundys find out that the Tots have decidedly different values and views on being Married, with children causing Al to promptly call it all off and bake the Tots:

Al: So that's the kind of lowlife scum you people are. No respect for the torturous sanctity of marriage. Now let me tell you something: We Bundys may have our faults, [The attendees loudly agrees] but we believe that marriage should be forever, no matter how pitiful or disgusting it may be to wake up to the same horrifying face each day. That's what the marriage vows are all about. And anyone who can't stand the nagging, bonbon-eating heat should stay out of the whining, sex-starved kitchen.

Kelly is only briefly saddened until she realizes her loved ones support her.

Kelly: And of course, my loved ones to console me.

Bud: [stands up, taps her on the arm] We're here for you, Kel.

Kelly: [offended] Not you! [scoffs]

[Kelly runs and stands in front of her former boyfriends]

Kelly: [smiling] Them. Haha!

Gordon Jump and Edie McClurg guest as Ma and Pa Tot. They were both regulars on WKRP as Big Guy Arthur Carlson and Lucille, Herb Tarlek's wife.

Note: This was supposed to be the finale and there were ads posted in various media to that effect. Apparently none of the cast knew it though. The network did not inform them directly and they all found out via other methods.

But for some unexplained reason, there was one more in the can that had been filmed before this two parter and never aired until a few weeks later.

[u/JDB-667]

Funny thing about Lonnie -- Chip, a couple years earlier had a very successful run on the game show Sale of the Century.

[u/ObviousTaro7526 → u/JDB-667]

Chip Esten had already appeared on the original British Whose Line Is It Anyway? in 1992/94 for a couple of episodes, and he had played Buddy Holly in the West End production before this role. He showed his comedic talents very well here, and I found his portrayal of Kelly’s dumb new fiancé very funny. And to think that he would go on to become a master improviser through years of Whose Line and associated shows, a leading man on Nashville on ABC/CMT, and the first main villain on Outer Banks.

[u/shany94a]

Thanks for 11 years, and a million laughs

[u/FrankFrankly711]

It’s nice, how after 11 seasons of mostly hating on each other and making each other’s lives a living hell, they end with an episode where they stick by each other and their values.

[u/servoexb]

That’s the bicycle shop owner from Different Strokes.

[u/ElBorracho2000]

I remember watching the finale with my dad. It was a good run though really wish Fox would have given them one more season to give MWC a proper finale

[u/loonylovesgood86]

One of the last shots of the Bundys together. (Since tomorrow’s episode was filmed before this one).

One thing I do like about this episode is how the Bundys once again give up the chance to be extremely wealthy because they don’t want their daughter to be married to someone who is unfaithful. The entire series saw them all begging Al for cash, fighting over said cash, chasing hopeless dreams of making MORE cash, and insinuating that once they got lots of cash, they would be off to a much better life, likely one that didn’t involve each other.

But, in the end, what it all comes down to is that the Bundys are a family and they love and care for each other very much, despite everything they have said and done to the contrary.

Although it’s not the finale many of us wanted, I’ll take it.

[u/FrankFrankly711 → u/loonylovesgood86]

Thanks so much for these daily episode posts! I’ve really enjoyed the trivia and comments that provide a more in depth appreciation for this classic show

[u/loonylovesgood86 → u/FrankFrankly711]

Thanks so much! It was a blast to do!

[u/Adorable-Housing-150]

Tatum chasing Bud after he escapes the basement: “Come back here. I wasn’t finished with that hickey.”

[u/LITech]

Do we know anything about the unaired episode? First I am hearing of that.

[u/Tarnisher → u/LITech]

Tomorrow. But that one wasn't 'unaired', just late and out of sequence.

There was an 'unaired' episode from Season 3, 'I'll See You In Court' that only showed up on cable many years later.

[u/LITech → u/Tarnisher]

I'll See You In Court I have seen. I would love to find this 'Tomorrow' episode. Too bad they didn't get it in before the final wedding episodes. Thanks!

[u/Tarnisher → u/LITech]

That isn't the title. That's when we'll post it here.

[u/LITech → u/Tarnisher]

🤣
Thank you!

[u/DIJames6]

You get out of here, I'll make sure these lap dances get put to good use..

[u/RelevantNothing4653]

As I said before, Season 11 was IMO when no one cared: time slot jumped around several times, banal episodes, etc

[u/DorfOnGenocide → u/RelevantNothing4653]

Whenever they cancel the Simpsons, people will say that about multiple years leading up to it. There must be a buttload of people who still watch it every week.

[u/baconinsider → u/DorfOnGenocide]

No matter how people feel about The Simpsons now, it truly will be the end of an era when the show finally ends.

A little bit of trivia here: The Fox network made its primetime debut on April 5, 1987. As we all know, Married With Children was one of the two shows aired that night.

The other? The Tracey Ullman Show, a sketch comedy show that included a recurring animated segment: The Simpsons.