Could life be any sweeter for Percival and Nellie? Their restaurant is flourishing and she is very much with child, so I'd say things were as good for them as they could get. Unfortunately this is a parade that is about to get rained on, for one fateful day Percival received a letter from his parents in New York who plan to come out for a visit. He and Nellie may have been excited, but not so much Harriet. Being the horrific bigot she is, the Oleson matriarch had never really met a Jewish person before and wondered how different they looked. Well, a few days later, Benjamin and Edna Cohen stepped off that stage and were happily reunited with their son. They were very friendly to Harriet, who was relieved to find out they don't bite. They adored Nellie and thought her to be an angel...good thing they didn't meet her seven seasons ago. Their first supper was not what you would call peaceful. Benjamin and Harriet has disagreements on drinking milk with meat, and Benjamin went so far as to decline a serving of roast, as it was not kosher. It's all tradition, which the old man hopes Percival will pass down to his son. Benjamin also gave Percival a hard time for changing his name to Dalton and moving out of the city. He did it because the employers there were nasty bigots who wouldn't hire a Jewish man. Career before family.
It looks as though Benjamin and Edna have laid down the rules on how they want their grandchild raised and don't give a hoot what Percival and Nellie or Harriet and Nels want for it. A christening was out of the question, that baby would be Jewish whether he/she liked it or not. I guess nobody bothered to inform these two that a child's religion is taken after the mother's side, and Nellie is Christian, so I guess that would settle it. Regardless, Benjamin carried on and on about wanting the Olesons to except the Jewish way of life and wouldn't hear any arguments. I'm starting to get the impression that Percival's father is kind of a jerk. On Saturday evening, the Cohens and Olesons sat down for a Sabbath supper. It had everything: candlelight, bickering, screaming, crying. This was all a sure sign of things to come. Percival decided to plead with his old man to try and be nicer to Harriet, for Nellie's sake. Benjamin tried, oh Lord, did he try, but Harriet had to be a persnickety carper who lambasted Benjamin for trying to make a few suggestions by way of pushing merchandise. He exploded and left the store. He and Harriet had a screaming match all the way to the restaurant, where Nellie broke into tears and Percival FINALLY put his foot down. Stunned and forlorn, Benjamin and Harriet finally found a way to come and reason together. Nels thought of a compromise: if Nellie had a boy, it would be raised in the Jewish tradition, carrying on the Cohen name. But if she had a girl, it would be raised Christian. They all agreed, although I think they should consult the folks who are actually having the baby first. They agreed too, thinking it was funny as hell. Good, now everybody's happy again. I feel sorry for that baby already, having grandparents like these. Well, it wasn't long before the blessed event finally arrived. Nellie gave birth to a healthy baby girl...and a boy! Both families rejoiced in celebration and finally managed to get along. The babies were named Jenny and Benny...excuse me, BENJAMIN!!
Personally, if I were in Percival and Nellie's situation, I'd want to move as far away from those loud, doddering, brooding, over-protective parents as possible. Sad as it sounds, this is a tale as old as time. People from opposite ends of the spectrum meet up when their kids get married and welcome a child, instantly jumping in and trying to tell them how to raise it. Because it's their child who's having a baby, they feel it's their right to tell them how it should be brought up. There is a solution, however: when they ramble on with all that nonsense, just listen, let them say their piece, and then do whatever you want. Let them blow off hot air and allow it to pass right over your head. If they become aggressive, like Benjamin, then move away from them because if you let them, they will dominate your life. But anyway, this episode was pretty good. Alison Arngrim and Steve Tracy were very good as Nellie and Percival. They made such a good couple and it's only too bad we didn't see them together more often. Katherine MacGregor and E.M. Margolese were very good too as Harriet and Benjamin, two parents most of us have and kind of wish we didn't. So if you like Percival and Nellie, you wonder what Percival's parents are like and see how he still managed to grow up normal, then I recommend Come Let Us Reason Together. It isn't fantastic or does it stand out very much, but it's enjoyable and I think many, many people can relate to this story.
6 out of 8 found this helpful.
Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
