Mary is a mess. She hasn't slept in days and is falling apart. The doctor has given her sleeping pills and she is hooked on them. Lou realizes this and decides to do something about it. He counsels her but she continues. Meanwhile, in order to get Ted to read a speech for his daughter's class, Murray agrees to not insult Ted anymore. This almost kills him as Ted keeps delivering the straight lines and Murray can't respond. There is one of the funniest three minutes in this show, when Lou, thinking something is wrong, goes to Mary's house and finds her in the bathroom, taking a bath. Soon he is joined by Murray and Ted. A really funny scene.
6 Reviews
Mary's addiction
Rrrobert27 March 2020
OK episode.
Lou tries to help Mary break her reliance on sleeping pills. (Lou of course imbibes in booze throughout.) Murray agrees to stop insulting Ted, and Ted subsequently enjoys baiting him.
All pretty well done. The scene in Mary's bathroom is one of the funniest bits ever seen in the series.
Bonnie Slaughter is now played by Sherry Hursey, who is still acting as of 2020.
Lou tries to help Mary break her reliance on sleeping pills. (Lou of course imbibes in booze throughout.) Murray agrees to stop insulting Ted, and Ted subsequently enjoys baiting him.
All pretty well done. The scene in Mary's bathroom is one of the funniest bits ever seen in the series.
Bonnie Slaughter is now played by Sherry Hursey, who is still acting as of 2020.
Mary's Insomnia
studioAT19 November 2021
They don't make shows like this any more.
So full of charm and humour, it doesn't play like a modern sitcom where there HAS to be a joke every two seconds. Here the humour comes from the characters and their interaction. By S7 the audience knows the characters so well they are even preempting the laughs too.
Great stuff.
So full of charm and humour, it doesn't play like a modern sitcom where there HAS to be a joke every two seconds. Here the humour comes from the characters and their interaction. By S7 the audience knows the characters so well they are even preempting the laughs too.
Great stuff.
anti-drug message
ronnybee211224 May 2022
Warning: Spoilers
This episode of the MTM show is certainly not the first,or the worst example,of anti-drug messages placed in many of the US tv shows of the time.
Mary suddenly cannot sleep nights and it's affecting her life and work. After trying everything else she can think of,she sees a doctor and starts taking sleeping pills that he prescribed. These pills work like a charm,allowing Mary to get to sleep easily and get a good night's rest. She is now doing much better by any objective measurement.
Lou is concerned because she has taken a pill every night for 2 weeks. He challenges her to not take a pill that night. She does indeed try to avoid taking the pill,but it is soon obvious that she must either take the pill to get some sleep or she will likely have a long sleepless night.
The 'problem' as presented is reaonably accurate and plausible,they don't needlessly over-do it.
The 'solution',however,over-simplifies the whole message that is being presented,in my opinion.
The thing that saves this episode from being just another 1970's era,ham-fisted anti-drug message is the good humor and the talented cast that keeps things moving along.
In less capable hands this would have been a disaster.
Mary suddenly cannot sleep nights and it's affecting her life and work. After trying everything else she can think of,she sees a doctor and starts taking sleeping pills that he prescribed. These pills work like a charm,allowing Mary to get to sleep easily and get a good night's rest. She is now doing much better by any objective measurement.
Lou is concerned because she has taken a pill every night for 2 weeks. He challenges her to not take a pill that night. She does indeed try to avoid taking the pill,but it is soon obvious that she must either take the pill to get some sleep or she will likely have a long sleepless night.
The 'problem' as presented is reaonably accurate and plausible,they don't needlessly over-do it.
The 'solution',however,over-simplifies the whole message that is being presented,in my opinion.
The thing that saves this episode from being just another 1970's era,ham-fisted anti-drug message is the good humor and the talented cast that keeps things moving along.
In less capable hands this would have been a disaster.
What is acceptable in the 1970's
bobicafge16 December 2023
One of the interesting parts of this show is how you see that things that were acceptable in the 1970's may not be now. One of those things is addiction. In this episode, Lou becomes quite concerned about Mary's (up until then) short-term use of sleeping pills. The irony is that, in my opinion, Lou was an alcoholic throughout the series. However, the 1970's was a time when attention was being paid to the abuse of barbiturates, while drinking was more of an acceptable thing, particularly for men. In any event, the episode highlights Lou's fatherly care and concern for Mary, which is sweet. Still, every time I see this episode, I want to throw Mary a bottle of Melatonin!
Ridiculous addiction episode
MichaelKeith15 May 2020
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