What causes competition between the heads of two wildly successful companies? Why do they always feel the need to top one another or drive one another out of business? What is the cause of such infantile behavior? I don't know either, but if somebody else out there has the answer, let me know. So, after Mr. Spacely and Mr. Cogswell beat one another at golf (literally beating one another, with clubs and balls) one morning, the two childish tycoons declare business (their version of war) on each other. Spacely becomes hell-bent on finding a way to drive Cogswell out of business. He needed to come up with something diabolical, yet brilliant. Unfortunately, he's too much of a dumb-ass to come up with anything himself, so he turns to his left-hand man, George, also a dumb-ass, to come up with something for him. So while George goes about his daunting task, Elroy and Astro play with a remote controlled flying car, which the dog ultimately swallows and is flown about the room. Spying from outside, Cogswell's dim assistant Harlan sees Astro flying and assumes George has invented an anti-gravity machine. After reporting his findings to Cogswell, he is then instructed to bring in the dog. But giving Astro the third degree, trying to be buddy-buddy with him, and even tempting him with Marilyn, a looker poodle, produces no positive results. Cogswell decides he has little choice but to admit defeat.
Hearing that George has come up with a brilliant invention, Spacely hurries over to his house before he can louse it up. It's at this point that Astro flies home, and Mr. Cogswell, still not willing to give up without a fight, follows him. With both misers in his living room, George attempts to demonstrate how to fly Astro, only as expected, he goofs, causing the dog to hit the floor. He hit so hard the remote control car flew out of his mouth. Amused at the spectacle made before him, Cogswell laughs and leaves, and Spacely chastises George. While this was going on, Elroy started doing his homework on his oral computer, or rather the computer told him the answers. In the process, Astro predictably swallows the thing and the words start coming out his mouth. Seeing this, as well as hearing it, Spacely assumes this was George's plan all along, and he was merely holding out on him with the flying bit. Thus, George is rehired and re-promoted to vice president, which should only last so long.
Underwhelming is what I would describe this episode. It is not one of their best and the story was weak, using a bunch of tired and predictable gags. Also, I think they rehashed "The Flying Suit". I'm sure the prospect of something other than a bird achieving flight was a big thing in the 1960s, but today, since it's been done so much, it's underwhelming, so unfortunately, this episode is very dated. Plus, if you don't like Spacely vs. Cogswell episodes, this one won't do a thing for you. I wish that just for once they could use Mr. Cogswell without him being there squarely to compete with Mr. Spacely. He's an alright character by himself and he just needed to be developed as something beyond Spacely's comic foil. Even the 1980s reboot didn't do much for him, or anyone else for that matter. "Astro's Top Secret", not really top entertainment, but better than most anything else on TV today. Also, one of my favorite quotes comes from Mr. Spacely, after having made himself a sandwich: "maybe I should have been a short-order chef." Yeah, that's much better than owning your company and being rich, right? Maybe that hints at Spacely secretly preferring a more simpler life? You know, a character trait? Naw, just another bad joke.
Hearing that George has come up with a brilliant invention, Spacely hurries over to his house before he can louse it up. It's at this point that Astro flies home, and Mr. Cogswell, still not willing to give up without a fight, follows him. With both misers in his living room, George attempts to demonstrate how to fly Astro, only as expected, he goofs, causing the dog to hit the floor. He hit so hard the remote control car flew out of his mouth. Amused at the spectacle made before him, Cogswell laughs and leaves, and Spacely chastises George. While this was going on, Elroy started doing his homework on his oral computer, or rather the computer told him the answers. In the process, Astro predictably swallows the thing and the words start coming out his mouth. Seeing this, as well as hearing it, Spacely assumes this was George's plan all along, and he was merely holding out on him with the flying bit. Thus, George is rehired and re-promoted to vice president, which should only last so long.
Underwhelming is what I would describe this episode. It is not one of their best and the story was weak, using a bunch of tired and predictable gags. Also, I think they rehashed "The Flying Suit". I'm sure the prospect of something other than a bird achieving flight was a big thing in the 1960s, but today, since it's been done so much, it's underwhelming, so unfortunately, this episode is very dated. Plus, if you don't like Spacely vs. Cogswell episodes, this one won't do a thing for you. I wish that just for once they could use Mr. Cogswell without him being there squarely to compete with Mr. Spacely. He's an alright character by himself and he just needed to be developed as something beyond Spacely's comic foil. Even the 1980s reboot didn't do much for him, or anyone else for that matter. "Astro's Top Secret", not really top entertainment, but better than most anything else on TV today. Also, one of my favorite quotes comes from Mr. Spacely, after having made himself a sandwich: "maybe I should have been a short-order chef." Yeah, that's much better than owning your company and being rich, right? Maybe that hints at Spacely secretly preferring a more simpler life? You know, a character trait? Naw, just another bad joke.
