Episode List: |
Episode Name | Disc | Disc Order | Directors | Writers | Synopsis | Reaction | IMDB | Personal Rating |
Episode #1.1 | 1 | 01 | Jay Sandrich | Susan Harris | This satirical soap opera introduces the Campbells and the Tates: two suburban families of unequal prosperity but equal lunacy and a similar zest for the foibles which make us all human. | An odd intro to an odd series. | 7.3 | 7 |
Episode #1.2 | 1 | 02 | Jay Sandrich | Susan Harris | In order to leave the mob, Danny is ordered to kill his father's killer; Chester is blackmailed by his secretary; and the identity of Burt's long lost son is a shock in more ways than one. | There are definitely some stereotypical "soap opera" type storylines at play here, dealt with in a decidedly un-soap-opera way. | 7.1 | 7 |
Episode #1.3 | 1 | 03 | Jay Sandrich | Susan Harris | Jessica fails to confess her infidelity; Mary fails to terminate Burt's impotence; and Danny learns the identity of the man he must terminate. | Things start to boil here in this episode. | 6.7 | 6 |
Episode #1.4 | 1 | 04 | Jay Sandrich | Susan Harris Tony Lang | Jessica resolves to end her affair with Peter; Claire ends Chester's affair with Pigeon; and Danny tries to end Burt's life. | It's interesting to see Jessica's very selective memory at times. | 6.6 | 7 |
Episode #1.5 | 1 | 05 | Jay Sandrich | Susan Harris Tony Lang | Jodie tells his family about his planned sex-change operation; Burt and mary tell a psychiatrist about their problem; Corinne tells Father Tim she loves him; and Jessica can't tell Corinne anything. | Aaaand now they bring a priest into the mix. | 6.4 | 6 |
Episode #1.6 | 1 | 06 | Jay Sandrich | Susan Harris | Corinne moves out of the Tate house; Burt announces the return of his son Chuck, the ventriloquist; and Danny gets one last chance to kill Burt. | A fair episode. Not bad. | 6.5 | 6 |
Episode #1.7 | 1 | 07 | Jay Sandrich | Susan Harris Tony Lang | The Major kidnaps a neighbor; Claire fails to convince Jessica that Chester is cheating; Burt's son Chuck, the schizophrenic ventriloquist, arrives; and Danny traps Burt in a cabin with the intent to kill. | The addition of the dummy puts this clearly in the farce realm as opposed to standard soap opera fare. | 6.9 | 7 |
Episode #1.8 | 1 | 08 | Jay Sandrich | Susan Harris Tony Lang | Unable to bring himself to kill Burt, Danny goes into hiding from the mob; Bob, the ventriloquist's dummy, continues to make life horrible for the Campbells and Tates. | I really like the whole bit in the Cabin.<br><br>"Hey, Danny, gimme a break. Either take my money or kill me. One or the other." | 6.7 | 7 |
Episode #1.9 | 1 | 09 | Jay Sandrich | Susan Harris Tony Lang | Jodie goes to the hospital for his sex change operation; Dr. Medlow cures Burt's impotence; and Jessica finally witnesses Chester's infidelity. | A fair amount of the 'dramatic' in this episode. | 6.9 | 6 |
Episode #1.10 | 1 | 10 | Jay Sandrich | Susan Harris Tony Lang | The Godfather visits mary; Danny visits in disguise; Mary spurns Burt's advances; Corinne visits Father Tim; and Dennis has bad news for Jodie. | This one is the second seriously dramatic ending in a row. And it's actually a quite well written one at that. | 6.6 | 7 |
Episode Name | Disc | Disc Order | Directors | Writers | Synopsis | Reaction | IMDB | Personal Rating |
Episode #1.11 | 2 | 01 | Jay Sandrich | Susan Harris | Learning of Jodie's suicide attempt, the Campbells rush to the hospital bedside. Corinne and Jessica confront their men about their respective infidelities. | Again playing up a bit of the drama in the show, but not bad. | 6.9 | 6 |
Episode #1.12 | 2 | 02 | Jay Sandrich | Susan Harris | Jodie leaves the hospital and prepares for his first date with a woman; Jessica and Corinne are furious with Peter for cheating on Corinne; and peter is in for a surprise in his bath. | Here we start the big storyline that takes up the rest of the season. | 6.6 | 7 |
Episode #1.13 | 2 | 03 | Jay Sandrich | Susan Harris | Burt plans a party to celebrate his victory over impotency, but a tragic discovery leaves him in no mood for merrymaking. | Gotta loveGordon Jump as the Piece of Chaliffe Tinkler. | 7.5 | 8 |
Episode #1.14 | 2 | 04 | Jay Sandrich | Susan Harris | Every member of the Campbell and Tate households seems to be a suspect in Peter's murder, but Sheriff Tinkler finally announces the name of the culprit. | It's interesting how they can twine comedy and drama together so easily. Varrying degrees of success, but it's interesting. | 7.0 | 7 |
Episode #1.15 | 2 | 05 | Jay Sandrich | Susan Harris Tony Lang | Danny takes drastic steps to keep from being killed, and a mysterious woman arrives at Tinkler's jail with a startling announcement. | Definite soap opera hijinks, but Ingrid Svenson kinda bugs me. | 6.7 | 6 |
Episode #1.16 | 2 | 06 | Jay Sandrich | Susan Harris | After receiving some shocking news, Corinne is released from jail—and Jessica is arrested. | I enjoy Heinrich Himmel though it is a little bit over the top at times. | 7.0 | 7 |
Episode #1.17 | 2 | 07 | Jay Sandrich | Susan Harris | After gloating over Jessica's arrest, Ingrid pays a threatening visit to the Campbells. Eunice and the Congressman receive a blackmail note and Lefkowitz agrees to let Danny live—on one condition. | The blackmail kinda comes out of nowhere then isn't heard of for a bit. | 6.4 | 7 |
Episode #1.18 | 2 | 08 | Jay Sandrich | Susan Harris | The Campbells consider having Burt committed while Father Tim pays Corinne a farewell visit and Chester fires Claire. | And thus starts the whole Burt-can-turn-invisible subplot. Odd and funny. | 6.4 | 6 |
Episode #1.19 | 2 | 09 | Jay Sandrich | Susan Harris | Mary finally gets Burt to see a doctor. Jessica tries to make peace with Corinne, and Eunice finds herself locked out on a hotel window ledge in the rain. | I really enjoy the scene where they interview the family for character witnesses. | 6.4 | 8 |
Episode #1.20 | 2 | 10 | Jay Sandrich | Susan Harris | Eunice and Walter race to recover some incriminating evidence, and Jessica and Chester receive a few shocks from their first meeting with the prosecutor and the judge. | Not my favorite but okay. | 7.3 | 7 |
Episode Name | Disc | Disc Order | Directors | Writers | Synopsis | Reaction | IMDB | Personal Rating |
Episode #1.21 | 3 | 01 | Jay Sandrich | Susan Harris | Jessica's astonishing behavior on the first day of her trial for the murder of tennis pro Peter Campbell causes pandemonium in the courtroom. | A little weird in the court room scene. Sometimes Jessica's cluelessness is a little hard to watch. | 6.2 | 6 |
Episode #1.22 | 3 | 02 | Jay Sandrich | Susan Harris | Jessica and Chester Tate wreak havoc on the judicial system along with their sarcastic butler, Benson, when the three testify in Jessica's trial. | The scene when Danny brings his fiance to meet his family is interesting as well as the courtroom scene. | 5.7 | 7 |
Episode #1.23 | 3 | 03 | Jay Sandrich | Susan Harris | Jessica Tate may be at the end of her rope when a surprise witness is brought into the courtroom to present startling and intriguing evidence against Jessica. | Okay, yeah. I really don't particularly care for Ingrid Svenson. And the drama is really picking up as the season draws to a close. | 6.4 | 6 |
Episode #1.24 | 3 | 04 | Jay Sandrich | Susan Harris | Jodie's friendship with Carol takes a confusing turn, while Jessica awaits the jury's verdict in her trial. | After Burt's confession to Mary in the last episode, this one gets rather dramatic as well. Okay, but not as fun as I usually want. And Jessica continues to be one of the more simple, uncynical characters you've ever seen. | 5.7 | 7 |
Episode #1.25 | 3 | 05 | Jay Sandrich | Susan Harris | Lefkowitz's threat to kill the entire Campbell clan and startling announcements by Father Tim and Mr. Mallu are temporarily overshadowed by the return of a verdict for Jessica. | A whole lot of build up for a frustrating payoff. If you hate cliffhangers and don't have access to the second season episodes, acoid this one. | 6.6 | 7 |