It must have been quite a shock for those who tuned into the very first episode of Married With Children. They saw a lower middle class working man, hating his job and bemoaning his luck. At home, there was a housewife (an endangered species at the time, on TV at least). But a housewife unlike any they had seen before. Peggy Bundy was no June Cleaver. Her favorite pastime was laying on the couch, smoking, eating bonbon's and watching TV talk shows. The kids bickered constantly; their sole reason for living seemed to be torturing the other sibling. Yes, the viewers watching the Married With Children Pilot must have been quite confused. But like it or hate, no one could deny Married With Children was something different. It was the start of a TV revolution.
The episode begins with a typical morning for the Bundy's. Bud is torturing his sister, Peg is cutting coupons (yes, Peg was cutting coupons!) and Al is facing another endless day selling shoes. The Peg we see in the pilot is quite different from the one we seen in later years. Not only is she cutting coupons, but there is also a fridge that is nearly full! Still, Al is not happy because she forgot to get him juice (no mention if it's Tang--but more on that in future posts). Al leaves disgruntled and juiceless.
While working, Al gets harassed by cranky, inconsiderate ladies of enormous girth. Just another day in the life of a shoe salesman. We also are introduced to Luke, Al's coworker. Luke is a swinging bachelor who loves the ladies (and although he's kind of a jerk, the ladies apparently love him too). Al tries to convince Luke that the married life would be so much more fulfilling, but Al has trouble even convincing himself of that. But not all is bad for Al. Luke invites him to a basketball game (the Lakers are in town). Luke tease Al, questioning if his wife will let him go. Al makes it known that he wears the pants in the family. He will be there.
Al comes home to find Peggy ending her marathon day of TV watching. He asks her where the juice is...he will remain thirsty that night. The lack of juice already makes him pretty hostile, but it's Peg's other news that really sets him off. She has invited the newlywed couple next door over and insists that Al will be there to meet them (in other words, the game has been canceled). Al fights it at first, but anyone who has ever been married knows the woman ultimately makes the decisions.
Steve and Marcy are complete opposites from Al and Peggy. Preppy, educated and crazy about each other, the night begins awkwardly, as the two couples try to make conversation (while Al does his best to ruin the evening). Later, the men and women break up into groups. Now, the couple of 15 years (the Bundy's) will lay out the facts of marriage to the couple of two months (Steve and Marcy).
Al learns that much of Steve's outward presentation is phony. Earlier in the night he told Al he doesn't watch sports anymore because he and Marcy agreed that sports were evil. After Al gets Steve alone and works on him a little, he pries out the fact that Steve loves sports and misses watching them. Al now will begin to take Steve under his wing, tutoring him on how to be a "real" husband.
Likewise, Peggy spends the rest of her night lecturing Marcy on how to keep her husband in line. The two impressionable newlyweds listen closely; with the Bundy's serving as advisers, will their relationship get stronger, or will the Bundy's break them apart? It is not a good beginning for the reeducation of Steve and Marcy; they go home to fight. The Bundy's, on the other hand, end the night feeling good about themselves. They even head up to the bedroom to top of the evening (in one of the only sappy conclusions the series would have during its long run).
I guess I felt a kinship to Al Bundy from the start because he, like I, worked in the living hell that is retail, and he, like I, would rather have hammered a nail in his head than meet the new couple next door. I have spent my life working in a job I detest and try at all cost to avoid people (I am convinced that 99% of the world are idiots--the less people I know, the better). So on a personal note, Al became a sort of idol and role model for me.
For fans of the show, this first episode is quite interesting in many ways. While the raunchy humor the show would become famous for was there (although in a milder form) and the redneck personalities of Peg and Al were being formed, there was a slight touch of tenderness that later episodes would avoid. Peg (remember the coupons) at least makes an effort to parent and keep a nice house, while Al, despite all of his macho (and sexist) ranting, initiates sex at the end of the night. Perhaps the shows makers did not want to go too far too fast. So, in some ways, the pilot ends in a conventional style like the other sitcoms of the day. Still, the foundation had been laid. There was nowhere to go but down. The Bundy's introduced themselves to America.
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