Worst Episodes?


This is one of my favorite shows of all time, but what were some of the worst episodes?

A few come to mind:

Ted Over Heels: Ted dates Chuckles the Clown's daughter. Overtly lame and boring, nothing happens except girl talk and awkward scenes. Rhoda is essentially wasted, and I found the actress playing Ted's woman annoying. The episode also felt very unrealistic and stale.

Howard's Girl: Mary dates Howard's brother, and has to meet his parents who think she should still be with Howard. Dull and lifeless.

A Reliable Source: Political episode that makes no sense. Too much newsroom talk and not enough laughs. Arguably the most boring episode in the entire series.

Murray takes a Stand: Murray was already the least interesting character, and while he did have his moments (Murray Can't Lose, Murray Ghost Writes for Ted), this one is a old, tired clunker and I fell asleep half way through it.

The Shame of the Cities: Lou thinks a city councilman is corrupt. Another political bore. Maybe it's just me, but it comes off dated and not intriguing.

Rhoda's Sister Gets Married: You would think an episode that is all about Mary and Rhoda would be interesting, but it just doesn't hold your interest. Plus the sister is never mentioned again in the spin-off Rhoda series. Only Nancy Walker saves this one from being a complete failure.

His Two Right Arms: Another dreadful councilman story, this one involving racial issues. This would have worked had the series been shaped as a drama, but it's not. And the whole episode plays like a pilot for another series. Boring.

Keep Your Guard Up: An over-all weird episode. A loser who used to play football wants to be the sports anchorman but he just doesn't know how to talk well on air. He also is aggressive, obnoxious and lame. Why Mary and Rhoda would feel sorry for him is puzzling, since he's all about himself.

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Ted Over Heels: Ted dates Chuckles the Clown's daughter. Overtly lame and boring, nothing happens except girl talk and awkward scenes. Rhoda is essentially wasted, and I found the actress playing Ted's woman annoying. The episode also felt very unrealistic and stale.

Howard's Girl: Mary dates Howard's brother, and has to meet his parents who think she should still be with Howard. Dull and lifeless.

Murray takes a Stand: Murray was already the least interesting character, and while he did have his moments (Murray Can't Lose, Murray Ghost Writes for Ted), this one is a old, tired clunker and I fell asleep half way through it.


These three are definitely my least favorite of the series as well. I was amazed to see that you listed them as well.






Al - Alicia
An - Andrew
Jo - Joseph
Be - Benjamin

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What about Mary's 3 husbands? I'm shocked nobody mentioned that one. That is without a doubt the worst episode of the entire series in my opinion. It's not even close. Wow what a stinker of an episode.

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I think my least favorite episode is season 1's "Hi!", with Mary trapped in a hospital room with a very grumpy patient played by Pat Carrol.

It's one of those idiosyncratic season one episodes in which they felt the need to get Mary into a new environment. An obnoxious character can be funny, such as in "The Critic," but being trapped with one - not so much.

It's probably why I also dislike season 3's "Romeo and Mary," in which the obnoxious character played by Stuart Margolin refuses to take "no" for an answer in his pursuit of Mary.

Just not my cup of tea... although I can see why they thought such stories had potential. It was another way of exploiting Mary's difficulty with being confrontational.


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I think my least favorite episode is season 1's "Hi!", with Mary trapped in a hospital room with a very grumpy patient played by Pat Carrol.

It's one of those idiosyncratic season one episodes in which they felt the need to get Mary into a new environment. An obnoxious character can be funny, such as in "The Critic," but being trapped with one - not so much.

It's probably why I also dislike season 3's "Romeo and Mary," in which the obnoxious character played by Stuart Margolin refuses to take "no" for an answer in his pursuit of Mary.

Just not my cup of tea... although I can see why they thought such stories had potential. It was another way of exploiting Mary's difficulty with being confrontational.


That hospital episode was just terrible. Not everybody is going to be your friend. Besides, they all ready did that situation of Mary with Rhoda! Mary and Rhoda used to be rivals be cause Mary had the larger apartment. They became friends after the end of the episode.

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I watched "Hi" this afternoon and I sympathized with Mrs. Kuhne. With her troubles, the last thing anyone needs is someone going out of her way to make best friends with everyone she meets. I felt like yelling "Mary, shut up!"

I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness, starving hysterical naked.

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'It's probably why I also dislike season 3's "Romeo and Mary," in which the obnoxious character played by Stuart Margolin refuses to take "no" for an answer in his pursuit of Mary.'
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Isn't that season 1-2 also, where she writes 'No" on the cake?

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Romeo and Mary is from season 3.

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The one where Mary is trying to date the politician's aide, whom we never see, and he keeps canceling. That is such a snooze, I doubt if I'd remember it, if I had to comprise an episode list.

And when Mary quits, over a conflict with Lou over the politician who's an old friend. Uncomfortable to watch.



Marriage is between one man and one woman, to the exclusion of all others.

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Season one had several weak episodes, by season two things improved with a better grasp of the characters

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I don't like the one where Mary quits after being suspended. It is too sad, even though she returns.

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' Ted dates Chuckles the Clown's daughter. Overtly lame and boring, nothing happens except girl talk and awkward scenes. Rhoda is essentially wasted, and I found the actress playing Ted's woman annoying. The episode also felt very unrealistic and stale.'
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That is Arlene Golonka, a wonderful actress (long resume) who would later appear on the show with Penny Marshall as 2 floozies in a bar. I know her personally. I think she told me she considered for Georgette. She was Millie on Mayberry RFD

She was Harper's real-life roommate early on, and suggested to Harper that she enter acting.

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any later-season that mostly featured unfunny Georgette

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Almost all episodes from the 7th season are less than great. I have my own theories as to why. IMO, only "Ted's Change of Heart" was up to the show's high standards from the previous 4 seasons. It took a couple of years before the show really hit its stride.

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I know I'm in the minority here, but Ted is my least favorite character.
To me, he's too unrealistic to be funny. All the other characters
seem like real people, but he does not. So my least fave eps are
any that focus on Ted, especially the baby stuff and the adoption.

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