Rhoda Season 1 Episode 14 - 'S Wonderful

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• published: 20 Oct 2014
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Rhoda S01E14 - 'S Wonderful : Brenda's heart is all aflutter as she is preparing to go on her third date with her new boyfriend, Jimmy Klein. Brenda stops short of saying that she's in love. Rhoda is happy for her until she hears more about postman Jimmy: that he lives in Brooklyn but that he and Brenda always meet at an unusual location like the bus depot, they always have their dates in New Jersey, and that they can only meet once a week on Thursdays. In Rhoda's mind, this information means he's hiding something, namely that he's already married. This thought is solidified in Rhoda's mind when she learns that Jimmy currently has a bandage on what would be his wedding ring finger. Rhoda asks Joe for his advice, he who thinks that Brenda is old enough to make her own mistakes. In other words, he tells Rhoda to mind her own business. But will Rhoda be able not to speak her mind when she and Joe double date with Brenda and Jimmy? Cast: Valerie Harper—Rhoda Morgenstern Gerard Julie Kavner—Brenda Morgenstern David Groh—Joe Gerard (1974–77) Nancy Walker—Ida Morgenstern (1974–76, 1977–78) Harold Gould—Martin Morgenstern (1974–76, 1977–78) Ron Silver—Gary Levy (1976–78) Ray Buktenica—Benny Goodwin (1977–78) Kenneth McMillan—Jack Doyle (1977–78) Lorenzo Music—Carlton, the doorman (voice only) Synopsis: Rhoda which began in the fall of 1974, began each episode (at least the 1st season) with Valerie Harper stating: "My name is Rhoda Morgenstern. I was born in the Bronx, New York in December, 1941. I've always felt responsible for World War II. The first thing I remember liking that liked me back was food. I had a bad puberty, it lasted 17 years. I'm a high school graduate, I went to art school. My entrance exam was on a book of matches. I decided to move out of the house when I was 24, my mother still refers to this as the time I ran away from home. Eventually I ran to Minneapolis where it's cold, and I figured I'd keep better. Now I'm back in Manhattan. New York, this is your last chance!" Rhoda is the successful spin-off to the classic The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Rhoda returns to New York where she eventually marries Joe Gerard, and later divorces him. She finds comfort from her sister, Brenda (Julie Kavner). Her biggest problem is her mother, Ida (Nancy Walker). In 1978, after 110 episodes, Rhoda went off the air. It being the second most successful spin-off from The Mary Tyler Moore Show - the first being Lou Grant. During its short run Rhoda earned two Emmys (one for Valerie Harper in 1975, and one for Julie Kavner in 1978) and two Golden Globes (one for Harper and one for the series itself, both in 1975). All together it earned 11 Emmy nominations and 7 Golden Globe nominations. The series has since earned itself a reputation as a classic in its own right. The series opens with the pilot episode featuring Rhoda Morgenstern traveling from her home in Minneapolis to New York, where she was born and raised, for a two-week vacation, staying with her younger sister, Brenda (Julie Kavner). While there, she meets Joe Gerard (David Groh), a handsome divorcé who owns a wrecking company and has a ten-year-old son, Donny, whom Brenda babysits. Following Brenda's prompting, Rhoda and Joe meet and develop an instant attraction to each other which leads to their dating nightly for the duration of her vacation. After an argument about their feelings for each other, Joe asks Rhoda to stay in New York City, which she does, initially moving in with Brenda at 332 E. 64th Street (actual exterior shots are of 332 East 84th Street, between 1st and 2nd avenues on the southeast end of the block.) Brenda, a bank teller, is an insecure person with low self-esteem with dating problems, similar to how Rhoda herself had experienced difficulty in dating in Minneapolis in the early years of The Mary Tyler Moore Show. The first episode of Season 1, entitled "Joe", aired on CBS on Monday, September 9, 1974 at 9:30 PM. and immediately set a record by being the first and only television series ever to achieve a number-one Nielsen rating for its premiere pilot episode, defeating the ABC ratings juggernaut, Monday Night Football in the process. This record continues to stand after nearly 40 years. Joe asks Rhoda to move in with him. Rhoda and Brenda soon realize that the small studio apartment can't hold them both, so Rhoda moves in with their parents Ida (Nancy Walker) and Martin (Harold Gould) at their apartment in the Bronx. Ida and Martin are the stereotypical Jewish parents. Ida is overbearing, overprotective, benevolently manipulative, and desperate to ensure her daughters find a good husband. Martin is her dutiful, mild-mannered dad. Ida initially goes to great lengths to baby her daughter. When it becomes apparent Rhoda is sliding into a rut by occupying her childhood bedroom, Ida forces her to move out for her own good.