Ed 10/1/2003 (1 Viewer)

[Patrick Sun]

Episode 3.2

Damn fine episode! The Chin Monkey bits were my favorite.

Mike had almost all the really funny lines: The milk argument, the frequency of sex dissertation, the fading of the new car smell metaphor.

How many times did Ed go through stop signs?

Did Stephen Furst provide the voice of Benny?

 

[Michael Martin]

Best. Episode. EVER.

From last week's preview, and even the write up in the local TV listings, I was prepared for a depressing or boring show. Wow was I surprised.

The hand-held camera movements got a little old, granted. But the writing was just fantastic, and they handled the situation of Ed and Carol becoming less of a "white-hot" romance and more of a "simmering red" relationship very well.

Best moment: Mike detailing the frequency and tendencies of his and Nancy's sex life. I was literally on the floor with laughter.

 

[Ken_McAlinden]

Shirley was particularly great in this episode, too, although in a limited capacity.

"I forgot to inform Ed of his appointment. I have found it hard to concentrate ever since Buddy Ebsen died".

Phil's hamming it up for the cameras was pretty good. The Punk'd thing with Cheswick was just OK, but his interview about his relationship with Ms. Vessey was very funny.

Regards,

 

[Michael Martin]

Anyone want to bet that the disagreement between Carol and Ed, shown in the promo for next week's show, isn't nearly as serious as it was presented?

The NBC promo department is notoriously unreliable.

 

[Craig S]

Very good episode, deftly tracing the arc of a new relationship.

Mike was a riot, and you can't go wrong with Chin Monkeys.

Did Stephen Furst provide the voice of Benny?

Stuckeyville.com says it was somebody named Vinnie Favale, whose skimpy IMDB bio says he is the VP of CBS Late Night Programming, East Coast. A Letterman crony? I personally thought it sounded like Wayne Knight (I kept wanting to say "Newman!"), but who knows?

 

[Ken_McAlinden]

I was thinking Stephen Furst as well. My daughter likes the Buzz Lightyear of Star Command cartoon a lot, so I am used to hearing his voice (he does "Booster").

Regards,

 

[Michael Martin]

Sloppy editing, or a visual metaphor for how Ed thinks the laws of the universe don't apply to him?

I think it was on purpose, especially since it was figured twice so prominently. When Ed and Carol were on the bike, I was half-expecting a car to hit them in the intersection.

Hardly recognized the Mark character - good to see the surgery remains successful for him.

I wonder if they're going to pick up with Molly where they left her last season - dating the student's firefighter dad. She's the one character the writers seem struggle with in regards to sustained, interesting plotlines.

 

[Patrick Sun]

"Biff" will show up soon enough.

 

[Jack Fanning]

So Ed & Carol are in their 6th or 7th week as a couple? Seems like the writers could've mined this early period of their relationship a little more, but now i guess they are just a regular couple who are used to each other.

Patrick, you're right. Mike had just about all the funny lines...that guy cracks me up.

 

[Greg_C_T]

What was the $10 bet this time?

And when is this show coming to DVD?

 

[Ken_McAlinden]

No $10 bet this week.

 

[Michael Martin]

One other thing about this episode I really liked is how well Carol knew Ed.

Before you say "Of course!" remember this is network TV, where smart, consistent writing is quite the anomaly. I liked how Carol knew that Ed needed a push into "relationship reality," given his reluctance to be OK with routine and "normal" stuff. She wanted to get through that first tough hurdle so that they could focus on them.

I also really liked how Mike reminded Carol about Ed's marriage, and how it's affected his view of long-term relationships. Great writing, and great continuity for character development.

 

[Pamela]

And when is this show coming to DVD?

Contractually, it can't come out until the series is over which, by the looks of this season's dismal ratings, will be soon. :frowning:

 

[Scott Weinberg]

Latecomer to this series, but if Season 1 is half as entertaining as this one episode was...I can't wait for the DVD.

Rare to find one hour of television that has me laughing six or seven times. I loved it.

The bit about how the husband got "90% of the milk right" almost brought tears to my eyes.

 

[Michael Martin]

Scott, while all three seasons were great, Season 1 was by far the best, IMNSHO. Unlike many shows, Ed pretty much hit the ground running, and didn't need time to find its voice and rhythm.

Hopefully in a few years won't need to turn the TV on at all - just switch on the DVD player and watch a couple of eps of Friends, an Ed episode and an ER ep.

The bit about how the husband got "90% of the milk right" almost brought tears to my eyes.

Mike has consistently had the best lines for the last year.