User Reviews

Lucy's mother is a horror. Early in the episode she has an attack and is reported on death's door. As it turns out, she's just fine and was pretending to be sick to manipulate her. The doctor confirms that the mother is fine and was never in danger and staged the 'attack'. Not surprisingly, Lucy's boyfriend (Don Defore) has had enough, as she has manipulated Lucy (Eileen Heckart) for years and having a relationship with any man seems all but impossible thanks to her mother. So, Lucy has to choose...her mother or her boyfriend...because he's ready to walk.

This is a pretty good episode...with an ironic and interesting twist at the end. And one I didn't exactly expect! Darkly funny....nah, just dark!

Poor Eileen Heckert. She is dominated by her imaginary invalid mother, preventing her from having a life of her own. She has hopes to be married to Don DeFore. Unfortunately, even after she takes matters into her own hands a curveball comes her way.

This is another episode that fits into the category of having parental issues. Our characters for this episode are Lucy, her mother, and Arthur (Lucy's fiancée)

Lucy's supposedly 34 years old. A lot of people might choke back laughter at that while I look at it from a realistic point of view. Yes, the actress is older than 34 but I look at it from the point of view of Lucy's mother basically being an emotional vampire. She's drained the life force out of Lucy and it makes sense for Lucy to look older than her years.

Lucy's mother is an invalid and Lucy is her caregiver. Thing is that Lucy's not meant to have any kind of life on her own. You can clearly see the poor lady's frustrations play out as she rushes back from a date with Arthur because she's been led to believe that her mother's on death's door. Turns out mom's just fine and she's just faking. Even the doctor confirms there was nothing wrong with her. Mom's just upset that Lucy was attempting to do something for herself. Lucy even said that her mother had been difficult for the whole day because she knew that Lucy had a date with Arthur. Lucy's at her breaking point.

And let's look at Lucy's mom for a minute. The mother isn't a sympathetic character at all. She says very unkind things to Lucy's face about the way she looks, making it seem like Arthur's just with her for her money, etc. Lucy's getting more and more open about her unhappiness with each biting remark coming out of her mother's mouth. Lucy still states she wants Arthur. She's tired of being alone and that she needs somebody. Again, one can't blame Lucy for the way she feels. Although it's a puzzler how Lucy was even able to find the time to even get to know Arthur to begin with without mommie dearest messing it up for Lucy from the start.

Let's flip to Arthur for a minute. Poor Lucy is getting stuck with a lemon when it concerns her fiancée. He's had it up to here with Lucy letting her mother interfere with their lives. He lays it out on the table and makes it look like he's ready to move on if Lucy doesn't pick him over his mother. Yes, he gives her an ultimatum. Again, I feel for Lucy because she's honestly stuck in the middle between two VERY rotten people.

Lucy decides that her mother's death is the only way for her to get her freedom and to be able to supposedly have the life she's craving with Arthur.. Yes, it's that standard route again but I still find the episode entertaining because there's still enough twists through the episode that leave the viewer remaining interested instead of yawning and saying "They're doing another episode like this again? Geez." Anyway, the doctor has left Lucy with some medicine and given her the directions for the correct dosage to give her mother. Well, one kinda wants to chuckle as you see Lucy basically filling up a shot glass' amount of medicine instead of giving her mother the correct dosage. Lucy has it planned that she will make her mother's death look like a suicide. People buy it as a suicide. But Lucy's about to get a shock. Remember how Lucy's mom threw it in Lucy's face that Arthur's just with her for her money? Turns out Lucy isn't gonna get any money. Lucy's mom was living on an annuity and it ended at Lucy's mother's death.

It's decided that Lucy and Arthur will get married right away. Here comes shocker number two for Lucy and perhaps one of the lowest blows of all. They go back to Arthur's house and it turns out Arthur's mom has had an accident that's left her bedridden! And the mother makes such a big deal about the two of them giving up their honeymoon in order to take care of her. Looks like news to Lucy about losing her honeymoon. It's all so disappointing as you wonder if Arthur has any kind of feelings for Lucy outside of viewing her as a free nurse for his mother. But no worries, Lucy has it all straightened out in in her head for what she has to do. We'll have to get some more medicine from the doctor. And the end shot is absolutely iconic as Lucy walks towards the camera and the smiling look on her face makes her look like Joan Crawford. Part of me laughs with glee at the look on her face and the other part sympathizes because this is truly such a broken woman that she's gonna go to all this trouble over a man that's really not even worth it.

This episode is another one listed as my favorites and I'd highly recommend.