User Reviews

Patient Mr. Herd lives in constant fear of everything. Bob finds this to be crazy and suggests that Mr. Herd try and do something new. Later, at the office, Bob almost falls down into the elevaror shaft, clinging on to the cable for dear life. This makes Bob constantly fear death. Mr Herd comes to the office with an injured leg and a new life outlook. Mr. Herd hurt his leg when he decided to takes Bob's advice and try something new: skiing. Mr. Herd gets Bob to face his fear of the elevator(and death) so that he can regain control of his life. This episode has a couple of things to take note of. First of all, there is this awesome contrast between Bob's state of mind and those around him. Firstly, Mr. Herd is fearful of everything at the beginning of the episode. Bob finds this to be bizarre and tells Mr. Herd that he needs to try new things and gain new experiences. Later in the episode, Bob is in a very chipper mood at the office and Jerry and Carol are very grumpy and hostile. Bob then goes to get into the elevator and almost falls to his death and yells for help to his grumbling and unaware coworkers. Shaken by the incident, Bob goes home where he is greeted by his jubilant wife Emily. He tells her what happened and she tries to comfort him. Howard comes over to their apartment also in good spirits Back at the office, Mr. Herd returns from his skiing trip with fears conquered. The new Bob negates his old advice telling Mr. Herd he shouldn't be taking some many risks. Mr. Herd's mental crutch, fear, is replaced by literal crutches and a newfound excitement for life. Bob is now hindered by this and the patient becomes the doctor with thrilling results. Another thing I liked was how Howard showed how susceptible we are to death in a hilarious way involving a salt shaker, a curtain, and a imaginary pair of roller skates. In my opinion, this should have been the series finale of The Bob Newhart Show for this speaks of the end, the literal end. The conclusion of life. It's Bob at his greatest moment of vulnerability. Never before or after was the theme this deeply personal and universal to all audiences. Everyone deals with death to some extent whether they live in fear of it, have lost loved ones, or pondered its many unanswered questions This is a fitting swansong to the series. Not only does Bob get farther in helping a patient here than he ever did but this episode also delves deeper into psychology than all of the others and it does so with such humor and heart it's undeniable If Bob, Emily, and Howard are the heart, Jerry and Carol are the episode's antithesis of such. Their irritable demeanors and unsympathetic views help meld the story into one cohesive narrative and 38 years later, the Two and a Half Men series finale also showed that's okay and it's just what this episode needed. Fifth best of the series.