“Episode 41” offers a few different story lines. To begin, Mary stops May from attempting suicide. Next, Loretta and Blanche have words about false Christians. Finally, Dr. Abrahamson and the lawyer, Louis Winnow, help the Haggars in regards to an upcoming malpractice lawsuit. Each story line contributes a necessary stream of thought to a good episode of Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman.
To start, all hell has broke loose as Mary tries to calm a suicidal May, but Martha only wants to help. Mary tells her mother, Martha, saying, “Why don’t you go home, and I’ll call you later.”
Martha really wants to help Mary. “But you need help,” Martha protests.
However, Martha will be helping Mary if she goes home. Mary says to Martha: “Which is exactly why I want you to go home.”
Because she really wants to help Mary, Martha complies. “Well, if you say so,” Martha states.
Mary thanks Martha. “It’ll be a blessing,” Mary tells Martha.
Meanwhile, May just wants to light herself on fire. “The only decorating ideas I want are a gasoline can and a match,” states an emotionally upset May.
That being said, Mary realizes that May isn’t very positive. Mary explains to May: “Oh May, somehow that doesn’t sound like a very healthy attitude.”
At this point, Mary tells May that there are no pills in the bathroom. Mary explains this fact to May, saying, “May there are no pills of any kind in there. All there are are a couple of safety razor blades, and I don’t want you messing the place up.”
Moreover, Mary doesn’t want blood all over her bathroom if May decides to cut herself with a razor blade. “May, do you know how difficult it is to get blood stains out from beneath the cracks in the tile? I mean I spent half my life scrubbing that bathroom,” Mary sighs.
Afterward, when May has calmed down, Mary informs May that she has bad days too. Basically, Mary says: “Well, it was just one of those mornings. It happens to the worst of us.” Mary wants May to chill out.
At this time, May tells us marriage breakdown drove her crazy. “I went a little crazy after both of my marriages broke up,” confesses May.
When May said she was married twice, Mary wonders if May had kids. “Did you have kids,” Mary inquired.
Surprisingly, it’s “Episode 41” where we learn Loretta receives magazines from Jehovah Witnesses. “You know, if that’s WatchTower, tell there no. Cause honey, I didn’t understand that last magazine,” Loretta says to Charlie when she thinks it’s the Jehovah Witnesses at the front door.
Also, too, we learn of political protests in Fernwood schools. “Oh no, not him, uh ah. They are having a protest down at the school today. They are protesting the eating conditions that are unfit in the facaulty cafefitia,” Blanche say to Charlie on why Coach Fedders is not working at school.
“Episode 41” deals with false Christians, too. “Arent you brave? After that awful charlatan con woman. I mean people like that should be outlawed,” Blanche says.
However, Loretta believes in true Christians. “Well, some people do get their inspiration from the Lord,” Loretta replies.
Blanche Fedders isn’t buying inspiration when it comes to some false Christians. “Oh really. Oh people like that get their inspiration right from their bank accounts,” Blanche says.
However, Coach Fedders’s believes in freedom of religion. “Different people have different beliefs,” Coach Fedders tells his wife, Blanche.
With that, Loretta doesn’t blame God for the actions of false Christians. “Just cause one little old woman didn’t place the right trust that the Lord placed in her, you know,” Loretta tells Charlie.
Nevertheless, Loretta chalks it up to Blanche making trouble. “Oh, Blanche just wanted to come over and give me some trouble about Dorelda Doremus,” Loretta says.
At this point, Charlie rebukes Loretta. “Honey, where’s your Christian charity? They were just being neighborly,” Charlie smiles.
Meanwhile, back at the Haggar house, Charlie gets a visit from a lawyer. “Mr. Haggar, I am Lousus Winnow.”
Lousis Winnow offers his services to Charlie. “Now, what I have here is the standard form for my two year retainer… Well, we never know how long these cases are going to take, Mr. Haggars. Of course, outside of court costs and reasonable expenses, I expect no case outlay,” Louis Winnow restates.
However, Dr. Abrahamsom doesn’t want to jump into anything fast. “Excuse me, aren’t you interested in the specifics of Mrs. Haggar’s case before you, well, get into all that?” Dr. Abrahamson says.
Lousis Winnow is about the business. “Son, you handle the bones. I’ll handle the bussiness,” lawyer says. “Now, what I am proposing is your standard 33/50 split,” Winnow says.
However, Loretta doesn’t feel right about the contract. “33/50 percent? Wait a minute, that don’t add up to a 100 percent. That’s only 83,” Loretta cries.
With that, Lousis Winnow and Tom haggle over the price of lawyer fees. “She’s cute. 33 percent made out of any settlement made out of court. 50 percent if we go to trial,” the lawyer says. “Isn’t that a little high?” Tom argues.
We learn that Lousis Winnow will sue for malpractice. The lawyer tells everyone at the meeting, saying, “The way malpractice is begin fought these days, it’s perfectly reasonably. Frankly, Mr. Haggars, the obviously look of pain and suffering on your wife’s face, I think we can soak these stitch happy jokers for a couple of hundred thousand.”
As well, Charlie has more legal problems. “Mr. Haggars, I am a Deputy county’ Deputy Sherrif. This writ is to inform you that you have ten days to vacate the premises as a condition of a court ordered handed down by county court judge Milmer Patterson. On behalf of the Friendly Loan Company,” says the Deputy Sherrif.
Lousis Winnow offers his services. “Mr. Haggars, perhaps you would like to reconsider signing that contract.”
Overall, I liked this episode for a few reasons. First, I liked the story line about the lawyer because I study law, so this episode was funny to me. Also, the story about false Christians really hit because some people really try to be false Christians. This episode was interesting on a few levels for me.
