A Televisual Feast

The Jeffersons–with a twist–guest on the first season finale, which has a lot more potential than payoff. The problems have a lot to do with the developments to fill a full twenty-five minutes. When he finds out about the dinner, Archie calls to cancel–giving Edith a sprained ankle–so then Edith’s presence is diminished throughout the rest of the episode. Mike and Gloria also disappear and the bickering Archie and Mike get in to this episode, even when it comes up again later, just feels like filler.

What doesn’t feel like filler, whether it is or not, is the stuff with Archie and the Jeffersons. It all works great, especially when Lionel runs over to check on Edith’s sprained ankle. Then the argument Archie gets in with Mr. Jefferson, it’s ludicrous and great.

But the episode, which has a perfect concept, fails by not being perfect too. The Bunkers and the Jeffersons having dinner raises all sorts of possibilities and by not achieving the best in the viewer’s imagination, the episode fails. It’s a little too good of an idea, but it does provide–in the pre-end credit tag–a nice close. Not a nice close for the season, but a nice close.

3.5