A Mommy for Mindy

"A Mommy for Mindy"
Season 2, Episode #17 (#42) in series (95 episodes)
Mork tries to console Mindy, who is upset and disturbed after Fred returns with a new wife in tow, who everyone expects her to see as a new 'Mom' in "A Mommy for Mindy" in Season 2 (ep.#17).
"Mork & Mindy" episode
Guest Star(s):	Conrad Janis Shelley Fabares Melissa Francis
Network:	ABC-TV
Production code:	217 (2x17)
Writer(s)	April Kelly
Director	Howard Storm
Original airdate	January 3, 1980
IMDB	A Mommy for Mindy
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A Mommy For Mindy w as the 17th episode from season 2 of Mork and Mindy, also the 42nd overall series episode. Written by April Kelly, the episode, directed by Howard Storm, was shot on the December 7, 1979 and premiered on ABC-TV on January 3, 1980.

Synopsis

Mindy's delighted to hear her father Fred is returning home for a visit with, she thinks, her grandmother. When he turns up however, its not Cora with him, but Cathy. His new wife.

Plot

Arriving back into her apartment with him, Mindy asks Mork, all togged out in white shorts, how he enjoyed his first tennis game. His favorite part being jumping over the net, Mindy informs him only the winner does that, which is why he collided with Mr Clayton. As they're talking about Tennis around the Universe Mindy notices a telegram by the door, and on opening discovers its from her father, informing her to set two spaces for dinner that night. Both of them getting super excited at the prospect of Fred and her grandmother coming home for a visit, Mork giving himself a headache in the progress. They haven't seen them in 8 months, Mindy observes, 2.9% of her life so far, Mork calculates. Both of them miss them badly, Mindy reminiscing about how Fred used to take them bowling, Mork nostalgic for how he always wanted Mork to rest his head in the ball returns. Mindy gets into gear deciding to head out to get some flowers, and groceries to cook dinner for that night, asking Mork if he could do the dishes for her? Agreeing happily, before starting to do impersonations of crockery.

Newspaper ABC-TV ad for episode "A Mommy For Mindy"

That evening Mindy is basting the roast, vibrating with excitement at her Father and Grandmother's imminent arrival, telling Mork she can hardly sit still, at which he offers to tie her up. A knock at the door herald's Fred's arrival and as he opens his arms to his daughter Mork flings himself into them with a cry of 'Daddy!'. As Mindy gets a shot at hugging her father, Mork approaches the beautiful red head, who is definitely not Cora, in the doorway, and asks 'Granny' if that's a new dress? Bewildered, she looks to Fred. Apologizing profusely, Fred moves to her and introduces her as Cathy, who is with the orchestra. Cathy greets them both, feeling she knows them both already. Fred admits he's talked her ear off about 'his little girl' and his little...Mork. Mindy asks where her grandmother is, and Fred tells her she's visiting Mindy's uncle in Boston. Mindy wants to know how she is, how he is, how everyone is! As they sit, Fred is happy to fill her in on everyone over dinner, but first he and Cathy want to tell Mindy the news. Before he tells her that he and Cathy were married yesterday. News which literally bowls Mork over as he topples backwards over in his chair, and in the absence of rice, scatters them with Doritos when he gets up.

Cathy looking to Fred, admits he did tell her Mork was 'different'. Fred though notices that Mindy is somewhat subdued and unsettled and asks her if there's something wrong? No she tells him, but does comment that it's such a surprise. Fred assures her they didn't mean to leave her out but it all happened so quickly with him and Cathy there just wasn't time. Mindy asks them how it did happen, and Cathy explains that for 6 months she was just another 'woodwind', and in the last 2 months they began to realize how perfect they were for each other. Mindy nods, and tells them she's really happy for them, they just caught her unprepared, she didn't even have a chance to buy them a present. Fred tells her, her being happy for them is the best present they could get. On being asked what she does in the orchestra, Cathy tells Mindy she plays the flute, 'If you've got it flaut it!' Mork cracks. Fred hopes that Mindy and Mork will think of Cathy as part of the family. Mindy's smile is wan, but Mork however is super enthused, calling Cathy 'Mama', launching into Italian ecstasies, and regressing to childhood, telling Mindy now he has someone to take him for haircuts, cut his meat for him, buy him little shirts and socks. Now they have a real mother. A new stepmother Mindy corrects him, leaving Mork wondering what the difference is? Fred explains that it means she's not Mindy's biological mother. A replacement, Cathy adds, none of them really noticing Mindy's discomfort.

Fred goes on to say they are heading off to Acapulco on their honeymoon but wanted to stop off for a few days so Cathy and Mindy could get to know one another. Mindy smiles and changes the subject wanting to know what else he's been getting up to other than getting married. Keeping her grandmother out of trouble Fred grins, which isn't easy Cathy elaborates, as she has a crush on the entire string section, "Sex and Violins!" Mork remarks. Mindy watches on as Mork squeezed between Fred and Cathy continues to enthuse and relate to them, asking Fred how the orchestra biz is, Fred smiling saying he's getting rave reviews for his Bolero. "If it's Ravel it's Swell!' Mindy asks what they have planned while they're in Boulder, Cathy replying that she would like to see the house, Fred agreeing, glad it's not sold yet, as they're thinking of moving back to Boulder for good. Something which quietly seems to unsettle Mindy further. Especially when Fred adds that way she and Cathy could be like a real mother and daughter. At that Mindy suggests they all have dinner, Mork making a beeline for the table, saying to Mindy he wants to sit beside 'Mom', and to Cathy's discomfort asking what are the chances of his getting a baby brother?

Later, Mindy is settling down in bed, when a knock at her door heralds Mork's entry, his catching sight of her in bed enough for him to stare and then cover his eyes bashfully. Smiling, Mindy tells him it's okay, and he asks her if she's okay? Telling him she's fine, she just thought she'd come in and think a little. Buzzing again, the tells her he's too excited to sleep and comes to sit beside her on her bed, saying its not every day an Orkan gets a mother. Stepmother, Mindy quietly corrects him again, a real mother is the first one you ever have. Cathy is the first one he's ever had, he reminds her. She knows, she admits, then smiles when he tells her he's been going through all her catalogues Fredericks and Spiegels to try and find a wedding present for them. Wishing him good luck, she tells him he'll talk to her in the morning and goes to settle down to sleep. Turning out the lights as he heads out, he comes straight back in again turning them on again, telling her he's so happy he wants to buy a box of cigars and say 'Its' a Mom!", 'Night' she reiterates, and he goes out...and comes right back in again, turning the lights on once more, Mindy hitting her pillow, as he says he'll buy them a wire haired terrier, it's a great pet and they can do the dishes with it. Turning the lights out he heads out again, and again comes right back in again...this time to say goodnight. Finally letting her go to sleep.

As she sleeps however, Mindy starts to dream. Taking her back to when she was 6 years old and coming out to her father in her old house, finding Fred (with full head of hair) exhausted and upset on the couch, telling her father she's hungry and wants waffles. Fred clearly distressed, puts on a brave face wishing her a good morning and telling her he'll go fix her some. But young Mindy tells him Mommy makes them better. At that Fred asks her to sit beside him, and reminds her how her Mommy's been sick, and hasn't always been able to play with her, young Mindy nodding. Fred tells her slowly that the angels felt bad that her mother was sick and came and took her to a place where she wouldn't ever have to feel sick ever again. Little Mindy stands up and asks him, when they bring her back, to ask her to make her some waffles. Fred finally has to tell her, her mother won't be able to make her any, as she is in heaven. Mindy's face creases for a moment before she takes a seat in her mother's rocking chair, declaring she's going to wait there until they bring her back, and wants to know why he just doesn't call the angels and tell them she's hungry? Trying not to cry, Fred takes a knee before her and tries to get her to understand that her mommy isn't coming back. When she still doesn't seem to grasp it, he goes to make her some waffles, but when he's gone, she starts to keen for her mother, hugging her teddy bear, and crying "I want my Mommy" over and over again. In her bed, Mindy, holding a pillow in her sleep cries out the same thing, rocking back and forth as if in her mother's chair, her cries getting louder as her nightmare continues. Rushing back into her room, Mork turns the lights back on which jerks her from the bad dream, and leaves her in floods of tears, crying in his arms as he tries to comfort her.

A short while later, still teary, she sits beside him in her bed, recalling she felt exactly as she did the day her mother died. Mork though doesn't understand why she's not happy, reminding her it was a long time ago, and now she has perfectly good new Mom just waiting to be used. Wiping her eyes and nose she tells him she is happy for her father, but it just seems awkward to have someone walk in and say here's your new Mom, just as good as the old! Mork doesn't think Fred wants her to think that way he just wants her to be happy that he has someone in his life again. She knows, and tells him you'd have to be an idiot not to know what this is all about, Mork immediately asking her what its all about, which makes her smile, her head dropping to his shoulder. She tells him that sometimes a new woman in a father's life can make a daughter feel threatened, and Mork wonders if this is about jealousy. Mindy thinks she is a little jealous, but not enough to make her feel this bad. She's not sure what she feels. Mork suggests she have have a talk with her father 'Man to Mind', and she agrees, the sooner the better. Smiling he regales her with al the things he'd like to do now that he has a mother, growing a milk moustache, reading comic books under the covers, going for long rides in the car wanting to know 'are we there yet?'. Having someone to tell you there's no such thing as the tooth fairy, Mindy adds smiling a little, Mork's smile dropping as he stares at her, Mindy blinking as he gets up and hides his face in his arm against the door, distraught.

Back in the McConnell House, Mindy and Fred are removing some of the dust sheets from the furniture, Mindy commenting that Mork and Cathy really seem to be hitting it off. Fred agrees, adding, a little better that she and Cathy are. Mindy takes the opportunity now that they're alone, to talk about it and the two take a seat on the couch. She admits she's having some problems in the situation and asks him straight up why he didn't tell her he was getting married? Fred hedges and gives various excuses about arrangements, and being so busy...but Mindy correctly points out he still could have called. Caught, he agrees he could have, and apologizes. She wishes she had just been given a little time to get used to the idea before everything was thrown at her. To her it felt like he had completely forgotten about her mother, like she never existed. Sliding closer to her, Fred assures her he will never forget her mother. She was the first woman he ever loved. Taking her hand, he tells her he remembers the way her hair smelled, her laugh, her voice, every detail of her burned into his memory. Mindy watches her father try to fight back his tears, as he recalls how her mother used to grind her teeth in her sleep and it drove him crazy. But after she was gone, he missed the sound so much. Mindy apologizes, but Fred shakes his head. Telling her she should never think he's forgotten her mother, he tells her he's also not forgotten what it was like to be a husband, and that's what he can have again with Cathy. Both of them teary, they start to laugh, and get back to trying to clean the place up, pausing as they unveil Mindy's mother's chair. Mindy promising that she will try not to act like a jerk...Fred wishing he could hear those words from Mork. Mindy shakes her head smirking, stating that he likes Mork and he knows it. Fred privately admitting it, just before Mork sticks his head in the door.

Zipping in, Mork tells Fred again that he really approves of his choice of Cathy and that they are three lucky people. Fred wondering where she is, Mork says she's parking the car, before Cathy comes in telling Mork he really should've waited till she stopped the car before he got out. He's been taking her on a cultural tour of Boulder, showing her a theatre in the Mall, which, when Mindy points out there is no theatre in the Mall, Cathy explains it was a puppet show, a Punch 'n Judy show, Mork doing a quick excerpt of Punch 'n Hamlet. Then they went to an 'art' film. War of the Worlds, Cathy wondering why he was rooting for the Martians. Mork's answer that they ware a much maligned people rapidly bringing Fred and Mindy's intervention. Mork adds that when he took her to the Deli Remo & Jeanie didn't believe she was his mother. Whatcha do, Mindy asks, before Cathy goes 'Ahr Ahr Ahr', all of them laughing. It also got them free desserts, Mork showing them the Cannoli the Da Vinci's gave them. Mindy and Cathy finding common ground as their favorite dessert. Morks' being spaghetti ala mode, Mindy joking to Cathy that he's on the Weight Watcher's hitlist as they all take a Cannoli....but the moment ends abruptly when Mindy sharply tells Cathy 'Don't sit there, as she goes to sit down in Mindy's mother's rocker. Realizing how she sounded, Mindy flustered tries to explain that that was her mother's chair, but gets more embarrassed as Cathy tries to apologize, saying she's the one that is sorry...and heading rapidly for the door, apologizing to her again. When Fred tries to stop her she stops him saying she just has to work a few things out and leaves. Mork hurrying to the door after her, looks back at Fred & Cathy telling them he thinks Mindy just signaled him for help, and goes after her.

Back at the apartment, Mindy, sitting with Mork on the couch, is at a loss. At first she thought it was that she was angry that she thought her father had forgotten about her mother, but he hasn't. She knows he just wants a shot at a little happiness for himself, and has no idea why she keeps getting in the way of it. Having gone through the Earthly reasons, Mork suggests a little Orkan Psychology. He starts off with "Free Association" (Word Association) and then asks Mindy to tell him everything about her mother. When she points out that could take forever, he asks her questions about her, eliciting that she was tall, brown haired and blue eyed like Mindy, before drawing out from her that the thing she remembers most about her mother, is the pain of losing her. At that Mork suggests that that's why she's afraid to try out a Step Mother. Mork recalls how when he was young, he had an electric chicken which shocked the Shazbot out of him when he tried to pet it with wet hands. Mindy points out that there's a big difference between electric chickens and mothers. Not really he answers, they both got burned. Reflecting, Mindy thinks maybe there's a chance he's right. Maybe she doesn't want another mother if they're going to be taken from him.

Mork moving to sit with her, tells her he's never had a Mom, and he's not going to blow his shot at one now, even if he does have to give her up one day. Understanding that, Mindy still feels its going to take some getting used to. Mork reminding her that she and Cathy have a lot of time. Mindy remembers that her mother always used to hug her when she was upset, making everything feel better...before sympathetically noting Mork never had that in his life. Mork nodding recalling how hard it was to hug a test tube. They're interrupted by the arrival of Fred and Cathy, Fred telling them that they've decided to head off to Acapulco on their honeymoon early, Fred trying to make it sound like it was just his desire to get down to the sun. Cathy though, is a little more forthright, feeling that she has disrupted something and thinks maybe it's best they should leave a little early. Mindy interjects saying it's her fault not Cathy's. But Cathy points out that maybe part of the problem is Mindy's been feeling pressure to accept her as her mother. And when Fred tries to say that Mindy should feel that Cathy's part of the family, Cathy tells him firmly no, she shouldn't. She's not Mindy's mother. Turning back to Mindy she suggests maybe it will be easier for her if Mindy thinks of her as a friend. Smiling, Mindy tells her she'll try, and that she's really looking forward to the next time she and her father are in town, and if they do decide to move into their old house, she'll be real happy to have a whole family there again. Hoping Cathy can forgive her, Cathy opens her arms and the two hug. Touched, Mork thinks the hug is just like a real Mom, then stops Cathy as she and Fred move to go, wanting to speak to her about an allowance.

Mork reports to Orson that it's been a very interesting week relatively speaking. And he has a new one. What's 'relative', Orson asks. Everything, according to Einstein, Mork replies. He explains that Mindy's father came home with a new wife, and that caused problems for Mindy. She didn't like having a new mother, Orson asks? No, Mork answers, she didn't like replacing the old one. Humans become very attached to the loved ones, Mork notes, and when they're gone they cling to their memory. Sounds like Earthlings place great value on their past, Orson considers. Very true, Mork agrees, memories are untouchable and humans have a need to be touched. The nice thing is sometimes you can have one without giving up the other.

Trivia

General

• Following a ratings disaster with ABC moving the show to Sunday nights, and the adverse reaction to the cast changes (initiated by ABC's since much derided demographic based 'research' over actual fan feedback), Conrad Janis was brought back to the series (with a considerable raise), and the show from this episode on was returned by ABC-TV to its original Thursday night time slot from this episode through the remainder of the show's run.
• Janis's return was treated with great glee by the two leads and the crew alike, director Howard Storm describing it as being like a party atmosphere when he stepped back on set.
• Fred hates Carrots
• This is first of Shelley Fabares appearances as Cathy, Mindy's new Step Mother.
• Cora is, according to Fred, visiting Mindy's Uncle in Boston. This is yet another undefined member of the other side (Hudson) of the McConnell clan. As Fred only has one brother, Dave McConnell (and it's unlikely Cora would be visiting Fred's side of the family) When Cora does return in S3's Old Muggable Mork, she does confirm that she's been staying with her sister in Boston. So this could be her sister's husband (making it Mindy's Great Uncle). If not then it could be another child of Cora...which could make it three children, as Nelson is a Flavor and the son of Mindy's crazy rich Aunt (making her likely Mindy's mother Elizabeth's sister).
• This the *first* time we see Mindy's Bedroom.
• Mindy's much loved Teddy Bear (that we hear of in A Morkville Horror) is called 'Mr One Eye'

Pop Culture

• When Mork starts quoting Italian he says of Cathy, "Que faccia!" (What a face!) "Que dice!" (What can you say?!" "Kay Ballard!". Kaye Ballard being a highly popular comedienne, singer and actress.
• When Cathy tells Mork she's more of a replacement for Mindy's biological mother, Mork replies "Oh like Sizzlean!" a cured meat product that was rolled out in the late 70s early 80s as a replacement for Bacon.
• Mork & Cathy take in an 'art film' the (1953) sci fi classic War of the Worlds

Quotes

• Mork: Tennis is different all over the Universe, Mind. For example on Spirius IV everyone has 16 arms, and tennis elbow is the number one killer.
• Mindy: I didn't know they had tennis on other planets!
• Mork: Only on the planets where there's gravity. Imagine playing tennis in no gravity? Service! *mimics serving then ducking and diving as the ball goes all over the place* Also on the Ovits asteroid where the winner gets to eat the loser and the bad players keep rice pilaf in their pockets.
• Mindy: Talk about your sudden death!

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• Mindy: Do you think you could do the dishes for me?
• Mork: Alright! I'd like to start by doing my impersonation of an art deco teapot.

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• Mindy: Y'know Mork I just can't believe Dad and Grandma are coming in!! I'm just so excited I can hardly sit still!
• Mork: Would you like me to tie you up?

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• Fred: *putting his arm around Cathy* You know I feel like a million dollars! I've got a great job and a terrific wife. A beautiful daughter!
• Mork: A lovable me!
• Fred: The cloud around my silver lining.

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• Mork: I don't think your father was saying that Cathy could take your Mom's place. I just think your father has a need for someone in his life again and he just wants you to like her.
• Mindy: I know. I'm just being stupid. I mean you'd have to be an idiot not to see what this is all about.
• Mork: What's this all about Mind?
• Mindy: *smiles and leans her head on his shoulder* Well they say sometimes when a father remarries the daughter feels threatened by the other woman.
• Mork: Why? Because she's wearing exploding underwear? Fruit of the Boom?

Promo

Mork & Mindy - A Mommy For Mindy - Episode Promo

A Mommy For Mindy Episode Promo - December 1979 - Advertising Episode and Move Back to Thursday Nights

Image Gallery

Cast

• Robin Williams as Mork
• Pam Dawber as Mindy McConnell
• Jim Staahl as Nelson Flavor (credited only)
• Jay Thomas as Remo DaVinci (credited only)
• Gina Hecht as Jeanie DaVinci (credited only)
• Tom Poston as Mr. Bickley
• Ralph James as Orson

Guest starring

• Conrad Janis as Fred McConnell
• Shelley Fabares as Cathy McConnell
• Melissa Francis as Little Mindy (as Missy Francis)