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"Mork's Greatest Hit"
Season 1, Episode #11
(#11) in series (95 episodes)
Mork's Greatest Hit Robin Williams Pam Dawber Brion James
Not understanding that Mindy needs help when a jerk manhandles her at a restaurant, Mork still winds up unintentionally embarrassing the guy. Setting in motion a real challenge to his Orkan pacifist ways in "Mork's Greatest Hit" in Season 1 (ep.#11).
"Mork & Mindy" episode
Guest Star(s): Brion James
Kit McDonough
Tom Kindle
Network: ABC-TV
Production code: 111 (1-11)
Writer(s) David Misch
Director Howard Storm
Original airdate November 23, 1978
IMDB IMDb logo Mork's Greatest Hit
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"A Mommy for Morky" "Old Fears"
List of Mork & Mindy seasons/episodes

Mork's Greatest Hit was the 11th episode of season 1 of Mork and Mindy, also the tenth overall episode. Written by David Misch and directed by Howard Storm, it was shot on November 3, 1978 and premiered on ABC-TV on November 23, 1978.

Synopsis[]

When Mindy gets hit on by creep named George while she and Mork are at lunch, Mork sits by as she's manhandled, not understanding what's going on. Though he unintentionally gets her out of it by embarrassing the guy, the pacifist Orkan finds himself facing a fight on two fronts. Firstly in trying to get Mindy to understand the distinction between his pacifist philosophy and cowardice, and in dealing with a vengeful George stalking his every move.

Plot[]

Mindy takes Mork out to lunch at a restaurant called 'The Eatery' on the Pearl Street Mall. As they are perusing their menus, Mindy is being perused in turn from across the restaurant by a couple of guys named George and Rick. Rick tells the tall, powerfully built George who she is and that her father runs the Music Store, and George wants to know who 'her handicap' is? Rick tells him he thinks his name is Mork, and George is willing to bet if you yelled in his ear you'd get an echo. Mork understandably irritates the waitress with his nonsensical order when she asks, but when George comments to Marcia about Mork being a loser, she wants to know if George has been giving him lessons. That summation of George is confirmed a few moments later, when he approaches Mindy who is patiently trying to navigate Mork through the menu and the niceties of fitting in while ordering food.

Hitting on her, he tells her he wants to dance with her. She declines politely, but he won't take no for answer puling her out of her chair. Mindy manages to pull away and turns to Mork for help asking him to do something, as he just sits there placidly reading the menu. His response is to try and order lunch. George grabs hold of her again, pulling her back into his arms and dragging her into a dance while she fights him off, again asking Mork to help her. Saying 'if you insist', he gets up and 'helps' by cutting in and dancing with George himself, doing the 'Orkan Hustle', telling George that Mindy said he needed help dancing. When George pushes him away telling him he better cut out the games, Mork takes that literally as well, and pushes at him tagging George as 'it'. Angered George tells Mork he better take that back and literal to the core, he does everything in reverse, right back to putting Mindy back in George's arms. Anxious and getting angry with Mork, Mindy manages to pull away again only to be told to 'relax' by George and pulled back roughly to him, telling her not to 'cop out'. Mork still assuming that this is all some kind of game, jumps up again thinking they're playing cops and robbers and presses his finger to the small of George's back making believe its a gun and in his best 'cop' voice forces George up against the wall. George thinking he really has a gun at his back does as he's told, and Mindy takes the opportunity to grab Mork and drag him out of the restaurant with her, while everyone laughs at George. When George discovers what happened, he makes his feelings known about Mork's future by putting his fist through the seat of a wooden chair.

Back at her apartment, Mindy's mood towards Mork is not much better, slamming the door in his face as he goes to come in behind her. It's not until he asks her why she didn't stop George that she realizes he doesn't understand why she's angry. Sitting with him over a makeshift lunch she explains that George was a stupid creep and someone should've made him stop. He explains that Orkan's abolished violence a long time ago and consider it humiliating. But she asks if he's never needed to protect anyone? She says she's not into violence either but sometimes when you're threatened you have to be able to defend yourself, but his look is only quizzical and she realizes he just doesn't understand. He tells her he knows all about violence from TV, gets her to get up and tells her throw a punch at him. Grinning she does but he 'fake punches' it throwing himself backwards in an overly dramatic way. Laughing she tells him that TV violence is not real violence, there's no pain, and you cant take the violence you see on TV seriously. When he queries sports, she tells him that's real, but when he focuses on Wrestling she realizes she's up against it trying to make him understand.

Later, Mindy has pushed all the furniture out of the way, and Mork descends from his room wearing full sweats and doing a Rocky impersonation. She watches perplexed as he sweeps his arm in front of him and appears to move in extreme slow motion, telling her he's getting in shape in the same slow fashion when she asks him what he's doing. Coming out of it he is breathing hard, and he tells her he was running in a different time dimension, a lot healthier but a lot more exhausting, especially as he hasn't done it in 5 or 6 bleams. Fred arrives to train him, with two sets of boxing gloves, having heard about what happened rom Mindy, and determined that as long as Mork is going to go out with his daughter he's going to learn how to protect her, and hands Mork a set of gloves. Mork tells them that the prime methods of defense on Ork are running away, whimpering, and for dangerous situations, compliments. He tells Fred to come at him, and when he does, he compliments him on his hair, or what's left of it. Fred is amused but tells him that won't work on Earth and encourages him to try and hit him. Mork appreciates what Fred is trying to do but tells them he can't do anything that would cause other people pain. Mindy warns him that if he doesn't learn to fight then he is the one that'll end up feeling pain, but he's adamant that its against his belief. The phone rings and its George to tell Mork that he's on his way over to pull his lungs out through his nose.

The next day, Mindy is prepping a meal but on the phone to her father telling him to warn Mork, who has been hiding all day from George, not to come home, that George has staked the house out. Dropping the carrots, she bends down to pick them up not seeing Mork enter in a long coat and a set of Groucho Marx glasses as a disguise, as Mindy stands up both of them scare the hell out of each other. Wanting to know how he got past George, he tells her he came through the back way, when Mindy remarks the house doesn't have one, he holds up his finger and tells her it does now. Mindy asks him why he's going to all this trouble, and he tells her that if he got into a fight with George he'd be humiliating himself. On Earth, she says, its the running around and hiding that's considered humiliating, but Mork thinks that's crazy, on Ork the highest form of courage is to avoid a fight cleverly. He recalls the 300 bleem war when Ork hid from Andromeda, they went behind a comet and they went right by. When she laughs finding it ridiculous he tells her of Squelman the Yellow who defeated the Necrotons making her laugh further with his tell of his escaping millions of them by telling them to look behind them, before he dons a top hat and cane to go out as Mork Astaire to hide from George as he gets the mail.

The next day in the Music Store Mork is in his newest disguise Mork-Along Cassidy, dressed up in cowboy style gear with a bandana mask over his face, and a large moustache underneath that. Cora thinks it's very effective, but Fred thinks he should either stand up to George or leave town. Cora argues with Fred that just because Mork's viewpoint is different to theirs it doesn't mean he's wrong, she's just not sure that dressing up as a dead cowboy is the most effective way to do it.. Mindy enters having had enough, as George has been camped outside the house for 3 days now, until Cora corrects her saying he's right outside. Fred hides Mork behind the counter before George storms in and faces off with the Family McConnell, Mindy sarcastically lets on Mork's left town, then tells him that Mork isn't afraid of him, Fred him him to leave, and Cora threatens to shove her oboe in his ear. George agrees to go, but tells them to tell 'the coward' that he'll be waiting for him at The Eatery, and if he doesn't show he'll find him.

Unperturbed, Mork pops back up, and Mindy asks her family if she can speak with him alone. Approaching him she tells him, this is hard for her to say, that she has been trying not to tell him what to do but now George is bothering them all and it's starting to look like he's afraid of him. Mork says quickly he's no coward, he just believes that violence is humiliating. Mindy says she's willing to accept that's true, but says the way he's acting...interjecting he observes that she's ashamed of him. She tries to deny it, but he can see that its true. He has never been called a coward, he tells her, he's never even lost a Holitacker. Feeling bad she tells him he doesn't have to prove anything to her, but he disagrees, saying he does and he will. Heading out, he tells her he's going to face him and will make him humiliate himself, even if George has to tear off all of his limbs to do it.

Entering The Eatery, Mork calls George out, and George asks him if he's ready to fight? Mork says no, but he's ready to let George make a fool of himself, by taking a stand against him, before promptly sitting down. To provoke him, George pours a glass of water over his head. Rushing in to try and stop Mork, Mindy finds she's too late and tries to stop George but Mork tells her not to interrupt, he and George are already mid discussion, at which George pours another glass of water over his head. When Mindy tells him George is humiliating him, Mork tells her the contrary is occurring, and George throws another glass of water in his face, Mork telling him he feels sorry for him. Marcia tells George to stop he's going to mess up the place, then Rick tells him to lay off that Mork clearly isn't going to fight him, and the others in restaurant start to echo the sentiment. When George queries them giving him a hard time for the first time, Rick tells him no one ever stood up to him before.

George tells them he couldn't care less about Mork, all he wanted to do was dance with Mindy. Mork says he's sure she doesn't want that, quoting her exact words as being 'that guy is a stupid creep'. George warns him he's had enough of him, and Mork says he can do what he wants he won't fight him. George hauls off and hits him, sending Mork to the floor, barely held up by Rick as Mindy rushes to him, but Rick and then everyone else turns on George. Groggily, Mork tells him he has the support of the people, so he wins. When the people present applaud George turns on them, and tells them this all started because he wanted to dance with Mindy and that's what he intends to do, grabbing hold of her again, and dragging her towards him. This time Mork stands up, and says he can't allow it. But Mindy not wanting to see him hurt further tells him she'll dance with George and she wants Mork to go home, but he refuses, and tells George to leave her alone. George asks him if he's going to stop him, and Mork says yes he is. George removes his coat, and Mork pulls down his suspenders. Squaring up to each other, George raises his fists, and Mork compliments his teeth.

Furious George warns him he's going to smash his face in, but Mork warns him he's going to humiliate himself he's awfully fast. But George throws a punch at him anyway. Mork lowers his arm and initiates a time warp every time George tries to hit him, zipping around him, throwing water in his face, and leaving him on his ass. Marcia tells George Mork is making a fool out of him, and Rick warns him that Mork is too fast, he's just playing with him. Irate George gets up the floor to lunge at Mork, but initiating another warp, Mork picks up a pie and places it on the table he was sitting at. The warp removed, George ends up face down in the pie, and back on the floor covered in it, the entire restaurant laughing. Mork asks him to please stop making him humiliate him, and George gives in, apologizing to Mindy when Mork asks him too. Pulling Mork aside, Mindy tells him that was the most amazing thing she ever saw. Mork tells her he thinks he's a little out of shape and may have pulled a frontal lobe. Mindy is still in awe though, that he managed to both beat him without hurting him and protected her. Feeling he deserves a big kiss for that, she goes to give him a thank you kiss, only for Mork to initiate another time warp, turning their kiss into a long slow romantic one.

The episode ends with Mork's report to Orson, with him in shadowboxing mode, prompting Orson to ask him what he's doing, Mork tells him he's punching thoughts as there are no shadows in his mind. Orson asks him why he's fighting at all, as it's against Orkan Law. Mork knows that but is trying to fit in because they are a very violent people. When Orson asks if they have wars, Mork says yes but it's worse than that, violence is part of their everyday lives and language, slashing prices, drowning their sorrows, killing time and even when they're finished having a fight and they want to make up, they threaten to bury the hatchet. Orson asks what makes them so violent? Mork admits he doesn't know, but states the first thing a doctor does when a baby is born is hit it so he thinks they really don't stand a chance.

Trivia[]

Orkan 'Facts'[]

  • On Ork you are assigned a 'boyfriend/girlfriend' to go swimming with as a safety precaution. In Mork's case her name was Zundeera Majo Bob.
  • Mork speaks of the Orkan practice of a Holitacker a dueling method (that he had with Fonzie, Xerko and challenges Captain Nirvana.to)
  • Ork, it is revealed, has long been a pacifist planet. Violence not only outlawed but considered disgraceful. Acts of violence are considered humiliating to those who practice them. In Orkan culture, the highest form of courage is to avoid a fight cleverly.
  • This is the first time we hear of Squellman the Yellow, Ork's greatest hero
  • Mork also talks again about the Necrotons (as mentioned in To Tell the Truth) with whom Ork is at 'war', and whom he would eventually battle in season 2.

General[]

  • Mork's report to Orson is rehashed in "Mork Makes a Record," a story in the Mork & Mindy annual 1980.
  • In the famed 1979 Blooper Tape, in an outtake, Squellman the Yellow is named as the son of Zippy The Bold.
  • During the scene in the Music Store, with Mork dressed as 'Mork-A-Long' Cassidy', in an excerpt that didn't make it into the final cut, Mrs Hudson is revealed to have been married to her husband, named Burt, for over 40 years.

Pop Culture[]

  • As part of his initial lunch order to Marcia the Waitress, Mork asks for a date with former Disney Mouseketeer Singer and Movie Star Annette Funicello (who is frequently mentioned along with her Beach Party co-star, Frankie Avalon through the show)
  • Mork sing/hums a little 'Rock Around The Clock' when dancing 'with' George in The Eatery.
  • Mork sings "Gonna Fly Now," the theme from Rocky, as he comes down from the attic. (Robin adlib)
  • When the doorbell goes, Mork starts to dance around like a boxer and does an impersonation of Muhammad Ali talking to Howard Cosell (Robin adlib)
  • Mork dons a top hat and cane, dubbing himself Mork Astaire, before crashing into a wall and blindly searching for 'Ginger'...a reference of course to the legendary Fred Astaire & Ginger Rogers
  • His next disguise, Mork-Along Cassidy, is a tribute to Hop-Along Cassidy the comic book, early movie and TV cowboy hero.
  • Entering 'The Eatery' to face off with George, Mork whistles the opening bar of The Good The Bad & The Ugly movie theme.

Quotes/Excerpts[]

  • George: *about Mork* Marcia, looks like you got a real loser there.
  • Marcia: That's right George, you been giving him lessons?

_______________________________

  • Mindy: *looking at menus* Why don't you have The Businessman's Lunch?
    Mork: Why should I have it if he didn't?

_______________________________

  • Mindy: How do you know my name?
    George: I make it my business to get acquainted with every fox in town.
    Mork: A good way to do that is to leave dead meat on your porch.

_______________________________

  • George: This, I take it, is Merc.
    Mork: Oh no, that's a great car! My name Mork. Na-nu, Na-nu.

_______________________________

  • Mindy: Now you know what pain is
  • Mork: I knew what pain was, but nobody ever told me it hurt.

_______________________________

  • Mindy: Look it, Mork isn't afraid of you!
  • Fred: I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave
  • George: And what if I don't?
  • Cora: Then tomorrow you're going to blow this oboe out your ear!

_______________________________

  • Mork: Mork from Ork has never been called a coward. I've never even lost a holitacker except for that one on Sirius, and how can you trust an eight-legged Pekingese as an umpire?

_______________________________

  • Mork: Bartender! Spam for everybody!

_______________________________

  • Mork: I'm trying to fit in here on Earth because these are a very violent, violent people.
    Orson: You mean they have wars?
    Mork: Oh no, worse than that. Violence is part of their everyday lives. First of all, they slash prices, the drown their sorrows, they punch buttons and they kill time. I'm not even gonna tell you what they do to eggs.
    Orson: I had no idea they were so vicious.
    Mork: Oh, not only that, they blow up photographs, they hang plants, and I heard one guy telling another guy, "Hey man, you can crash at my place." And even when they're finished having a fight and they want to make up, they threaten to bury the hatchet!
    Orson: What makes them so violent?
    Mork: I don't know. I think it starts when a baby is born. The first thing a doctor does is hit it. They don't stand a chance, your immenseness.


Promo[]

KTXH_-_20-vision_Mork_and_Mindy_Promo_-_1983

KTXH - 20-vision Mork and Mindy Promo - 1983

Vintage Promo ('83) for Mork's Greatest Hit

Image Gallery[]

Cast[]

Starring[]

Guest starring[]

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