| "Orkin Without a Cause" | |
|---|---|
| Season 1, Episode #4 (#1) in series (26 episodes) | |
 | |
| "The Mork & Mindy/Laverne & Shirley/Fonz Hour" episode | |
| Guest Star(s): | Shavar Ross Frank Welker |
| Network: | ABC-TV |
| Production code: | 1x4 |
| Writer(s) | |
| Director | |
| Original airdate | October 2, 1982 |
IMDB 
|
Orkin Without a Cause |
| Episode chronology | |
| ← Previous | Next → |
| "To Ork or Not to Ork" | "Mork Man vs. Ork Man" |
| List of Mork & Mindy seasons/episodes | |
Orkin without a Cause was a Mork and Mindy themed episode from ABC-TV's The Mork & Mindy/Laverne & Shirley/Fonz Hour animated cartoon series, also the fourth overall episode in the series.
Summary[]
Mindy's joined the girls-only glee club, Eugene's joined the kids-only bicycle club, and Doing's joined a dog club. Feeling left out, Mork tries to find a club of his own, and after innocently showing off his powers, Mork ends up joining The Sharks, a gang of bikers and thieves. Once Mindy discovers who he's gotten involved with and what they're using him for, she has to try and get him out of it and get him to help end their crime spree.
Plot[]
School is out and Mork is in the mood to play, and calls out for a friendly game of Tag. But when his school mates power past him he figure's he's 'It' and makes his way homewards. On the way he runs into Eugene on his bike, and asks if he wants to slop (mess) around, but Eugene tells him he's on his way to meet his gang in the new bike club he's joined. Mork wonders if he could join, but Eugene regretfully informs him it's for kids only. Doing greets him in the park, launching himself at Mork Amused, Mork wonders how he knew he was in the mood to play wrestle the Hibijonee. But Doing, in so many words, lets Mork know that the other dogs are waiting for him, he's in the Bowser Club. When Mork tries a dog imitation to see if he can get in on the club, Doing takes one look and takes off.
Arriving at the McConnell's House, Mork gets there just as Mindy is heading out. Trying to catch her up, she tells him she's sorry but she can't talk right now, she's on her way to sing with her Glee Club. Excited by that he asks her can he join, as he really knows his Do Re Mi's. Sampling it for her proves that he's not exactly club worthy, at all. And in fact cracks the shell on his car. Not that it matters how good he is. Mindy, apologizing, telling him her Glee Club is for girls only, leaving behind a dejected and rejected Mork, wondering if there is no place for him.
At the Malt Shop, Mork mopes over his empty glass, physically full but emotionally empty. An Orkan without a club. As he mopes the Malt Shop is invaded by the self proclaimed world's fastest cycle bums. The leather clad biker gangs appearance sending the Soda Jerk at the counter diving for counter. Mistaking the threat, Mork thinks the kid is playing hide and seek with the cycle bums. When the leader of the gang wants to know where the Soda Jerk got to, Mork ingratiatingly points out his hiding place. Dragging the kid up, the gang leader orders their usual 'free' ice cream. Impressed by their getting his favorite treat free, Mork remarks to the leader that the gang members must be really popular, and introduces himself. The gang leader introduces himself in turn as 'Jaws', the emblem on the back of their leathers, being a Shark. When one of the bikers calls them a bike club, Mork is enthused thinking them like the club Eugene joined. He pleads with them to let him join them, saying he can be a small shark, like a minnow. Jaws thinks he's a real space case, but figures they can milk Mork for some money, and tells Mork if he can afford the club dues he is welcome to join.
Mork offers him what he has, 10 dollars. Jaws tells him that's barely enough for a deposit. 11 more payments and in a year Mork will be a fully paid up member. They head out without Mork, Jaws saying they have work to do, but feeling he's 1/12th of a Shark, Mork follows them outside and finds them messing with the parking meters trying to get the money from inside them. When he wants to know what they're doing, Jaws scrambles and tells him this is how they make their money. Mork thinking they mean that is their job, Jaws agrees saying they empty out the meters to make room for more dollars and cents. Finding that a great idea Mork offers to help, and uses his finger to open up the meter easily the money coming pouring out.
Stunned by what he can do, and immediately seeing how they can use him, Jaws tells Mork that they've decided to let him become a full member of the gang, immediately. Overjoyed, Mork asks them what he can do for them next. Consulting his 'to do' list, Jaws tells Mork their next 'job' is to 'clean' out the safe at Mount Mount High. Thinking again it's to make room for money, Mork his more than happy to help out. Getting on his chopper however, Jaws finds his bike won't start. Until Mork intervenes, starting it with his finger. Jaws seeing more and more ways he can use the Orkan. Climbing into his car, stoked he belongs to a real club at last, Mork heads with them to Mount Mount, leads them to the school safe, and opens it for them with one blow of his hand.
The next morning on the stoop of her home, sitting with Doing, Mindy reads in shock about the robbery, wondering what kind of a mixed up nut would rob their school safe. A moment later she's greeted with a 'Hiya Mindy baby,' looking up to see a leather jacketed, sunglass wearing Mork, strutting up the path to the house, with a thick mumbling voice to greet his main Mutt and Main Mama. Showing off his new gear, he announces he's part of a gang and shows Mindy the emblem. Mindy shocked to see he's with the Sharks who she knows to be a bunch of dangerous hoodlums. Mork refutes that, telling her they have jobs, and that he helped them with their biggest job the previous night. Feeling it coming, and afraid to ask, she does anyway, and Mork admits to emptying the school safe, and tonight he's going to help his new friends empty out Ferguson's Car Lot, to make room for new cars.
Mindy immediately makes to go into the house to call the police to warn them. As she does, Mork is pleased feeling she's reacting well to his expanding his interests. Coming back out however, Mindy tells Mork to stay right where he is, as they have to figure out a way to clear him for what he's already done. But Mork doesn't feel he needs to be cleared of anything and checking his ankle watch tells her he has to go, the boys in the gang needing his finger to start the cars on the lot, and before she can stop him, he's in his own car and gone. Fretting, having already called the police about the robbery, knowing they'll be heading to the car lot that night, Mindy figures she and Doing have to find a way to lure Mork from the scene of the crime or he'll be arrested. Calling the Orkan dog inside, she feels she has an idea that just might work.
That night, in the car lot, Mork is with the gang but having a little trouble with some of the foreign makes of car, Jaws getting irritated and telling him to hurry up, or else. Hidden with Doing, Mindy, now dressed in a leather jacket, form fitting t, and a neckerchief, dons a pair of sunglasses, and heads towards him, knowing she has to get Mork out there before the police come. Just as Mork gets one of the cars started, Mindy, with a Brooklyn accent, approaches her 'Morky, baby' wanting to know what he's doing with these two bit amateurs. Looking her over, Mork wants to know where she got that spiffy new outfit, but saying 'No time for chit chat, hon.' she grabs a hold of him and pulls him away with her. Moving with her Mork asks her if its their turn to take out the garbage and she tells him clearly its their turn to scram...until Jaws grabs hold of Mork's trailing arm, demanding to know who says. 'Big Mama Mindy' she replies and her dangerous dog Doing, the Hibijonee promptly giving Jaws attitude. Though its the sound of the cop cars coming that frightens them off, sending them scattering to their bikes.
When Mork calls after them to wait for him, Mindy holds him back and tells them they're not his pals they're thieves who robbed their school safe and tried to get him to help them steal cars for them. Recognizing the word Steal, Mork is thrown realizing he's been 'infantiled deliquent'. Guilt ridden he sees himself being 'slammed in the thrower' and upset thinks he will be a blubbering baby when he gets out. Consoling him, Mindy tells him it wasn't his fault, they lied to him. Realizing he's been splinked, he gets irritated and tells her no one pulls the fur over Mork's head and gets away with it. Getting into his car with her and Doing, they give chase.
Seeing they're being followed by Mork, the Sharks head for the freeway, Mork follows them, but Jaws is confident on the packed freeway there's no way Mork's car can match the maneuverability of their bikes through the traffic log jam. But Mork extends the Grimbel Pizetti up, the cars wheels passing either side of the traffic ahead of it, with the Orkan chassis some 15 feet above. Seeing them catching up, Jaws leads his gang up the back of a conveyance truck using it like a ramp, leaping across from the freeway to another road. But not reckoning on the ability Mork's car has to fly. Seeing they're right above them, Mindy asks Mork what he's going to do. Telling her there's only one thing to do, he releases a number of huge eggs from the rear of his car, the yolks smashing all over the bikers blinding them, and binding them up. Using his finger, Mork cooks the eggs, sticking them even further. Caught in a giant omelette the Sharks give up, just as a very pleased pair of motorcycle cops pull up, finally having caught the gang.
Driving home, Mindy is relieved to have things finally sorted out with the police and everyone else. Equally happy, and thankful to them both, Mork agrees that he has no need of gangs, all he really needs is his Little Mind, and his favorite pooch to play with.
Trivia[]
Orkan Facts[]
- Mork mentions an Orkan animal called a Freebo, which apparently has 4 tonsils.
- Mork demonstrates immense strength in opening the safe as he did a couple of times in the main show (Mork the Prankster / My Dad Can't Beat Up Anybody)
General[]
- Orkin Without a Cause is a nod to the famous James Dean/Natalie Wood film Rebel Without a Cause, involving teenage gangs and hotrods.
- The titular spelling of "Orkin" (like the pest control service) is inconsistent with the live-action show, in which it was "Orkan." Adding further confusion, the novelization of the first three episodes and the activity book often referred to things Orkan as "Orkian."
- Mork refers to what the Sharks have done to him as being splinked, the Orkan word for lied to or fooled, a reference from the main shows To Tell The Truth.
Pop Culture[]
- Mork exclaims Frabjous Day, when Jaws tells him he can join the Bikers. Frabjous Day, is a phrase from Lewis Carroll's poem 'Jabberwocky' in Alice Through The Looking Glass.
- Mork remarks that his finger can do pretty much anything on earth faster than you can say Supercalifragielliespialisplukint. A nod to Mary Poppin's Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.
- Mork greets Mindy after his induction into the Shark with a mumbling style of talk that imitates Marlon Brando in 1953 movie, The Wild One.
Gallery[]
