| "Meet Mork's Mom" | |
|---|---|
| Season 1, Episode #12 (#12) in series (26 episodes) | |
 | |
| "The Mork & Mindy/Laverne & Shirley/Fonz Hour" episode | |
| Guest Star(s): | Stan Jones Ralph James Frank Welker |
| Network: | ABC-TV |
| Production code: | 1x12 |
| Writer(s) | |
| Director | |
| Original airdate | October 30, 1982 |
IMDB 
|
Meet Mork's Mom |
| Episode chronology | |
| ← Previous | Next → |
| "Ride 'em Morkboy" | "Muddle in a Huddle" |
| List of Mork & Mindy seasons/episodes | |
Meet Mork's Mom was a Mork and Mindy themed episode from the ABC-TV The Mork & Mindy/Laverne & Shirley/Fonz Hour animated series, also the 12th overall series episode.
Summary[]
When Mork gets in trouble at school, Mr. Caruthers demands a meeting with his parents. Orson complies and sends them to earth, but since Orkans age backwards, they appear younger than Mork. A wealthy, aged curmudgeon overhears their conversation in a restaurant and kidnaps the tykes, convinced they can help him find the fountain of youth.
Plot[]
At Mt. Mount, in Mr. Caruther's office, Mork is in trouble with the Principal after acting out in Miss Wingdale's Home Economics Class. Mork defends himself, saying he had to interfere, as she was about to smush three little bananas to a pulp. But Caruthers is having none of it, and wants Mork's parents in his office first thing the next morning.
Back at the McConnell's, Mindy tells him he's really done it this time, and wants to know what he's going to do about the situation. What any self respecting teenager would do he tells her, immediately calling on Orson for help. Telling him that if parents don't show up at school in the morning he's going to get expelled. Commenting that Mork's really fouled things up this time, but tells him he'll send Mork's parents down, something Mork tells Mindy when he comes out of his report. Doing, looking out the window sounds the alert, and Mork tells Mindy his troubles are over, just as a small sized Egg flies in through the window.
His parents, both of whom look no more than 6 years old each, pop out to greet their son, Mork happily picking up both his parents, one in either arm. Turning with them, he proudly introduces Mindy to them. Mork's mother, Gribla, shakes her hand happy to meet her having heard a lot about her. Mork's father, Zork, cheerily giving her a wave. Mindy is taken aback by them, his father telling her not to be afraid to say how small they are. His mother noting they've been parents for a long time. Mork tells her he probably forgot to mention that on Ork children are born full sized and get smaller as they get older. Stunned, Mindy stumbles that no, he didn't mention it. As Mork tells his parents he and Mindy are going to take them out for Pizza, Mindy puts her hand on his shoulder and asks him quietly if he remembers thinking all his troubles are over, before letting him know that she feels his troubles are only just beginning.
With his mother eager to try Earth food, Mork and Mindy take them to Mimo's Pizzeria, where, seated in a booth his father enthuses over Earth's coffee. In the booth beside them, a man and his Uncle Henry are served a large pizza. Henry's nephew warning him about what the doctors said about his diet, and Henry snappishly responds they didn't say he couldn't eat them, before declaring he would give his entire fortune just to be able to eat a pizza again. Distracted, he hears Mork tell them to bring them one more pizza to go with, peppers, mushrooms, anchovies, salami, cheese and whipped cream, declaring there is someone who 'knows' how to eat. Looking into the next booth he sees and hears Mindy again declare her disbelief to Mork's parents that they are old enough to 'be' his parents. Mork's mother tells her they have 4 kids, and someday she'll meet her babies, Mork's kid brother and sister. Bemused, Mindy comments that they really must have found the fountain of youth. Something that immediately catches Uncle Henry's attention.
Turning back to his nephew, Henry asks him if he heard that? That they really must've have found the fountain of youth, if they can look like two young kids have have four full grown children. His nephew thinks his uncle is crazy, but Henry is determined to get it. Getting up he moves to their booth and asks if he can join them, telling Mork's parents they have a delightful family. and asking them if he could have a word with them in private. Mork telling them to go ahead, what with Doing's pizza not being ready for a few minutes, so they head off with Uncle Henry. A few moments later however, Doing trots in, slightly agitated. Wondering what's wrong with him, Doing lifts Mork to the Pizzeria window where he sees his parents in the back of Uncle Henry's luxury car. Calling to Mindy that his parents are being 'Parentnapped' they all jump into his car to give chase.
Their rescue attempt is hampered by a Meat Delivery truck pulling out, forcing Mork to hit the lifting device rapidly, the car jumping the truck but landing heavily, damaging its ability to lift again. With heavy traffic ahead, it looks to Mindy like they're going to lose them, especially after Doing confirms with his extendable eye that they are getting away. But Mork tells Doing to activate 'Code 3' , the Hibijonee extending its head above the top of the car and sounding off like a police siren, the cars in front of Mork's Grimbel Pazzati parting for them to drive through, enabling them to make ground, Mindy pointing to the luxury car turning into a large Mansion and estate ahead. The gates guarded by two heavies. With Mindy wondering how on earth they're going to get past them, Mork tells her not to worry he has a plan.
Inside the mansion, Henry is demanding an answer from Mork's parents, Zork wondering how many times they have to tell him there is no Fountain of Youth. When Henry tells them they better tell him or else, Zork asks Gribla if he can zap Henry just once with his finger. Gribla admonishes him, reminding him he promised Orson he wouldn't use his powers on Earth.
Back outside, fitted with an actual siren, and with Mork and Mindy dressed as paramedics, they pull up to the gate, startling the guards, telling them to hurry up and open the gate, jumping out to fetch a stretcher with a hidden Doing on it, telling them it's a woman in labor and to fetch lots of hot water and keep it coming. Letting them through, one of the bone headed heavies wonders about their having a hospital in the mansion. The other suddenly realizing that they don't. and that they must be the kids the boss told them to watch out for. Chasing them through the house, the two heavies open the door to the kitchen and are startled to a stop, at the sight of two house staff. Mindy dressed in a skimpy maids outfit and pushing Doing disguised as a mop tells them in a French accent to stay out of her kitchen with their muddy feet while she's washing the floor. Apologizing one asks her if she saw two kids dressed as paramedics carrying a pregnant lady? Mork, wearing a butler's outfit and sporting an upper crust English accent tells him not to be a twit, it isn't a hospital.
As the pair of heavies run on, one comments to the other, Mike, that they must be new staff. Mike agreeing that he had never seen them before. The pair of them again coming to a belated realization and turning around. This time they're more successful, dragging Mork & Mindy and Doing after them down the hallway. Under guard they listen as Henry and Zork continue to argue over the existence of the Fountain of Youth, with Henry warning them all that until he gets their secret no one will leave the place until they are as old as he is. Realizine he's serious, Mindy wonders what they're going to do. Mork puts in a call to Orson and tells him what's happened, and what Henry is doing. Orson agrees to let him have a Bazelbrig for one hour, the device materializing in Mork's hand. Henry catching sight of it immediately, declares it to be a secret youth potion, but Mork warns him that it's dangerous. Henry will have none of it however, and demands that Mork makes him young. And the younger, the better.
Mork flips a switch on the Bazelbrig and a mist emerges that envelopes Henry. When it clears, an infant Henry clambers out of his adult clothes, looks at himself and squeaks 'What happened?!'. Mork points out that he got his wish, he's young again. But Henry still mentally full grown but now a 1 year old baby, protests he didn't' want to be 'this' young. He cant' run his multi-million dollar business like this. His nephew happily tells him not to worry, he'll look after all that for him. But Henry is appalled, feeling it'll take 50 years for him to get back to the point he can take over again, and with his nephew at the helm there'll be nothing left by that point. Flinging himself at Mork's leg, Henry pleads for him to turn him back. His nephew argues for Mork not to listen to him, saying he's just a minor, a babbling old baby. Mork warns Henry that if he changes him back there is no way to reverse it again. Bursting into tears, Henry tells him to do it...and Mork reverses the process, the mist enveloping Henry again and restoring him to his old age. Thanking Mork he tells him he can take his family and leave, before turning on his nephew and telling him to go fetch his will, he's about to make some changes.
Back at Mindy's house, she and Mork talk quietly alone, Mork having let his parents sleep on his hanger. Telling him she didn't want to hurt their feelings before, but if he brings them to school with him the next morning it will be a disaster. Considering, Mork admits she's right, and a moment later calls on Orson once more. His boss wanting to know what it is this time? Mork explains that when Mr. Caruthers see how young his parents look from an Earth perspective, he's never going to believe him and he'll really be in trouble and get expelled. Musing, Orson sees what he means and tells him he will send down Flefin and Strogen. As Mork thanks him and signs off, Mindy approaches him asking if Orson's going to help? Mork affirming it, saying Orson is going to send down his kid brother and sister.
The next morning, in Mr. Caruther's office, Mork arrives with what the Principal thinks is his parents. Cutting Mork off as he starts to speak, telling him the 'adults' will deal with this, he goes to extend his hand to the pair alongside Mork, the middle aged looking man and woman breaking into childish giggles and running past Caruthers to play with the 'bezerb' play things on the Principal's desk. Grabbing some crayons the pair start drawing on his just painted wall as Caruthers tries to get them to stop. Grabbing hold of Mork, the Principal tries to get them to stop, but Mork reminds him that he wanted to talk to them. Going after them himself, he tells them that they really have to talk about Mork's strange behaviour. Stopping in mid run for him, the pair spring back and into his arms, wanting him to talk and tell them a story. The one about Zippy the Bold. As they continue to demand a story, Mr. Caruthers gives up and tells Mork to take them away. Relieved to get rid of them, he tells Mork that their talk was 'satisfactory' and sees no reason why they should have to come back. After Mork leaves, Mr. Caruther's expresses sympathy for him, thinking that with parents like that no wonder he's so weird.
Outside Mindy's house, his family in a dual 'egg' Mork and Mindy and his parents and kid siblings wave goodbye to one another. As they take off, Mindy takes Mork's arm to walk inside with him, telling him that she loves his family, but next time anybody wants to see them, they should use hers.
Trivia[]
- Zippy the Bold (the ostensible father of Squelman the Yellow) comes up again, with Mork's baby sister wanting a story from Mr. Caruthers about him.
- This episode is inconsistent with the live-action series, in which Orkans, don't have parents, family units and didn't breed (bar a short fad). Instead they were bred in laboratory. Mork frequently mentioned that his mother was a beaker and his father was an eyedropper.
Gallery[]
Cast/Characters[]
- Robin Williams as Mork
- Pam Dawber as Mindy McConnell
- Ralph James as Orson
- Stan Jones as Mr. Caruthers
- Frank Welker as Doing