Mork and the Family Reunion

"Mork and the Family Reunion"
Season 3, Episode #18 (#69) in series (95 episodes)
Mindy throws a dinner party to help Fred reconcile with his estranged, domineering brother Dave. But partaking of some of Mork's ceremonial 'Fleck' brings about strange behavior for both Niece & Uncle.
"Mork & Mindy" episode
Guest Star(s):	Jonathan Winters Beverly Sanders Bebo
Network:	ABC-TV
Production code:	318 (3x18)
Writer(s)	April Kelly
Director	Howard Storm
Original airdate	April 9, 1981
IMDB	Mork and the Family Reunion
Episode chronology
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"Mork and Mindy Meet Rick and Ruby"	"Old Muggable Mork"
List of Mork & Mindy seasons/episodes

Mork and the Family Reunion is a Mork and Mindy episode from Season 3, the 18th episode of the season, also the 69th overall episode. Written by April Kelly, the episode, which was directed by Howard Storm, was shot on March 20, 1981, and premiered on ABC-TV on April 9, 1981.

Synopsis

Fred's wealthy, domineering and cantankerous brother, Dave comes to town and Mindy invites him and his wife Caroline to dinner at her apartment to try and improve the brothers relationship. Unfortunately, Mindy makes the mistake of eating some of Mork's fleck, an Orkan food, which results in unusual behavior.

Plot

With Cathy away Fred is grateful for a decent meal at Mindy's but is suffering anxiety pangs, and an outbreak of hives, due to the impending visit of his highly successful but domineering older brother, Dave. The first in 7 years. Fred's recounting how Dave always taking great pleasure in reminding him of his island in the Caribbean and Fred's mortgage in Boulder. Mindy attempts to calm her Dad and promises that she will make them all a great dinner tomorrow when they arrive, even getting Mork to behave. at which point Mork arrives home, all his clothes on backwards and walking backwards, checking with Mindy that he's finally backed into the right house. After she is unable to resist asking 'Why?' he tells her that it's Orkan 'Backwards Day'.

When Fred heads out, asking Mindy to have Mork turned around before Dave gets there, Mindy's tone makes Mork end Backwards Day immediately. Springing around he asks her who Dave is, and Mindy explains he's Fred's older brother, and Fred really wants to impress him, so she asks Mork to please act like an earthling while he's there. As they're talking the lights in the apartment go down, and the familiar sound of an Orkan arrival fills the apartment. Opening the door some Orkan ceremonial food that Mork had sent away for, for Backwards Day, arrives by floating egg delivery. Intrigued Mindy asks him about and Mork explains it's called 'Fleck', showing her the seeds, he plants them in some soil in a pot on the table, and Mindy watches in amazement as the plant grows immediately.

The next day, Mindy and Fred arrive at her Uncle Dave & Aunt Caroline's suite, in the Empire Hotel, getting a warm welcome from Caroline who hasn't seen Mindy since she was in her teens. Calling her husband, telling him they've arrived, Dave comes out from the bedroom, as gruff and surly as his wife is warm and welcoming, and immediately notes that Fred is 4 minutes late, and he's bought companies in less time. Mindy gets a warmer welcome, though he comments on her dress sense. His ordering his wife to get them food and 'joking' that he thinks he'll keep her, has Mindy smiling through gritted teeth, added to by asking Fred where his 'ball and chain' is which she actually has to explain to her father sarcastically as the 'little wifey'. Fred, already scratching at his outbreak of hives, tells Dave that Cathy is in Chicago playing flute with her Chamber Group. While Caroline is amazed Fred 'lets' his wife travel alone, Dave attacks Fred for letting his wife work, and not being able to 'cut it' on his own. Almost in the next breath, Dave challenges Fred to arm wrestling like they used to when they were younger. Fred reluctantly agrees and as they begin the phone rings. While Fred struggles to shift his brother's arm, Dave casually chats with the Boulder Association who want him to speak that night, and Mindy about what time they're eating, agreeing to talk to them at 9pm after visiting Mindy's at 7.30, before casually pinning Fred as soon as he hangs up. When Fred comments that somethings never change, Dave notes that's not true, this time Fred didn't cry for Mommy, before mocking his 'boo boo'.

That night at her apartment, Mindy, dressed and finishing getting ready for the dinner she's putting on, smells something good on the kitchen counter that Mork has made, and tastes it, liking it even more. Mork zips down from the attic in his best suit, and Mindy asks him to help her set the table as Dave wants to eat the second he gets there so everything needs to be ready. Though she confesses to him she doesn't know why they are going to all this trouble, Dave has hardly been nice to her father, yet she's made this big meal for him, and Mork has made a delicious dessert. That stops Mork in his tracks, and he nervously asks her by 'delicious' does that mean she's eaten some, when she confirms it, he tells her that's Fleck and no human has ever eaten it before, panicking slightly he tries to use the plunger to pump out her stomach, but she tells him she feels absolutely fine. He decides maybe he's overreacting, and that if it's okay for Orkans it should be okay for humans.

The doorbell goes and she goes to get it, but before she can reach the door, as Mork watches she freezes, turns, makes a high pitched squealing noise, hops down the step to the floor and cartwheels across it. Stunned she asks Mork what did she just do, and he gives her a live action replay. He tells her it has to be the Fleck, but she says she feels perfectly normal right at that moment. Her father knocks calling out to her, and she pleads with Mork to cover for her if she starts to act strange, and rushes to answer the door. Fred enters smiling and hands Mindy a bottle of wine telling her she looks beautiful and Mork looks almost human. While he's talking to Mork however, Mindy has put the bottle on the counter and is doing a handstand behind it. Mork tries to cover for her, before rushing over to her, and panicked she tells him she can't control it, right as a single heavy knock lands on the door, Fred confirming it's Dave as he never has time to knock more than once. Mindy tells Fred and Mork she'll get it, only to hop down off the step again and this time bunny hop into her bedroom, leaving Fred gaping.

As Fred tries to find out what's going on, Mork opens the door to Dave and Caroline enter all dressed up and ready to eat. Dave makes his wife present Fred with a bottle of wine 'Chateau Lafitte McConnell' from the vineyard he owns north of Napa. As Dave brags about the vineyard and the monks who make the wine for them, behind them in the kitchen, Mindy starts to walk around like a chicken, Mork grabbing them to give them a really short tour while Fred moves quickly to join his daughter asking if she's okay. But even as she tries to reassure him she is, her voice goes strange and she whistles and hoots, before announcing loudly that dinners ready. As they all head to the table, Dave moves to sit at the head of it, only for Mindy to barge him out of the way laughing at beating him to it, poking him in the stomach and calling him 'jelly belly' quietly infuriating Dave who tells Fred he should get therapy for her. As Mindy lines up a cocktail stick like a Javelin, Mork tries and fails to cover for her, as Mindy starts to hold a conversation with her hand, feeding it olives, and Dave tells Fred she needs electro shock therapy, muzzling and to be sent to obedience school, before she calls him picklepuss and flicks a large spoonful of wild rice in Dave's face.

The last straw, Dave gets up to go ordering Caroline with him, just as Mindy comes to, looking around bewildered at everyone getting up. Rushing after him she pleads with them to come back, and getting them back in apologizes, saying that the evening means so much to her father and her, before she falls asleep on her feet, Mork having to wake her up. Fred says he doesn't know what's come over Mindy, but asks Dave to please stay, but Dave's reply is nothing less than a snarl saying he knew this trip was going to be a bummer and that's what it is, and he wants out. Before he can move to go though, Mork tells him he can't leave with bitter memories and to Mindy's alarm, asks him to try some of his dessert. Dave accepts telling Mork he seems like the only normal one there. As he eats the Fleck, Mindy & Mork watch him intently, and stepping forward Mindy asks him if he's feeling alright, getting stuck on the right and repeating it several times, to which Dave replies of course he's feeling alright...and does exactly the same on the right, before yelling out left, and turning it into a military march.

In front of everyone's eyes, Dave turns into a British Fusiliers Captain on a horse, in the trenches, fighting the Germans, Mork joining him as his 'son' Brian from Sandhurst as the Zulu attack from the rear. The 'war' finishing, Dave proceeds to tickle his wife, and Fred asks him what's going on, he never used to play like that with him growing up. Dave says he knows that, and suddenly regresses to childhood talking about how happy he was when he was an only child, how much enjoyed playing with their parents, and then he came along and took all their attention and he was insanely jealous and he doesn't' like him because he took their parents from him. Sticking his tongue out at Fred he leaves.

Back at the hotel, Mindy tries to calm her aunt, telling her if anyone can find Dave, Mork can. Entering he tells them he's had no luck, he found him. On the top of city hall, and Dave enters wrapped in the flag, walks to the bedroom and slams the door shut. Caroline goes in after him, and Fred feels that it. Mindy tries to console him saying it was just the Fleck, but Fred said he's always been like this, they've never gotten along and they never will. Mindy tries to prevail upon him to try, that he's his brother and he happens to feel like he's been robbed of something special, but Fred doesn't know what to say to him he doesn't' listen to him. Mork volunteers to try and goes in but comes out ten seconds later with the flag over his head. At that even Mindy gives up, and heads them out, Mork relating that Dave never wants to see him again, and Caroline rushing out to pack pretty much confirming it to them, before Dave himself emerges.

Fred approaches him to say he doesn't want it to end like this, and Dave starts to yell at him only for Fred to startle him by cutting him dead loudly. Telling him what it was like for him, trying all those years to get Dave's approval, and asking him does he know what it's like to love a brother who doesn't love you back? Telling him it hurts, he says goodbye, and that he still wishes him well. Caroline goes to her husband and tries to get him to use his negotiation skills with his brother, and after a second Dave goes after him. He admits that he made a fool out of himself that night and came off looking bad, and maybe it's better that way, but he doesn't want it to stay that way. Their parents are gone, and all they have is each other, and they're still alive, and he wants his love as bad as Fred wants his. He extends his hand, and Fred takes it, both brothers starting to smile, before Dave offers to take them all to dinner. As Caroline goes to get her purse, Mindy looks to Mork with a smile, and to his surprise, places a soft kiss on his cheek. When he asks her what that was for, she tells him for giving her Father a brother.

The episode concludes with Mork's report to Orson, this week having learned about competition, the type that occurs between different branches of the same family tree. Orson recalls that Mork told him that Earthlings were very competitive, but he didn't realize they brought it home with them. Mork tells him that sibling rivalry goes back to Cain & Abel in the Bible, competing for God's attention to Donnie & Marie competing for the same hairdo. Orson's wonders if competition isn't a healthy thing, and Mork replies it can be but families should be like a team, they shouldn't have to wear pads to protect each other from contact, they should be rooting each other on. Orson asks why don't they? And Mork conjectures that he thinks its because one person starts to compare himself to another, forgetting that the only standards he actually has to meet are the ones he sets for himself. Orson points out that it's through competition that greater heights are reached, and Mork agrees but feels you shouldn't use your family as stepping stones.

Trivia

Orkan 'Facts'

• Backwards Day an Orkan Planetary Holiday, which Orkans 'look forward to' in which people dress and walk backwards and eat ceremonial food like Fleck
• Nargle is another ceremonial Orkan food, but causes you to grow Feathers when you eat it.
• Orkan Plants grow almost immediately on being planted.

General

• This episode is also known as "Orkan Veggies."
• Robin Williams got his idol, Jonathan Winters, to appear in this episode. The next season, Winters joined the cast as Mork & Mindy's son, Mearth. No mention was ever made of Mearth resembling Mindy's uncle.
• A clip of Mindy doing a cartwheel was used in the next season's opening credits sequence.
• Although his character was supposed to be the older brother, Jonathan Winters was nine months younger than Conrad Janis.
• In one of his final interviews, Robin Williams discussed the scene that occurs after Uncle Dave (Jonathan Winters) at the fleck. "They shot for like 45 minutes, to the point where the cameras were running out of film. We were just riffing."
• This is the only episode with Jonathan Winters helmed by resident director Howard Storm, who left the show the following season.

Pop Culture

• Mork jokily mentions Dr. Joyce Brothers, when Mindy points out that Brothers are usually always male. Dr. Joyce Brothers being the TV Personality and Psychologist in the 1950s working steadily from then on in the media.
• Dave tells Caroline to move her little Adidas and get them some food, and compounds his sexist behavior by quoting the much derided (even then) line from the Geritol ad 'My wife I think I'll keep her'
• Mork's character Brian has been kicked out of Sandhurst for wearing a gown. Sandhurst being the Military Training College for British Army Officers.
• Dave is brought back to the hotel by Mork, wrapped in the Colorado State Flag.
• Mork makes a crack about the Osmond siblings, Donnie & Marie's 'rivalry' over the same hairdo.

Quotes/Excerpts

• Mindy: So...you've been out walking around all day backwards. Didn't people stare at you?
• Mork: I dunno Mind, I don't have eyes in the back of my head.

_____________________________

• Mork: Pop has a biological brother?! Oh huzzah!! Huzzah!! Is he older? Younger? Male? Female?
• Mindy: Well he's older....and brothers are almost always usually male.
• Mork: Oh not Dr. Joyce Brothers!

_____________________________

• Mindy: It's been years since we've seen Uncle Dave and Aunt Caroline. Dad really wants to impress his brother, so please, try and act like an Earthling?
• Mork: You got it Mind...who do you want me to be?

_____________________________

• Dave McConnell: Aw, come on, Junior, you gotta be kidding me. I mean, you got your wife playing a flute in Chicago, puttin' a stick in her face? You can't cut it on your own?

_____________________________

• Mindy: You know, I don't know why we're going to all this trouble for Uncle Dave. I mean, he hasn't been very nice to dad, and I'm making this big meal and you made this delicious dessert.
• Mork: *anxious* By "delicious," Mind, are you inferring that some of that has passed by your perky little lips?
• Mindy: Oh, yeah! It's good!
• Mork: Oh, Mind, that was fleck.
• Mindy: Fleck? *
• Mork: Yeah, and no earthling has ever eaten that before.
• Mindy: *nervous* I'm gonna be alright, aren't I?
• Mork: Just be calm! Be calm, and tell me where you keep your stomach pump.
• Mindy: *alarmed* Stomach pump?!!!
• Mork: Well, I don't mean to frighten you. That's alright, we'll just have to use the plunger.
• Mork: *picks up the plunger* Open up!

_____________________________

[Mindy holds a conversation with her hand]

• Dave McConnell: I wanna tell you something. Fit her for an electric bonnet now! Set it at 580!

_____________________________

• Dave: I'm telling you you should put a muzzle on her and send her to an obedience school!
• Mindy: Hey picklepuss! *fires wild rice into his face*

_____________________________

• Fred *as Mork enters the hotel room* Mork? Any luck?!
• Mork: No. I found him.

_____________________________

• Caroline: It was wonderful seeing you, and it's a good thing we did because we'll probably never see you again!

_____________________________

• Mork: I'll talk to him, Pops. I mean, who talked him out of the lobster tank at the seafood shanty? Me.

_____________________________

• Mork: Sibling rivalry has been around for a long time. It started off with Cain and Abel competing for God's attention, right through Donny and Marie competing for the same hairdo.

Promo

Mork & Mindy - 1981 - Mork & The Family Reunion - Episode Promo

Promo for Mork & The Family Reunion - S3 Episode 18 - Apr1981.

(Promos for Barney Miller & Taxi follow after)

Image Gallery

Cast

Starring

• Robin Williams as Mork
• Pam Dawber as Mindy McConnell
• Conrad Janis as Fred McConnell
• Jay Thomas as Remo DaVinci (credited only)
• Gina Hecht as Jean DaVinci (credited only)
• Jim Staahl as Nelson Flavor (credit only)
• Crissy Wilzak as Glenda Faye Comstock (as Crissy Wilzak) (credited only)
• Ralph James as Voice of Orson

Guest starring

• Jonathan Winters as Dave McConnell
• Beverly Sanders as Caroline McConnell
• Gregg Berger (Voice) as Bebo

External links

• "Mork and the Family Reunion" at TV.com
• "Mork and the Family Reunion" episode at Hulu