Retro TV

Season One, Episode 5, original air date was October 10, way back in the great year of 1972.

[Disclaimer: Author was not alive in 1972 and cannot say with any authority whether or not 1972 was even a good year]

“Maude and the Radical”

Things are abuzz at the Findlay House. Walter is scolded by Florida for swiping her meatballs, and makes a lame joke about Black Power. Maude is throwing an important party, and she is freakin! 30 people? That’s not a party. But Maude is taking tranquilizers to calm herself down, so I think comedy is inherent in the premise.

And the party is for…drumroll, please…”one of the most important Black militant leaders in the country.” Then there are the jokes. A lame one about Julius LaRosa, whoever that is, and it seems that only one guy in the audience gets that one, but he really gets it. And the long-tailed cat in the room full of rockers joke that moves from character to character and from Hee Haw to the Dean Martin Show as the source.

Uh-oh, Florida is the only help that Maude can get to serve the party. and for some reason she is in a French maid’s outfit in order to do it. But Maude cannot, will not have Florida serve at the party. How would that look in front of the rich white guests, who left their black help at home?

Arthur arrives, and gives Maude more pills. He’s so great. I bet he was passing pills to Kimberly on Diff’rent Strokes. Aw, that’s mean of me. Sorry, Dana Plato. RIP.

If that is a robe that Maude is wearing a robe in the first part of this episode, it’s the most awesome bath robe ever.

Oh, bad news. The one black couple that Maude could muster up to attend her fundraising party cannot make it. Carol admonishes Maude about only inviting one black couple, and Walt says she should always have a “back-up black.” The only other black couple that Maude can think of is a boring couple that another couple knows, but black beats boring, and she calls her white friends, invites them and asks them to bring along that “lovely black couple” Maude met at their house a month ago. Like they are accessories. Smooth move, Maude. Maude gets shut down. Rightly so.

Florida is on her way out the door when Maude gets an idea. Oh, this will be good.

Maude is running the party, like a military general, and yet everything is going swimmingly. But no matter, she is bugging out on Arthur for more valium. Her behavior convinces him to humor her. She is awesome, and Arthur has to pry her martini from her hands.

Florida descends the staircase, and Maude names her “Mrs. Dubonnet, a guest.” Odd. She then parades Florida around in what looks to be a shout out to some type of “native” style. Maude starts downing alcohol by the rocks glass.

She addresses the party as “fellow liberals” and then she starts singing Some Enchanted Evening. Walt smartly cuts her off after two lines. Luckily, the party guests are all too high and white themselves to really notice Maude’s wackiness.

Seems that the still-absent Black Militant Leader just wrote a book called Give Us Colorado, a title that refers to his idea of the US giving Colorado to African Americans. This idea moves one party guest to ask “why Colorado? Blacks don’t ski.” Brilliant.

Florida is drafted to speak on behalf of the Black Experience. Arthur calls the charade out, and Maude deflects the question with more singing (about Sylvia, no less). But the gig is up. And then the truth comes out about the party being a fundraiser. Maude also starts insulting the guests before arguing with Arthur on his way out. Love her. Arthur and her need to sleep together to get over their whole sexual tension thing.

Ding dong! The guest of honor has arrived. Maude takes a belt of water, tosses the glass behind her, throws open the door, and welcomes the Man with the Afro (natch) to “an evening with Maude.”

She fesses up to Walt that she raised $1,000 for the Black Militant Leader. But wait, she was the only one left at the fundraiser? Oh, you, Maude.

Maude, Bea Arthur, Maude and the Radical, Maude Season One DVD, television, sitcom