One Day at a Time: “Jealousy”
We continue going through the first season of the long-running CBS hit, One Day at a Time.
The girls arrive home and singing, marching along with a stranger who looks like a suffragette from the 20’s. Turns out it’s daddy’s new girlfriend, Candace. Both Julie and Barbara are smitten.
Ann arrives home, after cleaning all day and dressed like a slob (but she’s still adorable). Ann immediately starts her passive-aggressive guilt-trip on the girls about how she was stuck home cleaning all weekend, while they were off gallivanting around town with Pretty Younger Candy.
Barbara picks up on Mom’s “jealousy” and we have ourselves a title for the episode, “Jealousy.”
Candy is an actress/model and she sells sex, so David knows who she is. And Schneider recognizes her, too, while giving us his best impression of the sex kitten that has replaced Ann.
But Ann, you made the decision to leave…
The doorbell rings. It’s Candy. Julie forgot something in the car, and this is a great opportunity for David and Schneider to drool over Candy. And the thing that Julie forgot — makeup and false eyelashes. Candy’s tips for seducing a boy that dumped Julie last week. She’s so hip, despite her old-timey style outfit.
Of course, the news about the boy is a symbol for how Ann is out of the loop, and Ann doesn’t get it according to Julie. Julie is so lame, all the time.
Ann then tries to be a bigger person, but David doesn’t buy it. And then Ann really uncharacteristically freaks out on Julie about leaving the top off a soda bottle. Weird. Julie takes it personally, and it was Barbara’s fault anyway. Julie cannot fake cry, and the scene is just awkward.
Ann breaks down, admitting her jealousy, but it’s not about Ed moving on; no, it’s about the girls liking Candy better as Candy doesn’t have to tell them to clean their rooms and other lame stuff that Mom has to enforce. Aw, Ann is jealous that the girls will want to spend more time with Candy.
David tries pulling a lawyer-cross-examination trick to get Ann to realize that her own mother was a task-master at times, and she still loved her. Ann relaxes, and is resolved to fix things up with the kids.
Meanwhile, we cut to the girls talking in their bedroom. Oh, another set piece. Finally. Anyway, Julie is only concerned about her own feelings, while Barbara is the better person and tries to make Julie see her mom’s side of things.
Ann tries to apologize. Julie pouts. Schneider opens the door and comes in. What? Why do these people allow this creepy man into their apartment? The 70’s were an odd time.
The boy that dumped Julie is downstairs (that’s why Schneider is there). Julie starts stuffing her bra and freaking out. The audience is in stitches over this.
Ann answers the door, and this Jeff guy comes in. He’s confused as Ann doesn’t announce his arrival. But Ann is trying to buy Julie some time to pretty herself up. An and Jeff start talking, and Jeff complains about his new girlfriend that he dumped Julie for. Okay. But Julie comes into the room, out of his line of sight, just as he says his new girlfriend is too fake, with lots of makeup and strawberry lip gloss. He misses Julie, since she’s real.
Ah, Julie learns a lesson about herself. She reveals that she tried stuffing and then unstuffing her bra. Jeff finds it cute. Julie admits her mistake to Ann, and the audience claps.
There’s a final joke about the gingerale being flat, but you “could always stuff it with kleenex.”
Hilarious. My guess is we will never see Candy again…
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