Sitcoms have always found pregnant women to be funny but believe me, Dick York gives Lucy Ricardo and other comedic females a run for their money! In this creative plot Darrin runs the gamut from strange food cravings to unpredictable mood swings when Endora gives him what every pregnant woman wishes every man could experience at least once: labor pains.
York is pretty darn funny in this as Darrin gets in touch with his feminine side. Here, York once again finds a way to make farce seem believable, all without laying it on too thick or making it ridiculous -- not an easy thing to do given the built-in campiness to the situation. A lesser actor may try too hard and just play it stupid and silly (especially the mood swing scene) but York plays it for real, having a great time without ever reaching that potentially dangerous point of being distasteful or insulting. Who else could deliver lines like "I'll just rest until I get my figure back" and make us laugh out loud because it's just SO SINCERE?
The script takes full advantage of the show's limitless possibilities for far-out plots and the dialogue is well-written even if it does at times dwell in cliches: typical morning sickness, mood swings, back pains and food cravings (the pickle jokes are stale before they begin!) Favorite bits include Sam pacing the waiting room with other "dads"; Darrin's press conference with his asides and little takes to the camera; and special mention to Endora, looking particularly beautiful in this (especially in her "mortal duds!")
LOOK FOR: Even though Larry says to Darrin, "You just FOUND OUT you're going to be a father,"
Sam looks like she's due NOW!
NOTE:Within this episode is a familiar pattern that appeared several times in the first season (Eps. #1, #22 & #33) and is repeated much later (#127) We see once again Darrin's trio of confidantes to whom he spills his troubles to: 1. His Doctor (played by Henry Hunter but more often by Lindsay Workman) 2. His friend at the bar, Dave (Gene Blakely) followed by 3. The bartender (Paul Barselow). Whenever these three appear, their scenes are almost identical in camera set-up, editing and often dialogue -- though the scripts were written by DIFFERENT WRITERS! (All were directed by Bill Asher) Also interesting to note is that the same actors were always cast even though they're very small roles!
©Review Copyright 1998 by SCOTT VIETS