A men-only fishing trip, Al, Bud and Steve, falls apart before it starts when Steve invites Marcy, who invites Peggy and Kelly, and the party arrives at the cabin six strong. Then all three women turn out to be menstruating simultaneously, and the episode spends its length in a confined space with the consequences. It is the most notorious half-hour of the third season and one of the boldest things any American sitcom attempted in 1988.
Michael G. Moye said the idea came from a newspaper article about menstrual synchrony among women who spend a lot of time together. FOX’s censors were concerned enough that the episode, originally scheduled as the season premiere, had its air date pushed back: TV Guide covered the delay at the time. By production code it was the first episode of the season filmed and the fourth to air.
What makes it hold up is that the script is not squeamish and not leering. The symptoms are real and specific, cramps, irritability, headaches, mood swings, bloating, and the women are not the butt of it. The men are, particularly Steve, who contributes the claim that wild animals can sense menstruation, a genuine myth that circulated after a 1967 bear attack in Glacier National Park and the alarming official brochure that followed it. Moye took the plot point from an episode of Silver Spoons.
Small details: Marcy complains that Steve will never ask for directions, answering his own complaint from season two’s “Build a Better Mousetrap” that she always wants to. And the cabin set turned up again on 227, the sitcom Moye co-created under a pseudonym.
Episode Facts
- Original air date: December 11, 1988
- Season 3, Episode 4, and the 39th episode of the series
- Also known as “A Period Piece,” its original title
- The first episode filmed for season 3, and originally meant to open the season
- Written by Sandy Sprung and Marcy Vosburgh
- Directed by Gerry Cohen
Guest Cast
- Frank Foti Jr. as the grizzly bear, uncredited
The Episode FOX Pushed Back
It was shot first. FOX’s censors decided it was too much, and the air date was moved back four slots, which TV Guide reported at the time. Michael G. Moye has said the idea came from a newspaper piece about women who spend a lot of time together ending up on the same cycle.
The cold open is one of the warmest scenes the two leads ever played, which makes the rest funnier. Al compliments Peg on ignoring the children and she tells him she cares enough about herself not to care about him, and they both laugh and kiss.
Famous Quotes
- Al: “You ignore the children…” Peg: “Well, Al, I guess I care enough about me to not care about you.” The happiest exchange in the first three seasons.
- Al: “Dear Peg. By the time you read this, there will be nothing you can do about it!” Al’s note, in full.
- Kelly: “What a dump.” Al: “When you throw them down, you break them, and daddy can’t fish.” Arrival at the cabin.
- Kelly: “I didn’t ask to come and I didn’t ask to be born!” Kelly, settling in.
Notes
- The original title, “A Period Piece,” is the one the production used. The broadcast title is the safer one.
- Steve’s claim that wild animals can sense menstruation came from a Silver Spoons episode, according to Moye.
- Goof: a caption reads 6:52 AM, and three minutes of screen time later Peg says it is 7:30.
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