Actually this was a rather good episode and a sensitive treatment of serious subjects within a light entertainment format. Phyllis is maybe bananas sometimes but she is smart, knew to take suicide seriously and took charge with sympathy. Also she correctly diagnosed Leo’s problem with women and helped him avoid turning to toxic masculinity. Of course these issues can’t be resolved in 22 minutes IRL, but plays are allowed to resolve themes within their time frame. I remember seeing it first run (I was 13!) and it taught me what a placebo is. So it was educational too. Cloris at her best. ❤️
The marvelous Murray Matheson as Judge Plunkett. He was a mainstay of episodic TV from the '50s through the '70s. His urbane manner and ever-so-subtle villainy made him a distinct pleasure to watch. I would sit through the worst sort of trash if he was in it.
Not a fan of this episode. Just lost my brother in law to suicide in June. He and my sister and their little girls were just getting ready to close on their house and move onto their sailboat the next day. We will never know why James chose to leave us. This episode makes it all seem silly.
