TVSquad

A new feature here at TV Squad: Standout Episodes, where we review a great episode of a TV series, one that's a perfect example of how great television can be.

"The Death of the Party"
Filmed: October 27, 1964
Aired: December 9, 1964

Since I mentioned The Dick Van Dyke Show earlier this week, I figured I'd start with an episode from that classic sitcom. But boy, it wasn't easy picking the first one.

I could have picked, well, approximately 156 of the 158 episodes the show had over its five season run, but this one stands out because it truly has everything you need for a great episode of The Dick Van Dyke Show.

The plot: Rob plays golf early in the morning with Jerry and a couple of other guys, and Laura is upset because she knows he's going to be either too tired or too sick for the party that they are going to throw for Laura's uncle Harold that night (no one likes him, but it's Laura's turn to throw the party). Of course, when Rob gets to the office, he is sick. But is it from playing golf or was he going to get sick anyway? It doesn't matter. He can't say anything to Laura, so he goes home and pretends he's OK. Now he has to get through a late night party with 16 people, and that includes playing charades...

The cast: Not only does this show give Dick Van Dyke a chance to do some great physical comedy (seriously, has there been anyone in the history of entertainment that can sneeze so realistically?), each cast member has some great lines. When Rob sneaks out of the house at 5am, he forgets his keys and wallet and has to ring the doorbell to get back in, which wakes up an unhappy Laura. When Rob says he was so proud of himself that he showered and dressed and left the house without waking her, Laura says "and you were so proud you had to come back and tell me?" There's also a line where, when Rob says he just wants to go "tee off," Laura says, "Darling, go tee off!" which I think was the writer's way of getting a little cursing in there without having her actually curse, heh.

At the office, Buddy brings Rob some chicken soup, but he's not hungry. Sally tells Rob it sounds like he has the 24 hour bug. When Rob rhetorically asks "oh boy, swell, how can I get rid of a 24 hour bug before I go home?" Buddy's answer is: "Don't go home for 24 hours."

The party: Laura figures out that there's something wrong with Rob, but wants him to play charades with everyone. He has to act out The Canterbury Tales, and Uncle Harold's ridiculous, quick answers are so funny that you can see the extras in the background laughing too. When Rob acts out that it's a book, Harold yells out "Gone With The Wind!...Kinsey Report!..From Here To Eternity!...Lolita!" When they get the first part of the book, "Canter," Harold jumps up and screams "Al Jolson, The Jazz Singer!"

Trivia: Take a close look at the coffee mugs hanging in the kitchen when Millie is taking Rob's temperature. There are two brown mugs hanging and Millie isn't drinking any coffee at all. Then, later in the scene, there is suddenly a mug missing from the rack and Millie is drinking from it at the table. Also, party guest Frank is played by Frank Adamo, who was an extra in many, many episodes of the show, and was in real-life Van Dyke's personal assistant.

This truly is a standout episode of the show, because it has everything you need: great dialogue, a plot you can really get into, funny stuff at the office with Buddy and Sally, and physical comedy from Van Dyke. It's amazing how funny and contemporary the show remains even today.

You can buy and watch the "The Death of the Party" episode from Amazon.com's Unbox here, or buy the complete set of The Dick Van Dyke Show here.