In Mork We Trust

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""In Mork We Trust""
Season 1, Episode #22 (#22) in series (95 episodes)
Things mysteriously start disappearing from Mindy's Apartment, Until they figure out each disappearance marks a visit from Mr. Bickley who this time has taken Mork's Age Machine and has started to play with it, putting Mork through change after change "In Mork's We Trust" in Season 1 of Mork & Mindy (ep.#22).
"Mork & Mindy" episode
Guest Star(s):	Sandie Newton David Wall Bob Arbogast
Network:	ABC-TV
Production code:	122 (1x22)
Writer(s)	Ben Starr
Director	Howard Storm
Original airdate	March 15, 1979
IMDB	"In Mork We Trust"
Episode chronology
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"Mork's Night Out"	"Mork Runs Down"
List of Mork & Mindy seasons/episodes

"In Mork We Trust" is the 22nd episode of the 1st Season of Mork & Mindy, also the 22nd series episode. Written by Ben Starr, the episode, which was directed by Howard Storm, was shot on February 2, 1979 and premiered on ABC-TV on March 15, 1979.

Synopsis

The disappearance of Mindy's necklace from the apartment after a party puts Mork into detective mode. But as other things start disappearing Mindy figures out the common denominator is Mr. Bickley. Unfortunately the discovery happens after he's taken Mork's Aging Machine.

Plot

Mindy is hosting a party for some of her friends from college in her apartment, all of them, Mork included engaged in a large twister like game of 'Tangled'. With one more move they all collapse, most of them on top of Mork. As they peel off him, and Mindy's friend Julius apologizes to him for sitting on his face, Mindy moves to check on him, asking him if he's alright? 'Sure I love to play squash the alien'. Not too enamored of the game, he names a few other murderous ways to pass the time, Mindy getting the hint that he doesn't want to play anymore. A knock at the door however, brings Mr. Bickley into the apartment, not happy. Immediately starting to grouse at Mindy and her guests, he soon puts a major downer on the party, chiefly by kicking over the pile of gamers into a heap. Fuming, Mindy tells him he can't just come in and start shoving her guests around. But he tells her the sound from below sounds like R2D2 doing a soft shoe shuffle. She argues they only barely started playing, but Bickley moves on to the sound of their ice in the glasses, and then refuses point blank to leave until there is no more laughing, singing, dancing or bodily sounds. Her guests, starting to feel uncomfortable, make their excuses, and even though its only 8.30 they head for the door, despite Mindy's attempts to stop them.

Returning Mindy argues with Mr. Bickley, calling him 'the worst', but he takes all her slings happily, and tells her not to forget 'cantankerous' that one is 'on my business card'. He then catches sight of a device on the ground, picking it up wanting to know if it's a transistorized 'noise maker' sort, but Mork dives to grab the Orkan Age Machine out of his hands quickly, telling him its a radio for a deaf mute. Calling Mork a 'wiseacre' Bickley says he knows its' a pocket calculator. Now that he's chased everyone off, he tells Mindy it's an incredibly boring party and leaves. Mork is relieved that Bickley didn't start pressing any of the buttons, but a miffed Mindy thinks it would've been funny to see Bickley reduced to a child, until Mork explains it doesn't work that way. The Age machine only affects Orkans so it would've been him that was affected no matter who presses the buttons. At that Mindy advises him to put it in a safe place.

The next day, at the Music Store with Mork, Mindy asks her father and grandmother whether either of them happened to see her 'Mindy' necklace. Cora hasn't seen it around the place, and Mindy tells them she think she took it off at the party last night, but now she can't find it. Mork theorizes that it was sucked into a parallel universe, the same one all your odd socks go, and Jimmy Hoffa is wearing it now. As Cora heads off to prep for her lunch date, Mindy opines to her father and Mork that she'd hate to think anyone she knew might have taken the necklace. Besides it's cheap and she can't figure why anyone would want it. The mystery growing, Mork slides into detective mode, taking on the mode of a classic English sleuth. He deduces that whoever took it, had to be named, Mindy. Who at the party ...he enquires...was named Mindy. Grinning, she raises her hand, and grabbing hold of her he starts frisking her. Fred jokingly suggests that they call up everyone at the party and accuse them of being a despicable thief. Mork goes with the idea of finding a voodoo priest, to put a curse on the necklace so the thief's arms fall off, and then 'we'll have him hands down!'.

At home, Mork is 'Orkan' dialing on the phone, introducing himself to Debbie Wilson a friend of Mindy's, who he immediately asks if she stole Mindy's necklace. It quickly becoming apparent that Mork has taken Fred's suggestion seriously. Mindy returns groceries in hands announcing she got them spare ribs for dinner and unpacking a honeydew melon, she asks hopefully if he found her necklace. He says no, he's still playing detective, and suggests if she wants to be his assistant, she slip into the bedroom and into the flimsy negligee he bought her. Laughing she tells 'Sherlock' to let her know when he finds out whodunnit. Mork informs her he knows who didn't dunnit, by calling her friends in her class and accusing them. Mindy's mouth drops in shock and it only gets worse when Mork tells her when he ran out of suspects in her class, he was forced into using a book of mugshots he found, picking up her graduating yearbook from Boulder High School. They're not mugshots they're her old classmates Mindy argues, but he points out Linda Burchi, voted loosest and most likely to succeed. She's not a criminal, she's a cheerleader, Mindy insists. When she hears he actually spoke to her, she's staggered, but not as much as when he tells her he's called everyone in it, and delivers a message from Molly Berger who says 'Hello and would like to push your face into a Cuisinart'. She can't believe he called all her friends, and he can't believe what they called her. When she asks how he could do that to her, he asserts do that 'to her?!' he was the one who had to take all the abuse and the threats, but she shouldn't worry, 'no one is going to burn down this house as long as I'm alive'.

He's distracted, and she by turn, by his spotting the honeydew melon, Mork picking it up excitedly . Forgetting he'd never seen one before, he tells her he knows exactly what it is, and then starts treating it like a basketball, and before Mindy can stop him, slam dunks the fruit into the ground, splitting it and sending the seeds everywhere. Distraught, Mork bends to them, 'I didn't know it was with litter!'. That was their dessert, Mindy points out, before the door takes a hammering. Fearing its' the fruit police Mork goes to see who it is, peeking through the keyhole, asking Mindy if she was 'expecting a zipper?'. Opening it of course reveals an annoyed Bickley, unhappy at the noise Mork just made with the melon. She tells him it wont' happen again, not until we grow another ball Mork adds. But Bickley is ticked off because he can't get any work done, stuck on the same verse for an age. Mork wonders why he didn't come to him for help as he was tops in his poetry class, and then recites an Orkan Limerick whispering the *filthy* final line to Bickley alone, to preserve Mindy's ears. And it gives Bickley an idea, deciding to change his verse to a Limerick, thanking Mork he heads out cheerfully, whilst also throwing a parting shot at them to keep the noise down. As he goes, Mindy eyes Mork, jokingly declaring that she has to make a decision about either apologizing personally to her entire graduating class in High School or just move to another city. Mork apologizes just trying to solve the case, patting him she knows his heart was in the right place. Nodding he pats his ass 'still there'. Moving back to the kitchen counter she immediately notices the ribs are gone. Mork retraces his steps and points out where he was standing when they were last there, and Mindy points out where Bickley was, right by the ribs, and now Bickley and the ribs are gone. Why would anyone want to steal Mr Bickley, Mork asks confused. Rolling her eyes, Mindy clarifies that Bickley was the one who stole the ribs. She can't explain why he'd want to to it, but he was at the party the previous night too when her necklace went missing. 'Shazbot!' Mork swears suddenly and tells Mindy his Age Machine is gone.

Down below in Mr. Bickley's Apartment, Bickley is examining the machine curiously, before lifting a finger towards it. Back upstairs Mork is telling Mindy if Bickley starts pressing those buttons he...and never gets to finish the sentence, bolting upright, and then dropping to his knees clasping Mindy's legs and gabbling like a pre-verbal child.

Trying to soothe the childlike Mork clinging to her, Mindy strokes his head, saying Bickley has to push another button soon. She hopes. Down below, Bickley is wondering why the machine doesn't' appear to be doing anything, shaking it and listening to it, before he presses a few more buttons. Above, Mork shoots back up, restored to himself. Mindy figures he must've taken the machine thinking it was a calculator, Mork just hopes he doesn't try to balance his checkbook with it or he could be back doing squats with Sitting Bull. Walking towards the couch, Mork's hit by another button push, and when it takes effect he turns to Mindy, thanking her for a lovely TV dinner and kissing her on the cheek saying 'Not tonight though, I have a headache' before meandering to the couch like a middle aged man, talking about packing their kids in the car, having a martini, and going to the PTA meeting. As he reaches the couch he's hit again, collapsing to it, clutching his head, Mindy sinking down beside him in concern, before he looks to her, himself again, commenting that he didn't even know he had an attachment for middle America. He tells her they have to stop him before he sets it for old age, or even worse, cadaver!

Agreeing with how serious it is, Mindy conjectures that perhaps Bickley has kleptomania, explaining to Mork its a person that steals compulsively. 'Like politicians' he notes, before he's hit again. Sent into hormonal teenager, he slides towards Mindy hitting on her, wanting to go down to the lake with her to listen to his voice change. Just as he corners her on the couch he's hit again, sliding into pre-puberty and recoiling from her and her 'cooties'. Another hit and he's back to himself, feeling Bickley must be doing division now. They got to stop him, he tells her, before he starts doing square roots and sends him all the way back down his evolutionary track. To the Ape, Mindy stares at him? No, Mork tells her, there were no apes on Ork they evolved from...and before he can finish he's hit again, and before Mindy's eyes starts to strut around, clucking like a Rooster. As she watches stunned, prehistoric Mork takes off around the couch, running like a chicken and spots the open window. Before she can react he dives out. Running to the window, she looks out after him and then pulls open the door and gives chase.

Without success, as, as night fall comes, she's pacing the apartment. A knock at the door sends her running to it hopeful it's him, and it is, but dressed in a green bin bag, a band aid on his nose, carrying a brown paper bag, and being led by a Police Officer who wants to know 'Does this live here?' Mindy confirms he does, and his name. Mork, the officer queries? 'I thought it was Henny Penny' having found him acting like a chicken running back and forth across the highway. Mork feeling the need to get to the other side. The policeman said he was almost up on a 602, pecking an officer, then asks if this is some kind of Fraternity Prank, and while Mindy answers yes, Mork says no, he's just weird. Mindy however, gets Mork to shake the officers hand and when he gives him the Nanu greeting, the officer recognizes it as Sigma Delta Pi. He greets him in return with his own weird handshake as an Alpha Nu, and departs with a smiling 'See you around the campus, buddy!'

Once he's gone Mindy checks that Mork's alright, and he agrees he is now, but Bickley sent him all he way back to Cave Chicken, building fires trying to hatch everything insight. He checks in turn that Mindy didn't have a baby in the last half hour, and when she tells him she's reasonably sure she hasn't he's relieved he didn't do that fertility dance in his bare feet. In the bag he has seed, corn and a woman's wig he was planning to use for a nest, along with a softball he was trying to hatch. Relieved he's back to normal now, Mork nods but as long as Bickley has his machine who knows what he could do. 'I could be a gleam in some Cro Magnon Rooster's eye'. Mindy tells him the only way to stop it is to confront Bickley and ask him to give them their stuff back. Mork's all for it, determined to make Bickley squeal, marching towards the door, till Mindy points out that may be he better change first. Mork agreeing it's hard to look macho in a green plastic dress.

Knocking on the door and calling on Bickley to open up gets no answer, and Mork opens the door slowly scoping the place out, before telling Mindy the coast is clear, and stepping inside. Edgy, Mindy doesn't think they should go in, pointing out its against the law into go into someone's apartment when they're not hoe, even if the door is unlocked. Mork feels that hardly applies since Watergate, and they have to get the age machine back. Urging a skittish Mindy in, Mork starts to look around. Finding one of Bickley's new greeting cards, for a guy who accidentally shot his brother, Mork notes how Bickley has one for every occasion. Mindy darts across the room, spotting and snatching up the Age Machine in triumph, handing it back to Mork. To check to see if it's still working, Mork sets it for one second ago, and ends up in a loop doing that over and over again, till Mindy intercedes, reiterating that that thing is dangerous. Spotting her necklace in an ashtray, the ribs are sitting right beside it. With all the evidence retrieved, Mork concludes they are dealing with a 'Carnivorous Transvestite with an Age hang up'. Mindy's laugh is interrupted by the sound of Bickley singing on his return. Trapped in the apartment, all they can do is hard, ducking down together behind the couch.

Entering the apartment, lightly toasted already, Bickley is carrying his pup Bicky, and a brown paper bag, singing to the dog, he shows Bicky what he has for him, pulling out a little plastic fire hydrant for him from the bag. Sweet talking his pup, he tells him he's his only real friend, and sometimes wonder what he would say to him if he could talk. Piping up Mork squeaks 'You're a thief, pop!!' before Mindy drags him back down by his hair, punching him lightly. 'That hurts, Bicky', Bickley comments before blinking, remembering dogs can't talk, and looking around slightly sozzled for the real culprit. Mork and Mindy emerge sheepishly smiling, and Bickley demands to know what they're doing there, accusing them of trespassing, breaking and entering, calling them thieves, burglars. When he remarks derisively that he's sure there's a 'reasonable' explanation why they're in his apartment, Mindy retorts that as a matter of fact there is! They came to get the stuff back that he stole! When he tells her prove it, she just picks up the items in question. Bickley tries to deflect but Mork tells him to 'cut the canine residue' and tell them why he did it. Bickley sniffily says they're so fond of those stupid party games why don't they guess? Mork suggests kleptomania, Bickley says wrong and offers them some dip from the covered party platter he has on the coffee table. The money, Mork suggests. No, Bickley answers and offers them a cocktail weenie.

Mindy finding Bickley's reactions weird, asks Mork how he could get money for fencing pork ribs. Inhaling Mork calls Bickley a 'horrible man' and accuses him of building a FrankenPig. Not even close, says Bickley before offering them sodas. Mork takes one with thanks, but Bickley tells them they are theirs anyway. He then wants to know if anyone wants to dance. Mindy points out that this is not a party. Not with everyone standing around like this, he retorts. Frowning, something starts to occur to Mindy, and asks him whether he took their things so they would come down there to talk to him? Hogwash, he scoffs, why would he want to see them? They didnt' invite him to their party. Looking at each other, they realize Mindy has hit the nail on the head, both of them sitting beside Bickley, Mork noting that he really did want to come didn't he? Bickley confesses he would've gladly slipped a disc to play that stupid game. As it was he had to play it alone with Bicky. Mork takes in how much he loves that little ball of fur they gave him And to their surprise, Bickley says his wife and he tried for years, but they couldn't have one of their own.

Mindy didn't know he was married. He nods, saying he lost her in 1966. Moved, Mindy tells him she's sorry, and emotionally he says every night he prays, 'the old bat' never finds him. She didn't like him either. You know, Mindy points out, in order to have friends, he has to be nice too. There's always a price, he grouses. It's not that hard to be nice, Mindy says, Mork agreeing that it was a lot more work to steal all their stuff just to get them to come down and visit him. Mindy apologizes if he thinks they slighted him and from now on she promises they'll be the best of friends. Mork promising to come straight to him if they find anything missing in future. As they sit together, Mindy's arms around each man, a touched Bickley says how nice that is, before remembering himself and saying he's not used to this 'sentimental garbage' feeling he'll need to take a little of this 'swill' at a time, telling them to get out of there. As he goes, Mork picks up Bickley's radio and obviously shoves it down the front of his shirt, the antenna sticking right up by his face. Heading out the door, he tells Bickley if he should find anything missing he should come upstairs. Yeah, Mindy agrees, maybe around dinner time?

Mork makes his report to Orson, in basketball dribbling mode, only for once to be taken aback by Orson, who his in full Opera flow singing loudly. Nonplussed, Mork looks around awkwardly, not knowing what to do until Orson stops for a moment, and Mork gingerly asks if everything is alright. Yes, Orson replies but what he has to say better be good as Mork got him out of the shower. Mork pleads with him not to shake himself dry, last time it rained for weeks. Telling him to get on with it. Mork reports on a 'terrible earth disease' called loneliness. Orson wants to know does it afflict many people on Earth, and Mork says many. One man he knows suffers so much he has to take a medication called Bourbon. But that doesn't help much, and neither does bedrest, Mork opines, as he's heard sleeping alone is part of the problem. Loneliness, Mork says, is a disease of the spirit, and people who have it think that no one cares about them. Orson wonders does Mork know why, and Mork replies yes. He tells Orson that when children are young they are told not to talk to strangers, in school not to talk to the person next to them, and when they're very old not to talk to themselves. Who's left? Orson wants to know if he's saying that Earthlings make each other lonely? No Mork says, that they make themselves lonely, they're so busy looking out for Number1, they don't have time for 2. Too bad everyone can't get together there to find a cure, Orson thinks. Yes, but there's the paradox Mork points out, because if they did all get together, they wouldn't need a cure. Isn't that Zen like, he grins? Before signing out till next week.

Trivia

Orkan 'Facts'

• Mork reveals to Mindy that Orkans are descended from Avians (Chickens) not Apes, which never existed on Ork. Explaining their reverence for all things Egg-like.

General

• Mork points out Linda Burchi in Mindy's yearbook (voted Loosest and most likely to succeed), Mindy arguing she's not a thief but a cheerleader. 'Burchi' comes up again in S4's 'Drive She Said' as one of the friends Mindy celebrated passing her driving test with. Linda Burchi is actually one of Pam Dawber's closest friends and is one of the interviewees in 2002's Intimate Portrait of Pam Dawber. Linda's name is also used subsequently for the character played by Lise Hilboldt, as an old friend of Pam Dawber's Sam in 'Old Green Eyes is Back', Episode 9 of S2 of My Sister Sam.
• Molly Berger (who threatened to burn down Mindy's home) is another of her real life friends.
• Bob Arbogast who plays the Police Officer, is famed as a the voice of Noodles Romanoff and other classic American cartoon characters, but also wrote for 'Mr Bickley' Tom Poston working with him in New York in the 50s and early 60s.
• Second appearance of Mr. Bickley's dog, Bicky, given to him by Mork in Mork the Tolerant.

Pop Culture

• The game Tangled Mindy is directing at her party is an obvious derivative of Twister, which came out in the late 60s and was popular at the time (but the show didn't have the rights to use it seems).
• Bickley says the twisted group of bodies look like a Christmas Card from Hugh Hefner, the owner and publisher of Playboy.
• He also says that the sound of the party from above sounds R2D2, the heavy set astromech droid from Star Wars (as it still was at that time) doing a soft shoe shuffle.
• Mork sing/signs a line from "I'll love you more than you'll ever know." (1968) by Blood, Sweat & Tears founder Al Kooper
• Mork theorizes that Jimmy Hoffa is wearing Mindy's necklace in a parallel Universe. Hoffa being the American labor union leader who served as the president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) from 1957 until 1971, whose disappearance in July 30, 1975, remains one of the worlds most discussed mysteries, though prevailing theory is he fell fouls of the Mafia.
• Cora has a date for lunch and is heading off to spray herself with 'Charlie' singing a section of the jingle from the ad for the fragrance, which, thanks to its campaign of self sufficient women in the 70s (including the first women to wear pants in a perfume ad!) was the top selling perfume in the world for three years running.
• As he plays with the melon, Mork sings a little excerpt of Sweet Georgia Brown and talks about Meadowlark, the theme and a famous player from The Harlem Globetrotters.
• Mindy refers to Mork as 'Wilt' when assuring Bickley what just happened with the melon won't happen again. Referencing Wilt Chamberlain former 76ers and Globetrotters player, widely regarded as one of the best basketball players ever.
  

Quotes/Excerpts

• Bickley: *about twisted gang of Mindy's guests* That's obscene. Looks like a Christmas Card from Hugh Hefner.

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• Mindy: *calling after her departing guests* We'll get together again...real soon!
• Bickley: Over my dead body!
• Mork: Hey that's a great game! Gets a bit gross towards the end though cuz *indicates melting decay*

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• Mindy: *looking down at splattered honeydew* That was our dessert.
• Mork: Ohhhh heavy meloncholy.

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• Mr. Bickley: *to Mindy* You have some nerve McConnell!!
• Mork: She's got a great set of frontal lobes too!

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• Mork: *to Bickley* Why didn't you come to me for help? I was tops in my poetry class. Listen to this! There was a young feeble from Glurm, whose fobles were stuck in her Blurm. As she pimbled her Quaft and said with a Twaft...*looks at Mindy* Excuse me *moves to whisper the rest in Bickleys ear, grins and flaps his gums*
• Bickley: *eyeing him* That's good...it's filthy...but it's good

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• Mork: I was right here.
• Mindy: *making the connection* And Bickley was right here! *points* And now Bickley and the ribs are gone!
• Mork: Well who'd want to steal Mr Bickley?
• Mindy: *rolls her eyes* No Mork! Bickley stole the ribs!

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• Policeman: What is this, a fraternity prank?
• Mork: No, I'm just weird.

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• Mindy McConnell: Don't you think you should change your clothes first?
• Mork: Oh you're right, it's tough to be macho in a plastic green dress.

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• Mindy McConnell: Come on, Bickley, open the door!
• Mork: Yoo hoo! Sticky fingers!

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• Mork: Look! Bickley's working on a new greeting card! *reads* To a brave and fearless hunter, whose face is really red. You thought you winged a turkey, but it was your brother's head. *looks at Mindy* Phew, boy he's got one for every occasion.

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• Mindy: He's coming! What're going to do!!
• Mork: Mallard! Mallard!
• Mindy: What?!
• Mork: Duck!

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• Bickley: *derisively* Well I'm sure there's a very reasonable explanation why you're in my apartment!
• Mork: Okay lets hear it!

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• Orson: The report, Mork.
• Mork: This week I discovered a terrible disease called loneliness.
• Orson: Do many people on Earth suffer from this disease?
• Mork: Oh yes sir, and how they suffer. One man I know suffers so much he has to take a medication called bourbon, even that doesn't help very much because then he can hear paint dry.
• Orson: Does bed rest help?
• Mork: No because I've heard that sleeping alone is part of the problem. You see, Orson, loneliness is a disease of the spirit. People who have it think that no one cares about them.
• Orson: Do you have any idea why?
• Mork: Yes sir you can count on me. You see, when children are young, they're told not to talk to strangers. When they go to school, they're told not to talk to the person next to them. Finally when they're very old, they're told not to talk to themselves, who's left?
• Orson: Are you saying Earthlings make each other lonely?

• Mork: No sir I'm saying just the opposite. They make themselves lonely, they're so busy looking out for number one that there's not enough room for two.

• Orson: It's too bad everybody down there can't get together and find a cure.
• Mork: Here's the paradox sir because if they did get together, they wouldn't need one. Isn't that Zen Like?

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Image Gallery

Cast

Main cast

• Robin Williams as Mork
• Pam Dawber as Mindy McConnell
• Conrad Janis as Fred McConnell
• Elizabeth Kerr as Cora Hudson
• Tom Poston as Mr. Bickley
• Ralph James as Voice of Orson

Guest starring

• Sandie Newton as Jennifer
• David Wall as Julius
• Bob Arbogast as The Policeman

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