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Invasion of the Mork Snatchers

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"Invasion of the Mork Snatchers"
Season 2, Episode #25
(#50) in series (95 episodes)

"Mork & Mindy" episode
Guest Star(s): Samantha Harper
Sheryl Bolt
Alice Borden
Terrence E. McNally
Gavin Muir
Network: ABC-TV
Production code: 225 (2x25)
Writer(s) Tom Tenowich & Ed Scharlach
Director Howard Storm
Original airdate March 20, 1980
IMDB Invasion of the Mork Snatchers
Episode chronology
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"Clerical Error" "The Way Mork Were"
(Season 2 finale)
List of Mork & Mindy seasons/episodes

Invasion of the Mork Snatchers the 25th episode from the second season of Mork & Mindy, also the 50th overall episode in the series. Co-written by Tom Tenowich and Ed Scharlach, the episode, which was directed by Howard Storm, originally aired on ABC-TV on March 20, 1980.

Synopsis[]

Mork becomes consumed with being a consumer, growing so obsessed with commercials that they invade his dreams.

Plot[]

Mindy is prepping dinner in the apartment, when Mork returns home after an hour from the supermarket laden with bags having only been asked to get a carton of milk for the potatoes. Instead he has brought home multiple varieties, including chocolate, not to mention a dozen other unnecessary items. When Mindy queries him, Mork says he thought that to fit into society he had to be a consumer so he jumped in with both feet. Mindy warns him he's going to have develop better judgement, that the average Earthling doesn't become a buy-aholic. Mork's exposure to advertising is new, with Ork diverting all ads to other planets. Mindy advises him to learn how to handle impulse buying before he spends all their money, and lay off the ads for a while. Mork denies he can't control himself, just before a delivery boy arrives with the rest of his groceries. At that Mindy cuts him off from ads, removing papers and magazines from his reach and not allowing him watch the TV.

Remo arrives for dinner, apologizing for Jeanie's absence as she's observing her first surgery. Mork regales Remo with factoids all derived from ads, and Mindy warns him he's starting to sound like he is thinking in 30 second bites. As they sit on the couch he begs her to have a little TV but she is adamant and while they talk with Remo, Mork starts to twitch and jerk like he's going into withdrawal which gets worse and worse till he cracks up and starts quoting ads directly, distracting Mindy he dives for the TV and as the ads come on settles into a kind of bliss.

Later that night, in Mr. Bickley's Apartment, Bickley is terrifying himself sitting in the dark watching 'Invasion of the Bodygrabbers', hearing a knock on his door, he opens it to find Mork who 'smelled' his TV on and wants to watch a little with Bickley, as Mindy has now banned him entirely from TV. Bickley lets Mork in after he threatens to go back upstairs and practice his tap dancing in his rollerskates, but Mork keeps talking through the movie only to hush Bickley up when the ads come on. Every time the movie comes back on Mork is bummed and keeps trying to switch over to a station with commercials on. Bickley gives up and unplugs the TV intending to watch it in bed only for Mork go try and go fluff up the pillows, an he throws him out.

Back upstairs it 1.40am and Mork check's that Mindy is asleep. Finding her 'bear' and asleep he makes a beeline for the couch and a magazine, eagerly turning to the ads, only to find that Mindy's cut them all out. Switching on the TV real low so Mindy 'the slasher' can't hear he settles down to watch, the Invasion of the Body Grabbers still on, but he immediately starts to yawn and dozes off. As he does a version of Mr. Bickley all dressed in white appears on the screen and directly addresses Mork asleep on the couch, waking him up. He asks Mork how he'd like to have everything he ever dreamed of, and tells him to come join him in the 'promised land' A hand emerges from the TV to beckon Mork in and he climbs through.

Inside the innards of the TV the Bickley lookalike introduces himself as 'Mr Persuasion' his TV Guide, and Mork is now in the promised land where everyone has what they need to be content. Inside there are numerous others, also all dressed in white, all with antenna growing out of their heads, and Mr Persuasion introduces Mork to their warm welcome. Mr. Persuasion encourages Mork to mingle with them and listen to what they have so, and he'll be back after their short messages. A mother daughter pair approach him challenging him to tell which is which based on 'Sparkle dish' the dish soap they use. A man wants to talk to him about 'irregularity, and another woman tries to give him Princess Gooballs which almost glue Morks mouth shut. When he turns around he comes face to face with a Remo lookalike who offers him a WonderWipe, and to Mork's confusion talks into the distance (as if to a camera). A feather boa-ed and bejeweled woman tells him she's waxing her floor right now and tells him to step right way, Mork slipping straight away. Mork comments that they all seem so happy here and the woman says the joy of living there is there's a solution to every problem...or a gel!

Looking around, off to the side, Mork spots a Mindy in white, examining her hair, and approaches her, asking what her problem is. She tells him, split ends, and he thinks she's selling girdles (Spanx), but all of a sudden she grabs his arm and leans in whispering to him urgently, telling him it is actually her, Mindy, and he needs to run when he has the chance, that his life is in danger here. But he argues that everything seems wonderful here. She tells him things there aren't what they seem and pulls him aside with her. There she tells him she's not like the others, and shows him her antenna are fake. As she's trying to convince him, Mr Persuasion returns with a giant remote, ending the break and having the denizens repeat their slogan 'Buy a Lot, Spend a Lot', hidden they watch him run them through the slogan again, and Mork agrees with Mindy and suggests they make a break for it through the TV tube. As they get there Mindy knocks over a part and they're spotted, all of the denizens turning and pointing, ala the Bodysnatchers, indicating them as 'non believers'. Mr Persuasion hits the remote and everything slows down, Mork making it through the tube opening, but the others grabbing Mindy and dragging her back.

Back on the couch, Mork is yelling Mindy's name reaching out for her, and Mindy races out of her bedroom to see him having a nightmare. On waking he clings to her telling her about what he saw and how the other her was dragged back. Reminding him she'd warned him not to watch TV, and that it was giving him nightmares, she turns it off and tells him nothing can hurt him and she wants him to go to bed. Shaken, he agrees, and saying goodnight she heads back to her room, as he makes a face at the TV. Heading around the couch making for the attic, there's a knock at the door and he opens it. 'Other Remo' walks in, in white with his antenna and Wonder Wipes saying they've been looking for him. Scared and backing off, Mork calls for Mindy. 'Other Remo' follows Mork coaxing him to join them and rid himself of his fear, anxiety and midriff bulge. More denizens of the promised land appear coming out of the Armoire, through the door, down from his room, and up from behind the kitchen counter, all chanting 'Join Us'. Mork yells frantically for help, as Mr. Persuasion appears and approaches him. He tells Mork he can help him, but can't until he is one of them. Mork tells him, he doesn't want to, he wants his free will. Mr. Persuasion he says nothing is free, unless you buy the giant sized first.

He suggests Mork might reconsider after a little friendly persuasion...and asks him wouldn't he like to be looked up to? Mork likes the sound of it, but then pulls back sensing a heavy snow job. Mr. Persuasion suggests perhaps approach number 2 might work, and Mork turns to be faced by 'Other Remo' who comments on Mork's breath, and how he'll never go to the Prom with it smelling like that, he then has a go at his dull and lifeless hair. Remo tells him he needs to be in with the In-Crowd, and with their help he can be really fun to be near, Mork grins and starts to respond that he likes the sound of that, before he pulls back realizing he's been played again. He tries to focus on Public Television and the Wizard of Oz, and then victoriously announces to Mr. Persuasion he's free again. He compliments Mork on an impressive display of resistance and control. However, he says the final approach never ever fails, and he gestures towards Mindy's bedroom and clicks his fingers.

A black gloved hand and arm seductively grasps the door frame, and a 'body snatched' glamorous, crimson lipped, black boa-ed, Mindy slides out, clad in a backless, thigh slit gown and focused on Mork. As Mork tries not to watch she sashays towards him, and tells him, if he uses the right shampoo she will 'do this' and runs her hand through his hair....if he uses the right after shave she'll 'do this', and slide her hand over his jaw. Twitching slightly, Mork tells himself 'maintain, maintain'...but she adds if he uses the right toothpaste, she'll 'do this' and draws her face to him, kissing him heatedly. Breathless and covered in her lipstick Mork immediately wants to know what happens if he buys everything in the store. She asks him, does he believe in heaven, displaying herself, swaying in front of him, sliding off a glove and flipping it over his shoulder...Mork cracks and he gives up trying to maintain his resistance. Mesmerized by her swaying hips he joins her, as she draws him towards her, at which point Mr. Persuasion steps up to place a set of antenna on Mork's head and welcomes him to their number. Pressing a button on his giant remote he sends Mork spinning off into a stream of advertisements. Mr Persuasion praises him telling him he's doing fine and he's about to become a fully fledged consumer. Pressing another button on his remote, Mork lumbers off glassy eyed, and mumbling 'More, More, More' as all kinds of products shower down onto him from above.

Back on the couch, Mork is clutching his head and groaning 'More, More, More' and crying for Mindy, which draws her quickly out of the bedroom and to him on the couch in concern, wanting to know what's wrong and waking him. Going to hug her, he recalls what happened before and jumps away from her to the far end of the couch telling her she wont' sucker him with that again. Startled she wants to know what he's talking about, and realizing he must've been having a nightmare, he agrees wholeheartedly and tells her, her and her 'hot hips' were in it. Fretting that he's still in the nightmare, Mindy pinches him to convince him he's not...double checking by checking her head for antenna, he tells her about Mr. Persuasion. Mindy tells him no one can make him buy anything, he just needs to be a selective buyer, and people won't like him for what he buys but for who he is. He asks her who he is and she teases him him by saying weird and semi-likable. She tells him to ask himself before he buys anything, 'Is it really necessary do I really need it?'He gives it a couple of goes and then they try it for real on a TV ad for potato chips. After a rough moment, Mork makes it through, garnering praise from Mindy who hops up and turns off the TV before heading for the kitchen telling Mork he may not need the potato chips but she does. Mork comments that he's glad she likes Potato chips, because he has a little surprise for her and opens the Armoire to a small flood of bags of them, telling her he really needed them...because he filled her bathtub with clam dip.

The episode ends with Mork reporting into Orson about Advertising. At which Orson warns Mork that Orkans are vulnerable to Earth's powers of persuasion. Mork agrees, but says ads are nothing to be afraid of, and without them they'd only have Julia Child cooking shows, and advertising tells people about new and wonderful things to replace their old and wonderful things. Orson seems puzzled he doesn't' have an insatiable craving to buy everything and Mork admits he did but leaned a lesson. That the greatest energy crisis on Earth is a shortage of willpower, and examples by pointing to a floating TV set, and saying that if there is something on TV you don't want to watch you can just...clicking a button he ends his report.

Goofs[]

When 'Seductive' Body Snatched Mindy emerges from her room, to turn Mork into a TV Pod person in his nightmare, there is someone else behind Mindy's bedroom door, moving visibly behind the hinge area.

Trivia[]

General[]

  • In this episode, Mork comes home with a copy of Superman: The Movie magazine. In real life, Robin Williams (Mork) and Christopher Reeve (Superman) had been college roommates and remained lifelong friends.
  • Mork was once looked up to on a visit to the Planet of the Dwarves.
  • Mork mentions Orkans don't have bathrooms.

Pop Culture[]

  • The title is a direct reference to the classic Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) which had recently be re-made with Donald Sutherland and Leonard Nimoy in 1978 where the people around the hero were gradually replaced with replica pod people who were intent on doing the same to him.
  • Another nod to The Wizard of Oz with his friends appearing as other characters in a nightmare, as well as quoting 'There's no place like home' trying to wake himself up from it.
  • Mork brings home 'Three Mile Candy' the nuclear mints that melt down but not in your mouth, referring to the Three Mile Island Nuclear Plan incident.
  • Mork says he's going to report the squash not being up to standard to Ralph Nader, the future American Presidential candidate who at the time was focused on consumer rights and public accountability.
  • Mindy talks about Remo's weird aftershave, which Remo names as English Vinyl a play on the popular aftershave English Leather.
  • Mork's cold turkey withdrawals brings about an outpouring of various ads including Alka Seltzer's 'Plink Plink Fizz Fizz' and 'Chow Chow Chow' from the Purina Cat Chow advertisement.
  • Mork comments that the inhabitants of the promised land look a lot like Ray Walston. Walston played Martin the Martian in My Favorite Martian, who had antenna he could raise and lower. When the show was first announced, My Favorite Martian was the one it was most frequently assumed it would be like. Walston would also play Pappy to Robin Williams' Popeye, in the summer hiatus of this season.
  • In resisting the clone of Remo and Mr. Persuasion Mork tries to concentrate on P.B.S. and chants 'There's No Place Like Cavett', in another nod to Wizard of Oz, and reference Dick Cavett's intellectual, non commercial interrupted TV Show on PBS.
  • Once converted, Mork references the Wisk, 'Ring around the Collar' ad, the champion skiier Jean Claude Killy who advertised a number of products, this time doing 'Billy Dean pure pork sausage' instead of Jimmy Dean, Green Lummox, instead of Green Giant products, and a speed talking course.
  • Morks first attempt at asking himself "Is it really necessary do I really need it?" is an impersonation of Richard Burton talking to Elizabeth Taylor
  • Mork does a quick impersonation of the famed TV chef Julia Child while reporting to Orson.
  • Mork also references Farah Fawcett of Charlies Angel's fame in his report.

Quotes[]

  • Mork: Three Mile Candy nuclear mints, they melt down but not in your mouth!
  • Mork: Eyewash
  • Mindy: Eyewash?
  • Mork: Yeah that's the easy part, the hard part is hanging them out to dry.
  • Mork: Disposable diapers!
  • Mindy: Mork I don't have a baby.
  • Mork: That's why they're disposable! *flings them over his shoulder* Now a little birdseed so now we can grow a canary. Bi-Gel the new anti-acid that goes both ways.

_________________________________

  • Mindy: All I wanted was a carton of milk! I gotta whip these potatoes!
  • Mork: Oh! Whipped potatoes! All we need is rack of lamb and we'll have a real kinky meal

_________________________________

  • Mork: Mindy, I've never been exposed to advertising before.
  • Mindy: I thought you picked up our TV signals up on Ork.
  • Mork: Well, we do, but we're not stupid. We divert the commercials to other planets! That's why all the UFOs come here; they're coming here to shop.

_________________________________

  • Mork: Oh [heavy sigh]]... here I am in a media society, forced to sit on my ads.

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  • Remo: *to Mork* I never buy anything I don't need. You oughta learn that.
  • Mindy: Oh yeah well what about that strange aftershave you wear?
  • Remo: What's so strange about English Vinyl?
  • Mindy: Nothing if you don't mind smelling like a chair.
  • Remo: It's a man's scent, Mindy. Maybe there's a reason men want to smell like a chair.
  • Mindy: The reason is the overstuffed girl in the commercial.

_________________________________

  • Mork: What are you watching?
  • Mr. Bickley: "Invasion of the Body Grabbers"! The original and scarier version!
  • Mork: What is it about?
  • Mr. Bickley: About alien beings that come down to earth.
  • Mork: Oh, a documentary!

_________________________________

  • Mork: Minnn...oh Mindy...WOAH *slides back on the couch* you're not gonna sucker me with that one again!
  • Mindy: *startled* What are you talking about? Ohhh you must've been having a night mare.
  • Mork: Oh yeah I was! And you were in it! Hot Hips!!

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Cast[]

Starring[]

Guest starring[]

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