It's a Wonderful Mork

"It's A Wonderful Mork"
Season 1, Episode #24 (#24) in series (95 episodes)
Afraid he's wrecking the McConnell's and Mindy's life in particular, with help from Orson Mork finds out what her life would be like if he had never arrived on Earth. Finding Mindy married to a selfish, gambling addicted husband (Sam Freed) in "It's a Wonderful Mork" in Season 1 (ep.#24).
"Mork & Mindy" episode
Guest Star(s):	Sam Freed Linda Henning John Turi
Network:	ABC-TV
Production code:	124 (1x24)
Writer(s)	Ed Scharlach & Tom Tenowich
Director	Howard Storm
Original airdate	May 3, 1979
IMDB	It's A Wonderful Mork
Episode chronology
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"Mork Runs Down"	"Mork's Best Friend" (Season 1 finale)
List of Mork & Mindy seasons/episodes

It's A Wonderful Mork is the 24th episode of Season 1 of Mork and Mindy, also the 24th overall episode in the series. Co-written by Ed Scharlach and Tom Tenowich, the episode, directed by Howard Storm, it was shot on February 23 and premiered on ABC-TV on May 3, 1979.

Synopsis

After causing problems for Cora in the Music Store, and then ruining Fred's budding romance and Mindy's shot at a great journalism based part-time job in one fell swoop, Mindy loses her temper with him. Upset, Mork decides he's caused Mindy and her family nothing but problems, and reports to Orson that he feels it would be better if he was recalled to Ork. Orson however, suggests that before he makes his final decision, Mork takes a look at what Mindy and the McConnells' lives would have been like if Mork had never arrived on Earth.

Plot

Mork is taking (deeply unsuccessful) trumpet lessons from Cora in the Music Store, which she happily calls time on, just as a frustrated Mindy arrives in. She's been having trouble finding a part time job that goes with her journalism major, people tell her she's either too young, doesn't have enough experience and in one case, because she was a woman. Mork's jokey comments only succeed in making her feel he's not taking something that's important to her seriously. Feeling he's blown it with Mindy, he prepares to play the blues on his trumpet right as a young mother arrives in with her son to enquire about music lessons for him. Mork points her to Cora, saying she taught him everything he knows, before he starts his awful playing again, and before Cora can stop her, the woman walks right out with her kid. Cora admonishes him, reminding him she makes her living out of giving lessons, and he realizes he's screwed up again, and apologizes but Cora tells him sorry doesn't pay the rent.

While all this has been going on Fred has been on the phone and comes off it in a great mood, so good he's happy to see Mork and laughs at his jokes. He has met a woman who ticks all his boxes, calls him 'Tiger Lips', and is sophisticated, but young at heart, independent and vulnerable and with a certain je ne sais quois, which when Mork asks what that might be, transpires to be 'a figure that would stop a truck'. He's bought this woman, named Margaret a gift, a set of 6 crystal goblets in a presentation case. Curious, Mindy suggests Fred invites Margaret to dinner at hers the following night if she's not too busy. Fred smugly suggests she would never be too busy for him, and tells them when he snaps his fingers she jumps. He then lets it slip that Margaret is the editor of Rocky Mountain Illustrated, and Mindy excitedly see's an opportunity to spell her resume out in niblets over a roast beef dinner. Mork says he'll provide the dinner music, blasts on his trumpet and promptly smashes Fred's crystal goblets

The next evening in Mindy's Apartment, Mindy, Fred, Margaret and a very very well behaved Mork are at the dinner table when Mindy suggests they have coffee in the living room. When Mork replies 'No thank you, ma'am' to Mindy's asking if he'd like any coffee, and sits quietly in a chair, Fred is finally prompted to note that he's been very quiet, and it comes out that Mindy has effectively threatened him if he doesn't behave. It seems to have paid off as Margaret has offered Mindy an interview at the magazine, as she likes to encourage young writers, and Mindy is exactly how Fred described her. Mork finds that funny, as he thinks Margaret isn't at all like Fred described her, telling her he was expecting a big brake pedal...a figure that could stop a truck. Mindy hastily explains that what Mork means is that her father finds her very attractive, which makes Margaret smile. Until Mork starts snapping his fingers, and tells Fred it must only be him that can do it. Do what Margaret enquires, and Mork tells her that Fred said whenever he snaps his fingers she jumps. Margaret does not take to that kindly.

Moving things on quickly, Mindy thanks her again for inviting her by the office tomorrow, and Mork adds especially because Mindy's a woman. When Margaret asks what's wrong with being a woman, Mork tells her Mindy says it's hard for a woman to get a job without fooling around. Margaret takes that the wrong way and tells her some women get where they want to go solely on their ability. Fred says the wrong thing, but Mork says he's doing well for a guy with Tiger Lips, and Margaret is appalled he told them that, and then lets slip two more intimate names, Fred didn't tell them. Indignant, Margaret stands up, announces she's leaving, and tells Mindy never mind about the interview they're only hiring men, before she storms out, Fred giving chase. Mork misses the daggers look Mindy gives him when he opines they're a cute couple, but gets it full blast when he asks if there's anything he can help her with when she starts tidying up. She asks him hasn't he done enough? Accusing him of, in one night, ruining her father's life and hers. Finally she wishes sometimes he'd just mind his own business she storms off to her bedroom.

Shaken, guilty and upset, Mork sits down the couch, and places a call to Orson, who notes he's lucky to get him, he's calling at the wrong time. Mork answers that's the problem he can't seem to do anything right lately, and requests to come home. Orson wants to know why, thinking Mork likes it on Earth. Mork says he doesn't seem to fit in, and that no matter how hard he tries he keeps lousing up the lives of the people he cares for. Describing himself as 'pig slop' he says he has to come home. Bur Orson wants him to stay there, and continue his reports. Mork argues he's goofed up the entire year he's been there and wants to leave before he causes some serious damage to someone's life. When he calls himself worm sweat, Orson feels he's being a little hard on himself. Mork doesn't' believe so, saying he's bean dip and needs to come home. Orson says perhaps, but they need to be sure, and asks Mork to submit himself to the Plasma Essence Reversifier. Mork enthusiastically agrees, before asking what it is. Orson tells him its a newly developed process that will allow him to see what paths his friends would have taken this past year if Mork hadn't come into them. Mork is convinced they would all be better off without him, but Orson says why not see for himself? He will only be an observer, unable to be seen or heard. Mork says he's ready and Orson wipes out the year, putting him into reverse.

When Mork opens his eyes he's still in the apartment, on the couch, now in his uniform. Mindy comes out of her bedroom, no longer in her pink dress, but in jeans and a check shirt/waistcoat. Mork greets her happily, but she walks right past him without seeing or hearing him. As she cleans up the much more messy than usual apartment, he continues to try and attract her attention to no avail. Figuring she can't see or hear him, just like Orson said, he tries to tickle her, which she always loved, but he can't touch her either which he regrets as she was always a great tickle. As he follows her to the armoire he watches her pull out a short black and red cocktail waitress dress, as he stares at it, a man walks into the apartment, saying he's home. Mork looks between them rapidly when Mindy greets him with a 'Hi, Honey' and is crestfallen when, after they kiss and hug, he see's a wedding ring on Mindy's finger.

Mork can draw no other conclusion other than that he was right, Mindy would be happier without him. Her husband asks her to fetch him a beer while he heads to the couch, and as she goes, Mork follows her, wondering who the guy is before he remembers him. The blind date she had, and Mork stuck around with her so he wouldn't bump into things...he jokes he never saw her again. He figures old Mork the Homewrecker would've prevented her from getting married. Giving her husband the beer, she wants to know about his big day, but reading the paper he tells her he needs some time to unwind. She goes to help by giving him a shoulder rub, which Mork reads as further proof that there's no need for him around anymore, missing the rather irritated look on Cliff's face. He tells Mindy that he's going to miss her, that he give her a hug but he can't, and if she ever needs him to whistle.

As he goes to leave, Mork is stopped by her husband dropping the paper and telling Mindy, as she's going to find out anyway, that he was fired. Mindy does not seem surprised, as in fact resigned, asking what happened *this* time. The sudden thorn in the bed of roses, sparking excitement in Mork. He tells Mindy that he owed, Red, his bookie 'a couple' of books so he took his company car, which ticked off his boss. Calling him Cliff, Mindy reminds him that he promised he was going to stop gambling. But Cliff wants to know what the big deal is, she has two jobs. Mork is delighted to hear that she's pursuing her writing career, before being reminded it's another reason she doesn't' need him around and turns to go again. But Mindy stands up, with more than edge to her voice, as she asks Cliff if he thinks she enjoys being a Sales Girl during the day and a Cocktail Waitress at night, wiping fingerprints off counters during the day and herself at night, and then for him to gamble all *her* money away? That they could have had a house by now. When he tells her to buzz off, she goes to call him a name but stops herself. Mork however shows no such compunction and fires a number of (Mork style) insults at him, then as Cliff heads off to the bedroom, challenges to come out and fight him, before telling Mindy this never would happen if he was there, he'd weld Cliff's tonsils together so he could never give her lip.

When he hears Cliff yelling to stop playing with a ball of yarn and get down off the bed, he thinks it's nice that Mindy has a cat at least, only for Cora and her knitting to be ejected from the bedroom. Cora smirks when Cliff is heard to yell having sat on the knitting needle she left on his side of the bed. The door opens with a familiar 'knock knock' and both Mindy and Cora are delighted to see a dapperly dressed, moustache wearing Fred, with a full head of hair, newly returned to town. Hugging both his daughter and mother in law (Cora genuinely happy to see him). Fred has been in Europe and has been loving it. He asks about his 'favourite son in law', Cliff, and Mindy tries to cover saying he's probably taking a nap. Fred says he was so happy when she got married, and Mindy gives him a wan smile, but Mork sees how much happier Fred is without him being involved with Mindy.

It transpires that when Mindy married Cliff, and with Cora living with her, he was able to sell the store and use the proceeds to get out and see the world. He tells them he flew to the continent and met Veronica a former Ms. Teenage Bulgaria. While he's waxing lyrical about his romance with her, Cliff comes stalking out demanding to know from Mindy where dinner is. While Fred greets him warmly, Cliff just looks at him like another pain in his ass, wanting to know if he's planning to live with them too? He tells Mindy if she doesn't have dinner ready to give him some money and he'll got to Reds place. Mork tells her not to, and pulling Cliff aside she tells him the same thing, that he'll only gamble it away. But, he goes to her purse and pulls out her wallet taking it with Mork in chase but unable to stop him. Fred looks at Mindy shocked, having had no idea, and she tells him this is one of Cliff's good days. Asking where this Reds is, Cora tells him that its on the Mall, he can't miss it...it used to be the Music Store. Shaken, Fred heads for the door to go after him, but pauses to comment about how things sure have changed.

Cora asks Mindy if there's anything she can do for her, but thanking her, Mindy says no she'd just like to be alone. His head stuck between the two of them, Mork smiles up at Cora as she tells Mindy that as long as she has someone near her that loves her, she'll never be alone. She then goes off to booby trap the bed. With her gone, Mindy shifts to the couch, Mork moving so she doesn't sit 'in' him, and beside her watches as she starts to cry. He tries desperately to stop her crying, telling her its not the end of the world, but of course she can't hear him, even when he asks her what you get when you cross a German shepherd and a giraffe...a watchdog for the Eighth Floor. But as she keeps crying and he can't help her, he comes to the conclusion that she wouldn't be crying if he was there.

Fred returns with her wallet, and hugs her, leading her to the couch for a heart to heart. He has a confession to make He's alone too, Veronica only lasting as long as his money. Mindy tells him he still has her. And though they can't hear him Mork says him too. Fred pulls off his toupee feeling he doesn't need it anymore or the lies that went with it. He's mystified by how Cliff turned out like he did, he had so much promise, and Mindy agrees but the gambling consumed him. Fred tells her he always hoped she'd meet someone who was mature.....responsible.... independent.....yet easy going...care free...and full of life, Mork showing himself in each mode as he names them, raising his hand as that person. Mindy tells her father that the most important thing to her is someone who can make her laugh, Mork eagerly reminds her that he could make her laugh.

Mindy asks Fred if they could go for a walk like they used to, Mork chiming in that he'd like to go to. Fred notes that the rain has started coming down, but Mindy says that's okay, she likes walking in the rain, that way no one can tell if you're crying. When they leave, Mork can't go with them, and he's left shaken and upset at what he's seen. Walking back through the empty apartment tearfully, he contacts Orson and tells him he's seen enough, that he doesn't want Mindy to end up like this and asks him please to bring him back to now.

Mork opens his eyes and finds himself back in his regular clothes on the couch, just as Mindy's bedroom door opens and Mindy, back in her pink dress comes back out slowly, in a very different mood from that which she entered. Looking contrite she approaches him saying she has to talk to him. Mork is just excited and joyful that she can see him, declaring it's a Wonderful Life, and gets even happier when she touches him, taking his hands. She tells him she wants to apologize for snapping at him, but he tells her she can be mean and nasty whenever she wants. She tells him adamantly she can't, and asks him to be patient with her, that she was upset because she thought she'd lost a job, but she'd rather lose a hundred jobs then his friendship. Touched, Mork tells her he knows he's new at this, but he hopes that if anyone is going to mess up her life he hopes for her sake its him. Smiling, Mindy kisses him gently, Mork reacting with his usual extreme enjoyment, and recalling that she most wants someone who can make her laugh, springs up to set up the what do you get if you cross a German Shepherd and Giraffe joke...only for Mindy to step up and answer, a watchdog for the Eighth floor. Taking a step back Mork asks how she knew that, and she says honestly that she isn't sure. A little freaked out, Mork moves back to her taking her hands.

The episode concludes with Mork reporting back to Orson in an upbeat mood and jiving. Orson tells him he'll be with him a minute, there's a caller on another braincell, so Mork holds (by taking a hold of his nose). The call is a wrong one and Orson wonders who had his brain before him. The reason Mork is so happy is that he has learned that he is not as bad as he thought he was, that he is okay. A lesson Orson tells him one can only learn from the school of oneself. Mork considers that quite profound, but while he wants to thank Orson for letting him see what Mindy's life would be like without him, he asks him please never to let him see what his life would've been like without her.

Orson considers that Mork may actually be starting to grow. Mork says he's not sure what value he has in this life but he does know he's made a few people happier than the would have been without him. As long as he knows that, he feels he's as rich as he ever needs to be.

Trivia

General

• This episode is a direct homage to the 1946 Frank Capra movie It's A Wonderful Life that was a critical and box office flop on release but two decades later thanks to TV, became a Christmas Classic.

• Mindy's unsupportive husband Cliff is played by actor Sam Freed, a TV, who would later in the decade be cast as Bob Barsky--Allie's eventual husband on the CBS-TV series Kate & Allie.
• When he first travels to see what life would be like without him, he tries to catch an unseeing Mindy's attention by calling himself Morko-the-Pin Headed Boy, which was Robin Williams' own nickname for Mork when he felt the character was being written as too dumb/clueless.
• Though Mork rarely showed any propensity to violence, the only times he ever acted destructively were after Mindy was threatened (S2s The Night They Raided Mind-ski's) and in Season 4 when protecting Mearth (My Dad Can't Beat Up Anybody). In challenging Cliff to fight him over his treatment of Mindy, even though he can't actually tackle him, this is the first time he shows enough anger to be capable of it, and thinks of it.
• Mork's Martian Yarmulke gag was used in the scene where Robin Williams meets Garry Marshall about the role of Mork in Behind the Camera: The Unauthorized Story of Mork & Mindy
• Pam Dawber confided in the crew that just once she wanted to beat Robin Williams at his own game (his jokes). One night during a lull in taping the episode, the crew gave Pam the 'blue' punchline to “what do you get when you cross a burro and an onion?” anyone who has seen the bloopers knows her response, and Robin's face. 'The Alsatian and a Giraffe' gag ultimately aired.

Pop Culture

• Mork refers to the Sino-Vietnamese war when he tells Mindy she needs to be quiet pounding the pavement as the Chinese need all their sleep for the war.
• Cora tells Mindy she's knitting a new shawl for Iran. The Iranian Revolution having only just happened and women having been forced to cover up, her shawl being more like all encompassing poncho.
• When Cora tells Mindy she'll never be alone as long as she has someone near her her who loves her, he tells her it's a very 'McKuen' like thing to say, meaning the poet and lyricist Rod McKuen whose poetry deals with themes of love, the natural world and spirituality.
• Mork does a quick impersonation of Mick Jagger singing a snatch of the Rolling Stones' Midnight Rambler
• Mork sings a little of The Twilight Zone theme after Mindy somehow knows the punchline to the joke he told her when she shouldn't have been able to hear him.
• When Orson wonders who had his brain before him, after getting a call from a Juanita, Mork suggests it sounds like Ricardo Montalbán, the actor long famed for playing Latin lovers (though he himself caviled at that stereotype, being happily married for 64 years).
• Mork considers Orson's profundity a Werner like thing to say, speaking of the philosopher who felt that knowledge surrounding the meanings of life, came from within.

Quotes

• Cora: Well dear I'm sure there's a business man somewhere who'd be glad to get hold of a young eager woman.
• Mindy: Oh there's plenty of those. Only my major is journalism, not fooling around.

______________________________

• Mork: Mindy? Why is this job so important to you?
• Mindy: Well journalism courses are one thing. But I'd like to get out in the real world and write something good, something that will really excite people.
• Mork: Why not try, for a good time call Mindy!

______________________________

• Mindy: *grinning at her father* Welllll, I've never heard you talk like this, you sound like you are really Smitten!
• Mork: Sounds like he's beyond smitten and into smut!
• Mindy: *smacks him lightly* Mork! Cool it.
• Fred: *smiling* Oh that's alright, when I'm feeling this good he can say anything he wants to.
• Mork: Oh thanks skinhead!

______________________________

• Mindy: Mork would you like some coffee?
• Mork: No thank you ma'am
• Fred: Mork, you've been awfully quiet?
• Mork: Yes sir, with all due respect.
• Margaret: You certainly have nice manners!
• Mork: Oh thank you ma'am, but I was told if I didn't I'd be blowing succotash out my nose.
• Mindy: *laughs* He's such a kidder!

______________________________

• Mork: Woah...a ring. *looks away* Oh no. Mindy's married.

______________________________

• Mindy: *to Cliff* Do you think I like being a Sales Girl and a Cocktail Waitress? Wiping fingerprints off of a counter during the day and off of this *angrily fires the cocktail waitress dress at the couch beside him* at night?!

______________________________

• Cliff: Buzz off, huh?!
• Mindy: Do you know what you are....?!
• Mork: I'll tell him!!!
• Mindy: You're a....*stops herself*
• Mork: I'll tell him!! You're a Toad Tush!! You're Frog Ass!! You're Whale Whizz!! *challenging him* Huh huh?! C'mon! C'mon!!
• Cliff: *to Mindy* What?!
• Mindy: *derisively* Forget it.
• Mork: Oh c'mon Mindy use your imagination. At least call him Moose Mush!
• Cliff: *stands up* I've had enough!
• Mork: *watches him head to the bedroom* Yeah I've had enough of you too Mildew Mouth! Come out here! I'll fight you! C'mon out here clown! I'll zap you! *looks over at Mindy and moves to her* Aww Mindy this wouldn't happen if I was around! Boy I'd nail him, I'd stick my finger down his throat and weld his tonsils together! And if he tried to give you any lip it'd sound like Ahhrr ahh ahrr hahrr aharrr!

______________________________

• Mork: Oh Mrs Hudson's your pet? She's cute and she can't kill birds, that's wonderful!

______________________________

• Cliff: Look if you don't have dinner ready I'm going to Reds place, give me some money.
• Mork: No don't Mind!
• Mindy: *gets up and pulls him aside* No Cliff! You're just going to gamble it away anyway and right now we need every penny we can get!
• Cliff: I'll get it myself! Where's your wallet?
• Mork: No! No way! Keep away from that! *follows him as he goes to the counter to pull her wallet out of her purse* No!! Keep your hands off her tips!! *Cliff goes out the door* Stop! Stop thief! Goodbye Cliff! Hope you fall off your name!

______________________________

• Mork: Don't cry, it's not the end of the world. That comes in the year 2118, when the giant bees come...and Regis Philbin is elected President of the United States!

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

• Sam Freed as Cliff
• Linda Henning as Margaret
• John Turi as Kid in Music Store