Mork's Vacation

"Mork's Vacation"
Season 2, Episode #20 (#45) in series (95 episodes)
When Mork goes on a "mental vacation", he leaves his body to be inhabited by other strange aliens, which causes embarrassment for Mindy, in this case, after some boys in the neighborhood caught him acting strangely and brought him back home in "Mork's Vacation" in Season 2 (ep.#20).
"Mork & Mindy" episode
Guest Star(s):	Blanche Bronte Jack Dodson Scott Marshall James Jarnigan Jim Gatherum Angela Aames Lisa Katz
Network:	ABC-TV
Production code:	220 (2x20)
Writer(s)	Tom Tenowich & Ed Scharlach
Director	Howard Storm
Original airdate	January 24, 1980
IMDB	Mork's Vacation
Episode chronology
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"Mork Learns to See"	"Jeanie Loves Mork"
List of Mork & Mindy seasons/episodes

Mork's Vacation was the 20th episode of season 2 of Mork and Mindy'; it was also the 45th overall episode in the series, as well. Co-written by Tom Tenowich and Ed Scharlach, the episode, directed by Howard Storm, was shot on the November 30, 1979 and premiered on ABC-TV on January 24, 1980.

Synopsis

Really run down, Mork informs Mindy that he's gotten permission to go on vacation to the planets Murowr and Hm Hm Hm. It comes as something as shock to her however when he informs her he will be leaving his body behind and mind swapping with aliens from those two planets, meaning she will not only have to look after his body, but deal with the aliens who come to inhabit him. In this case, a sentient Cat...and the hedonistic Twelve.

Plot

In the Apartment, Mork descends sluggishly from his attic room to sit by the bar where Mindy is working cleaning up in the kitchen, and sits telling her he's been talking to Orson about vacations, that he's just worn out by the exertions of observing Earth. Illustrating his point he tells her he's worn out two pairs of eyes already, putting them on the counter. Mindy sweeping away the two sets of marbles, eyes him herself, glad he doesn't do that when they have have company. He bemoans the fact that it's been so long since his last real vacation. She reminds him of that time at the lake, at Exidor's cabin, and off his look recalls what that was like herself, and how going to a cabin with no windows, walls or roof wasn't much fun, in a blizzard. But that's why she took him to the desert she points out...to thaw out. The agree that the roads and weather was nice on that one, and Mork figures that's the nicest vacation they've ever had, thinking back on their trip to The Lazy Hacienda dude ranch...in flashback mode.

While families are happily riding horses outside, Mindy is inside their cabin waiting by the bathroom door as Mork is making agonized sounds from within. Looking guilty, she calls in that she probably shouldn't have taken him horseback riding. She looks at him sympathetically when the door opens, and Mork in full western get up, including furry chaps, walks out slowly and bowlegged. He tells her it was a lot of fun really, except for when he fell off the horse and it dragged him for 2 miles, through the cactus. After she finds one more cactus spine in his butt, and he hobbles to the couch, feeling bad for him Mindy tells him this is supposed to be one of the finest vacation spots in New Mexico, but he's been battered, bruised, beaten and badly sunburned. She can't understand how its gone so badly for him as normally people have a great time in places like this, but he just wants to know how. Just as it can't seem to go much worse, Ricky Day, the Western styled activity director at The Lazy Hacienda arrives to tell them about the activities through the rest of the day, shuffleboard, long hikes out into the desert, making lanyards. But Mindy underwhelmed herself and seeing Mork's reaction, tells him while they sound great, she and Mork would like to rest, and immediately regrets saying it as Ricky gets the wrong idea, smirking, Mork regretting it even more when Ricky slaps him on his sunburned back telling him to enjoy his 'rest'. After he leaves, Mork tries to be a good sport and offers to shuffle boards with her, make ashtrays, but she asks him what he wants to do, and he confesses, to go home. Smiling she tells him she thought he'd never ask.

The flashback recollection ending, Mork tells Mindy he's figured out why that vacation was gopher gunk, he didn't go far enough away. She reminds him they drove all the way to New Mexico, but he means far far far away, having spoken to Orson about another planet. The idea of him leaving Earth coming as a surprise to her she asks him where he's going to go? He shows her the brochures and itinerary he has drawn up, for the planet Murowr...which he says has a great night life, and the planet Hm Hm Hm, a party planet where the fun and frolics never stop there and the atmosphere is 98% nitrous oxide (laughing gas). He is sorry he can't take her along with him, but philosophical she says she has school, and it's more important that he goes on the kind of vacation that's right for him. Smiling, he hugs her, and moves away telling her to take good care of his body, causing her to doubletake. He explains that when Orkans go on trips, their mind and spirits go, but their bodies stay behind. Following him she tries to clarify that his body stays with her while the rest goes somewhere else, and she'll be left with an empty shell? But Mork corrects her, his body will be empty until the person on the other planet he's swapping with, checks into his body, like house swapping. So she'll have some creature from outer space living with her? Two of them, Mork clarifies. At that, Mindy starts to get a little nervous, asking him what if they're 'strange' like in Alien, but he assures her that the planets he's going to are Earthlike and there's no mention of 'Mindivores'. Following him as he gets ready she tells him she's going to miss him, and hopes he has a good time, and he hands her a list of his body parts for her to check once in a while and make sure none of them are missing. Looking it over she asks him when he's leaving, and he quickly says now, his head lolling to the side, while she asks him how long he'll be gone for, before looking at him, and realizing he's already gone, and already starting to be weirded out.

The weirdness gets more intense the next morning, when she's woken early by a yowling sound. Grousing about cats she goes to the window to yell at the them, only to find none there, then realizing it sounds like it's coming from inside. Specifically inside her armoire. Cautiously she approaches it, sensing she has her first guest, and an inhabited Mork hisses loudly at her as she pulls the door open, and leaps out climbing onto the catch, digging his 'nails' in. Staring at him, realizing he went to cat planet, Mindy moves rapidly for the brochures Mork left behind, and says the name of the planet Murowr, which 'Cat Mork' responds to. Petting his head cautiously, welcoming him to Earth she has to reprimand him when he starts clawing the couch and he hisses at her...but gradually she starts to warm up to him, finding him kinda cute, and he warms up to her, as he rolls over, she rubs him, reminiscing about the cat she used to have as a kid. Feeding him and fascinated, she regrets having to go to class, but is amused by the local birds are going to have to contend with that day.

A little later on, Cat Mork is grooming himself on the couch, Mindy dressed and almost ready for school, watches him for a moment, figuring it saves on soap before thinking on what cat's like and need turns up the heat and lays down a large litter box for him, telling him to be good and she'll be back a little later. After she goes Cat Mork finds a ball of yarn she left on a chair and plays for it for a bit, before heading back to the couch, scratching it till he's happy to lie down and settles down for a snooze which doesn't last long as with a knock on the door, Remo enters in a rush, late for work, and heading to a stretching Cat Mork on the the couch. Asking him if he woke him, Cat Mork's small meow sounds like no, and Remo speeds on, saying Mindy asked him and Jeanie to let her know when their mother was coming into town because she wanted to have them all over for dinner. Remo stops however, when Cat Mork starts to rub his head up against him, shifting away and noting how hot it is in the apartment, he decides to open a window, when Cat Mork meows at him again, Remo backs out figuring he's weird in the mornings too, and leaving the window wide open. It only takes a moment for Cat Mork to spot it, head to it, and right out of it.

Later, Mindy gets back from her classes, having stopped off to buy the biggest Mouse he could find for him, calling him looking around and noticing the window wide open in alarm. Running to it, she calls out for 'Kitty' only for Irving the local cat to hop through her window, sending him home, she's at a loss what to do, with no one to call. Unable to call the police as they'll think she's crazy, she decides on a long shot, climbing onto the couch in an attempt to get in touch with Orson. Naturally it doesn't work, but there's a knock on the door, and hoping it's him, she finds a young boy who asks if she's Mindy McConnell. When she says yes, he calls down to his friends that this is the place. To her relief two more kids lead Mork up the stairs, telling her a dog chased him up a tree, and it must've scared him as he hasn't moved in twenty minutes. They found a card in his pocket that says 'Property of Mindy McConnell' and has her address on it. Turning down any kind of a reward, they want to know if Mork is her boyfriend? When she answers yes, they are bemused as she seems such a normal girl. After they head out she rushes to check on him, and he seems okay just...empty. And she concludes next time he goes away she hopes he takes his body with him.

Just as she finishes voicing that thought, Mork jerks back into life, and smiles at her. And keeps smiling at her. Greeting whoever it is, she backs off a little, asking if he's dangerous? His smile grows even wider as he prowls after her, 'you tell me' he answers in a voice that's a vocal smirk, before he grabs her and kisses her. Pushing away from him in shock, she backs off as he keeps after her, pawing her, and telling her he knows she probably finds him grotesque in his present form. Where he comes from he has 6 arms and a propeller. Pulling his hand off her arm, she concludes he must be from the planet Hm Hm Hm...but he corrects her pronunciation to make it sound more like a lascivious, Hehh Hehh Hehhh. Grabbing her he half dances, half wrestles her to the couch, telling her he came to Earth to have a good time, and she can call him Twelve. On a scale of 1 to 10, he's a 12. As he lunges at her again, she escapes backing around the couch welcoming him on his trip but telling him she's not one of the tourist attractions. But he keeps on coming, telling her there's so little time and so much to sniff, before he grabs her, and starts to sniff. When she manages to extricate herself again he finally notices what he, or rather, Mork, is wearing. She tells him there's more upstairs but they're all about the same, and frustrated he tells her that's why people say never to swap bodies with an Orkan. He tries to kiss her again, and she pushes him off her telling him she told him to stop, but he heads for the door chuckling, telling her she's lucky, he only used one lip and heads out.

Later that night there's a knock at the door and Mindy heads to it, praying its Mork, only to be completely surprised when it turns out to be the DaVinci's and their Mother, Rosa. Introducing her to Mindy, Rosa insists on a hug, and Remo hands her a bottle of wine, wanting to know when dinner is, which comes as news to Mindy. Remo wonders didn't Mork tell her, and she's forced to cover, saying he did, but she hasn't put it on yet, it and Mork are still at the shore, he's shopping. Jeanie tells Mindy that they've told Rosa that she and Mork are their two best friends in Boulder. And Rosa wants to know if Mork lives in Mindy's apartment with her? Remo tells his mother not to worry, that Mork's a nice guy. Rosa confesses to Mindy that she's worried about her kids falling in with a bunch of beatniks out West, and her worries about both that and how 'nice' Mork is when Twelve walks back in in a Travolta 'Saturday Night Fever' white suit, and fur coat, with two blondes on his arm, champagne on ice in hand. This, Rosa wants to know of Jeanie, is the *nice* guy? But both Remo and Jeanie are as stunned as she is at how 'Mork' looks and is acting. Mindy desperately tries to cover by saying he's been taking lessons, and Twelve makes a bee line for her, with an 'I'm back babe', pulling her into some dance moves, and kissing her again. Jeanie tries to introduce her mother, but Twelve hits on Jeanie, and then on her mother. Mindy makes him put her down, and he heads upstairs with the two blondes to play 'Habeas Corpus'. Remo wonders if he needs help up there, and his mother warns him, one step and she breaks his legs.

Jeanie looks at Mindy stunned, never knowing Mork was quite like this. Fun isn't he? Mindy tries to laugh it off, but suggests that they come back tomorrow and they'll try it again, thinking thinks will be different, promising, or at least hoping. Heading out Mrs DaVinci compliments Mindy on 'Mork's' suit, telling her he'll be the best dressed guy in hell, Jeanie smacking Remo hard when he grins up the stairs at what Mork is up to...Jeanie's look at Mindy, leaving Mindy mortified as they all head out. Mindy thinking if Mork only knew what he was missing. But a second later the two girls come back down the stairs, proclaiming Twelve a 'dud', and walk out without a single comment to Mindy. Calling up the stairs to Mork, then Twelve, she plucks up the courage to go up, and finds Mork's body frozen about to kiss Moose. Relieved, that it's just him and her again, even if he's not all there yet, she messes about a little with his mouth for fun, before moving to turn the record player off, when his body promptly falls flat on his face. Moving to help him, he pops up, smiles and says he's back. Relieved and telling him how much she missed him, he tells her he missed her too, but then wants to know if she's been playing dress up with his body?

No she tells him, it was one of the visitors, and he can guess which one, hoping he didn't cause her too much trouble. Smiling she tells him she just learned to appreciate him a lot more. Asking him if he had a good time, he tells her to her surprise that he would've preferred to be in New Mexico with her, confused as she thought he hated that place, he shrugs and says at least he was with her. Touched, she takes her hand and he tells her he's learned a lot about vacations, that you can go to all the interesting wonderful places, but unless you're with someone you care about with you it doesn't mean as much. Wanting to know if she'd like to see a slide show of his pictures, he puts them up 'off screen', showing her shots of himself as a cat on Murowr. Interrupting him she wonders, grinning, whether he has any shots of himself on the planet Hm Hm Hm. Looking at her sheepish, he tells her he had to burn those, provoking a disappointed Why, from her. Well who wants to see pictures of him with his hands over his eyes, which she greets dubiously. But he tells her it wasn't a very nice trip, spending most of it as he did in his room unable to get his propeller started.

Mork gives his report to Orson in Entertainment Announcer mode, before Orson asks him how his vacation was. Mork says it wasn't bad but he would've liked to have taken along someone he really cared about. Orson understands and tells him next time he'll go with him. Mork balks a little and says actually he would've rather taken along Mindy. Not that he doesn't want to travel with him, it's just Mindy would be a lot less dangerous in an upper berth. Orson asks for his report snippily. Mork reports that Earthlings come back from a vacation much more exhausted then when they went, explaining that they often treat it like a job trying to cram in every activity except that which is most important, relaxation. Orson thought that they tried to get away from it all, and Mork says that's true but then they pack as much as they can of it in their suitcases and bring it with them. They say they want to get away from friends but then spend all their time writing postcards saying 'Wish You were Here...send money'. He thinks that they try and cram all of their happiness into two weeks out of the year, and he wonders why all of life can't be a pleasant trip?

Trivia

Orkan 'Facts'

• Orkans along with other advanced species around the Universe can swap minds/bodies to experience life/vacation on other worlds like an advance form of house swapping.

General

• Mindy & Mork recall some of the events of Skyflakes Keep Falling on My Head, and their disastrous trip to Exidor's cabin.
• Scott Marshall one of the boys who bring's Mork home after his Cat version is traced up a tree, is the son of producer Garry Marshall, and was responsible for the creation of the show. After seeing Star Wars, Scott asked Gary to put an alien on Happy Days if he wanted him to watch it, and the result was Mork.
• Mork apparently walks around with a card in his pocket that says 'Property of Mindy McConnell' along with the address of the apartment.
• Jeanie & Remo's father, Leo is confirmed as passed away in this episode.
• Twelve's hedonistic voice/manner would re-utilized in the animated episode 'Morkel & Hyde' when Mork splits himself into a good and bad half, and the bad half goes on a rampage and after Mindy.

Pop Culture

• Mork says he has new appreciation for Shamu (the Whale at SeaWorld) after his vacation with Mindy to Exidor's cabin.
• Ricky Day tells Mork & Mindy that that evening's entertainment is a slide show of Roy Rogers' wife, Dale Evans, the early years,
• A worried Mindy worries about the potential new arrivals to Mork's body being 'strange' like in Alien, Mork doing a quick face hugger lunge at her with his hand.
• Rosa DaVinci tells Mindy that she's been worried about her kids getting mixed up with a bunch of beatniks since they moved out west, like Jerry Brown. Jerry Brown was the Democratic Governor of California at the time, with a reputation as an unconventional politician, living in an in expensive apartment rather than the mansion, focusing on fiscal austerity, criminal deterrence, and environmental issues, including alternative energy technologies and preservation of the state’s coastal land, and given the nickname “Governor Moonbeam'.
• 'Twelve' arrives dressed in John Travolta's iconic white polyester suit from Saturday Night Fever.
• One of the girls with Twelve is carrying an album of Leonard Bernstein and the NY Philharmonic playing Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue and An American in Paris.
• Twelve sings a snatch of Nel Blu dipinto di Blu (Volare) as he 'romances' Mrs DaVinci
• In another Wizard of Oz reference, Mork proclaims, "There's no place like Mork."

Quotes/Excerpts

• Mindy: Why are all our vacations so full of surprises?
• Mork: I dunno, I thought going to Exidor's cabin would be nice. Who knew it didn't have any windows?
• Mindy: Or walls?
• Mork: Or roof
• Mindy: A distinct disadvantage in a blizzard. That's why I took you to the desert. To thaw out!
• Mork: To that Nude Ranch.
• Mindy: *shakes head* Dude Ranch.

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• Mindy: I guess I shouldn't have taken you horseback riding, huh?
• Mork: *comes out slowly and in pain* No it was lots of fun Min really, except when I fell off the horse and he dragged me for 2 miles.
• Mindy: Why didn't you let go?
• Mork: Well at 12 dollars an hour it didn't seem right.
• Mindy: I just wish he hadn't dragged you through the cactus.

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• Mindy: Oh Believe me Mork this is supposed to be one of the finest vacation spots in New Mexico!
• Mork: *Whimpering in pain as he sits* I believe you Min, I mean two million scorpions can't be wrong. *jumps thinking he sees one*
• Mindy: I just feel so bad for you. Look at you, you've been bruised, beaten, battered *pats him on the back solicitously and yells in pain, she winces and slides closer* I forgot about sunburned *pulls his collar back slowly* Let me look at it. Well...it's better than yesterday.
• Mork: Min, I was once on the sun and didn't get this badly burned.

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• Ricky Day: You know what's coming up in 10 minutes? *Mindy and Mork look blank* Shuffleboard!
• Mork: Oh! Yay! Shuffleboard! *looks at Mindy* What's that?
• Ricky: Oh you're gonna love it cowpoke! We just need two more for the big tournament..
• Mindy: How many do you have now?
• Ricky: None!! Then at three o'clock it's a lonnnnng hike out into the desert. You know what you're gonna see there?
• Mork: The bones of yesterday's hikers?

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• Mindy: Gee Mr Day these things sound like a lot of fun.
• Mork: *doubletakes* They do?
• Mindy: But...But I think Mork and I would like to rest.
• Ricky: Rest!? On vacation!?! I...*eyebrows lift in 'realization, and he grins wolfishly'* Ohhh ho ho ho heyyy! I getcha! *Mork smiles innocently as Mindy rolls her eyes* Well you have fun restin'!! *slaps Mork on his sunburned back*
• Mork: *yowls in pain while sounding like laughing* AhahahahahaHaaaaah!

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• Mindy: *worried* Yeah but what if they're strange...like in Alien?
• Mork: What you mean like Yaaaaaa... *lunges his hand at her like a face-hugger from the movie*
• Mindy: *grabs his hand* Yeah!!! Exactly!
• Mork: No Min, I mean I'm only going to Earth Like Planets. And nothing in the brochures said anything about Mindivores.

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• Mindy: *closes window* Oh what am I gonna do know?! Can't call the police they're gonna think I'm crazy! *fretting badly* Oh who can I get to help me?! *gets an idea* Oh it's worth a try I guess *takes off her coat and heads for the couch, taking up a lotus position on it* Uhh...Mindy calling Orson, Mindy calling Orson, come in Orson. *waits* Yo your Fatitutde!! *sighs* I didn't think it'd work.

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• Boy 1: We found this note in his pocket.
• Mindy: *reads card* Property of Mindy McConnell . That's me...and at the right address! Ahh well thanks you guys, I was really worried about him!
• Scott: Where d'you want him?
• Mindy: *points down the step* Right there is fine.
• *they move him and he just thuds down the step*
• Boy1: Well g'bye Miss McConnell.
• Mindy: G'bye. Oh! Can I give you boys anything?
• Boy 2: Oh no thank you.
• Boy1: Just cut his nails before you let him out next time. He likes to scratch.
• Scott: *gestures to Mork* Is this your boyfriend?
• Mindy: Ahh...yeah.
• Scott: Gee...and you seem such a normal girl.

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• Remo: I'm starvin' when's dinner?
• Mindy: Dinner? Oh.
• Remo: Yeah, didn't Mork tell you?
• Mindy: *covering* Oh! Yeah! He did. But ehh...I...haven't...put it on yet! Aheh! I mean, it's still at the store. I mean Mork's shopping, okay? *shifts nervously*
• Jeanie: I told Momma here, that you and Mork were our two best friends in Boulder.
• Rosa: This Mork ...ehhh...he lives here too?
• Remo: Don't worry Mom, Mork's a nice guy.
• Rosa: Remy...the Commandments don't say its okay with a nice guy!

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• Mork: I mean you got to turn someone, and go 'Hey, Mind! Do you see that fire breathing dragon?! Oh I guess you did, your eyebrows are missing and your hair is curled!
• Mindy: So you like it better right here in your own body, huh?
• Mork: Yeah, there's no place like Mork, Min.

Image Gallery

Cast

Starring

• Robin Williams as Mork / Twelve
• Pam Dawber as Mindy McConnell
• Jay Thomas as Remo DaVinci
• Gina Hecht as Jeanie DaVinci
• Ralph James as Voice of Orson

Guest stars

• Blanche Bronte as Rosa DaVinci
• Jack Dodson as Ricky Day
• Scott Marshall as Scott
• James Jarnigan as Boy #1
• Jim Gatherum as Boy #2
• Angela Aames as Girl #1
• Lisa Katz as Girl #2