Mork the Gullible

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"Mork the Gullible"
Season 1, Episode #9 (#9) in series (95 episodes)
Mork's gullibility apparently reaches crisis point when he believes an escaped convict's story about his sick mother, and promising to return if Mork helps free him, resulting in Mork running afoul of the law in "Mork the Gullible" in Season 1 (ep.#9).
"Mork & Mindy" episode
Guest Star(s):	Robert Donner Ed Bernard Dana Hill Beans Morocco Wally Dalton Patrick Cranshaw
Network:	ABC-TV
Production code:	109 (1-9)
Writer(s)	Neil Lebowitz
Director	Howard Storm
Original airdate	November 9, 1978
IMDB	Mork the Gullible
Episode chronology
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"To Tell the Truth"	"A Mommy for Morky"
List of Mork & Mindy seasons/episodes

Mork the Gullible was the ninth episode from Season 1 of Mork and Mindy, also the ninth episode overall in the series. Written by Neil Lebowitz, the episode, directed by Howard Storm, was shot on October 20th 1978 and premiered on ABC-TV on November 9, 1978.

Synopsis

Mindy tries to deal with Mork's over trusting nature getting him into difficulties. But his gullibility hits new heights when he believes the sob story an escaped prisoner gives him about his sick mother, and releases him, getting himself arrested in the process. Banged up in jail, and sharing his cell with an OJ worshipping Exidor, he is dependent on the prisoner living up to his promise to return to get him out of real trouble.

Plot

Mindy arrives into her apartment carrying a package and looking for Mork, who descends from the attic still in his night gear having being up for hours, but on hold with Orson while trying to make his report. Mindy happily points out that it's snowing to Mork, and on seeing the heavy snowfall outside Mork panics, having heard the Chicken Little story from Eugene and thinking the sky is falling. Calming him down, Mindy points out that he's missed the moral of that story, which is that Chicken Little was gullible. Ispo facto, Mork reasons as he believed it, he is gullible. Ruefully Mindy has to agree, considering on hearing a commercial on TV telling people to catch a bus, he started to build a trap. Handing him the package which is for him, he gets all excited for a surprise, until she reminds him he knows exactly what it is, he gave her the money for it. But he wants to go through the gift opening procedure 'pretending' to look pleased when he opens it and finds the sheepskin jacket he ordered. Laughing, Mindy tells him he should get dressed, put it on and go out and enjoy the snow. Suspicious still that the sky flakes may bash his brains brain, Mindy leads him to the window and opens it taking in a handful of snow and dropping some into his hand letting him feel snow for the first time. 'Cold and beautiful' he notes amazed, and 'not housebroken', enjoying it before Mindy mischievously she shoves the rest of it down his nightshirt.

A little later, with Mork out, Mindy's on the phone to her father, defending how responsible he's been lately. Then cringes as down the line he points out some of the things Mork's been responsible for. Saved by a knock on the door, she goes to answer it to find Mork, sans his new coat, almost literally frozen stiff. Wanting to know what happened as she helps him to the couch, and pushes down so he can bend. Asking him what happened to his coat, he tells her he gave it to a man who didn't have any, and he had two, and he felt he needed to pay him back for the drink he gave him from the bottle in his paper bag. Mindy sighs that he shouldn't give away his things like that, that that man took advantage of his generosity, she feels he has to learn to say no. Understand, she asks, only for him to yell NO at her, practicing. When the doorbell goes, Mork volunteers to answer it running through various ways to say no, and opens the door to a girl scout who cheerfully asks him if he'd like to buy some cookies. NO! he yells and slams the door in her face, to a mixture of amusement and embarrassment on Mindy's part, who remarks that was 'deplorable' when he asks her how that was? But I didn't want cookies, Mork looks confused. No one wants those cookies she tells him, but you don't slam a door in a little girls face. When the door is knocked on firmly again, he opens it to find said girl scout who has the same view as Mindy, and hard nosed, pokes Mork in the chest repeatedly, laying it on the line, like a small mafioso and taking all his money, walking out dropping the boxes on the floor saying he can owe her the rest.

The next day Mork and Mindy are alone in the Music Store, Mork playing drums and telling jokes, practicing his Drum Shtick. Mindy has to head out to the bank for five minutes and asks him to watch the store, telling him to help out an old man who enters as she leaves. Mork promptly picking him up and carrying him out of the store. As he entertains himself playing with the synthesizer there's a commotion outside, someone being pursued past the store by a Boulder Police Officer. A moment later the door to the store opens, with the man, a prisoner called Dittman, caught by the supremely eloquent Officer Boyd, who informs Mork, highly articulately as he cuffs the prisoner, Dittman, to the railing just inside the door, that he is off to apprehend Dittman's accomplice forthwith. Asking Mork to keep an eye on Dittman he heads out, and Mork gets up close and personal to do what he's asked, before Dittman tells him to back off having had a crummy day. Then tells Mork his history, starting small as a shop lifter, graduating to cars, then getting caught and banged up. Now his mother is sick and he made a break to go see her, but now it looks like he wont' ever see her again. Mork is immediately hit by a wave of empathy, believing him entirely of course, and asks if there's anything he can do to help. Dittman suggesting he could let him out of his cuffs. Mork is inclined to help him out, feeling every son should see his mother, but pauses remembering Officer Boyd wanted Dittman to wait there. Oh he'll be back, Dittman assures Mork. Mork secures a promise and an assurance the police officer won't mind Dittman tells him, and suggests he'll be back by 2pm the following day. Mork buying every word, raises his finger and breaks Dittman's cuffs. Stunned by it, Dittman doesn't have time to hang around to find out how Mork did that, and heads out, but not before he manages to convince Mork to lend him some money, though Mork only gives him 5 then the 10 he requests, so as not to appear gullible.

A very short while later, Mindy rushes back in to the store, Mork playing with the cuffs he broke to tell him about the cop chasing 2 escaped criminals. He tells her he knows all about it and that the cop came in tied up one of the criminals with the cuffs he's holding. Looking around she asks where the criminal is, and he jovially tells her he let him go. Aghast, Mindy can't believe it, but Mork doesn't pick up on it, and before she can get it across to him, Cora leads Fred in to the shop by the hand, his visit to the doctor resulting in his getting eye drops. Mindy tells them what Mork has done and none of them can believe that he believed what Dittman told him. Mindy tries to explain she's not mad at him, it's just that he's too trusting, and Cora that what he's done is really serious, helping an escaped criminal get away is a crime. At that Officer Boyd returns, the second criminal having gotten away, but philosophical as one jail bird in the hand is better than two in the bush, until he notices Dittman isn't where he left him. When he asks where he is, Mork cringes, but the McConnell's all try and cover for him, Fred unable to see, Cora saying he got away, Mindy immediately adding that Mork had nothing to do with it. Mork though won't allow him to take the 'coat' for him, 'rap' Mindy clarifies, and confesses to Officer Boyd who is 'perturbed' by Mork's actions and inclined to 'strike him about the head and shoulders'. In the end he's content with taking him in for aiding and abetting. As he cuffs him, Mork tells a deeply worried Mindy that it'll be okay, Dittman will come back he knows he will, before showing her he's already slipped the cuffs.

Having spent the night In jail, with two bums, Officer Bob lets Mork know that his preliminary hearing will be up before the judge in about a half hour. His cellmates are ready for their sentencing now. Officer Bob takes them out and immediately brings in Mork's new cellmate. Exidor complaining about him pushing 'them', and about them 'all' being crammed into this one tiny cell. When Mork ask Exidor if that's him, not having seen him since he ran away from Mindy's, Exidor turns to look around the 'crowded cell' and calls "Mork?! Is that you!?" Before pushing his way through his 'entourage' so he can see, greeting his 'old friend'. When Mork asks him why he's there, he tells him religious persecution, and asks Mork why he's there. Mork tells him he let a criminal go, and when Exidor points out that that's against the law and asks him why he did that, laughs heartily when he Mork tells him the criminal promised he would back, and calls Mork a pea brain. Mork asserts that he knows he'll come back, he promised. Exidor scoffs, saying he lied to him, just like 'those crummy Venusians' did to him. As a result Exidor says he wandered through a range of other things to believe in, Buddhism, Catholicism, Judaism, Punch & Judaism, nothing working till he found 'Him'. Who, Mork asks, before Exidor pulls open his outer robe to reveal the 32 stenciled on his prophet robe, OJ (Simpson) he proclaims. Confused, pointing out that Simpson is a footballer player, Exidor takes offence, asking if he ever saw Reverend Ike or Billy Graham or Oral Roberts do what Simpson can do on the football field. He, he says, believes in 'The Juice', and says Mork too can be a born again Simpson, and calls on Mork to renounce his sins against football. Mork confesses he watched the baseball World Series, looks up to basketball player Karim Abdul Jabbar, and he likes Sports caster Howard Cosell. Exidor thinks he's brought about a religious ecstasy in Mork, but Mork confesses he doesn't have much faith in football, OJ is just a man and football is just a game. As he was with Mork's refutation of the Venutians, Exidor is appalled and calls Blasphemy, throwing a foul out flag on Mork's game of life. before retreating from him to huddle in the corner.

As Mork is left looking at him, Officer Bob lets in some visitors, Mindy and Fred arrive, in, Mindy fretting over him especially when he tells her nobody knows the trouble he's seen, and when she asks what trouble, tells her nobody knows. She tells him they tried to post bail for him but they won't let them till after the preliminary hearing. Mork asks if Dittman has showed up yet, but Mindy asks him realistically why would he? Because he promised he would after seeing his sick mother. At which point Exidor startles Fred & Mindy shooting out of his corner to tell them when it comes to Trust, Mork is 'full of it'', and that he's crazy...before going to break up a fight between his 'crew' and returning to crouch vulture like in the corner. Mork tries to tell them he'll be okay, Dittman saying he'd be back by 2, but Mindy points out that it's almost 2.45 and there's no sign of him. Mork crestfallen figures he's really Orked it up this time, and that they've made their point, he won't trust anyone again ever. Just as he says that though, Officer Bob opens the door again, and Dittman is led in by Officer Boyd. As the cell door is opened, Dittman apologizes to Mork for being late, gives him greetings from his mother and thanks. Mork tells him he's welcome and asks Officer Boyd if he gets out now, but Boyd tells him no he still committed a crime, but due to the extenuating circumstances, will have a dialogue with the adjudicator and feels that he will, as the street people put it extricated. Fred, mystified, asks Dittman why he turned himself in. He promised Mork he tells them, he maybe a thief but he's not a liar, he couldn't let Mork get in trouble for helping him, he was the only person who trusted him bar his mother, and she hides her jewelry. As Exidor pounces to pull Dittman away to join his team, slightly chastened, Mindy opines to her father that maybe they get out of people what they expect of them. Whereupon Mork goes on to expound at extended length about an Orkan saying about the knock on effects of a lack of trust, finally remarking when Fred asks if everyone on Ork talks that way, that they have to do something, they don't have sex.

In giving his report to Orson later, Mork gets Orson's answering machine who is out of his mind at the moment, starting to leave a message he's cut off, Orson picking up. Mork tells him he's discovered a new human religion, saying believe it or not some people worship OJ Simpson. The Juice? Orson queries, Yes, and even the Gentiles, Mork jokes. Is that the only religion on Earth, Orson questions, Mork telling him there are several others, but the main difference is football holds their services on Sunday afternoons not mornings. Don't Earthlings need a common belief to unite them? Oh they have that Mork informs him, they all believe they can't trust one another. Why? Orson wonders. Mork conjecturing they are afraid of being hurt, and thinking its too bad they don't make football pads for the heart, before signing out.

Trivia

Orkan 'Facts'

• Mork explains to Dittman that snapping his cuffs, with his finger power, is kind of like a card trick, shifting them around, but he does it with molecules.

General

• This episode was shot a week after A Mommy For Morky but aired the week before it, in a three week turn around.
• This is the first appearance of Mork's candy stripe night gown and night cap ensemble.
• This marks the first ever credited appearance by Dana Hill, playing the p.o.'ed girl scout who gives Mork an earful, the talented young actress who was a critics favourite on stage and screen from this point until the mid 80s when her serious diabetes condition forced her first into voice over roles, and sadly to an untimely death aged just 32.
• The old man that Mork carries out of the Music store, marks the first appearance of Patrick Cranshaw who would later go on to play Jake Loomis, the camera man at Mindy's later place of employment KTNS.
• This is Exidor's second appearance, and the first time we get his trademark 'Mork!? Is that you?!"
• Looks like Exidor perhaps didn't have the most supportive father - son relationship, being called a pea brain by him.
• Exidor calls back to their first meeting, with the 'crummy Venusians' having lied to him. (Mork Runs Away)
• Obviously this episode was written long before O.J. Simpson's murder charge for killing his wife / his fall from grace, as such the segment surrounding Exidor's worship of him makes for slightly uncomfortable viewing from a modern review. But an interesting perspective into how big a name he once was.

Pop Culture

• Mork jokes he would've caught a bus using a segregated school as bait. Following the Civil Rights movement, and a change under the law, schools that remained segregated, were forced to accept non-white students, who were bussed in escorted.
• Mindy returns Mork's favorite Peter Lorre 'Don't Be Afraid' line to him when leading him by the hand to the window to experience snow for the first time.
• After Mindy manages to bend him so he can sit, Mork throws in an 'I'm melting!' Wicked Witch of the West line from The Wizard of Oz.
• When Mindy tells him he shouldn't give away items like his new coat like that, he remarks Monty Hall does, Monty Hall being the host of the game show Let's Make a Deal.
• Left alone in the store, Mork starts to play the Close Encounters of the Third Kind theme on the Synthesizer.
• Exidor demands to know if Mork ever saw Reverend Ike or Billy Graham or Oral Roberts do what OJ Simpson can do on an American Football Field, all of them (very different) popular Evangelists/Preachers.
• 'The Juice' was O.J. Simpson's nickname.
• Candlestick Park was the stadium the San Francisco 49ers played their football in from 1971 till 2013, it was demolished in 2015. Simpson playing for the 49ers only for one season from 78 to 79, the year of the first season of the show.
• When Exidor puts a necklace of Oranges around Mork's neck he calls "Praise Anita!", which refers to Singer and anti-gay rights activist, Anita Bryant, who was also well known for the brand of Orange Juice she promoted.
  

Quotes/Excerpts

• Mindy: Calm down! It's just snow, it's perfectly harmless!!
• Mork: It is?
• Mindy: Yeah!
• Mork: Boy do I feel like a flake.

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• Mork: Therefore if I feel if the sky is falling Ipso Facto I am gullible?
• Mindy: Yeah...I'm afraid so. Like yesterday when you heard that TV commercial which said to run out and catch a bus? And you started building a trap?

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• Mindy: *on phone* Daaaad...Dad! He's become very responsible lately. *listens* Y...yeah he was responsible for that. *listens, cringes slightly* He...he was responsible for that too, yeah. *listens* Now that wasn't his fault Dad! Well it was an old cat anyway!

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• Mindy *opens door to frozen Mork* Mork!! Oh what happened! *helps him in* Where have you been?
• Mork: Dashing through the snow? Ah...oh...
• Mindy: Come on in, you're frozen!! Sit down and warm up. *helps him down to the couch but he lies like board unable to bend*
• Mork: Shazbot! I'm frigid! *Mindy looks him up and down then lays a hand on his stomach and pushes and he bends with a crunching sound* AH!! Oh oh...I'm melting!

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• Mindy: Don't you see that man took advantage of your generosity! Mork you've got to learn to say no. Understand?
• Mork: NO!
• Mindy: *flinches* What?
• Mork: *smiles* Just practicing.

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• Girl Scout: Okay buster so much for the soft sell! *poking Mork's chest repeatedly* Look chump this is for charity y'know! If you don't buy some sweet little kid doesn't go to camp. Namely, Me! *poking him again* And we don't make diddly out of these crackers unless we sell volume! And we need big bucks! Am I gettin' through to you bright eyes?!
• Mork: *nervously* I'll take a box.
• Girl Scout: Not good enough!
• Mork: Two boxes.
• Girl Scout: That wouldn't buy my sweat socks.
• Mindy: *singsongs* Mork don't get carried away!
• Mork: I can't all I've got is 3 bucks. *shows her*
• Girl Scout: *snatches his money* You'll owe me the rest! *turns and walks out dropping boxes on the floor*

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• Dittman: Well it's a long story, as a kid I was a shop lifter.
• Mork: *whistles* Whew, you must be strong!

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• Exidor: *to Mork* As my dear father would say, You're a pea brain!!

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• Exidor: *about Mork* When it comes to Trust? He's full of it! He's crazy you know!

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• Mindy: You know Dad, maybe we've become too cynical. Maybe we get what we expect out of people.
• Mork: There's an old Orkan saying about that. If one cannot trust oneself then one cannot trust another.
• Mindy: Oh, that's nice.
• Mork: I'm not finished
• Mindy: Oh.
• Mork: And if one cannot trust another, then others cannot trust another, then others cannot trust others, and finally who can one trust?
• Fred: Eh, do all Orkans talk that way?
• Mork: Well we don't have sex we've got to do something!

Image Gallery

Cast

Starring

• Robin Williams as Mork
• Pam Dawber as Mindy McConnell
• Elizabeth Kerr as Cora Hudson
• Conrad Janis as Fred McConnell
• Ralph James as Orson

Guest starring

• Robert Donner as Exidor
• Ed Bernard as Officer Boyd
• Beans Morocco as Dittman (as Dan Barrows)
• Dana Hill as Girl Scout
• Wally Dalton as Officer Bob (The Guard)
• Patrick Cranshaw as The Man in the Store (as Pat Cranshaw)