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The Way Mork Were

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"The Way Mork Were"
Season 2, Episode #26
(#51) in series (95 episodes)

Fred arrives unexpectedly to speak and reflect with Mork and Mindy about their relationship, and the difficulties he's having with his.
"Mork & Mindy" episode
Guest Star(s): Elizabeth Kerr
Robert Donner
Network: ABC-TV
Production code: 226 (2x26)
Writer(s) April Kelly & David Misch
Director Howard Storm
Original airdate May 1, 1980
IMDB The Way Mork Were
Episode chronology
← Previous Next →
"Invasion of the Mork Snatchers" "Putting the Ork Back in Mork, Part 1"
(Season 3 premiere)
List of Mork & Mindy seasons/episodes

The Way Mork Were was the 26th and season ending episode of season 2 of Mork and Mindy, also the 51st overall episode in the series. Co-written by April Kelly & David Misch, the episode, which was directed by Howard Storm, originally aired on ABC-TV on May 1, 1980.

Synopsis[]

Anxious, Fred seeks advice from Mork and Mindy, regarding what he thinks is his faltering new marriage the pair sharing stories of their adventures and relationship.

Plot[]

In the apartment, Mork is hard at work concocting something from a considerably sized chemistry set up when a knock prompts him to tell them to enter but hold their nose. The snow coming down heavily outside, Fred enters shaking it off his clothes, wanting to know why he should hold his nose before the smell hits him hard. Taking in what Mork is doing he asks him what he's making. Narconium, Mork replies, saying he's making Mindy an authentic Orkan dinner, kissing his fingers. When Mork confirms it's a chemical, Fred wants to know why anyone would eat something that smelled like that? Because its full of Tootium, the gravity vitamin Mork explains, without it they'd fall right off the planet. Fred is not in the mood to query that, and asks if Mork can put it on hold for a minute so they can talk. Mork agrees but will have to go back every 10 minutes or so to stop it from clotting.

Walking with Fred to the couch he asks what's on his 'cerebellum', Fred replying, Mork's relationship with Mindy. Having been away for a while he was wondering if the two of them were getting on as well as they were? Mork confirming they are as happy as a couple of clams together. Fred says he's asking because he never really understood their relationship, they are both such different people. After a moment, Mork gets his meaning, narrating a soap-opera-esque can a spunky humanoid find happiness with a boy from the wrong side of the Galaxy, kind of TV intro, before rather shrewdly asking Fred how things are going with him and his new mate, Cathy? Fine, fine! Fred replies, before easing slightly, saying it's always tough at first, referring to the fact that even he and Mindy had troubles at first. Morks eyes flashing as he scoffs at that assertion immediately, asking him to name one. Fred suggests the time Mork took Mindy to Exidor's cabin.

A flashback to Skyflakes Keep Falling on My Head occurs, recalling Mork & Mindy's arrival at the cabin occurs, dealing with Mindy's stepping on a beavers tail, the loss of their luggage, and the fact that Exidor didn't give Mork a key, leading to his attempt to kick the door in and the collapse of the front of the cabin.

Mork concedes that might be one. Fred asking if, honestly, there have been others. Mork thinks on and suggests there might have been one 'eentsy teensy one' telling him how Mr. Bickley told him that fighting could be a good way to keep a relationship exciting. So, 'to keep Mindy happy' he tells Fred he had this real vicious fight with her.

Another flashback to Stark Raving Mork occurs starting with Mork spying on a whistling Mindy prepping their dinner in the kitchen, through his door slamming, food throwing, personal insults of her till she disappears into her room crying. Continuing with his anticipation of a kiss and make up outcome, and her full furious, suspenders snapping, Truman Capote on helium, throwing him out of the apartment, retaliation.

Mork tries to convince Fred that it hasn't always been that way he's tried very hard to help Mindy too, and hopes that Fred has been proud of him, and he admits he is, he knows how happy he makes Mindy. Touched and bashful, Mork thanks him laying his head on Fred's shoulder as Fred pats him...Mindy walking in on this most unexpected of sights and stopped in her tracks by it. Grinning that she should've knocked first, they turn around to her, Mork telling her he was just catching up Fred on things, Fred agreeing he's missed a lot this last year. And gained a lot too, she points out, wondering where Cathy is? Back at the house, Fred tells her, Mindy suggests he call her up and tell her to come on over for dinner. As Fred hesitates, Mork quietly points out to Mindy that they only have enough for two unless she brought along some Narconium Helper. Or we can go out, she suggests to her father cheerfully. But he doesn't' think he can do that. Mork saying its no problem, he remembers the number. But Fred says its because things aren't go so well. Mindy smiles a little teasing him about their having a fight. But Fred uneasily tells them that he's afraid they're not right for each other. That the marriage may have been a mistake.

As the snow continues to fall outside, Mindy stunned, can't understand it with them only being married a few months, and they seemed so happy. He thought he was happy, Fred replies, but he wasn't. Before they were married they seemed to have so much in common. Like being single, Mork points out. Loving music and hating carrots, Fred counters. He confesses its the real reason he came over. Mork & Mindy are so different but their relationship works fine! But Mindy isn't convinced of what he's saying having watched him and Cathy the past couple of weeks and they seemed really happy. He wishes that was true, but it's just he's finding out all these things about her! Like what, Mindy asks, saying he hasn't been too specific so far. He casts around and tells them she's completely unpredictable. He never knows what she's going to say or do from one moment to the next. With gentle sarcasm, Mindy notes a person can learn to live with that, Mork not failing to pick up on it, asking 'to whom' she is referring? 'To youm' she answers reminding him of when his emotions came out for the first time. Well naturally, after being bottled up for millions of bleems they were going to act like a starving fish at a worm roast, Mork points out. Fred recalling how Mork was when he came into the store the next day.

Another flashback to Mork's Mixed Emotions occurs, beginning with a massively disheveled and aggressive Mork arriving in, throwing record displays around, sliding between emotion after emotion, insulting Cora's birthday present to Mindy, as he tries to control them.

Mindy enquires whether Cathy has ever insulted his relatives or destroyed his place of business? No, he admits. Mindy smiling, sits beside Mork telling her father than not only has she gotten used to Mork's moments of madness, sometimes she even looks forward to them. Mork thanking her, before Mindy' asks what it is that Fred liked in Cathy in the first place. She was so different from anyone else, he tells her, fresh and full of surprises. So unpredictable, Mork suggests. Fred having to agree. So what's bothering about her now, Mindy presses on. Fred suggesting this may sound picky, but she has some really weird friends, including this girl friend who bakes terrible oatmeal raisin cookies who continuously brings them over to the house every week. Mindy stares at him, points at Mork and reminds her father that he is cooking Narconium in her living room, and he thinks that's strange?! Try comparing oatmeal raisin cookies to Exidor, she suggests!

Flashback to Mork Runs Away occurs, with Mork down on Mission Street at the Friends of Venus HQ with Exidor giving instruction to Mork about their manifesto and prepping him to become a recruiter only for Mork to go full Tele-Evangelist mode, overwhelming Exidor with his zeal, but off the back of Exidor's enthusiasm dropping some truths about what *is* out there.

On reflecting what Mindy has has to put up with, Fred agrees that he can put up with Cathy's strange friends. Mindy nods, suggesting that in truth from the sounds of it, the problem's Fred are talking about seem pretty small. She can understand little things getting on her nerves, but urges him to think of what his life would be like without her. Mork tells him there was a time when he and Mindy thought they would never see each other again, when they were captured by Necrotons, put in this big cage waiting to have their brains sucked out.

Flashback to Mork vs the Necrotons Part 2, with Mork and Mindy on the Necrotons ship trapped in the giant cage together, discussing how things have ended up, their potential fate and making some unusual confessions to one another.

Mork tells Fred that what he and Mindy have discovered is it’s the love between two people that matters not their differences. He definitely loves Cathy, Fred insists, that's not the problem. It's the little things that are bothering him. Mindy reminds him he lived with her for quite a while and she had a few...minor...idiosyncrasies. Like the time she used his entire stamp collection on her Valentine's Day Cards. Fred remembers and thinks that when you love someone you get used to things like that. Listen to yourself, Mindy urges. Mork agrees saying he sounds just like the guys on Phoebus Galacta who get real nervous the day after their wedding and don't want to stay with their wives...thought that's probably because the Third day after the wedding is known as Kill Your Husband day. Saves on anniversary gifts Mindy considers. Fred thinks maybe he is blowing things out of proportion, and when Mindy asks if these things happened with her Mom too, Fred reflects remembering that they did. He guesses he's just a little out of practice. Mindy thinks he should go find Cathy right now. He thinks he should apologize for all the things he's been thinking, but dispenses with Mork's help on that, figuring he can handle it himself. Getting up feeling better from talking to them he goes to head home, pausing to say he hopes very much that in a couple of years they have the same memories Mork & Mindy have, without the Necrotons. Just after he leaves, Mork thinks he should give Fred some Narconium to take home to Cathy, but when he goes to pour some out it starts to smoke alarmingly, and says to Mindy ruefully he should've just made the French fried chicken lips.

Mork's report to Orson this week is about solving problems. But affection not detection. Earthlings need to talk about their problems with the people they love. Why do they choose to burden their friends, Orson wants to know? Mork 'quotes' Charlie Chan, saying 'Man who bottles up problems, liable to pop cork'. Orson wants to know if this is typical human behavior, feeling free to discuss their hangs up with each other. All he knows is if Romeo and Juliet had talked more their story probably would've had a happy ending, but then...who would ever have heard of them? What about the old Earth saying that 'Talk is cheap'? Mork says he's not sure if it’s true, but when it comes to helping others, ‘Talk Is Priceless.’


Trivia[]

Orkan 'Facts'[]

  • Mork is brewing up Narconium in order to make Mindy an authentic Orkan dinner. Instead of going for food with chemicals in, Orkans just go for pure chemicals eliminating the food altogether.
  • Narconium is full of Tootium, the 'gravity chemical'.
  • On Phoebus Galacta, marriages are short lived, with the 3rd Day after a marriage known as 'Kill Your Husband' Day.

General[]

Pop Culture[]

  • Mork tells Mindy they only have enough for two, unless she brought along some Narconium Helper, playing on Hamburger Helper.
  • Mork quotes Charlie Chan the fictional Chinese American detective based out of Honolulu, that was created to counter harmful Asian stereotypes (but in latter years has some issues of his own).


Quotes/Excerpts[]

  • Mork: Well what's on your cerebellum?
  • Fred: You and Mindy. I've been away for a while and I was wondering whether you and she were still getting along real well?
  • Mork: Oh we're as happy as a couple of bi-valve mollusks?
  • Fred: Hmm?
  • Mork: Oh clams to you.

__________________________________________________

  • Fred: You...you see, I never really understood your relationship. You're both such different people.
  • Mork: Oh no I'm the one who is different. Mindy's always been the same.
  • Fred: *stares at him* Uhhh...I mean you come from such different backgrounds.
  • Mork: *frowns* Uhh...Ohhh! Oh! I see! Can a spunky humanoid from Earth find happiness with a boy from the wrong side of the Galaxy? Lets see...follow me...c'mon!

__________________________________________________

  • Fred: Before we were married we had so much in common
  • Mork: Like being single.

__________________________________________________

  • Mindy: Maybe I'm out of line here Dad, but I've watched you two for the past couple of weeks and I've never seen two happier people!
  • Mork: Yeah, like Cinderella and Prince Charming. Romeo & Juliet. Sodom & Gommorah.

__________________________________________________

  • Fred: She's completely unpredictable. I never know what she's going to say or do from one moment to the next.
  • Mindy: *dryly* Well a person can learn to live with that y'know.
  • Mork: *looks to her* Oh to whom are you referring?
  • Mindy: To youm.

__________________________________________________

  • Mindy: Try comparing oatmeal raisin cookies to Exidor!
  • Mork: Oh c'mon, there is no comparison, Exidor is only half baked.


Image Gallery[]

Cast[]

Starring[]

Guest starring[]

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