Picking up pretty much immediately after Limited Engagement, having gotten past Mindy's mental reservations in marrying Mork they now. as a pair, have to deal with the external obstacles to their Union raised by her family and Orson in the previous episode.
Cora, who has always been supportive of the couple (and viewed them as such before discovering Mork's secret) is the easier sell. Once she's sure Mindy is sure about what she's doing/giving up, she's foursquare behind them...just not enough to hang around for Fred's 'freak' when he finds out. Elizabeth Kerr's pivoting from sweetly supportive gran to hard nosed pragmatist has always been great fun and she brings it to bear here.
Orson's absolute refusal to allow Mork to marry, as it's breaking Orkan law, is the catalyst for Fred finding out about their plans, as he and Cathy walk in just as Mindy is fuming at the Orkan overseers interference...though naturally its Mork that spills the beans. Fred's reaction (naturally dead set against it) is in opposition to his wife's delight, who sees how much in love the 'kids' are and wants to throw Mindy a shower. The passive aggressive exchange between Fred & Cathy in their 'non argument' about the wedding plans, is a beautifully played, very fun moment, and leaves you regretting that they didn't make more of Shelley Fabares, and Cathy & Fred as a couple.
Mindy's facing down of her father, plays rather like a child throwing off the last yokes of parenthood and stepping into full adulthood. She knows he's concerned, she knows exactly why, but in the end its her life, her choices and she'll take the steps down the aisle (and marriage with Mork) alone if she has to. In a neat counterpoint to the previous episode, like Mindy with Mork, love and the danger of losing something you care about, wins out over concerns, and Fred folds, determined to walk his little girl down the aisle.
Buoyed by Fred's blessing and a serious pep talk by Mindy, Mork blasts back into his head to confront Orson and gets blown away, threatened with retribution of transformation to a more pliable life form if he disobeys. Unable to disappoint Mindy, naturally he lies to her...and Orson follows through.
A quick time jump to the Wedding day...and Mork is rapidly morphing into a Dog. Angry and without any other way to turn, Mindy plugs into Morks brain. Mindy's rare forays into Morks mind are always fun, Pam Dawber never failing to convey the absolute weirdness and nervousness of a human being inside someone elses head with a being of Orson's power, and it's gratifying to see her give him a piece of *her* mind. She faces off with Orson berating him for what he's doing. He admires her spunk and her vow to marry Mork even if he does become a full blown dog, but he doesn't back down.
Only then he does. There is a fake out moment involving 'Best Man' Exidor, but Mork is restored. And that's the one real 'Huh?' spot of this episode. We are given no further insight into why and when Orson changed his mind on this breach of ancient Orkan law. Was Mindy's turning up the church with a half man half dog, following through on her vow, enough to do it? And if she did turn up with him in dog mode, how come no one else in the wedding party waiting for her saw 'Dog Mork'? It happens, we accept it...but the pursuit of a tension filled moment leaves a hole in the narrative and a vaguely dissatisfied feeling to the resolution of the 'threat'.
That aside, the ceremony itself balances romantic, funny and weird (hello Exidor) as you'd expect, and again Dawber & Williams make every moment believable. They depart down the aisle happy, in love and nervous as hell about what they've both done....something that's magnified for Mindy to full blown panic attack ten seconds later when Mork casually announces their previous Acapulco honeymoon plans are scrapped and they're now on for a full month's luxury honeymoon on Ork.
So Orson definitely came around. Just would've been nice to see/hear more of his logic.
Cora, who has always been supportive of the couple (and viewed them as such before discovering Mork's secret) is the easier sell. Once she's sure Mindy is sure about what she's doing/giving up, she's foursquare behind them...just not enough to hang around for Fred's 'freak' when he finds out. Elizabeth Kerr's pivoting from sweetly supportive gran to hard nosed pragmatist has always been great fun and she brings it to bear here.
Orson's absolute refusal to allow Mork to marry, as it's breaking Orkan law, is the catalyst for Fred finding out about their plans, as he and Cathy walk in just as Mindy is fuming at the Orkan overseers interference...though naturally its Mork that spills the beans. Fred's reaction (naturally dead set against it) is in opposition to his wife's delight, who sees how much in love the 'kids' are and wants to throw Mindy a shower. The passive aggressive exchange between Fred & Cathy in their 'non argument' about the wedding plans, is a beautifully played, very fun moment, and leaves you regretting that they didn't make more of Shelley Fabares, and Cathy & Fred as a couple.
Mindy's facing down of her father, plays rather like a child throwing off the last yokes of parenthood and stepping into full adulthood. She knows he's concerned, she knows exactly why, but in the end its her life, her choices and she'll take the steps down the aisle (and marriage with Mork) alone if she has to. In a neat counterpoint to the previous episode, like Mindy with Mork, love and the danger of losing something you care about, wins out over concerns, and Fred folds, determined to walk his little girl down the aisle.
Buoyed by Fred's blessing and a serious pep talk by Mindy, Mork blasts back into his head to confront Orson and gets blown away, threatened with retribution of transformation to a more pliable life form if he disobeys. Unable to disappoint Mindy, naturally he lies to her...and Orson follows through.
A quick time jump to the Wedding day...and Mork is rapidly morphing into a Dog. Angry and without any other way to turn, Mindy plugs into Morks brain. Mindy's rare forays into Morks mind are always fun, Pam Dawber never failing to convey the absolute weirdness and nervousness of a human being inside someone elses head with a being of Orson's power, and it's gratifying to see her give him a piece of *her* mind. She faces off with Orson berating him for what he's doing. He admires her spunk and her vow to marry Mork even if he does become a full blown dog, but he doesn't back down.
Only then he does. There is a fake out moment involving 'Best Man' Exidor, but Mork is restored. And that's the one real 'Huh?' spot of this episode. We are given no further insight into why and when Orson changed his mind on this breach of ancient Orkan law. Was Mindy's turning up the church with a half man half dog, following through on her vow, enough to do it? And if she did turn up with him in dog mode, how come no one else in the wedding party waiting for her saw 'Dog Mork'? It happens, we accept it...but the pursuit of a tension filled moment leaves a hole in the narrative and a vaguely dissatisfied feeling to the resolution of the 'threat'.
That aside, the ceremony itself balances romantic, funny and weird (hello Exidor) as you'd expect, and again Dawber & Williams make every moment believable. They depart down the aisle happy, in love and nervous as hell about what they've both done....something that's magnified for Mindy to full blown panic attack ten seconds later when Mork casually announces their previous Acapulco honeymoon plans are scrapped and they're now on for a full month's luxury honeymoon on Ork.
So Orson definitely came around. Just would've been nice to see/hear more of his logic.
