Avery Brown could charm the safety belt off of the crash dummy secretary, and Colleen Dewhurst is a force of nature. It's like seeing Elaine Stritch, Eileen Heckart, Agnes Moorehead or Kathleen Freeman in one of their many memorable sitcom appearances, commanding and funny, with Colleen overwhelming everyone with her huge heart even if Avery is one tough nut to crack. "You can't let people get away with shoddy service. It starts off with overcooked meat and ends up with President Quayle." I've used that line many times over the years since studying political science, substituting other people for Quayle. Avery's presence in her daughter's life overwhelms her even if she is charming everybody else including the painter, Elden, and her contribution at FYI shows how formidable she is intellectually. While she made a few appearances on the show, I would have loved to have seen her a lot more. She has great chemistry with Candice Bergen. Not only one of the top episodes of the series, but one of the best sitcom episodes ever. It's touching and funny, a reminder that even the most imperfect parents/child relationship can be fixed if both parties are willing to work at it.
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