This episode ends without Norton turning down the job offer by Ralph's Boss to be the Supervisor of the Bus Drivers. He had told Ralph's Boss he needed sometime to think about it but we never see him reject the Job Offer. Incomplete? I would say so

Since Norton got the job offer with his ideas, when he rejected the offer since it turns out it was Ralph's ideas, shouldn't Ralph get the job? But in the rest of the episodes, Ralph is still just a bus driver. So to me, that was incomplete. They should have followed up on that.

Since Norton got the job offer with his ideas, when he rejected the offer since it turns out it was Ralph's ideas, shouldn't Ralph get the job? But in the rest of the episodes, Ralph is still just a bus driver. So to me, that was incomplete. They should have followed up on that.


Exactly, I was waiting to see Norton tell the Boss that it was Ralph's ideas and say he wasn't the man for the job.

That's what I didn't like about "The Honeymooners". And that was the ONLY thing. That is that Ralph never got a promotion in the Bus Company. I know for the show, that things had to stay the same. But then in the 70s, when they had the reunions, the Kramdens and Nortons still lived in the same apartments. As far as I know, neither of them had children. It just seemed sad to me.

Maybe that's why they didn't complete this episode. Was because they couldn't further Ralph's career, quite yet. But they couldn't figure out a way for Marshall to offer the job to Norton and then not give it to Kramden.

...Jackie wanted Ralph Kramden to stay a "bus driver". No REAL change in his job or income was ever to be a permanent one. Otherwise, you'd lose the "simplicity" and "sincerity" of the Kramdens and their neighborhood. Once Ralph and Alice started "moving up", the whole "bite" of the situation would be irrevocably altered. Would you feel the same way about Ralph if he became "successful"?

In "Opportunity Knocks But", the focus of the story isn't about Ralph's drive to impress Mr. Marshall, it's really about his friendship with Norton, and what happens when Ed "stumbles" his way into possibly becoming more prosperous than Ralph...AND his "boss". Ralph throws a tantrum, admits to Alice that he KNOWS he's never going to be anything more but a bus driver {see above}, and Norton admits he got all his ideas from Ralph while accidentally impresssing Marshall. That's it...and the boys are friends again, Ralph realizes that Alice WAS right about his importance at the bus comany, they clinch, end of story.

I suspect, if there HAD been an ending, it would have been that Ed does tell Marshall the next day that all of his ideas were Ralph's....and just happened to mention, mind you, during Marshall's question about "poor old Havermeyer", that Ralph had to fill in for him during ONE shift, and complained about the way the bus looked on the inside, and that it wouldn't have hurt the company to spend a little more money to fix the insides up a bit (while Ralph is trying to shush Norton up)...and then Marshall might have said, "It's very interesting that Kramden should bring that up....we just finished remodeling most of our buses late last month!". Then he turns to Ralph and says, "You know, you ARE due for a promotion to Bus Driver Supervisor..". Ralph stammers, "Well, I..I know how you think of me very highly to do that, Mr. Marshall...". "Well, DON'T", Marshall insists. "I think I'll take the money I WOULD have given you for being a Supervisor, and fix up old Havermeyer's bus and make it a showcase for our Gotham Bus Company fleet! Makes good business sense, doesn't it, Kramden?". "Hammina-hamma-hamma..". "See, Ralph, I KNEW you had another good idea in that ol' noggin of yours!", Norton beams. "And he'll have plenty of time to think up some more before he's READY to become a Supervisor", Mr. Marshall grins as he walks towards his office door. "Buh-buh, but Mr. Marshall, what about lunch?", Ralph squirms. "Oh, yes, I forgot about that", Marshall says thoughtfully. "Just be sure you finish it on time before you go back out on your route! Good day, gentlemen...". As Marshall walks out the door, Ralph stands there, looking very crushed, indeed. "Boy, Ralph, I KNEW you had it in you to impress Mr. Marshall like that", Norton says happily. "Just think, you ALMOST became Bus Driver Supervisor! I mean, that idea about Havermeyer's bus being so dirty and decrepit and all, and Mr. Marshall taking that extra money he would given YOU to fix it up so nice and.....". "GET OUT!!!!", Ralph roars, pointing towards the office door. Norton knows an exit when he sees it, and out he scoots. And then, Ralph lets out with, "I got a BIG-G-G-G......MOUTH!!!!". Fade out.

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