"Married"

[BuddyHinton]

I just saw the season 2 opener "Married" for the first time... Let me tell you what... I paid $20 for my season 2 set and if it ONLY contained THIS episode it would have been money well spent.

It's often tough to be completely moved by television because of sagging budgets, hectic scheduling, erratic guest stars and writers, etc etc... but all I can say about Married is...... WOW! Just.. WOW!!

Possible Spoilers -


What I loved.... An amazingly clever "recap" of the series through hypnosis and flashbacks, the hypnosis scenes in which they are trying to cage and bound the Hulk (in the desert) are beyond mind blowing in what they were attempting (only in theory of the mind), the dream sequence with Marriet Hartley getting on the bus was downright freaky and I'm not squeamish, and of course the chemistry of all involved was everything television hopes to be but often isn't.

If the rest of season 2 even comes close to the quality of this episode I would be surprised... oh and I'm overlooking the silly "gigolo" portion, lol. I enjoyed all of Season one except possibly the final two epsiodes (Eathquake and Waterfront) but this episode is in another league than anything I've seen so far from the Incredible Hulk. Bill Bixby is slowing becoming an all time favorite of mine and I've only watched the show for approximately 10 days thus far, lol.

[Zoneboy]

Originally Posted by BuddyHinton

Bill Bixby is slowing becoming an all time favorite of mine and I've only watched the show for approximately 10 days thus far, lol.

The name Bill Bixby should be included among the top 10 favorite actors on anyone's list. He is definitely in my top 5 because he is one of the most versatile actors ever, Equally adept to both comedic and dramatic roles. I've seen him in My Favorite Martian, The Magician, The Incredible Hulk and many guest performances including Twilight Zone, The Andy Griffith Show etc... and I've never seen a bad performance from him. If IMDb is correct, Both Mariette Hartley and Loni Anderson name Bill as their favorite actor and rightfully so.

[jules70]

I agree completely about this episode and Bill Bixby!!

I grew up watching TIH when it first aired and have recently been rewatching it. I've also just discovered The Magician. I am unbelievably impressed with Bill Bixby... there just aren't sufficient words. I am profoundly affected by his performances... there's something so special about him!

Though I've only gotten through season 1 of TIH and and "Married" in season 2, "Married" is easily one of my absolute favorites of the entire series, I can say that without reservation.

Bill and Mariette had marvelous chemistry, and the episode dealt with such an interesting way to try to control the hulk, through hypnosis.

Although it ended sadly for David, I love that for a time he had love and stability in his life, and at least some hope of controlling the hulk.

My favorite part has to be when he asks Carolyn to marry him and she asks why, obviously addressing the futility of it given her fatal condition. David goes on to tell her the story of the man being chased by a tiger. I'm sure fans remember it, or at least parts of it:

I once heard a story about a man being chased by a tiger. He came to a cliff. He fell, but he grabbed a branch, and he just hung there, just out of reach of the tiger. And he looked down. You know what he saw? Another Tiger. Waiting for him to drop. And then he felt that the branch he was clinging to was coming out of the cliff by the roots. Now while all this was happening, he noticed something: he noticed, growing in a cleft bedside him, a single wild strawberry. And with his free hand he reached out and picked it. And he ate it. And he thought to himself: what a wonderful strawberry.

I was moved to tears hearing that, not only because it shows that something beautiful can come out of even the worst situations and can be cherished, but because in him telling the tale, you knew how deeply he loved Carolyn. I just thought it was so lovely!!

I can watch this episode over and over and never tire of it. Kudos to the actors for stellar performances.

[biffbronson]

One thing I find remarkable about Bill Bixby is how he was able to switch gears so well from an affable, rather shallow character on My Favorite Martian to a cerebral, almost stoic one on The Courtship of Eddie's Father. He played both masterfully, and of course went on to further impressive work. James Komack is deserving of credit, unless I'm mistaken, for his loyalty to Bixby when Courtship was developed, as both had been involved with Martian.

It's also nice to see how Bill reunited with past co-stars. For example, Pamela Britton from My Favorite Martian made an appearance on The Magician, and Ray Walston I believe did an epsode of The Incredible Hulk (also had a Brandon Cruz appearance, IIRC).