What are Your Thoughts about the "Suicide" Episode of One Day At A Time? - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Brian Damage · 05-24-2010, 06:00 PM

Was this the most scary episode of the series? What are your thoughts? This episode freaked me out as a kid.

TeeVeeCloset · 05-24-2010, 07:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brian Damage

Was this the most scary episode of the series? What are your thoughts? This episode freaked me out as a kid.

Barely remember it, But I believe you are talking about the episode "Barbara's Friend", I know I have it but suicide especially with teenagers is something that crosses many peoples minds at "one time" or another and I feel as usual Norman Lear brought a taboo subject in average living rooms and was a positive thing to do so people who did think about it knew they weren't alone.

Retro4Life · 05-24-2010, 08:21 PM

Yeah I almost forgot about that one.

It's cool to do episodes like this once in a while as long as they don't become the norm. Lear was a master IMHO of combining humor with serous subjects.

"Alice" had an episode like this involving Vera, if I recall.

TeeVeeCloset · 05-24-2010, 08:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Retro4Life

Yeah I almost forgot about that one.

It's cool to do episodes like this once in a while as long as they don't become the norm. Lear was a master IMHO of combining humor with serous subjects.

"Alice" had an episode like this involving Vera, if I recall.

True that! and now you reminded me of another one, and yes I also have the "Alice" Vera suicide attempt episode from the ION airings, I believe it was over a boyfriend break-up.

Retro4Life · 05-24-2010, 08:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TeeVeeCloset

True that! and now you reminded me of another one, and yes I also have the "Alice" Vera suicide attempt episode from the ION airings, I believe it was over a boyfriend break-up.

Yes as I recall Vera had taken a whole bottle of sleeping pills and Alice and Flo had to keep her up all night to make sure the pills didn't do her in. I think for some reason the medics took a while to arrive or something. I remember when they finally came and Flo and Alice could go home all Flo could utter was, "Home...bed...sleep..."

catlover79 · 08-24-2010, 12:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TeeVeeCloset

True that! and now you reminded me of another one, and yes I also have the "Alice" Vera suicide attempt episode from the ION airings, I believe it was over a boyfriend break-up.

They also had a suicide/pill overdose episode of Facts of Life. I hope these "Very Special Episodes" didn't give any impressionable kids any ideas.

Retro4Life · 08-24-2010, 04:06 PM

^ Probably not. They didn't glamorize suicide or make the thought of death "cool" like some of the vampire flicks do (no axe to grind against them, btw, as I enjoy a good vampire flick, just getting a bit weary of them now).

But one never knows. I think Lear and the other producers were trying to shed light on a fairly new problem at the time, that of young people killing themselves and hopefully getting everyone to recognize the warning signs.

Mr. Television · 08-25-2010, 12:36 AM

As somebody who contemplated suicide quite a lot back then, these episodes always stuck with me. I always felt much sympathy with the suicide victim. I felt like they were talking to me. I never really felt better after I watched them but they always did give me something to think about.

catlover79 · 08-25-2010, 12:53 AM

I guess you guys are right. I was still pretty little when most of these "Very Special Episodes" first aired, so I don't have the value of perspective in this case.

05-24-2010, 06:00 PM	#1
Brian Damage I'm Rich Bitch Forum Icon Join Date: Feb 03, 2002 Location: What Ain't No Country I Ever Heard Of...They Speak English in What? Posts: 63,107	What are Your Thoughts about the "Suicide" Episode of One Day At A Time? Was this the most scary episode of the series? What are your thoughts? This episode freaked me out as a kid.
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05-24-2010, 08:21 PM	#3
Retro4Life Accept No Substitutes Forum Veteran Join Date: Feb 04, 2009 Location: IL Posts: 6,708	Yeah I almost forgot about that one. It's cool to do episodes like this once in a while as long as they don't become the norm. Lear was a master IMHO of combining humor with serous subjects. "Alice" had an episode like this involving Vera, if I recall.
	__________________ Alex Reiger :[Trying to convince Louie not to antagonize Bobby] "It's not hard to make people feel bad about their lives. What's hard is making people feel good about their lives."

08-25-2010, 12:36 AM	#8
Mr. Television 23 Years at Sitcoms Online Forum Icon Join Date: Jun 06, 2003 Location: Somewhere you're Not Posts: 62,132	As somebody who contemplated suicide quite a lot back then, these episodes always stuck with me. I always felt much sympathy with the suicide victim. I felt like they were talking to me. I never really felt better after I watched them but they always did give me something to think about.
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08-24-2010, 04:06 PM	#7
Retro4Life Accept No Substitutes Forum Veteran Join Date: Feb 04, 2009 Location: IL Posts: 6,708	^ Probably not. They didn't glamorize suicide or make the thought of death "cool" like some of the vampire flicks do (no axe to grind against them, btw, as I enjoy a good vampire flick, just getting a bit weary of them now). But one never knows. I think Lear and the other producers were trying to shed light on a fairly new problem at the time, that of young people killing themselves and hopefully getting everyone to recognize the warning signs.

08-25-2010, 12:53 AM	#9
catlover79 God Bless Val Forum Addict Join Date: May 29, 2006 Location: Bewitched in Ohio Posts: 70,382	I guess you guys are right. I was still pretty little when most of these "Very Special Episodes" first aired, so I don't have the value of perspective in this case.