The Best Dick Van Dyke Show Episodes
“My Blonde-Haired Brunette” (season 1, episode 2)
Plot: In the first of what would become many instances, Laura worries that the spark is gone from the Petrie marriage. Solution? Become a blonde. Why it works: The sitcom’s title aside, Mary Tyler Moore’s tour-de-force crying fit at the end of the episode cements her status as a true co-star and not just a supporting character. The scene also is a prime display of her comedic chops.
“The Two Faces of Rob” (season 2, episode 2)
Plot: As research for a comedy sketch, Rob disguises his voice and flirts with Laura over the phone. Much to his surprise, she flirts right back, leading Rob to become a wee bit jealous of this fake suitor. Why it works:The role play shows a playfulness in the Petrie’s marriage that’s “more nuanced and multidimensional than the typical sitcom domestic marriage,” says VinceWaldron, author of The Official Dick Van Dyke Show Book. Plus, the audience is left to wonder whether Laura knew all along.
“It May Look Like a Walnut!” (season 2, episode 20)
Plot: The morning after watching a horror movie, Rob is paranoid that he may be the last remaining earthling in a world under the influence of Kolak (guest star DannyThomas) from a strange planet. Is it a practical joke or a nightmare? Why it works: In this Twilight Zone parody, “the firmly established reality is thrown out the window,” Waldron explains. “There’s something odd and crazy and compelling about Rob dealing with something so offbeat.” Plus, Laura riding a tumbling wave of walnuts as they pour out of the Petrie closet is an iconic image.
“That’s My Boy??” (season 3, episode 1)
Plot: For a flashback episode, Rob recalls the time he became utterly convinced he and Laura were given the wrong baby to take home from the hospital following Ritchie’s birth. Why it works: Well, it builds to a twist ending—prompting one of the longest laughs in sitcom history. The episode also gives absurd context to the anxiety-inducing reality of welcoming a new baby into the family.
“All About Eavesdropping” (season 3, episode 5)
Plot: Rob and Laura’s feelings become bruised when they accidentally hear their neighbors (JerryParis and AnnMorganGuilbert) disparage them via their children’s switched-on intercoms. (“Rob’s no AlbertSchweitzer.”) The Petrie duo proceed to sabotage their friends’ dinner party. Why it works: The game of charades in which “Pearl Harbor” equals “On the Street Where You Live” is a hilarious set piece. “It’s wonderful because the writers took a very human situation and turned it into gold,” Waldron says.
“Who and Where Was Antonio Stradivarius?” (season 3, episode 7)
Plot: Following a concussion at the office from a prop mishap, Rob finds himself at a wild party and dancing with a young woman. And yet he has no idea how he got there. Why it works:“It’s a great situation if you’re a writer on the show,” says Waldron. “Rob gets hit on the head and because of this, he basically has a lost weekend and is out of himself.”
“October Eve” (season 3, episode 28)
Plot: Laura panics when she learns that a nude portrait of her has resurfaced in a Manhattan art gallery. Rob does not handle the news well. Why it works: Aside from both stars’ freak-out reactions, this one features Carl Reiner (i.e., Alan Brady himself) playing Sergei Carpetna, the hot-headed artist who painted “Laurishka.”
“Never Bathe on Saturday” (season 4, episode 27)
Plot: The Petries’ second honeymoon goes fantastically awry as Laura gets her big toe stuck in a hotel bathtub spigot. Why it works: Written by Reiner, this gem “had the audacity to have a beautiful performer naked in a bathtub and surrounded by bubbles for a half-hour on network TV,” Waldron says. It’s also a stellar one-man show for Dick Van Dyke.
“Baby Fat” (season 4, episode 29)
Plot: Alan recruits Rob to secretly fix the script to a Pulitzer Prize winner’s Broadway play. Humiliations ensue—especially when Rob marks up his boss’s suit when he’s forced to pose as his tailor. Why it works: The escalating slapstick screwball comedy is simply irresistible, Waldron says. This episode also provided a rare opportunity for Van Dyke and Reiner to play off each other.
“Coast to Coast Big Mouth” (season 5, episode 1)
Plot: A jittery Laura accidently reveals on a national game show that Alan Brady is a toupee-wearing baldy. Mortified and unwilling to let Rob take the blame, she shows up at the boss’s office to apologize in person. Why it works: The fifth and final season kicked off with a laugh-aloud classic that earned its writers an Emmy. “This is a tour de force for Mary Tyler Moore,” Waldron says. “She goes through this episode with such believability that the audience has an amazing amount of empathy for her. That made it hilarious.” Next, The 20 Absolute Best TV Shows of All Time
