Kate And Allie 26-30

The Bad Seed

This episode premiered on March 18th, 1985. The lead in show was Scarecrow And Mrs. King and was followed by Newhart. It ran opposite movies on ABC (This Wife For Hire) and NBC (Private Sessions)

Jen's new friend  Carter is causing a clash between Jen and Allie. Carter talks Jen into getting her ears pierced but tells Allie it was Jen's idea then tries to get her to smoke, Allie catches them in the act. Emma tells Kate that Jen and Carter are cutting school but she doesn't want to tell Allie. Carter steals a scarf and stuffs it into Jen's bag, but it sets off the security alarm and she gets arrested for shoplifting. The officer releases Jen to Allie since it's her first offense. Jen confesses that she's been skipping school, Allie says she got it from her father. 

Dated References

Kate gets a letter from Ed McMahon and American Family Publishers saying she might have won $2 million dollars. The company went defunct in 1999. (For a while people were trying to claim that thinking McMahon worked for Publisher's Clearinghouse was a Mandela Effect but it was just mixing up the two companies)

Jen gets her ears pierced. Today teens have to have parental permission.

Allie mentions Scared Straight. It was a documentary on TV in 1978 that had troubled kids visiting real prisons.

The police station has a portrait of Ronald Reagan hanging on the wall. He was serving his second term as President.

The girls say Al Pacino was shooting a movie near the apartment. The only film he had coming out at that time was Revolution, a period piece that wouldn't have been shot in modern NYC

Martha Byrne plays "The bad friend" Carter.  She is best known for playing Lily Walsh on As The World Turns.

Goodbye, Plumber

This episode premiered on April 8th, 1985. The lead in show was Scarecrow And Mrs. King and was followed by Newhart. It ran opposite movies on ABC (Young Doctors In Love) and NBC (Wallenberg, A Hero's Story)

Ted the plumber blocks the kitchen sink with a rag, and inside the rag is a ring, he is proposing to Kate. Allie and Kate have to have a discussion about what happens if Kate gets married and moves out. Ted starts talking about family with lots of kids and Kate starts to worry. While trying to talk to Allie, Kate has a panic attack. Allie gives Kate some tranquilizers and says "Take half", she takes three since there are six pills even though Allie meant half a pill. While on the pills Kate tells Ted that she doesn't want to get married, he storms out. Kate recovers from the pills and returns Ted's ring. 

Dated References

Kate implies that Allie dresses "preppy". That was a term used for prep school types who wore stuffy clothes and were snooty.

Kate says Ted's fantasy marriage is "Father Knows Best, with hollering". This was a sitcom that ran from 1954 to 1960

A note, Kate takes three tranquilizers and they never call poison control or Allie's doctor ex husband. 

My Dinner With Kate And Allie

This episode premiered on May 6th, 1985. The lead in show was Scarecrow And Mrs. King and was followed by Newhart. It ran opposite a movie on ABC (Lace 2) and The Academy Of Country Music Awards on NBC

It's Charles's wedding day and the kids are going so he picks them up, he and Allie have an awkward conversation. Kate gets a set of photos with Ted the Plumber (who she just broke up with). Both women get depressed about their current relationships so they decide to go out and enjoy NYC, they come back with live lobsters. Allie has to find her lobster pot and inside the box are the two love letters from Charles and they are as stuffy as he is. Kate realizes that they aren't stuffy people and don't like lobster. She decides that she needs to live for the moment. Allie decides they need to clean out the old stuff from their lives and burns Charles's old letters. 

Dated References

Kate and Allie buy a newspaper at a street side newsstand.

Kate gets a set a photos in the mail, film print photos. 

Kate gave Allie a lava lamp as a wedding present. They were popular in the late 60's and early 70's. Every now and then they come back in style

The title of this episode is a reference to the 1981 movie My Dinner With Andre

This was the last episode of the Spring season. The show would pick up in the fall.

The Reunion

This episode premiered on September 30th, 1985. The lead in show was Scarecrow And Mrs. King and was followed by Newhart. It ran opposite Monday Night Football on ABC (Bengals 37-Steelers 24) and The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, 23 Anniversary Special on NBC

Kate and Allie get an invitation to their 20th high school reunion, Allie doesn't want to go since she's divorced and unemployed. At the reunion Allie hides in the restroom and then lies about publishing a book. Kate wants to get revenge on the guy who dumped her but finds out he did it because she was too much of a free spirit for him. Allie tells off the school bully while everyone cheers her on. 

Dated References

Kate is talking to a man from Yugoslavia. After the collapse of the Soviet Union the country broke up into 7 separate countries.

The two girls are listening to the same station on their Walkmans.

Kate and Allie get their high school newsletter. Today it would be on Facebook.

At the school reunion Kate and Allie go to the restroom and there is a payphone on the wall. 

A woman at the reunion gave herself a home perm and says "Kojak had the right idea". He was a bald TV detective played by Telly Savalas. 

Patricia Richardson makes an appearance as the bully classmates. She is best known for playing Jill on Home Improvement.

Make Mine Mink

This episode premiered on March 18th, 1985. The lead in show was Scarecrow And Mrs. King and was followed by Newhart. It ran opposite Monday Night Football on ABC (Redskins 27-Cardinals 10) and a movie on NBC (The Long Hot Summer)

A woman gets into a fight with the guy she's having an affair with and sells Kate a mink coat for a dollar. Kate and Allie leave their number with the restaurant in case the mistress changes her mind. The women decide to go to a fancy restaurant for lunch, Kate buys new shoes and a bag to go with the coat. She has to drop off a proposal at an agency and the woman thinks Kate is an executive and they go to the fancy restaurant, leaving Allie at the travel office. Kate orders fish in French and the woman is impressed. Kate gets stuck with the bill at the  restaurant and asks the snooty French waiter if she can pay by credit card, he tells her, in plain English, "Cash only lady" The woman calls Kate's boss and asks her to give the travel agencies presentation. The woman who sold Kate the coat for a dollar wants it back, she lets Kate borrow it for her speech. Allie convinces Kate to wear her regular coat but she sneaks back in the house and grabs the mink. Kate blows the presentation and her boss turns up to tell her off but she keeps her job. 

Dated References

In the modern era mink coats are considered evil and other than a joke about getting paint thrown on you they wouldn't show it on a program. 

The boss of the travel agency tells Allie to stay away from the computers. This is a call back to episode 20, If She Goes I Go.

A guy claims to have seen Kate on Ted Turner's yacht in Barbados. He was the founder of CNN. He recently passed away.

Lunch at a fancy French restaurant in NYC for two cost $130. 

Allie mentions Pat Nixon, that was Richard Nixon's wife. 

Well, another five episodes down. The flashbacks to the era that was has been interesting. It really was different back in the day.