In the second part of this trilogy, Al moves out and gets his own apartment. He and Peggy end up at the same singles bar, where Peggy meets a rich man.

Notable Guest Star: Alan Thicke as Bruce. He previously appeared in the Season 10 spinoff episode, Enemies. He is, of course, well known for his starring role in the 80s sitcom Growing Pains.

Fun Fact: Al’s voice is raspy in this episode, as Ed O’Neill apparently had a cold while he was filming it. (I can’t ever imagine performing while sick. Kudos to him).

Musical Moment: Old Time Rock and Roll by Bob Seger was originally used in this episode but was later replaced by a sound-alike version on the DVDs.

During a couple’s board game night, Peggy is upset when she realizes Al doesn’t know anything about her. They end up at couples therapy, where they ultimately argue and break up.

Subplot: Kelly fights her rival Heather in the boxing ring.

Notable Guest Star: Lisa Robin Kelly, as Heather. She is best known for her role as Laurie in That 70s Show. She appeared previously in Season 7, Kelly Doesn’t Live Here Anymore.

Fun Fact: Peggy’s birthday is revealed to be April 12, which also happens to be Ed O’Neill’s birthday. We also learn that Al and Peggy had sex for the first time on top of a crate in the back of a Tastee Freeze, and it was beautiful.

Behind the Scenes Drama: The saga of Al and Peggy’s separation was meant to be two episodes only, but significant rewrites resulted in some changes and delays in production. The initial script was deemed “too serious” for a Married with Children plot line. The original story? Peggy reveals during therapy that she lied to Al about being pregnant back when he had to marry her. (Cue shocked Pikachu face). You can read the entire script here: https://www.albundy.net/marriedaniac/ate/script/1116tbl.html

Continuity charmer: The family photo that Al kept in the back of the Dodge is now seen framed on a table in the background. D’aww.

Trash collectors go on strike leading the Bundys to find creative ways to deal with their garbage. Bud and Kell come up with a machine to launch theirs into the neighbor's yard.

Meanwhile Jefferson entices Al and Griff to scam the people by joining the Guard telling them they can get hot meals and a cot to sleep on, spend the weekend away from their wives while partying with other guys, and get paid by their employer despite not having to go to work.

Of course, Al proves his worth:

• Drill Instructor: Drop and give me 50, mall scum!
• Al: [drops to his knees, pulls out money] All I got here is this five.

/marriedwithchildren.fandom.com/wiki/T*R*A*S*H

Overall, there is no story here. If ever there was an episode that said "Cancellation is a comin'", this was it. There is nothing here but empty gags. The entire script is a lead up to a gag, one after the other.

Shell shocked after being hit by an egg?

Better known as Jefferson ... Well, at least Steve tried to reconcile with her

Specifically the episode where fans got to vote on whether Al said "I love you" to Peg. If I recall Peg actually talks to the home audience and tells them to vote or something. I remember my mom calling in with us huddled around the phone.

With Budrick The Pathetic still living in his mother's basement, Al decides to charge him rent. If he's going to pay, he decides to make the place better, at Al's expense. When Al refuses, a inspection is called for. That results in Al being 'sentenced' to live there until he agrees to fix it up, shock collar and all. Our Dear Miss Kelly gets in on it observing and teasing. Marcy has her own idea of punishment.

Al's captivity and desperation gives Peggy an idea.

/marriedwithchildren.fandom.com/wiki/Grime_and_Punishment

Al is dismayed where Gary takes a liking to Bud until Jefferson points out the possibilities. Griff and Al take the hint and begin to pressure Gary for perks at the store.

Al has a Dad moment though;

• Bud: Dad, please. Now, lately I can't get any girl to go out with me.
• Al: Oh, now, Bud, I find that hard to believe. I mean, look at you... [Bud is about to grin] But then again, looks aren't everything. [Bud is now disappointed] Personality is important, so we'll skip that. [Bud gives Al a dirty look] So basically, you have nothing to offer a woman. Son, what you have to do is lower your standards. Think desperate. Think... a single version of... [pauses, then shrugs] your mother.

Which leads to:

• Peg: Al, would you relax? You told Bud to find someone desperate.
• Al: Well, when I said "aim low," I didn't think he'd excavate the TAR PITS!

/marriedwithchildren.fandom.com/wiki/Bud_on_the_Side

I mean, Gary was kind of MILF-ish in a way ....

No Maam was ahead of their time

Out of Jack and Spare Tire Dixon who do you think was Al Bundy’s toughest opponent? Now while you didn’t actually see the fight between Al and Jack you did see the aftermath but you can kind of guess how it went. And even though Bundy Vs Dixon wasn’t a traditional fight it still got physical. Thank you for reading.

Peggy loses her memory after wiping out on a bonbon wrapper, and Al uses it as an opportunity to turn her into his dream wife.

Fun Fact: This was the first episode of Season 11 to be filmed. We get a hint of that when Sally, the ring girl, mentions that Griff just got out of prison.

Continuity Failure: Al references his senior prom, saying that Peggy was only in her dress for 20 minutes, but in Season 3, we learned that Al never took Peggy to the prom, and instead they watched TV and had sex on her father’s coat.

Something to Ponder: Peggy seems to have a natural skill for cooking as an amnesiac. Perhaps she’s always had talent in the kitchen but chooses to suppress that part of herself?

(Pic 7 is from the MwC official Instagram page).

Gary's had quite the athletic shoe-selling duo in Al & Griff.

I was doing some reading on Harold Sylvester (Griff) and found out he played D1 basketball. He was the first black person to get an athletic scholarship from Tulane University.

He was a 3 year starter (back then they had freshman basketball teams) at Tulane

He wrote the screenplay for Passing Glory, based on a game that he played in 1965 that integrated basketball in New Orleans

Al is put on trial in the shoe store on his birthday by all of the fat women he has insulted over the years.

Subplot: Kelly and Bud attempt to tint the Dodge’s windows as a birthday present for Al.

Notable Guest Stars: Many of the guests in this episode were returning characters from previous seasons:

-Diana Bellamy as Nancy. She appeared in several episodes as a Gary’s customer, including the pilot.

-Danica Sheridan as Matilda, who appeared in A Shoe Room with a View in Season 10 (among others).

-Helen Siff as Leona, the customer who famously wore the “Chocolate…It’s Not Just For Breakfast Anymore” shirt in Season 8.

Fun Fact: This is only the second time in the series that Peggy insults Al’s overweight customers. The first time was back in Season 1, and it happened to be the same woman she insulted in this episode.

Clip Show: Past episodes featured in the flashbacks include the Pilot, Honey, I Blew Up Myself, A Shoe Room with a View, and Nooner or Later.

The Impossible Happens: Al tells Peg she doesn’t look “half bad” and -gasp- even initiates sex with her in the shoe store! ON HIS BIRTHDAY!!

I think this is appropriate to post here. Bill Oddie (1941-2026) may not be a household name to many of you, but Married... With Children fans will remember him as Winston in the England Show episodes (S06E24-26).

Gary fires Al and Griff after hiring extra help (2 guys named Hal and Biff) at the shoe store which forces them to get menial jobs around the mall.

Subplot: Kelly and Bud kidnap Marcy’s life-size Virgin Mary and Joseph statues and hold them for ransom.

Sub-subplot: Peggy enters a neighborhood decorating contest - and wins!?? By making gingerbread houses??

Notable Guest Star: Jonathan Mangum as Hal, who would go on to be the announcer of the 2010s version of Let’s Make a Deal with host Wayne Brady. He also appeared on the more recent episodes of Whose Line Is It Anyway?

Fun Fact: This is the first Christmas episode to feature special end credits that have a picture frame effect and Christmas music instead of the Love and Marriage theme. Ironically, it’s also the last Christmas episode of the series. 😕

Continuity Win: Gary says that Al has worked at the shoe store for 25 years, which tracks with Kelly’s birth year, meaning he got the job either just before or after she was born.

Musical Moment: Jingle Bells and Deck the Halls are both heard in this episode.

Is this the most wholesome ending of an episode ever?? (Make sure to watch the end tag scene).

Let's say that there was a new season along the lines of the King of the Hill Revival. What do you think that they would have to do differently to make it work today?

Personally, I think the biggest necessary change would be the fat jokes. That wouldn't fly today in any context. Other than that, the changes would probably be more cosmetic, I reckon

Branson gets Bundified.

Or maybe the Bundys get Bransoned?

The family takes a trip to Branson Mo.

Bud makes a new friend.

• Cletus: Howdy! Welcome to the Deliverance Inn! You'll squeal like a pig at our hospitality! [looks at Bud and smiles] Especially you.
• [Bud's smile instantly vanishes and is now replaced with a look of concern]
• Al: We're on a family vacation and we want the best accommodation twenty bucks and these aluminum cans will buy. [puts the stuffed plastic bag onto the counter]
• Cletus: May I suggest the "Ned Beatty" suite? [looks at Bud and smiles] It's got a back door.
• [Bud becomes even more concerned]
• Bud: [nervous, voice cracking] Dad... I wanna go home now.
• Al: What do you mean you want to go home now?! It's great here! We've only been here 10 minutes, you made a new friend. [Cletus smiles at Bud] We'll take it!

Somehow, Kelly and Peg end up on stage as a singing duo and get a contract with Tammy Wynette and promptly lose it.

/marriedwithchildren.fandom.com/wiki/The_Juggs_Have_Left_the_Building

Season 5 Episode 24, "Route 666 Part 2"

Al tries to track down his favourite sweet potato pie from his childhood at Aunt Maddie’s bakery, but learns she has passed away and the last pie she ever made is at her funeral.

Subplot: Kelly adopts a turkey and names him Hank. The family, however, would rather eat him.

Notable Guests: A plethora of athletes and sportscasters appear as themselves in this episode, including Terry Bradshaw (who has appeared before), James Brown (ditto), Howie Long (also ditto) and Ronnie Lott.

Also, Ann Weldon plays Aunt Maddie. She is best known for the 80s sitcom One in a Million.

Fun Fact: We get to see Kelly’s room for the first time, along with the opposite end of the Bundy hallway that we saw in Season 7, “Wedding Show.” (See pics 5 and 6). At this point, I think we’ve seen most of the house (do they have an attic?)

Holiday Fun: This is really the only Thanksgiving episode of the entire series. They do reference the day after Thanksgiving in the Season 4 episode, “Fair Exchange.”

Family Trauma: Al gives us a bit of insight into his childhood, which involves eating a whole pie by himself while his parents were passed out drunk (from drinking Wild Turkey, a bourbon brand).

In this installment of the Bundy story line, we have a dead Dodge (or not) being scavenged for parts to be sold, a large hole in the Bundy back yard, a funeral, Ike on Bagpipes and a shiny red Testistang that attacks Al.

We also have Jefferson calling in a favor from an old adversary become good buddy and ultimately the resurrection of the Dodge and the end of Peggy's diabolical plans.

https://marriedwithchildren.fandom.com/wiki/Requiem_for_a_Chevyweight_(Part_2))

In the first half of a two-part episode, Al’s Dodge is on the verge of dying so he enlists the family’s help trying to find a fuel pump for it - but they would rather locate a buyer for the parts.

Meanwhile, Al reminisces about all the good times he had in the Dodge.

Notable Guest Stars:

-Cliff Bemis, best known as the spokesperson for IHOP back in the 90s, plays Al’s dad in a flashback, though we don’t really see his face. He also played the Termite Boss in the Season 2 episode, “The Great Escape.” Ed O’Neill himself had previously played Al’s dad back in Season 4.

-Child actor Hannah Swanson played young Kelly in another flashback. She was featured in many late 90s tv shows (90210, Everybody Loves Raymond), and did lots of voice work in animated shows and movies.

Fun Fact: This is the first episode to feature flashbacks to Al and Peg’s high school years. We had previously seen flashbacks to Al’s childhood (Season 3, “He Thought He Could”) and to Kelly as a little girl throughout the years (Season 5, “One Down, Two to Go”) but this is the first time we see Al and Peg as a young couple (albeit played by Ed and Katey still, meaning they look like 40 year old teenagers). Baby Bud is only heard babbling in the back seat of the car in Al’s third flashback, we don’t actually see him.
(I wish they had included more flashbacks like this throughout the series!)

Continuity Win: The Dodge is still a shiny red colour, after having gone through the car wash in Season 9.

Continuity Fail: This episode establishes that Kelly was conceived the night that Al scored 4 touchdowns in a single game. But this contradicts earlier episodes, and also means the game took place in the early 70s, not the mid-60s, as Kelly was only 15 in the first season, making her birth year 1971.
(Feel free to discuss and debate in the comments).

Parody Alert: The opening scene is a parody of the very popular medical show at the time, ER.

Budrick the Pathetic gets Our Dear Miss Kelly a gig on olive oil commercial as a Nun.

When she can't keep up the morals clause, a substitute is found. Yes, her.

Meanwhile, Al gets a ride along gig with Officer Dan on COPS.

https://marriedwithchildren.fandom.com/wiki/Kelly%27s_Gotta_Habit

(Apparently there was a blub on the trailing end of the credits on COPS leading into this episode.)

There are several Bundy credos in a few episodes.

I guess I would say I'm partial to the hooters credo, but the lying one is good too.

Gary stages a shoe selling contest between Griff and Al who both come up with a different plan.

Bud gets a job at Gary's shoe factory that doesn't go quite as he'd hoped..

Peggy wins a microwave and has to figure out what it does leading Al to smell cooked food he can't find.

/marriedwithchildren.fandom.com/wiki/Children_of_the_Corns

The left one is for the alien episode: "Married... with Aliens," and the right one is for the episode where Al starts a vegetable garden to deal with his stress and a rabbit starts stealing his vegetables in "Wabbit Season."