The birds and Bess

First aired on Saturday, September 18th, 1971.

And the IMDb recap says that Mary agrees to explain the facts of life to Phyllis's daughter, Bess.

I cannot believe that this is what a combination of both the network and the people in charge of the Mary Tyler Moore Show, including Mary herself, decided would be the best possible season two premiere, this particular episode.

I don't get it.

I don't know why this would be considered the big sell.

I know Mary Tyler Moore was meant to be a comedy.

I assume it was meant to be a family show.

I just don't get it.

And the episode opens up first with Rhoda and Mary talking and then Phyllis coming in and looking for her pleasant and informative conversation.

That's our Phyllis, of course.

And why Phyllis needs Mary to talk to her daughter is beyond me.

Episode directed by Jay Sandrich, writers Trevor Silverman, Lorenzo Musick, Guest stars this week, Bess is listed as a guest star, Lisa Gerritsen, but I talked about her, I think, in the second podcast episode when I went through the main cast, and along with John Amos, who's playing Gordy.

And Phyllis, I noticed, is not listed as a regular cast member either, like Rhoda is.

but listed as a guest star.

But to me, Bess, Gordy, Phyllis are all regular cast members in my eyes, whether or not they were considered that or recurring guests at the time.

But I know I covered them all in episode two of the podcast.