Maude

Edith's cousin Maude's daughter Carol is getting married, Edith brings Archie even though he and Maude can't stand each other.

A funny pilot for the "Maude" series. The first scene has Archie and Edith leaving the house for a bus trip upstate for the wedding. We find out Archie does not like to miss buses, since he also waited for a bus while Edith was in labor with Gloria! We see the loud and liberal Maude for the second time and meet her fourth husband Walter (Bill Macy, he previous played a cop in "Archie Sees A Mugging" and would continue as Walter in the "Maude" series). Carol is played by Marcia Rodd (she was in "Mike's Mysterious Son") she would be replaced in the series by the cuter and less abrasive Adrienne Barbeau. Archie is absent for most of the episode but he and Maude get in a few digs at each other. One of the funniest lines is when Archie leaves and goes to his motel, Maude remarking he will love watching TV that night since Gov. George Wallace will be on the Tonight Show! Bob Dishy plays David, the Jewish bridegroom but he and Carol get into some arguments about anti-Semitic remarks and the wedding gets called off.

This pilot is better than any "Maude" episode I can recall. The story of Maude's daughter about to be married is well done. Observant viewers will note that Marcia Rodd and Bill Macy had each appeared, as different characters, in previous AITF episodes. I think Marcia was better-looking than Adrienne Barbeau, but Adrienne had at least two other good qualities. In this episode, we hear some bigoted remarks being made-and without Archie being present. Three characters, initially denouncing Archie for his bigotry, ultimately prove themselves not entirely free of prejudice. This episode had the benefit of John Rich, one of the all-time best TV directors. Perhaps, "Maude" would have been better if Rich had directed that show.