The Bundys have a bowling bet against the hated Stokes family. Mrs. Stokes is played by the wonderful Deborah Harmon in this episode. Her family has a well-endowed husband, two plain twin teen boys, and a butch female daughter. Peggy wants to beat Mrs. Stokes at something. For this bowl, the loser has to dress like a trophy and take pictures with everybody in the bowling alley. The Bundys think they have it when they get Steven Rhoades as a ringer extra Bundy. They have assumed that Bud has been taking bowling lessons. When he hasn't, Kelly has a chance at being the favorite child. When Bud confides in Kelly, she imagines the pain on her mother's face at her son's disappointment. Oh sibling rivalry can be fun.
3 Reviews
Peggy Bowls Off With a Rival.
rmax30482311 September 2009
Warning: Spoilers
This is the one in which Peggy meets her high-school rival at a bowling alley. After an exchange of catty insults and an aborted hair-pulling fight, Peggy agrees to a bowl off between their two families. She herself can't bowl, nor can Kelly, but Al is an expert and Bud has been taking bowling lessons that have put his score in the 200 range -- except that he hasn't. He's spent the money on a lifetime ticket to a rock concert or something.
The bowl off takes place apace. Kelly distracts the boys in the rival family simply by bending over in her short black dress, but in fact the other family is pretty good. The loser must have her photo taken in ludicrous circumstances. Guess who loses.
The episode has one of those fantasies or memories that next-door neighbor Marcy begins casually but then becomes passionate about. Asked if she ever had a rival in school, Marcy tells Peg with evident resolution, "Barbara." The rivalry began all the way back in the third grade. When Marcy let a boy kiss her on the cheek, Barbara showed him her underpants. The humiliation went on for years. But Marcy began to look forward to meeting Barbara at their high-school reunion because she'd finished college, had a wonderful husband, drove a Mercedes, and had lost ten pounds. "Then Barbara went and died a tragic death. Poor Barbara . . . Poor Barbara . . . Her decapitation was all anyone could TALK about!" Just about all the episodes are imaginative and well written and most of the gags successful. This episode is probably above average.
But I keep wondering: how did such raunch make it past the censors on TV? And, if the series was successful, why were there myriad dull imitations?
The bowl off takes place apace. Kelly distracts the boys in the rival family simply by bending over in her short black dress, but in fact the other family is pretty good. The loser must have her photo taken in ludicrous circumstances. Guess who loses.
The episode has one of those fantasies or memories that next-door neighbor Marcy begins casually but then becomes passionate about. Asked if she ever had a rival in school, Marcy tells Peg with evident resolution, "Barbara." The rivalry began all the way back in the third grade. When Marcy let a boy kiss her on the cheek, Barbara showed him her underpants. The humiliation went on for years. But Marcy began to look forward to meeting Barbara at their high-school reunion because she'd finished college, had a wonderful husband, drove a Mercedes, and had lost ten pounds. "Then Barbara went and died a tragic death. Poor Barbara . . . Poor Barbara . . . Her decapitation was all anyone could TALK about!" Just about all the episodes are imaginative and well written and most of the gags successful. This episode is probably above average.
But I keep wondering: how did such raunch make it past the censors on TV? And, if the series was successful, why were there myriad dull imitations?
Stee-rike!!!
BA_Harrison2 September 2022
Alley of the Dolls is one of my favourite episodes of Married With Children: it's a lot of fun, delivers some great laughs, and for the first time, Kelly's hotness is brought to the fore, becoming an integral part of the plot.
Peggy and Al are at the bowling alley when they run into Peggy's old high school rival Mimi, who suggests a family bowl off, the loser having to pay a forfeit. The Bundy's accept, recruiting Steve to make up the numbers (he poses as their cousin). Bud admits to Kelly that he used the money he was given for bowling lessons to become a member of 'The Pusscat Theatre' and that he cannot bowl, but Steve gives him lessons before the competition.
The bowling scenes are hugely entertaining, with Peggy proving pretty useless, Bud doing better than Kelly expected, and Al bringing up the average, declaring 'Stee-rike!!!' every time he bowls (and wearing an electronic thumb warmer between turns). Kelly is rubbish, but she plays her part by distracting Mimi's sons with her body. Of course, being Bundys, luck isn't on their side, and Al chokes on his final turn meaning that Peggy has to pay the forfeit: dress as a trophy and pose for photos with people at the alley.
Peggy and Al are at the bowling alley when they run into Peggy's old high school rival Mimi, who suggests a family bowl off, the loser having to pay a forfeit. The Bundy's accept, recruiting Steve to make up the numbers (he poses as their cousin). Bud admits to Kelly that he used the money he was given for bowling lessons to become a member of 'The Pusscat Theatre' and that he cannot bowl, but Steve gives him lessons before the competition.
The bowling scenes are hugely entertaining, with Peggy proving pretty useless, Bud doing better than Kelly expected, and Al bringing up the average, declaring 'Stee-rike!!!' every time he bowls (and wearing an electronic thumb warmer between turns). Kelly is rubbish, but she plays her part by distracting Mimi's sons with her body. Of course, being Bundys, luck isn't on their side, and Al chokes on his final turn meaning that Peggy has to pay the forfeit: dress as a trophy and pose for photos with people at the alley.
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