Maybe I am showing a bit of sexism, but in this case, I couldn't help but be sympathetic to Ralph. Alice's mother is cruel and clueless and downright mean. Obviously, there is an explosion like all the others we have seen in this series, but he sat and took it for as long as he could. Alice makes little effort to defend her husband. Anyway, she leaves and he is left helpless and alone (what a pathetic character he can be). Then we begin the old switcheroo where he cuts a record apologizing to her and her mother. Unfortunately, his first effort was a spontaneous diatribe, maligning the mother-in-law, and that's the one that gets sent. Norton is in the middle of the whole thing. His intentions are good, but as with many sidekicks, he screws up. There is something sad about this episode, but it's still pretty good.
Review of A Matter of Record
