(Re)Construction Worker Wanted: Reconsidering Joe Gerard on Rhoda

This post is part of Me-TV's Summer of Classic TV Blogathon hosted by the Classic TV Blog Association. Please visit the Classic TV Blog Association's website to view more posts in this blogathon. You can also go here to learn more about Me-TV and view its summer line-up of classic TV shows.

After the first two successful and extremely hilarious seasons of Rhoda, the writers decided that a complacent and married Rho was not in the makings for sitcom-bliss. In a December 1976 issue of TV Guide, one of Rhoda's producers, Charlotte Brown spoke about the difficulty they were having with creating storylines. She said, “Sometimes we’d sit around for days to think up a single story with some conflict that could focus on Rhoda.” This led to the third season separation storyline where Joe decides to tell Rhoda that he’s been "feeling restless" and wants the couple to live apart. At the time, David Groh, the actor who played Rhoda’s husband Joe Gerard, thought it was a great avenue to explore. In the same TV Guide article, Groh commented, “At first I thought there would be a divorce and I’d be out of the show altogether. As it is now, with just the separation, I’m getting a chance to do some real acting for a change. There were times last year when I was reduced to the role of the wife in the old situation comedies, just walking in and saying, ‘Hi, babe’.”

However, Groh’s contentment with the change in the series was short-lived. In a March 1977 interview with the Associated Press he was asked if the divorce story was a mistake. Groh replied, “Without a doubt. They’re tampering with something the public went for.” He even received letters from fans of the series who wanted to see the couple reconcile, because the separation was a “big downer.” Groh was told he was being written out because if appeared in an episode, the ratings would go down.

Rhoda had ranked in the 6th and 7th place in the Nielsen's for the first two seasons, but fell to #32 during the third season. While it bounced back a bit in the next season, the show was cancelled mid-way through their fifth year because of the horrible ratings. Losing Joe was an obvious mistake. Of course, Rhoda, the series and the character, was successful and continues to resonate with audiences because of Valerie Harper’s chaotic but pitch-perfect portrayal of the self-deprecating beauty who always felt like she landed in second place. I could watch Rhoda eat a sandwich for an hour and feel entertained (granted, her relationship with food only adds to my viewing pleasure). But the series also featured a bevvy of delightful supporting characters, Joe being one of my favorites. It doesn’t hurt that I have a pretty big crush on the actor, who embodies everything I love about 1970s machismo (also, he reminds me of my husband, whose look is also comprised of 70s finest). But aside from drooling every time he appeared on screen, David Groh made Joe charming, even when he was frustrating.

Me-TV Promo for Rhoda: 

The couple met in the very first episode, and sparks immediately flew. In one of the promos for Me-TV, Rhoda tells Joe she’s from Minneapolis and he playfully replies, “Oh yeah, I could tell from the accent.” This sets up the fun, if impulsive, courtship the couple would enjoy. Joe was all to often the straight guy, but his deadpan delivery made for some chuckle worthy moments, such as the one I just mentioned.

Joe owned the New York Wrecking Company, and often collected pieces of the buildings he tore down. He gave Billy Glass (Jack Gilford) a piece of the men’s room from the original Madison Square Garden, and once gave Rhoda bingo balls from a church he demolished. I found that small character trait to correspond perfectly with Rhoda's visual flair. They both seemed to be attracted to stuff and things (for lack of a better phrase). He lived modestly until he married Rhoda and they rented out a gorgeous apartment in Brenda’s building. He was divorced and had a young son, and his failed marriage made him antsy when it came to popping the question.

Rhoda and Joe were married in the eighth episode, which was aptly titled Rhoda's Wedding (OAD: 10/28/74) This episode was, at the time, the second most watched moment on television (surpassed only by the birth of Ricky Jr. on I Love Lucy). It was an incredible episode, probably best remembered for Rhoda running through the streets of New York in her wedding dress because Phyllis had forgotten to pick her up! The joke was repeated when Phyllis (Cloris Leachman) also neglected to pick up Mother Dexter for her wedding on Phyllis’own series.

One of the most progressive aspects of their marriage was that they were complete equals. Both were business owners (Rhoda started Windows by Rhoda at the end of season one), and the couple shared different problems but worked them out in a surprisingly mature, and sometimes perhaps in a little un-Rhoda-like fashion. Well, not so much in Mucho Macho (OAD: 9/25/1975) when the couple squared off in an adorable nerf-club match. Underneath the talks about how to make the marriage work, there were always doses of passion and humor, which of course, is totally Rhoda!

For the most part, Rhoda had settled into wedded bliss, but the show kept up with her insecurities as the couple faced various challenges. In Rhoda Meets the Ex-Wife (OAD: 9/15/1975), Rhoda handles the encounter with style and grace. Marian (Joan Van Ark looking stunning) is everything Rhoda is afraid of. It may be no mistake that Marian is close to the name Mary, as she is also uber-chic, if a lot more removed than Rhoda’s old Minneapolis BFF. Through her usual self-deprecating wit, Rhoda is able to warm Marian up a bit, but in the end, she realizes that what the ex has to offer isn’t what Joe is looking for. When Marian asks Rhoda to give Joe her best, Rhoda quips, “I’ll do better than that, I’ll give him my best!”

The tables are turned in Strained Interlude (OAD: 1/20/75) when Rhoda’s old boyfriend asks her to meet him for a date. Joe asks Rhoda if she would be uncomfortable if he met up with someone from his past and she reminds him that she is indeed uncomfortable every time he sees Marian. In this episode, both Rhoda and Joe work through these issues, and Joe is able to begin letting go of his jealousy. Rhoda, of course, continues to struggle with her insecurities and delivers a knockout monologue about the woman Joe might be with in the episode A Night with the Girls (OAD: 12/1/75). It turns out Joe was running late because of a flat tire. Oh Rhoda! We love you because we understand you. 

Yet, underneath all that vulnerability was a pretty strong marriage. In the episode The Party (OAD: 10/6/1975), the couple host a gathering. The set-up is very realistic – a bunch of people who have little in common end up at a party where nothing seems to go right. Each couple is revealed to be suffering from their own issues, but Rhoda and Joe have this chemistry that you can practically peel off the walls! The episode takes a shocking turn when Susan (Beverly Sanders), Rhoda’s old high school chum, reveals that she thinks her husband has turned her into a baby making machine. Conversely, Rhoda and Joe show off their unbridled passion for each other during a group-encounter session. To me, this is an episode that really defines Rhoda and Joe’s marriage. It feels solid and secure and sexy as hell!

However, the seeds had already been planted in the second season opener, Everything I Have is Yours, Almost (OAD: 1/27/75), where Joe reveals he has been seeking professional help because he has a hard time dealing openly with his emotions. This issue will arise in the sad separation episode from season three, simply titled The Separation (OAD 9/20/76). Joe admits that something doesn't feel right (a recurring theme throughout his run on the show) and wants to live separately. Groh only appeared in eight more episodes and the couple quietly divorced, leaving Rhoda to spend the next couple of years shooting zingers at the many new cast additions.

All these years later, and I still can’t get over the fact that Joe and Rhoda didn’t make it. In terms of reflecting the culture of the 1970s, it would be hard to deny divorce rates weren’t rising, and the series captured that. Certainly, Joe and Rhoda had a fast, whirlwind romance before jumping into marriage. But it just doesn’t sit right. In my Rhoda-luvin’ eyes, I see her romance with Joe as lovely, real and wonderful to watch. As daring as television was in the 1970s, I personally think it would have been more radical to have them work through their issues and get back together. Maybe I’m just a romantic at heart, or maybe I just see a lot of myself in Rhoda (and some of my husband in Joe) and I am blinded by their chemistry. I recently watched the Mary and Rhoda reunion movie and remember my heart breaking a little when I found out that Rhoda had a baby with another husband. Ah, what could have been.

After Rhoda, Groh starred a comedy series in 1978 with Joan Hackett called Another Day. The show was short-lived however, and Groh admits that he received mail from bitter fans who wondered why he left Rhoda! Afterwards, he continued to work steadily as a character actor. My second favorite role of his would have to be his scary turn as D.L. Brock on General Hospital from 1983 - 85. I remember thinking, "That's Joe?!?" 

Promo for Another Day: 

I haven't seen the full run of Rhoda in a very long time, but I remember enjoying the series after Joe left, although it took some adjustment. I'm thrilled that Me-TV is running Rhoda, so I can relive all the happiness and heartbreak again. Maybe Joe got tired of saying it, but every time Rhoda graces the screen I am tempted to say, "Hi, babe." 











Rhoda Trivia: Did you know that when Rhoda and Joe moved into Brenda's building in 9-E is Available (OAD: 11/11/74), they were renting from the guy who would go on to chase Harper around the desert in the creepy made for TV movie Night Terror?

I hosted a Valerie Harper Blogathon a couple of months ago. If you are interested in reading more about Harper or Rhoda please click here.

Ewing Oil: A Character All Its Own

Dallas entertained several incredible locations. The show was mostly shot in Los Angeles, but the makers of the greatest night time soap caught the awesome aura of the Ewing clan with breathtaking exteriors shots all around Texas. Although I loved Southfork, I think the building that really captured the personality of the show best was Ewing Oil. It’s menacing presence became an extension of J.R.’s cool and intimidating power. He was one of our favorite love-to-hate-villains and the steel exterior of the Renaissance Tower (located at 1201 Elm Street) was J.R. through and through.

The Renaissance Tower, located in the heart of downtown Dallas, was the tallest building when it was constructed in 1974 and now stands as the fifth tallest building in Texas and one of the largest structures in the United States. Although you saw little of the interiors aside from J.R. and Bobby’s offices and the reception area, the Tower came to represent the mega-empire that was Ewing Oil. It seemed that the company took up all 56 floors and that J.R. had a bug in every phone! That guy was on it!

Dallas re-used a lot of the exterior shots of the building, and here’s a look at some of my favorites:

The Many Cowboy Hats of Dusty Farlow

I actually prefer Dusty without the hat... or clothes!
Mmmmmm, Dusty Farlow. The man was an heir to a fortune but held the heart of a drifter. He was a bull riding thrill seeker who lived like a pauper and eventually won the heart of Mrs. Sue Ellen Ewing. Sue Ellen once admitted to Dusty that she was a snob, but he saw through her whiskey-jaundiced eyes and recognized her for the fallen angel she truly was. After he left Southfork, she found herself going to a modest cafe hoping she'd get a chance to make the cowhand buck. She got lucky too. Once their eyes met across the semi-crowded mustard colored diner, it was L-O-V-E. Sue Ellen was ready to give JR the boot, but when she learned that Dusty could give her the world - he was as rich as JR - she decided it was better to let sleeping dogs lie and went back to JR for what she thought was for good.

This is Dusty letting Sue Ellen down gently... for me! No I swear!
Then came the news report that Dusty had perished in a Cessna accident. Sue Ellen hit the bottle. She hit it hard, displaying an endless array of emotions in a way only Sue Ellen could do. Full of various wide eyed glances and honey covered smart ass remarks, the southern belle eventually decided to give herself to Clint Ogden (not as hot as Dusty, but then again, who is?!?) only to dump his ass too. Clint was pretty graceful about the whole affair, which turned out to be lucky because **drum roll please** Dusty was ALIVE! ALIVE, do you hear me, ALIVE!!! In all its Affair to Remember glory, the world learns that Dusty faked his death (thereby leaving the poor cowpoke who actually died with a family in turmoil) because he was paraplegic. Scooting around his old house with Dad, he whittled away his days stalking Mrs. Ewing to ensure that she was living life to the fullest. Finally, Dusty regained the use of his legs but was still having problems down south. You get my drift... Handsome Dusty was impotent. And Sue Ellen didn't give a rat's ass. She took off for his ranch, leaving JR in the dust(y).

That's Dusty putting in a restraining order against me!
Life seemed pretty good for Dusty and Sue Ellen but finally his ego gave way to fact that not only could he not please her in the way she deserved, he also couldn't ride around wrangling innocent cows. This got to Dusty and he hopped in the saddle (wrong one though) and found a new life riding bulls (still wrong one). Sue Ellen gracefully acknowledged that he would have to return to his drifting cowboy ways in order to sustain any kind of happiness. And with that, Dusty rode off into the sunset.

I could have cried.

Sue Ellen did and yet never smeared her makeup. How does she do it?!?

He will be mine... oh yes, he will be mine!

I Got the Jock Itch...

... the Jock Ewing itch that is!

Jock Ewing was the last of the great cowboys. Thick, silver hair fell over his face like waves and his grizzled features belied those bright blue eyes.

Yup, I'm hot for the man.



White hair? Check. Cowboy hat? Check. White suit? Check. Swooning? Check.
If the world really did have a Jock Ewing, I'd be more than happy to kick back bourbon with him and invite back to my place to prove that the Lone Star State didn't have to be so lonely after all. I would however, do my best to make him go by John Ross. Yelling out Jock in the middle of the night just ain't a ladies style...


Jock's iron fist is firmly in place
Jock and I would probably not get that far because if there's one thing this oil baron is known for is his complete indecisiveness. Constantly being pulled from Bobby to J.R., Jock was lucky if he could muster more than an "Alright," or "I see your point". He did grow a spine as the years progressed, but in the end, a lot of his anger went towards poor Sue Ellen while J.R. was laid up in the hospital with a bullet lodged next his spine. After that, Jock got a real taste for the iron fist, and he ran amok with the rivaling brothers, forcing Bobby and J.R. to compete for Ewing Oil and for Jock's love.

That's the way it goes in Texas, I guess.

To win Jock's respect, Bobby stepped down as President of the oil business and J.R. started a revolution in a small country. That sounds about right. Jock demanded the best from his kids and I guess with a Third World country blasting themselves to kingdom come how could he begrudge his eldest?


Is Jock looking at me? I think he's looking at me!
Jock also had a way with the ladies. Miss Ellie was more than aware of Jock's allure and held onto him like guitar pick at a Stones concert. When a White Hot Julie Grey came into the picture, after being dumped as J.R.'s mistress and after being uncovered as a double agent against the Ewings, Miss Ellie came out fighting. Jock had already let Julie down easy, but I guess she hadn't suffered enough.

Jock didn't do too much after that, as his days as patriarch of the Ewing dynasty began to dwindle, so did his ability to give one answer and stick with it. He was half supportive (and half belittling) of Bobby's whiny idealism and then he'd give J.R. the OK to kick a baby if it would bring more green to the Southfork Estate. And I haven't even mentioned Gary or Ray, the other sons in Jock's life. One split and the other wore slick cowboy suits and helped him... make decisions. A real Ewing, I must say.


Julie falls under Jock's spell... as he apparently belches
But back to me and Jock. I know he'd gently tell me no, give me a monologue about his love his Miss Ellie (Texas Style, of course) and probably down one more whiskey before he tipped his cowboy hat and walked off into the sunset.

This is how I like to remember him, and remember him I shall.

*This blogpost originally appeared on my old MySpace account. Apologies if you've seen it already...

Wild Horses Run Free: Lucy Ewing

And Wild horses couldn’t drag me away!

This diminutive blonde spitfire was left to her own devices at Southfork so her father could drink his way across America. I mean, that’s the dream, right? So essentially Lucy was reared under the fine tutelage of J.R. and Bobby – and ended up somewhere in between. She left an indelible mark on the other residents of Southfork (namely Ray Krebs! Ray, how could you?) as she flitted in and out of one of everything - from farm hands to a closeted gay man to an idealistic doctor (Mitch, I loved you the most) to a future quadriplegic!

Pill popping may ruin your life, but look at that hair!

Her short, now forgotten love affair with country boy Ray Krebs began when Lucy was still a high school brat and Ray was a graying farm hand (Yikes!). I know it’s Texas, but that has to be wrong, doesn’t it? The fires of passion were extinguished quickly and she and Ray became great friends. He helped through her awesome pill popping stage and usually seemed to be the only one who’d listen to her. I still wonder though, exactly how did that conversation go when she found out Ray was her half-uncle. See what I mean about sweeping it under the carpet?

Mitch was really the only guy for Lucy but his idealistic nature clashed with her meteoric rise to fame as the most popular under five feet tall model. I mean, demand! As she flirted with the world of modeling she ruined her marriage and inherited a stalker.

How unprofessional. Even kidnapped models should know how to strike a pose!

The stalker in questions was Roger and he was all kinds of a mess – but an awesome photographer, so you take the good, you take the bad… Looking back, it’s difficult to decide whether his shrine to Lucy was indeed a crazed obsession over Young Miss Dallas or if he just had a boner for his work. Who knows?

Anyway, this Roger guy totally ruined Lucy, or so we all thought. She met Mickey, a poor (and super hairy) cowpoke who was Ray’s cousin… making him some relation to Lucy, but she was used to that… Then he got in a car accident and bye bye Micky!

Even with that psychotic dash of red wine, those photos are awesome!

I won’t even go into Peter who was a half-shirt, short-short loving psychology student who bedded Sue Ellen and showed very little interest in Lucy except when he needed help. I like Peter and everything, but tube socks and half-shirts equal ill repute. I’m glad that’s settled.

I wish those were kulots so I could say Kidnapped in Kulots... Oh look, I just did!
Maybe because she was basically abandoned at Southfork that Lucy lived on the periphery of the drama. She was quick at figuring out what J.R. was scheming while she usually remained outside of his direct wrath. But like any blonde model, she was a little slow on the uptake too and often played into his hands. In the end this breathy beauty found herself in so many beds because she just longed to find her place in the world. Deep, huh?

Sue Ellen: White Hot, Cold Fish

Sue Ellen Ewing. Complicated, sophisticated, bitchy and if I get my way, drunk.

This fierce creature married into the Ewings because mommy raised her to marry for money, not love. At one point during her whirlwind courtship with J.R. she thought she'd found both, but that was before she learned that J.R. was having his way with more ladies than Norm Peterson was having his way with beer (i.e. that's a lot!)!

Pregnant and drunk, is anything more beautiful?
Sue Ellen started looking for love in all the wrong places. Namely Cliff Barnes, the Ewing's arch-nemesis. At first glance, Cliff seems suave and sincere, and although he loved his little Sue Ellen to the point of no return, he also hated the Ewing's enough that you had to wonder if his insistence on checking Sue Ellen's oil was partially in the hopes of getting even with J.R.

Then Sue Ellen ended up pregnant. Was it J.R.'s or was it Cliff's? At this point, it was a losing game either way. Thank god Sue Ellen found solace in the bottle. Now, I'm all for sipping a bit of the bubbly when I need something to go to my head besides my thoughts, but this bitch was not only drinking and driving, she was drinking, driving and pregnant.

The perfect picture of dysfunction - and glamour!
Miraculously, the baby came out normal. When I say normal, I mean he's still screwy - he's a Ewing for crissakes - and the fact that he didn't talk for about, oh, 4 seasons makes one wonder if maybe the bourbon wasn't having an effect on poor, dumb, little John Ross. And naming it John Ross was a bit ballsy to begin with. I mean, Sue Ellen still wasn't sure this kid belonged to her own husband. After some catty male fighting and sneaky hijinks, it was finally determined that John Ross was indeed a little J.R. in the making - much to Sue Ellen's chagrin.

Finally, Sue Ellen found Dusty, a cowboy who ran the rodeo circuit and who made sure his 501s hugged him in all the right places (boy, did they!). It later was revealed that Dusty was not only a cowboy but a completely loaded cowboy, which scared Sue Ellen at first because she hoped Dusty had nothing J.R. could steal. Luckily, he wasn't into money so J.R. could pose no real threat. But eventually, Dusty lost more than a bankroll... he lost his manhood! In a horrible plane accident where everyone thought Dusty had perished (another factor keeping Sue Ellen close to the bottle), it was soon revealed that he was alive but couldn't walk, or... well, you know.

I mean, you do know, right?

Geez... he couldn't have S-E-X.

I have to spell out everything!

The best of Sue Ellen's days at the Southern Cross
Anyway, this whole I-lost-my-manhood thing really put a damper on Dusty and Sue Ellen's love life (gee, really?), and he decided hitting the rodeo circuit once more might instill him with some kind of masculinity.

I should mention here that he had regained his ability to walk. Otherwise, it just sounds weird that a paralyzed man would want to ride a bull. But the thought of it is great!

Nothing gets between a woman and her man and her horrible metallic wedding dress!
Again, another lucky chance for Sue Ellen came along when Dusty's dad, Clayton decided he was the man for her. His friendship allowed her stay on the wagon, to get a place of her own and start to build some self esteem.

Then J.R. Ewing came waltzing back into her life. All smiles and talk, she once again fell for his promises in the dark. They remarried and although things looked like they might be OK, he once again couldn't keep it in his pants and Sue Ellen moved into another room in Southfork (how many rooms are in that joint?).

I kind of wish Sue Ellen would get together with Bobby. Not that I like Bobby that much (he's a whiner), but he's a step up and pretty cute. I still don't really get the whole J.R. as a sex animal thing except perhaps he's got power coming out of his, well... you know...

You do know, right? Well, I can't think of a corny euphemism right now, so you'll have to just run with it...

So now you know why Sue Ellen is all cold and hot and bothered at the same time. Unfortunately, you know she's hit bottom based on the mullet she's been sporting for the last 2 season or so.

Sue Ellen, please go back to the 70s, schtup Dusty and enjoy life!

Mullet du jour!

*This blogpost originally appeared on my old MySpace account. Apologies if you've seen it already...

The Unloved Ewing: The Ballad of J.R.

The name J.R. Ewing brings a chill down one's spine. Considered an evil sociopathic bastard who not only made his sister-in-law, Pamela, lose her first child, he also drove his wife into an schizoid frenzy and damn near lost Southfork when he mortgaged it so he could go solo on an Asian oil drilling deal.

But with true villainy comes some sympathy. No one has ever really bothered to hypothesize on why J.R. felt this overwhelming urge for attention. I present a theory: J.R. is looking for love.

Looking for love in all the wrong places...
As we all know, J.R. was the oldest sibling, the heir to Southfork and Ewing Oil no doubt, and along with that comes responsibility. His brother Gary drank his way across the country, eventually drifting to Las Vegas where he became a bartender and left his lovely wildcat daughter, Lucy, at the Southfork estate. Gary claims he had to leave because of J.R. but he certainly seemed comfortable enough to leave a young child with him! Then there's handsome, charismatic Bobby, the youngest son whose job was to globetrot around the world, wining and dining clients. Here we have J.R., briefcase in hand, pushing pencils and making millions for his family. One day, Bobby comes home with his new wife, Pamela Barnes. As we all know, Pamela's father Digger was Jock Ewing's arch nemesis, yet she is welcomed to the ranch with open arms (well, not right off the bat). while J.R. keeps plugging away at the business and his wife, Sue Ellen pines for real acceptance. And Bobby ends up with the waaaaay better office.

That's Bobby pretending to work in an office that it totally cooler.
As Jock Ewing once said "I gave him a fever for the business," one wonders how much Jock's obvious abuse comes into play. Can he and Miss Ellie be innocent bystanders in the downfall of J.R.'s moral ethics? I mean, Jock was almost murdered by a man he drove to bankruptcy so he could have his land. I'm guessing he's not the nicest guy. And what the hell kind of name is Miss Ellie anyway?!?

Jock was even cruel enough to demote J.R. at Ewing Oil after his Asian drilling scheme went through, making the family millions. Jock stepped in himself, humiliating J.R. and belittling all of the work he'd done.

Then there's Sue Ellen, white hot on the outside but a cold fish inside. She obviously married J.R. for status and prestige alone. She got more than bargained for though and it seemed the more she wanted from J.R., the more manipulative she became. It eventually led to her affair with Cliff Barnes, who may actually be the father of Sue Ellen's baby. However, she promised J.R. that he'll never know. When J.R. tried to set the record straight and prove that Cliff cared more about power than Sue Ellen, it drove Miss Texas into an alcoholic rage which almost killed her and her baby. It is here that we learn J.R. really did love Sue Ellen as he wonders where it went all wrong. J.R. even gives up the self-medicating bit as he tries to extend himself to Sue Ellen who only pushes him (and her baby) away. Well yeah, he'd end up sleeping with Sue Ellen's even hotter sister, Kristen, but for those of us who got beyond the 3rd season, we all know that J.R. pays for his indiscretions in ways he never dreamed of...

I mean, who wouldn't envy this?
What a house of cards to deal with. An alcoholic brother and wife, an abusive father and a mother who probably spent more time at meetings for the "Women of the Confederacy" than raising her children, here sits J.R., unethical but effective business man with a family more dysfunctional than the Sawney Bean clan, can you really blame him?

Go on, next time you see that 10 gallon hat, and horribly misplaced ascot, sauntering towards the Ewing Oil offices, give the man a little love!

*This blogpost originally appeared on my old MySpace account. Apologies if you've seen it already...