Tread Perilously is a podcast in which hosts Erik Amaya and author Justin Robinson watch the “worst” episodes of popular TV shows, attempting to determine if they would continue to watch the series based on the most off-key moments.

This Week: The Mary Tyler Moore Show‘s “Son of ‘But Seriously, Folks'”

Tread Perilously‘s Women First month looks back at one of the greatest sitcoms of all time: The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Unfortunately, they do it with an episode called “Son of ‘But Seriously, Folks.'”

After quitting Chuckles the Clown and bombing out with Mary some months earlier, Wes Callison returns to take a job in the newsroom. Mary is initially thrilled as she always thought there was more to him than writing jokes, but it soon becomes clear he’s more fixated on her than bigger career horizons. Will Mary stop his increasingly creepy preoccupation with her or will it all end with comical results?

Despite loving the series overall, Erik immediately sees why this is the lowest-rated episode on IMDb. Justin finds one laugh during its runtime. The blame is put squarely at the feet of Jerry Van Dyke. Chuckles the Clown makes a surprising on-screen appearance. Justin recasts one person in Ordinary People. The prominence of the flat-fronted toupee in the 1970s gets examined. A surprising number of Marvel characters make their way to Minneapolis. The pair come to terms with the new definition of “drip,” and a Chuck Cunningham sighting gets confirmed.

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