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Family Affair Season 2 Episode 5

The Other Cheek

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8.2

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Episode Summary

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AIRED: 10/9/67

A girl picks on Jody, who doesn't dare hit her back.

Fan Episode Reviews (2)

Disturbing, but necessary to see.

9.2

By tvking1, Oct 07, 2007

TV sitcoms are a good form of escapism, but sometimes they prove very instructional. And that requires a dose of painful reality. Such is the case with "The Other Cheek". In it Jody is being bullied at school by a girl bigger than he is. Uncle Bill told him, after a fight with Buffy, that it's never okay to hit a girl (how he would have have fared against a girl as big as the bully is another matter). Cissy goes with Jody to see this girl and tell her to leave Jody alone, but the girl's creepy mother comes along and tells Cissy to get lost. Right away you can see one contributing factor to the girl's behavior. Uncle Bill goes with Jody to see her father, Mr. Michaels, who looks, sounds, and acts like the stereotypical Irish dockworker. He is utterly hostile, another indication of how she turned out so mean. Uncle Bill and Jody return home, where he tells Jody to try to make friends with her. She responds by blackmailing Jody into giving her money, i.e., tribute, i.e., extortion. Realizing that appeasement is not the answer, Bill goes once again to see Mr. Michaels. After faking sympathy, Michaels slugs Bill, but a second, unsuccessful attempt to do so brings reciprocation, and down goes Michaels. The girl is now very accomodating. Most likely, Mr. Michaels, fearful of another thrashing from Bill, tells her to lay off. Michaels was evidently a bully as a youth, and never grew out of it. It is disturbing that so many bullies learn their ways from their parents, either because they too were bullies, or because they just don't care, and become hostile when others try to intervene.

The moral: it is desirable and right to make peace, but not when the other party will have no part of it. It takes two to make peace, but only one to make war. Reason doesn't work when the other party won't listen.moreless
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Uncle Bill tells Jody he can never hit a girl. Then Jody is bullied at school by a girl much larger than himself. After she hits him (twice) Jody does not hit her back. Then she blackmails him so Uncle Bill intervenes.moreless

9.8

By myscoutster, Apr 09, 2007

What I liked about this episode is that you get to see the other tough side of Uncle Bill. When Jody and Uncle Bill first go to see the girl's father, Uncle Bill realizes that the girl is a bully because her father is a bully. There is actually a reference to wife abuse in this episode which is glossed over. I guess in the 60's wife abuse was considered normal. After Jody is blackmailed into bringing the girl money every day in exchange for not getting hit Uncle Bill decides he needs to approach the father on his level. I like the way Uncle Bill stands up to the father. I was shocked when the father pretends to be reasonable with Bill and then unexpectadly hits him. Of course Bill comes back at him with a punch which throws the man across the room. Of course Bill's main concern is the example he is setting for the children. They set him straight at the end. It's okay to hit someone if they hit you first.moreless
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