There’s no more annoying theme song than the one that introduced Rhoda. It sounds like a pack of little girls screaming “La La La” to the accompaniment of bicycle bells. This nearly minute long ear wax cleaning symphony is why they created mute buttons. The first season had Rhoda (Valerie Harper) giving a little background tale about her mom. But that audio’s sliced away so we just get first season highlights with the ear bleeding theme song. The images set up how Rhoda is now married to Joe (David Groh). Her sister Brenda (The Simpsons‘ Julie Kavner) keeps her confused while her mother (Nancy Walker) frustrates her. Rhoda: Season Two has 24 episodes of her newlywed’s life in New York City.
“Kiss Your Epaulets Goodbye” makes us fear for the future of a beloved supporting character. Carlton the Doorman (Garfield‘s Lorenzo Music) is a mysterious voice on the other end of the intercom system. He’s known for coming off as a clueless drunk. This time he goes too far when he allows guys to rob Rhoda’s apartment when they pass themselves off as being from a charity’s collection crew. She leads a revolt to get Carlton fired. It’s up to Carlton’s mom (Harold and Maude‘s Ruth Gordon) to beg Rhoda to let her son come back. It’s not like he has that many career options in his life. “Rhoda Meets the Ex-Wife” pits Joe’s two spouses against each other. Doesn’t help that the ex-wife (Joan Van Ark) is a more sophisticated and blonder than Joe’s new wife. How long is Joe really going to like Rhoda? That answer is a third season spoiler. “Ida’s Doctor” has Rhoda’s mom fearing she’s on the brink of an affair with her physician. How can she resist since the man behind the stethoscope is Norman Fell (Three’s Company‘s Mr. Roper). Can the diminutive dynamo handle a husband and a boyfriend? Fell is hilarious as the doctor who can’t get enough of her.
“The Party” is a splendid disaster. The couple invites friends and business associates over to watch the evening devolve as Brenda’s boyfriend Nick Lobo (Richard Masur) hijacks the room with his accordion. As a bizarre way to salvage the fun, a couple’s therapist (Rockford Files‘ Stuart Margolin) guides the guest through a few relationship exercises. Brenda realizes Nick isn’t her ultimate man. When his wife loses it, Scoey Mitchell uses his comic touches that made him a favorite on Match Game. The nasty job situation first comes up on “Brenda’s Unemployment.” She quits her gig at the bank and discovers the sad truth of job hunting in the mid-’70s. “Somebody Down There Likes Him” has Brenda’s new roomie put the moves on Joe. “Myrna’s Story” reveals Rhoda’s window dressing business going great because Myrna has a sales pitch that goes a little too far. Rhoda doesn’t feel comfortable about this tactic. Later in the season, she’ll be regretting this action. “Love Songs of J. Nicholas Lobo” turns Brenda’s goofy boyfriend into part of Joe’s demolition crew. Nick does a better job knocking things over with his accordion. “Friends and Mothers” has Vivian Vance (I Love Lucy) move next door to Rhoda. The former Ethel Mertz mixes it up with Nancy Walker.
“Bump in the Night” instills fear into Rhoda. A burglar might be out to get her since she can ID him. “Rhoda’s Sellout” makes her decide if she can decorate a chain of tuxedo shops exactly as the owner says. While she might have her pride, she also needs to understand the final episode of the season. “Attack on Mr. Right” lets John Ritter date Brenda. “The Return of Billy Glass” puts Rhoda’s dad (Harold Gould) in a tight spot. His best friend is coming to town after decades. He hasn’t seen the guy in so long since he also wanted to marry Nancy Walker. “Let’s Call it Love” has Joe and Rhoda hide in the apartment to have time alone. But the world won’t let them. “Don’t Give Up the Office” ends the season on a sad note as Rhoda’s business flops. She could have sold out better.
Rhoda: Season Two gives strange mixed messages about her. She wants to run her business by her rules, but it fails. Could she have succeeded if she’d not cared about her integrity? The show was so successful at this point that she didn’t need to keep up her Mary Tyler Moore Show connections. She’s an independent character. Julie Kavner gets most of the messed up relationship storylines. She can’t find a man in Manhattan. Even mother gets in on the relationship messes with her near fling with Norman Fell. It’s almost like Sex and the City without a high fashion pretense. The only thing disappointing about the season is the theme song. Shame Rhoda didn’t have a pleasing introduction score as her pals back on The Mary Tyler Moore Show.
The Episodes “Kiss Your Epaulets Goodbye,” “Rhoda Meets the Ex-Wife,” “Ida’s Doctor,” “Mucho, Macho,” “The Party,” “Brenda’s Unemployment,” “With Friends Like These,” “Somebody Down There Likes Him,” “Call Me Grandma,” “Myrna’s Story,” “Love Songs of J. Nicholas Lobo,” “Friends and Mothers,” “A Night with the Girls,” “Bump in the Night,” “If You Don’t Tell Her, I Will,” “Rhoda’s Sellout,” “Attack on Mr. Right,” “If You Want to Shoot the Rapids You Have to Get Wet,” “The Return of Billy Glass,” “A Federal Case,” “The Marty Morgan Story,” “Let’s Call it Love,” “It’s Not My Fault, Is It?” and “Don’t Give Up the Office.”
The video is 1.33:1 full frame. The transfers look better than the episodes on Rhoda: Season One. The details allow you to pick through the ‘70s kitsch items in the apartments. The audio is Dolby Digital Mono. The levels will let you enjoy Nick’s accordion charms. You might want to lower the volume during the opening credits.
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Rhoda: Season Two presents what’s considered the best of the series. Rhoda is happy with her husband and work for most of the season. Her ability to have her life confused by her mom and sister keep things jumping. Enjoy these episodes without thinking about what the producers did to the show for Season Three. The episodes here appear to be uncut unlike the few syndication prints that ended up on the Season One set.
Shout! Factory presents Rhoda: Season Two. Starring: Valerie Harper, Julie Kavner, David Groh, Nancy Walker and Harold Gould. Boxset Contents: 24 Episodes on 4 DVDs. Released on DVD: March 30, 2010. Available at Amazon.com.
