I think an episode like this one realistically shows some people shouldn't get married. It's hard looking at Ned and Thelma and picturing them ever being happily married. Ned is truly happiest around his dog while Thelma doesn't really have a source to bring her happiness or joy. So I can imagine there's a lot of people that will watch this episode and they'll think of it from a modern point of view. 'I wouldn't put up with coming second place to a dog.' A person might not be happy in one scenario but what's the alternative? It's like I said on Fatal Figures for why the sister was acting so threatened by her brother finding a woman. Another woman in the house might mean the sister would be kicked out and she'd have to get a job to take care of herself. I can see being intimidated by that and I can see why Thelma would keep putting up with Ned's nonsense in this episode.
So let's get to it. Our episode centers on a married couple named Ned and Thelma. Ned has a Kerry Blue dog named Annie. Ned is absolutely devoted to Annie. He pays more attention to Annie than to his own wife. Ned pampers Annie beyond imagination. I won't say anything negative about that. I'm a cat person and my cats are spoiled rotten. I can honestly sympathize with Ned during certain parts of the episode but I'll also say he went completely overboard.
Anyway, Ned has to go on a business trip and when he comes back, he hears that Annie passed away. Ned's devastated. I get it. A lot of people might consider a pet to just be a pet but some of us consider our pets to be members of the family. Ned takes his grief into overdrive and he acts very ugly to Thelma. He makes wild accusations against Thelma. He claims Thelma buried Annie alive! One truly also has to have compassion towards Thelma. She's really catching it. Ned even slaps her. She tries to explain to Ned that Annie was old. She was like an old woman! Ned's not having it or listening. Ned hatches up a plan...
Ned goes off to a doctor and he's saying he's having trouble sleeping and he's just gotta get something to help him sleep. He's given medicine and he can take his idea a step further. I must admit Thelma probably should've been VERY suspicious about Ned offering to do anything special for her. The way he's been acting, why would he prepare anything for her? But I guess Thelma's so hard up that she considers that maybe her husband is turning over a new leaf and will start being kind to her. Not today. Ned has put the sleeping medicine in Thelma's drink and it's working. Ned goes back into rant mode. Maybe Thelma will see what Annie went through about being buried alive.
Ned hears a noise and goes outside. It's a Kerry Blue dog and he thinks it's Annie. He stumbles over some stuff piled up and ends up taking a face plant into concrete. Thankfully neighbors heard what was going on and that's how drugged up Thelma got help on the inside of the house.
Thelma explains she got Ned another Kerry Blue, which I honestly think was a dangerous idea imo. Just because the dog is another Kerry Blue doesn't mean the dog will have the same personality as Annie. Ned's already been slapping his wife around, who's to say he wouldn't be mean to this dog because the dog isn't Annie?
Anyway, I enjoyed the episode and would highly recommend.