That Kate Bradley--she's got her hands full raising three comely daughters all alone in the Hooterville Valley. After discreetly schooling her youngest, Betty Jo, on how to be deferential to men in the previous episode "The Ringer"--even if she might have been superior to the man before tossing away her chance to prove it--Kate now has to make her middle one, Bobbie Jo, attractive to men in "Kate's Recipe for Hot Rhubarb" because her being, you know, book-smart just might be a turn-off for a boy.
Yes, let's recall the context here. "Petticoat Junction" began life just as the 1960s, with its social, cultural, and political upheavals, were getting underway, and its grounding in Middle American attitudes and values were inherently conservative. Moreover, none of this sitcom's contemporaries were exactly forward-thinking; consider how Jeannie referred to Tony as "Master" for most of "I Dream of Jeannie" even though it seemed clear who was wearing the, er, harem pants in that relationship. And, let's face it, if trying to look more attractive isn't Trope One in almost any television program, then it's pretty darn close.
So, then, we have Billie Jo, the boy-crazy eldest sister who has no problems attracting boys, about to go on a date with Junior Hocker (Russell Horton), scrambling to find a date for Junior's pal Roger Budd (Jack Bannon), turning with desperation to Bobbie Jo, who would rather stay home and read until mom prods her to go. But Bobbie Jo's first mention of her love for Lord Byron puts Roger on his guard, and besides Billie Jo starts throwing her charm all over Roger too because, well, the girl can't help it. Call it poetic justice (ouch).
That's when Kate has to my-fair-lady her middle daughter into the charmer that her eldest is as we suspend our disbelief that Pat Woodell is not exactly chopped liver to start with. First-time series scripters Dick Wesson and Joel Kane do have something with their episode title, though: Rhubarb is an acquired taste, and as Kate explains to Bobbie Jo, sometimes you need to coat it with sugar to make it more palatable.
It certainly works its magic on the boys. Unfortunately, it has a lingering side-effect: Bobbie Jo's book-smarts gradually eroded over time. Sporting the obligatory makeover, "Kate's Recipe for Hot Rhubarb" is a serviceable story that you've seen before and will certainly see again, here and elsewhere.
Yes, let's recall the context here. "Petticoat Junction" began life just as the 1960s, with its social, cultural, and political upheavals, were getting underway, and its grounding in Middle American attitudes and values were inherently conservative. Moreover, none of this sitcom's contemporaries were exactly forward-thinking; consider how Jeannie referred to Tony as "Master" for most of "I Dream of Jeannie" even though it seemed clear who was wearing the, er, harem pants in that relationship. And, let's face it, if trying to look more attractive isn't Trope One in almost any television program, then it's pretty darn close.
So, then, we have Billie Jo, the boy-crazy eldest sister who has no problems attracting boys, about to go on a date with Junior Hocker (Russell Horton), scrambling to find a date for Junior's pal Roger Budd (Jack Bannon), turning with desperation to Bobbie Jo, who would rather stay home and read until mom prods her to go. But Bobbie Jo's first mention of her love for Lord Byron puts Roger on his guard, and besides Billie Jo starts throwing her charm all over Roger too because, well, the girl can't help it. Call it poetic justice (ouch).
That's when Kate has to my-fair-lady her middle daughter into the charmer that her eldest is as we suspend our disbelief that Pat Woodell is not exactly chopped liver to start with. First-time series scripters Dick Wesson and Joel Kane do have something with their episode title, though: Rhubarb is an acquired taste, and as Kate explains to Bobbie Jo, sometimes you need to coat it with sugar to make it more palatable.
It certainly works its magic on the boys. Unfortunately, it has a lingering side-effect: Bobbie Jo's book-smarts gradually eroded over time. Sporting the obligatory makeover, "Kate's Recipe for Hot Rhubarb" is a serviceable story that you've seen before and will certainly see again, here and elsewhere.
