Chrissy's minister father is coming to town for a visit. Chrissy is in a bit of a panic because she hasn't told him their former roommate Eleanor has been replaced by Jack. Well, the reverend isn't going to approve of his daughter sharing an apartment with a man no matter how strictly platonic they profess it is. I mean, they could never convince even non-clerics like Mr Roper (and later, Mr Furley) there's no "hanky panky" without Jack pretending to be gay. Anyway, the solution is to pretend Jack and Janet are husband and wife and all the usual hilarity that ensues whenever the trio try to play out a ruse. Reverend Snow can handle his daughter living with a married couple, but he isn't thrilled their marriage was at city hall and not by a man of the cloth. Well, he offers to perform the ceremony himself. Eventually it all comes out and daddy is pissed and demands his little girl move back home immediately. Luckily some words by Jack convince the reverend all is well here and daddy gives his "okay" to Chrissy's current living arrangement.
What's fascinating is the view of an unmarried adult woman living on her own, working, paying her bills is still a novelty and not considered an appropriate lifestyle...Mary Tyler Moore be damned. Chrissy is seriously concerned if her father finds out about her living situation, she will have to abide by his orders to return home as if she is still a child. Now one can say "he's a minister, of course he's ultra conservative". However, this scenario played out again in season five when Janet's parents come to visit. She led them to believe she was married to Jack, otherwise she was going to be expected to come back home. In spite of all the envelope pushing sex jokes and innuendo on this show, Chrissy and Janet were still just their "daddy's little girl".
What's fascinating is the view of an unmarried adult woman living on her own, working, paying her bills is still a novelty and not considered an appropriate lifestyle...Mary Tyler Moore be damned. Chrissy is seriously concerned if her father finds out about her living situation, she will have to abide by his orders to return home as if she is still a child. Now one can say "he's a minister, of course he's ultra conservative". However, this scenario played out again in season five when Janet's parents come to visit. She led them to believe she was married to Jack, otherwise she was going to be expected to come back home. In spite of all the envelope pushing sex jokes and innuendo on this show, Chrissy and Janet were still just their "daddy's little girl".