This is a very good episode from late in the series. Fine performance from Frank Sutton, who's character, Sgt. Carter, is seen to excellent-advantage here. The premise is quite-clever & well-played out, with an unexpected twist at end. Perhaps some viewers would foresee it but I didn't. I imagined something else. Although I've always liked & enjoyed the entire series, the later seasons are especially good, and are now-preferable to me, as the emphasis moves away from Pyle's ineptness & naievte', to a more mature & realistic-type of character. Don't get me wrong, though--Nabors was superb as the earlier, hapless Marine, who causes nothing but headaches for his platoon-sergeant, Carter, played equally-superbly by Sutton. The writers probably realized that these types of plots & situations eventually would wear-thin on, or wear-out, audiences, amusing though they are. Over time, therefore, a subtle, more-nuanced relationship develops between Pyle & Carter, each coming to understand & appreciate the other in a kind of symbiotic-way, despite mishaps & problems still caused by Pyle. The humor-level always remained high but it was based far-less on Pyle's well-meaning but clutzy-mistakes, annoying(but endearing-to-audience) idiosyncrasies, etc. This episode also reminded me that Nabors could act quite-well, in an authentically-natural style, whereas in the very-early seasons he was an over-the-top, bumbling, rural-rube, though loveable & always well-intentioned. Much of the fun of the series, including the episode under discussion, is how Sgt. Carter often, in trying to outsmart Pyle, ends-up digging himself into a hole. In short, this series remained of consistently-high quality with some very funny situations but which only got better, more sophisticated & realistic, over its run. "Marriage, Sgt. Carter Style", I think, would have to be judged, probably, as one of the very-best episodes. It certainly is in my opinion!
3 Reviews
BEEN THERE, DONE THAT
r_mastroianni20 November 2020
Warning: Spoilers
It was a funny episode.....in 1967.
"It was deja-vu all over again," as Yogi Berra once said.
Nothing worse for a sitcom than when it has to delve into a previous episode for a plot, and not even re-write the script's pattern at all.
This same episode was done in Season 3 Episode 22, "To Re-enlist or Not to Re-enlist", February 15, 1967.
It was an all around lackluster episode performance and they decided to slightly re-write an idea that was already done before because A) it was getting near the end of the series run; B) they were probably running out of ideas for new storylines; and C) Nabors wanted to end the series after 5 seasons.
It was the same plot and same predictable outcome just going through the motions.
Great episode the first time around, boring episode this time around.
It's too bad that Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. couldn't sue Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. for plagiarism.
I realized that in each paragraph have I said the exact same thing, but it was apropos for the review for this episode.
"It was deja-vu all over again," as Yogi Berra once said.
Nothing worse for a sitcom than when it has to delve into a previous episode for a plot, and not even re-write the script's pattern at all.
This same episode was done in Season 3 Episode 22, "To Re-enlist or Not to Re-enlist", February 15, 1967.
It was an all around lackluster episode performance and they decided to slightly re-write an idea that was already done before because A) it was getting near the end of the series run; B) they were probably running out of ideas for new storylines; and C) Nabors wanted to end the series after 5 seasons.
It was the same plot and same predictable outcome just going through the motions.
Great episode the first time around, boring episode this time around.
It's too bad that Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. couldn't sue Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. for plagiarism.
I realized that in each paragraph have I said the exact same thing, but it was apropos for the review for this episode.
A Little Flat
sambase-3877315 December 2021
One of the other reviewers described this episode as being something of a rehash or rewrite of a previous episode and that's what it felt like to me. It just had too many echoes of a previous episode. Even the ending is basically the same. Sgt. Carter wants Gomer out of the Marines and so he tries to convince him that he should get married. He helps him (in a very pushy way) buy a new suit for civilian life, picks out a house for him, etc. Gomer is not happy about all this. He mopes around and talks in a really soft, sad voice.
The bright part of this episode for me is Bunny Wilson, Sgt. Carter's long time girlfriend, the one he's always trying to cheat on. She's terrific in this episode. No wonder I always had a crush on her, even when I was a little kid. She's a doll inside and out. And she plays a very key part in the outcome of this episode.
Had this not been a rehash I probably would have given it a higher rating, but because it is I'm going to give it a "5", which for me means a little below average.
The bright part of this episode for me is Bunny Wilson, Sgt. Carter's long time girlfriend, the one he's always trying to cheat on. She's terrific in this episode. No wonder I always had a crush on her, even when I was a little kid. She's a doll inside and out. And she plays a very key part in the outcome of this episode.
Had this not been a rehash I probably would have given it a higher rating, but because it is I'm going to give it a "5", which for me means a little below average.
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