The Mary Tyler Moore Show (TV Series) Baby Sit-Com (1972) User Reviews

Lou babysits

[Rrrobert · 7/10 · 7 August 2019]

With Phyllis and Lars away Mary babysits Bess for the weekend. When an old flame of Mary's is available for just one night Mary has Lou babysit Bess.

The Lou and Bess scenes are really good thanks to the actors involved. Lou initially doesn't know what to do with Bess though in other episodes he speaks openly about having three daughters and several grandchildren with all suggestions being they all get along just fine. Meanwhile I assumed Rhoda didn't offer to babysit as she had a cold, yet she then decides to go out on a date anyway!

Mary's date does get a bit soppy. She certainly had a few never-mentioned-before and then never-mentioned-again old flame / true-love-of-her-life types.

Lou, the Baby Sitter, and the Special Milk

[Hitchcoc · 8/10 · 5 February 2017]

Phyllis is going on some husband/wife bonding thing with her husband and talks Mary into babysitting Bess. But an old flame, an orchestra performer shows up, and so she talks Lou into taking over for her. Bess is a doll and Lou does his best (which is none too good) to keep the girl occupied. What transpires is really cute. They end up playing poker. What's interesting to me is that the character of Lou has three grown daughters, yet he seems totally uncomfortable when it comes to little kids. Anyway, Bess is so mature and willing to take the lead for the evening. Eventually, Lou, who appears to be an alcoholic (we didn't talk that way in the 70's) realizes they can bake cookies and he can drink Mary's Scotch. Just a little unsettling for current times.