Mork & Mindy (TV Series) Reflections and Regrets (1981) User Reviews

Final episode for Jay Thomas, Gina Hecht, and Jim Staahl

[kevinolzak · 10/10 · 19 October 2016]

"Reflections and Regrets" was not only the third season finale, but the final appearance from Jay Thomas (Remo), Gina Hecht (Jeanie), and Jim Staahl (Nelson Flavor), all three born the second year (Crissy Wilzak's Glenda Faye Comstock and Tom Poston's Bickley would make one episode each the fourth season). Franklin Delano Bickley is celebrating his 50th birthday, the entire gang gathered at Mindy's, the lighthearted mood giving way to Glenda's suggestion that everyone share their greatest regret with the others. Apart from Bickley, the other characters were mostly ciphers given few moments to shine (Nelson Flavor present in just six episodes this season), but on this occasion the script came together to grant the cast real camaraderie to share a piece of themselves that made each one stand out like never before. Robert Donner's Exidor drops by to report his doctor ("which doctor?" "exactly!") giving him only 41 years left to live, one reason perhaps for him to drop his defenses and proclaim his hidden love for Mindy! Only Mindy is able to avoid revealing her regret, waiting for everyone to leave before Mork learns that she regrets that her long dead mother never had a chance to meet her alien friend. Right before our astonished eyes, Mork acts out exactly what he would have said to Mrs. McConnell, concluding with the question of whether or not he loves Mindy. Had the series ended here it would have gone out on the highest note possible, the two stars sharing their most heartfelt moment together, impossible to replicate for the fourth season, which featured few, if any, such instances for audiences to remember with fondness. Everything positive about this season was shamefully undone by the next, the equivalent of network interference shoveling dirt on the grave.