What makes Jack a complicated character is that he's living a double life and this episode really highlights how compromised his whole situation is. I think to really understand the show you have to understand what it's like to try to find an apartment in Los Angeles and all the compromises that come with living in this city. In this episode, Jackie is sexually harassed at worl right in front of everybody as he's trying to cook for a huge clientele that just came into this restaurant. The woman harassing him is his new boss and she makes no mystery of where she wants to put her hands. But Jack is just completely uncomfortable with it and can't focus on what he's doing. Eventually he has to talk to the woman after work and tell her that he can't be under those conditions. She fires him and he goes on a journey to find a lawyer that will represent him.
The new lawyer he finds ends up working for a boss who sexually harasses Jack too. Then at the trial the defense lawyer for Jack's boss accuses Jack of being unprofessional and unfocused at work and making up the whole harassment story. The judge then blames Jack for looking too sexy and smelling too good. Eventually at the end Don Knotts tries to make things better by telling the judge Jack is gay but Jack Cuts him off and says guilty instead.
I think Jack remembering that he has to maintain his fake gay situation at the apartment above anything else is what makes the episode both hilarious and tragic at the same time. It's a real episode where you actually see a person struggling with each of their different priorities. Do I keep this job? Do I keep this apartment? Do I keep this lifestyle? It is very uncomfortable especially in today's world and I doubt this episode could ever get made again, but you should really take your time to watch it because it is extremely poignant and one of the most daring episodes I've seen on TV especially for its time.
The new lawyer he finds ends up working for a boss who sexually harasses Jack too. Then at the trial the defense lawyer for Jack's boss accuses Jack of being unprofessional and unfocused at work and making up the whole harassment story. The judge then blames Jack for looking too sexy and smelling too good. Eventually at the end Don Knotts tries to make things better by telling the judge Jack is gay but Jack Cuts him off and says guilty instead.
I think Jack remembering that he has to maintain his fake gay situation at the apartment above anything else is what makes the episode both hilarious and tragic at the same time. It's a real episode where you actually see a person struggling with each of their different priorities. Do I keep this job? Do I keep this apartment? Do I keep this lifestyle? It is very uncomfortable especially in today's world and I doubt this episode could ever get made again, but you should really take your time to watch it because it is extremely poignant and one of the most daring episodes I've seen on TV especially for its time.
