Written by: John McGreevey. Directed by: Charles Barton.
Unlike most episodes, this one opens away from the Davis apartment.
I like the “Knowledge is Power” engraving on Buffy and Jody’s school. I would love to know what this building really is–does anyone recognize it?
Inside the classroom, the twins are surprised to see a new face.
It’s June Lockhart! That is a surprise.
For our story’s purposes, she is Miss Evans, and she is spending a few days substituting for the twins’ regular teacher, Miss Cummings.
Things get off to an awkward start when Miss Evans tells the kids to work on spelling, and Jody stands up and heads toward the back of the classroom instead.
Not listening to his explanation, she gently orders him to sit down. At recess, he attempts to explain his actions again.
Miss Evans just wants to forget the whole thing, but Jody eventually gets out what he wants to say–it was his turn to feed the fish, and they’re probably starving by now.
Of course, Miss Evans is all, “Why didn’t you tell me?” Grrr. But when he points out that he tried to, she responds with good grace, and they go off together to feed the poor fish.
Before they go, lets take a lingering look at the world’s lamest playground–the look on the African-American boy’s face says it all about the fun to be had here.
At home that night, Bill is getting ready for another evening out. (Dinner jacket laid out, theater tickets in the pocket, dinner reservations confirmed–I need a Mr. French so badly.)
After proving to French that they are in “suitable” condition for dinner, the twins settle in for a quick chat with Bill.
Buffy wants to “talk and talk” with her uncle, but she’s stumped for conversational topics.
When Bill asks how school is going, the kids fill him in about Miss Evans.
Buffy says she prefers Miss Cummings to the substitute, but Jody argues that Miss Evans is just as good.
The next day, we see that Jody is actually quite taken with Miss Evans. On the playground, he’s paying more attention to her than his keep-away game.
This gives another boy a chance to knock Jody flat and then blame Jody for being inattentive. Brat.
Miss Evans takes a woozy-looking Jody aside to comfort him.
I bet this kind of comfort wouldn’t fly for teachers today.
The next day, Jody’s fondness for his teacher shows through again.
During the class’ drawing time, he produces this.
Just for fun, here is Buffy’s picture. As she says, “I know trees don’t look like that, but it would be nice if they did.”
Around this time, Miss Evans announces that her stint as a substitute is ending, as Miss Cumming is ready to resume her duties.
Jody couldn’t be happier.
That night, Cissy regales her family with the story of her life. She talks about her nine “attention-crowded, love-filled” years before the twins’ arrival, and the sense of “loneliness and longing” she nevertheless felt.
Yes, Uncle Bill, I agree.
Only French really seems interested in her story, which is an assignment for her English class. He says her style has echoes of Emily Bronte, or perhaps Charlotte.
I love the bemused look Bill shoots him.
Buffy is happy that at least Cissy’s story is nearing “the good part”–her own birth.
Jody is even less interested than Bill, however.
He wanders off to his room just before Cissy breaks out some old family photographs.
This is Buffy, whose older self wonders why her parents kept her if she looked like that. (Aww, Olan Mills. Who didn’t have their photo taken there?)
This is Jody.
(I wonder if these are really photos of the actors. I see more of a resemblance in the Buffy one than the Jody one.)
While they laugh over the pictures, Bill and Buffy talk about Jody’s current dazed demeanor.
When Buffy explains how much Jody likes Miss Evans, Bill naturally assumes Jody’s dealing with a schoolboy crush.
Soon, however, he learns that it is a bit more serious.
Miss Cummings calls him to a meeting in a Family Affair green teachers’ lounge.
Jody hasn’t been doing his homework or paying attention in class since Miss Evans left.
When Bill approaches Jody, the boy says that thinking about Miss Evans gives him a funny feeling–like he’s lost and can’t find his way home.
Bill asks him if he would like to see her again, and suggests that French could take Jody by Miss Evans’ apartment after school for a visit.
Jody’s thrilled, I’m sure French and Miss Evans will feel the same.
Cut to Miss Evans’ apartment, which abounds with greenery, in more ways than one.
I like her Renoir print.
When Jody arrives, he presents her with a seashell and stares at her in a creepy way.
Miss Evans hints to French the boy needs more attention at home. When French tells her Jody’s an orphan, she notes that Bill and French will have to be the ones to give him attention. (Left unsaid but implied: “Duh.”)
That night, while tucking Jody in, French attempts to provide “the kind ministrations of motherhood.” This takes the form of humming Brahms’ Lullaby.
Jody is, understandably, all “WTF?”
Declaring his attempt at nurturing a fiasco, French runs to Bill for guidance. Bill doesn’t understand the power Miss Evans has over Jody, so French suggests that he witness it with his own eyes. Bill agrees to invite the teacher over.
I bet Miss Evans is thinking about changing her phone number about now. I am impressed, at least, that Bill makes this awkward call himself instead of foisting the job on French.
When Miss Evans arrives, an excited Jody rushes to answer the door.
He also insists on taking her coat himself, which is cute.
Bill reacts to the teacher with the same glassy-eyed expression Jody gets in her presence.
He feels he’s met her somewhere before, but he can’t place it.
It’s not until Cissy comes into the room, that the mystery is finally solved.
Kathy Garver does a good job with Cissy’s reaction to Miss Evans.
Bill catches on, then, and Cissy explains the situation to Miss Evans by showing her another of those old family photos.
This is the kids’ mother.
Cissy is surprised that Jody remembers their mother at all, but Bill says he must have some memories, even if he doesn’t quite understand them.
“Now you know,” Miss Evans says. Left unsaid, but implied: “What are you going to do about it, that doesn’t involve calling me every other day?”
(Random observation: In this scene, Lockhart gets the soft-focus treatment that 40-plus females usually get on this show. It’s jarring, though, because she didn’t get it in any of her earlier scenes.)
That night, Bill has a heart-to-heart with Jody.
He starts by showing him the picture and explaining why Jody feels so strongly about Miss Evans.
He talks about how wanting something you can’t have may trick you into believing things that aren’t true. He points out that while Miss Evans is happy to be Jody’s friend, she can’t be his mother.
When Jody thinks about Miss Evans and gets a sad feeling, Bill says, remembering this photo might make him feel better. Jody suggests that he can also think about Bill and French at those times, which actually seems a lot more comforting than Bill’s idea.
This is a moving scene, like so many Jody and Bill encounters.
Also sweet: Jody looking at his mother’s picture again before he drifts off to sleep.
Commentary
This episode represents everything I love about Family Affair. Three seasons in, they are still dealing with the ramifications of the kids’ loss. I tear up at both Cissy’s reaction to Miss Evans and the Bill-Jody conversation. I like that Bill doesn’t have any easy answers to offer Jody–grief is just something to live with, day by day.
Of course, the episode does raise a question. Jody and Buffy were five when their parents died–not babies–but I can believe their memories are fading. Wouldn’t they have seen family photos around the house, though?
Guest Cast
Miss Evans: June Lockhart. Rand: Michael Barbera. Miss Cummings: Joan Vohs.
The daughter of actors Gene and Kathleen Lockhart, June Lockhart has had a long and productive career. (And she’s still alive and working–yay!) She was a child actress herself, making her stage debut at age 8 at the Metropolitan Opera and her screen debut at age 13 in A Christmas Carol. She had small roles in several memorable movies, including Sergeant York, Miss Annie Rooney, and Meet Me in St. Louis, although she is best remembered for her TV roles on Lassie and Lost in Space. She also went on to play the teacher of another motherless TV moppet–Michelle Tanner from Full House.
Embarrassing Treasures 