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Alderman Harry Ashland may well be among the most notorious of Kelly's boyfriends, although he only appears in the Season 5 episode of Married... with Children titled "The Godfather", played by Lane Davies.

Description[]

Harry is a 41 year old man who is tall and shown wearing a business suit. He is shown to be rather effective at getting things done, due to his role as an Alderman.

Background[]

Harry is first mentioned when Kelly comes home early and brags about her newest boyfriend. Despite her parents wondering why she is home at 9pm, she tells them that she is in love and how he is a gentleman. While her parents scoff at the notion of love (pointing out that their marriage works because they both don't believe in love), Bud comes down and offers juicy information about Harry to his parents in exchange for money. He then reveals that Harry is 41 years old (in contrast to Kelly who is just over 18 years old at this time). Both Peg and Al are upset that a much older man would date their teenage daughter, especially when Kelly reveals that Harry calls her his "little squeeze box".

Some time later, Kelly brings Harry over to meet her parents. As Al is getting ready to beat Harry up and implies that he will dump his body into the large pothole in front of the Bundy Residence, he is able to quickly diffuse the situation. He pulls out his cell phone and makes a request to the city to fill in the hole. Al scoffs at the attempt, but almost immediately the sound of a construction crew is heard filling the hole, despite Al's previous attempts to get the city to do it.

He then reveals to the Bundys that he is an Alderman (essentially, a councilmember for the local city government), though Kelly believed Alderman was a kind of priest, (as she mentions that he told her to call him "Father"). Despite the odd looks from Al and Peg, he tries to change the subject, but Al then realizes that the 41-year-old is, according to rumor, a lock for Mayor of Chicago in the near future. Al can see the advantages of this particular son-in-law and tells Kelly to entertain him. Al takes Peggy aside and explains the benefits of being the possible "future Mayor-in-Law" and how they can basically break the law and get free donuts if Kelly marries him.

On the back of this new connection, Al builds himself into the neighborhood shot-caller, and has the inside track on the meter maid shoe contract. The contract would require Al to get 10,000 pairs of shoes for the meter maids and in exchange, be paid $25,000.

Godfather 6

The newspaper article that brought down Alderman Ashland and Al's dreams

Unfortunately, by the time Al acquires the shoes, Harry makes the front of the newspaper, but not for his political work. Instead, a large picture of him trying to hide his face while a smiling Kelly sits on his lap is shown, along with the headline "FLOOZY BRINGS DOWN GOVERNMENT. Married Alderman Caught With Teenage Bimbo.". Kelly arrives with some of the newspapers featuring her and laments that she should have seen signs that he was actually married and had a child, most notably the diapers in the station wagon and his wife calling the house, referring to Kelly as a "home wrecking little tramp". She then boasts that she found true love once again, this time, with a slacker named "Salt Water", who is around her age and is unmarried.

Although it is not stated or shown, it is can be inferred that Harry's career as an Alderman and any future as a mayoral candidate have come to an end upon the pictures being release by Bud.

Trivia[]

  • Lane Davies is probably best known for his five-year run on "Santa Barbara" as Mason Capwell, although after his MWC appearance he turned up on "Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman" as the highly popular recurring villain Tempus.
  • Davies and Christina Applegate, who played Kelly, would later reunite on Applegate's post MWC sitcom, Jesse during its first season. On that show, he played an art gallery owner that hosts an exhibit for Jesse's boyfriend.
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