He Ain't Much, But He's Mine is the fifth episode of season 4 of Married...With Children, also the 61st overall series episode. The episode originally aired on FOX on October 8, 1989. Directed by Gerry Cohen, the episode was written by Lisa Rosenthal.
Synopsis[]
Peg thinks a new customer at the hair salon may be having an affair with Al. She soon gets jealous and acts weird.
Storyline[]
Peggy begins to suspect that Al is cheating because he seems to have a lot of different excuses for why he is coming home later than usual. Peggy meets Ginger at her beauty salon. Ginger is a young woman who admits she is sleeping around with another woman's husband and Peggy thinks it could be Al. Marcy goes to Peggy's salon and gets a new look, that Steve hates. Peggy is worried that Al is cheating on her and she is determined to get answers.
Recurring cast/Guest stars[]
Regulars[]
- Amanda Bearse as Marcy Rhoades
- David Garrison as Steve Rhoades
- Buck the Dog as Buck Bundy
Guest starring[]
- Elizabeth Keifer as Ginger
- Vernee Watson-Johnson as Renee
- Kimmy Robertson as Molly
- Brenda Lilly as Sonya
Quotes[]
- [Kelly, Peg and Bud are sitting on the couch. Peg has asked Kelly for advice on how the men she's dated cover their tracks so they don't get caught, as she is concerned that Al might cheat on her]
- Bud: Hey, Mom, do you think Dad is cheating on you?
- Peg: Of course not.
- Bud: Good. 'Cause we don't want to see you and Dad break up. We're almost like a family here. [Kelly smiles and nods] You two should stay together forever. However, if you find that you can't, may I suggest Mr. Rudnick, the butcher. He makes a nice living, we'd always have fresh meat on the table, and season tickets to the Cubs. [begins pondering] I can't say I like the sound of Bud Rudnick, but, pound for pound, he's the better father.
- Kelly: Oh, wait. Not so fast, Bud. I've been scoping out Mr. Fletcher, the dry cleaner. He's got a Porsche, Cable TV and a bad heart. [Bud shakes his head in disagreement]
- Bud: Rudnick.
- Kelly: Fletcher.
- Bud: [yelling] RUDNICK!
- Kelly: [yelling emphatically] FLETCH - ER!
- Peg: Kids! Now, your father and I love each other very much, and I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure we stay together.
- Bud: [frustrated] Then what did you get us all excited for?! Is this another one of your cruel jokes?! [gets up and leaves the room]
- Kelly: [annoyed] Yeah. What are we, just playthings for your amusement? [pauses] Oh, that reminds me. I'm late for my date.[gets up and heads out the front door]
- [Peg walks over to Al after seeing him enter the salon. She is carrying a piece of Ginger's blonde hair]
- Peg: Hi, Al. What brings you here?
- Al: Well, judging by the condition of my bowling ball, [Al lifts up a wooden handle, revealing that it is an hand axe that Peg drove into Al's bowling ball] I figured you might... figured you might be in a mood. Ah, look, honey. What the Hell. I've been thinkin'. You know, we're married. You deserve a jump every now and then. So I checked the TV Guide. There's nothin' on Saturday night. So what say we make a date somewhere between eight and eight-thirty, during "Mr. Belvedere".
- Peg: Well, maybe we could go a little longer if I were wearing this. [holds up Ginger's hair]
- Al: Well, what do I care what you're wearing? I'll just be watching the clock.
Notes[]
Title[]
- The title of this episode to the idiom "It ain't much, but it's mine", meaning that a person is happy to have something of their own, even if it is not the fanciest or biggest. In this case, Peggy implying that she is happy to have Al as her husband even if he isn't the most fit or loving husband.
- It may also be a reference to the song "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother", which was popularized in 1969 by The Hollies.
Trivia[]
- This episode beings and ends the same way: with Peg and Al asleep in bed and Peg choking Al from behind.
- Kimmy Robertson later worked with Christina Applegate on the 1991 film Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead. The film also features MWC guest star Dan Castellaneta.
- Peggy states that she knows Kelly is promiscuous and the type of girl who steals boyfriend from other girls.
- At one point, she mentions that Kelly has always been "the other woman". Earlier, in the Season 2 episode "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun (Part 1), Al had Kelly tell Steve what the guidance counselor told her that her best career choices would be "Lumber Camp Toy" or "The Other Woman".
- After Al receives a phone call, he tells Peg that Jim Bower got sick and he would have to fill in for him at the shoe store. This would imply that there is another co-worker at Gary's Shoes & Accessories for Today's Woman.
- This is confirmed later by Steve who spies on Al and stated he worked a night shift around 7 pm, while Al typically works the opening/morning shift.
- After getting frustrated and accusing Steve of lying, Marcy threatens him by not making him melon balls. It was mentioned in "He Thought He Could" that Steve's mother left specific instructions for Marcy on how to make them, as its the only way he'll eat melons. He later complains in that same episode that Marcy isn't that great at making them.
- Just as Peggy is about to cut the blonde woman's hair, someone in the audience can be clearly heard saying "Yeah, Peggy!"
- The pink jacket that Marcy wears at the Bundy residence after getting her hair done is the same one she wears during the opening credits for season 4.
- The salon that Peggy and Marcy are at would later be seen again in the season 7 episode, "Mr. Empty Pants".
- After Al tells Peggy that he can't eat because he's going out bowling, she accuses him of "making the 7-10 split with some blonde floozy", referring to a situation in bowling where the two farthest pins in back remain standing and is usually considered one of the most difficult to pick up.
- When Marcy is standing up and looking at the women at the salon, outside of the window appears to be a furniture and antique store. The store front can be seen again near the end of "Yard Sale" when Peggy talks to the bronze statue.
Cultural References[]
- At the salon, Peggy and the ladies are disgusted when talking about actor Garry Shandling and how much it would cost to sleep with him.
- At the time of the original airing of the episode, he was known for his show, It's Garry Shandling's Show, which was airing on FOX's Sunday Night lineup.
- When Peggy brings Marcy downstairs and then talks to Kelly about men who cheat, Bud can be seen reading a comic book called Rock 'n' Roll Comics. Specifically, he is reading issue #2, which focuses on metal band Metallica.
- Marcy tells Peggy that from her impromptu survey, women would rather have sex with ALF than with Al.
- ALF was an alien played by a puppet from the sitcom of the same name.
- When Marcy leaves the Bundy Residence with her new hairdo, a kid is heard yelling "Look, it's the Pope", in reference to the Mitre, a large ceremonial headdress worn by The Pope as well as bishops and abbots in Western Christianity.
- Al suggests to Peg that they have sex during Mr. Belvedere on Saturday between 8 and 8:30pm. The ABC sitcom was in its final season when this episode originally aired.
- Peggy mentions that Al's nose hairs moved to the sound of the 1953 song, "Vaya Con Dios" by Les Paul and Mary Ford.
- Steve addresses Marcy as "The sleeping Klingon that used to be my wife", which in reference to the humanoid species featured in the various Star Trek series.
- After Peggy and Marcy accuse Steve of lying and defending Al instead of spying on him, he sarcastically quips that he didn't spy on Al and went dumpster diving with an old girlfriend named Kathleen Turner, likely referring to the actress known for her deep, gritty voice.
- At the time this episode originally aired, Turner starred in the film The War of the Roses, which also featured MWC guest star Dan Castellaneta.
Locations[]
- Bundy Residence
- Clip & Curl Hair Salon
Sets[]
- Bundy Living Room / Kitchen
- Al and Peggy's Bedroom
- Hair Salon Entrance / Dryer Chairs / Styling Area
Goofs[]
- Boom mic visible: Seen in the mirror when Peggy is talking to the woman at the beauty parlor while impersonating the stylist.
- After complaining about her new hairstyle, as Peggy and Marcy start to head downstairs, the grandfather clock bounces as they walk past it, revealing that it is a hollow prop.
External Links[]
He Ain't Much, But He's Mine at the Internet Movie Database- He Ain't Much, But He's Mine on Bundyology
- He Ain't Much, But He's Mine - Transcript on albundy.net
- #63 He Ain't Much, But He's Mine - MWC Podcast on Horrorphilia
