The Ten Best SANFORD AND SON Episodes of Season Two (continued)
05) Episode 27: “Fred & Carol & Fred & Donna” (Aired: 12/15/72)
Fred accidentally makes two dates for the same evening, much to Lamont’s amusement.
Written by Lloyd Garver & Ken Hecht | Directed by Rick Edelstein
Installments that deal with Fred’s romantic life can be hit and miss, despite the strong potential for good comedy. While I never quite bought Lamont’s intense dislike of Fred’s most steady love interest, Donna, she’s not a favorite of mine either — simply because she’s not a big laugh-getter. She’s a prop off which others can play. Nevertheless, I do like seeing Fred charm the ladies, and in this episode he’s caught between two (giving new meaning to the term “double date”). This makes for one of the funniest and most uncomfortable evenings of Fred’s life, as both women show up for dinner. Hilarious!
06) Episode 29: “The Big Party” (Aired: 01/05/73)
Fred hosts a house party and charges admission in an attempt to raise money for bills.
Teleplay by Odie Hawkins & Aaron Ruben | Story by Odie Hawkins | Directed by Jack Shea
This episode’s calling card is that it’s the first one to guest star LaWanda Page as Aunt Esther, probably the best remembered recurring member of the ensemble, and, I must admit, my favorite comic presence on this series next to Foxx himself. Insults fly from their first scene together, and it’s just as fabulous as it can be. Meanwhile, though the premise shows originality, the episode itself isn’t on par with some of the other Season Two classics. Esther makes this episode, and it’s worth it just for her.
07) Episode 30: “A Visit From Lena Horne” (Aired: 01/12/73)
Fred spins a sob story about his son, poor crippled Lamont, in an attempt to get Lena Horne to pay him a visit.
Written by Allan Katz & Don Reo | Directed by Jack Shea
Fred meets his idol in this installment, one of the few times this series builds an episode around a guest star. While on a tour of NBC (naturally), Fred sneaks off into Lena Horne’s dressing room, where she catches him holding her powder puff. After a potential heart attack, Fred fabricates a tale about his crippled son, poor little Lamont, and how much he’d love to meet Lena. She agrees to stop by the house on her way to the airport. Will she show up? (Yes.) Is it funny? (Yes.) Is it another classic? (Yes.)
08) Episode 34: “Pops ‘n’ Pals” (Aired: 02/09/73)
Fred is jealous of Lamont’s growing friendship with Julio, the Puerto Rican.
Written by Allan Katz & Don Reo | Directed by Jack Shea
Speaking with several fans, I’ve found that many regard this episode as one of their absolute favorites. While I’ve never considered it to be among those that I would place on the highest shelf (with this season’s MVE, for instance), I must admit that this is one funny episode — with a great sequence involving Fred, Lamont, and Julio at a Mexican restaurant. Additionally, this episode is most satisfying because it’s founded on one of the series’ principle themes — the relationship between Fred and Lamont.
09) Episode 36: “Pot Luck” (Aired: 02/23/73)
Lamont buys an antique commode for cheap and intends to resell it for a large profit.
Written by Aaron Ruben | Based on a script by Ray Galton & Alan Simpson | Directed by Peter Baldwin
One of several very solidly written (and unendingly amusing) episodes from the end of the season, this minimalistic episode is (like “The Card Sharps”) adapted from a British script — a fact you probably wouldn’t notice given the strength of the comedy and the delightful crassness of the premise. Crass is the appropriate word because Lamont’s antique “commode” is, as Fred points out, just fancy talk for old-fashioned toilet. An episode built around a toilet: original, memorable, and hysterical.
10) Episode 38: “Rated X” (Aired: 03/16/73)
Fred, Lamont, and Rollo are arrested after unknowingly answering a casting call for a porno film.
Written by Ilunga Adell | Directed by Peter Baldwin
Much of this excellent episode is set outside of the house as we follow Fred, Lamont, and Rollo from the studio where they audition for a new film, which, unbeknownst to them, is a porno flick, to a prison cell, after they are all three arrested in the raid. This installment boasts probably the biggest laughs of the entire season, culminating in a genius appearance by Aunt Esther, who coms to bail the heathens out of prison. Her attempt to beat Fred with her handbag while bars stand between them never gets old. “You keep sucking on that sucker, sucker. And when I pull your chain, you bark!”
Other notable episodes that narrowly missed the list above include: “Whiplash,” in which Fred seeks damages following a fender bender, “Sanford And Son And Sister Make Three,” in which Fred thinks Lamont’s new girl is his son’s half-sister, “Lamont Goes African,” in which Lamont seeks to tap into his African roots, “Watts Side Story,” in which Fred and Mrs. Fuentes burn when Lamont dates Julio’s sister, and “Home Sweet Home For The Aged,” in which Lamont puts Fred in a retirement home. All five of these episodes are hysterical and could have easily made my list.
