| My Fair Opponent | |
| Season 3, Episode # 22 Number (#71) in series (117 episodes) | |
| Network: | ABC-TV |
| TV series: | |
| Guest star(s) | William Wellman, Jr. Debi Storm C. Lindsay Workman Suzanne Roth |
| Production code: | 072 |
| Writer(s) | Bernie Kahn |
| Director | Hal Cooper |
| Original airdate | March 3, 1972 |
| Episode Guide | |
| Episode chronology | |
|---|---|
| « Previous "Cindy Brady, Lady" |
Next » "The Fender Benders" (Season 3 finale) |
My Fair Opponent was the 22nd episode of Season 3 of the The Brady Bunch TV series, also the 71st overall episode in the series. Written by Bernie Kahn, the episode, which was directed by Peter Baldwin, originally aired on March 3, 1972.
Synopsis
Marcia's decision to make over a "plain Jane" (as part of her candidacy for hostess of Banquet Night) is one she may live to regret.
Summary
Marcia's plain and awkward classmate Molly Webber (Debi Storm) is nominated for hostess of the school's Banquet Night as a cruel joke by other students. Marcia is angered by this, so decides to make over Molly to deflate the joke. Marcia is in a bind when a nominee drops out and Marcia becomes the other nominee. She considers dropping out herself until experiencing Molly's arrogant new behavior. Molly uses Marcia's campaign speech without acknowledging Marcia for her help, and with it, wins the contest. Molly has a change of heart and confesses.
Storyline
Marcia is upset, not for herself, but for a classmate named Molly Webber. Their classmates nominated Molly for hostess for senior banquet night, the culmination of their graduation events. The nomination was a gag since Molly is a shy, insecure, clumsy, Plain Jane of a girl who not only has no chance of winning against the most popular girl in the class, Patty Hobert, but will be humiliated through the final selection process. Mike and Carol convince Marcia that if she is so upset about it, that she should do something to help Molly. So Marcia decides to become Molly's version of Professor Henry Higgins. Marcia is able to transform Molly into a beautiful, confident and poised young woman who has a real shot of winning. Marcia even helps Molly write her speech for the selection committee.
A problem arises when Patty has to drop out of the race due to a family issue, leaving Molly to run against the first alternate: Marcia. Marcia decides to drop out of the race to allow Molly to be able to bask in her new found confidence. But Marcia soon comes to the realization that she has created a monster in ungrateful Molly, who now sees herself as unbeatable. And an extra incentive to be hostess is the fact that the new guest of honor of the banquet will be alumnus Colonel Dick Whitfield, an astronaut. So it becomes a contest between Marcia and a Marcia creation, who in some respects has the best parts of her creator.
Guest starring/Recurring cast
- William Wellman, Jr. as Colonel Dick Whitfield
- Debi Storm as Molly Weber
- C. Lindsay Workman as Mr. Watkins (as Lindsay Workman)
- Suzanne Roth as Suzanne