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THE NANNY – s2e13: THE STRIKE (1994)

Congratulations to Fran Drescher, SAG-AFTRA Union President, for standing in solidarity with the WGA and for her incredible dedication to ensuring fair treatment and better working conditions for all. Never forget that Fran has always been pro-union!

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synopsis: if cousin tiffany has a million fans, then i'm one of them. if cousin tiffany has one fan, then that's me. if cousin tiffany has no fans, then i'm dead. 7/10

water you doing? let's get plumbing!

perhaps it's an unpopular opinion, but i kind of like family plumbing. while i recognize the inherent ickiness with the sexualization of two minor characters, there is a coherency and impact to the episode that i find satisfying.

but even though "the 90s were a different time" doesn't excuse the modern day weirdness in an on screen kiss between actual children, this is still the she-accidentally-sees-him-naked episode that we get! and it's a flushin' good time!

what i like most about this episode is that i find it very fundamentally "the nanny." if one was to describe what kind of show the nanny is, i think they would describe something like this ep: fran tries to solve a problem, max is skeptical that she won't just create a larger problem, fran indeed creates a larger problem, but then teaches everyone a lesson despite her blunders because she's just awesome and made of pure love. sprinkle in a pinch of delicious sexual tension and wrap it all up in a plaid vest and puffy shirt and seal with some fran fine folksiness and you've got a really solid episode template.

that's what family plumbing is to me, another episode that proves the hypothesis that these crazy kids are on to something iconic.

this bottle episode all starts innocently enough with a bad case of plumbing problems. what exactly is the problem is unclear as it seems to only be affecting the showers and sinks in the house and no one seems too worried about flushing toilets or heat.

maybe it's because i just spent five weeks without a hot water heater, but i have a hard time suspending disbelief of these ambiguous "plumbing problems" for the sake of the plot, but i digress.

because, in fact, even though the plumbing is on the fritz, maxwell still goes ahead and invites a gaggle of chorus girls over for a very bizarre and slightly rapacious interview where he is supposedly going to be able to tell if they have broadway level talent just by doing the splits in front of him.

either way -- while maxwell (and gracie) is ogling at a slew of leggy dancers in tight clothes, fran has volunteered to take responsibility for the plumbing by involving her family, naturally, and calling up her cousin irving, an elderly and lethargic plumber who may or may not be up to the task.

part of the episode's humor comes from the world-building of the greater fine-rosenberg family. if you've got a problem, there's a fine for that! or perhaps they will show up, create a larger problem, but teach everyone a greater lesson in the meantime?

and today we are introduced to the lore of several relatives including aunt ida, aunt roselyn, uncle aaron, uncle sidney, and the matchless uncle stanley, who will eventually go on to be played by fran drescher's actual father.

but who cares about those guys because enter cousin tiffany! cousin irving's sidekick-slash-chaperone who bursts onto the scene oozing with that one-of-a-kind fine family panache. she's a fine, alright!

i'm honestly all about tiffany!! arguably more stylish than fran with her perfect hair and sporty-chic look, i also think the lil actress who plays her is adorable. even while she wasn't the most technically proficient child actor i've ever seen, jackie tohn aka cousin tiffany, at the very least absolutely understood the assignment: SEND IT.

the way the kids kept having to cover their mouths to keep from laughing and ruining the scene was quite charming and, i think, saved the kissing bit from being two weird. it's hard not to laugh with them at the absurdity of it all. it's a real shame they didn't make tiffany a recurring character and have her occasionally show up to foil brighton or drive home the bite-sized fine family insanity. such a missed opportunity! and fun fact: jackie tohn does actually reappear in the series, but as a different mini version of fran fine in s4e3 the bird's nest, which is so delightfully yet frustratingly continuous that i wanna cry. tiffany, where are you in the nanny universe? come back!

but for now, tiffany's purpose is to drive home a lesson about double standards, for as maggie and fran fight mister sheffield for the teenager's right to kiss, miss fine stumbles across brighton and tiffany smooching in the shower! uh oh, how will mister sheffield react?

spoiler: he's cool with it. double standards and all. plot's gotta go somewhere and all.

meanwhile, cousin irving is proving himself to be very much part of the family by failing to fix the water problems in a hurry, and as miss fine pingpongs between emergencies, we get the big surprise of the storyline: mister sheffield and his soap on a rope, buck naked in the shower, giving miss fine an intimate peek of the family plumbing!!

even while slightly passé in today's standards, it does hit a prescient comedic beat for the episode, since once we start the will-they-won't-they ball rolling, it never, ever stops. thankfully!

and that's actually tiffany's other purpose: to get that ball a-rolling!

because wrapped up in this cliche gag is a milestone moment for the flow of max and fran's relationship. of course, there is the big, obvious "i saw you naked in the shower" power play that fran can and does use for eternity, but there is also a sudden distillation and a firm possession of thought for fran where upon seeing her boss's smokin' hot bod, she considers the tangible fuckability of him. prompted by young cousin tiffany, of all people.

thank you tiffany, for putting it plain as day while remarking on the sheffield men: "tell me you haven't had the same thoughts about his old man?"

combined with his fine gender and fit-as-fuckness, fran is finally struck with the actual real world tangibilty of it, not the "new york's most eligible widower" tangibility she started the job with, not the "i could see myself marrying for money" part of the fantasy, but the forthcoming "imagine being blind to the fact that you love someone just because they work for you" tangibility. and the "i could go to town on you" tangibility, of course.

as the faucet says to the drain, you turn me on!

it's truly an awkward place for their relationship since we've seen them two weeks ago. it got awfully chummy in the show must go on where we left them on a high note celebrating their mutual success while dressed to the nines, followed by a bunch of moments that would send anyone off kilter -- his fingers in her mouth, the "sweetheart" blunder, and just the insane, ingratiating cuteness of her in general that keeps him forever losing the battle to her whim.

and now she's effervescing her way into the upper hand by seeing his weenie. to quote mister sheffield: how annoying!

but she's adorable, he's hot. and hey! anything can happen between two consenting and caring adults. boys and girls want to kiss each other, after all, and miss fine and mister sheffield are not immune. just take the plunge, max!

laced with cheeky plumbing double entendres and doing the work to undo double standards, the moral of the story ends up being about not judging a book by it's cover, which is basically the thesis for the whole show!

slow cousin irving still gets the job done in the end. young daughter maggie is old enough to kiss. stuck-up mister sheffield has a hot body under his stuffed shirt. and kooky miss fine is always right.

and by the end of the ep, we find the narrative has rolled forward one click: their innocent flirtations have taken on a new bite of intent and the power dynamics continue to tilt in fran's favor no matter how hard max tries to keep the upper hand.

i like how this episode provides both permanent canon and allegory in the series lore. just take it from maxwell sheffield in the penultimate scene:

"welcome to the battle of the sexes, where they sneak up on you when you're most vulnerable, utterly humiliate you, and leave you trembling, exposed and naked."

sounds a little bit like the whirlwind of climbing out of your grief and falling in love with your sexy nanny to me! love leaves us all exposed and naked in the end, my british friend.

i really appreciate when things actually happen in sitcoms and i think the nanny is a good example of characters being affected by the lessons they learn and everyone being willing to grow and change. for the most part, no one is afflicted by amnesia between episodes and forgets that miss fine saw mister sheffield naked in the shower, and for some reason i find that endearing.

oh my dear readers! HERE I AM, DARLINGS -- from beyond the impromtu hiatus!

a lot has happened in the time it took me to complete this episode: my hyperfixation released it's icyhot grip on me, the nanny left hbo max, i questioned my entire existence by hovering one click away from purchasing a dvd player and entire series set, the nanny returned to max, and i found my sanity and way back to the series! honestly, the break has renewed my verve and passion for this silly little show and the magnetism of fran drescher. the wtf magic is back, baby!

therefore, i pledge to you that this project WILL continue, tho likely at an increasingly leisurely pace. and i continue to look forward to each and every upcoming episode and sharing my delight with you all. perhaps with some fun changes and evolutions in the meantime!

through it all, it's been super fun watching my notes continue to grow as new nanny lovers find and share my gifs. thanks, as always, for all the love and see you soon for (the real) episode 15, deep throat!

sewer you later!

<- maggie the model | deep throat ->

(every episode of) THE NANNY – s1e14: family plumbing

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(every episode of) THE NANNY – s1e14: family plumbing

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FRAN FINE – in Plein Sud

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THE NANNY – s1e14: family plumbing

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MISS FINE + MISTER SHEFFIELD – s1e14: family plumbing

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Oh, Mister Sheffield! You’re wearing your new soap on a rope that I gave you!

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THE NANNY – s1e14: family plumbing

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THE NANNY – s1e14: family plumbing

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You want it fast or you want it good? I want it all! You know, this grungy look is very cute on you! Go! Now!

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THE NANNY – s1e14: family plumbing

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Fun Fact: Dick Sargent replaced Dick York as ‘Darrin’ on Bewitched in season 6 when problems stemming from an old back injury forced him to leave. The show continued for two more seasons.

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No kissing. Only burping.

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🎵 Cousin Irving is on call, twenty-four hours a day 🎵

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THE NANNY – s1e14: family plumbing

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I love your episode recaps! Thank you for putting so much thought and effort into them, always a highlight of my day when I get to read one :)

anon, you are a doll!!! thank you so much for this message. knowing that people share in my delight is what keeps me going! i super appreciate it, especially since i struggled so much with this particular review! <3 <3 <3

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synopsis: madam psst comes to town but only god knows why. 2/10

ah yes, maggie the model. an underwhelming and slightly reckless first season installment of the series as it attempts sort out character motives with varying success and some moderate offense. plainly, this episode is not good, but it does offer some cute costume design, trope-y humor, and lots of cc. it does not offer decorum or cohesion, which is enough for me to consider this one an easy skip -- my advice? take the gifs and leave the rest. the episode starts off with an unpopular but potentially interesting premise: mister sheffield and 60s super model, chloe simpson, former girlfriend slash emotional tyrant, attempt to get their swerve on. 

this is one of the few, rare moments where there is no jealousy or tension between fran or max regarding a potential love interest. actually, fran is absolutely chuffed to meet chloe! and the only jealousy she feels is when miss simpson steps in between her and maggie, making it clear that fran has not self-inserted as wife yet but that she’s well on her way to complete motherly ownership over the three children. and that leaving the mansion would bum her out.

however, it seems like max's interest in chloe is less about creating meaningful tension and simply just to give him something to do this episode (and provide an obvious casting for yet another guest soap star), because the episodes lack of cohesion comes from the fact that it's their arc that just... fizzles out. the only remotely interesting tidbit that comes from this situation for me is about max's uncharacteristic excitement for madam psst -- according to niles, max once fell repeatedly for chloe, returning to her after each heartbreak like "a moth to a flame." which tells me is that max has a history of being obsessed with women... or should i say with one gal, singular, at a time. 

and as we see his crush on miss fine blossom throughout the course of the series, i think it's fair to describe his preoccupation with fran to be like "a moth to a flame." it's just his monogamous, wife-guy-to-the-core kinda style and i like this little nod to the fact that he's always been like that -- even as i am hella turned off by the creepy way he greets chloe and the rudely oblivious way he treats cc. although, thankfully, maxwell will get his by the ep's end. so moving on -- everyone wave hello to niles the yenta! whereas last episode, he could barely be bothered by max's irritation that fran was out on a date with the undertaker, in this episode he is all too excited to spill max and chloe's tea. 

we also get another confirmation of the fraternal relationship between max and niles as he bemoans their employer's infatuation with the careless super model, for it appears to have been niles who dealt with the aftermath.  this episode bit of refreshment comes -- not from the v-8 -- but from cc! actually, it's cc's jealousy of chloe simpson that propels us through the episode. we see her rudely shunned by maxwell which sends her running to fran and niles for comfort and -- gasp! -- cc and fran actually do some bonding! there is hugging and consolation! and a very conditional, lifelong friendship gets some starch. in the end, maggie is a terrible model and chloe gets distracted and peaces out, leaving two sheffields in the pits. nanny fine swoops in during the final moments to soothe and remind everyone that she is purest of heart and that’s why she gets a whole goddamn tv show for herself. and max gets his comeuppance for ditching cc to hang with chloe simpson when she ditches him just for the sake of ditching him. for his own good. or something. yay! he deserved that.  okay, now let's talk about some highlights before we get to the episode’s lowlights...  the act one "sweetheart" moment. mister sheffield accidentally mistakes his nagging nanny for his wife and it's kinda freaking adorable. the way her expression is like -- well, YOU said it! not me! -- right before the camera cuts away is everything. the act two "food in mouth" moment. despite this episode having little forward momentum, the intimacies between max and fran trot ever forward. i'm DYING to know where he learned THAT technique and if this was the first time he's done it to her. his fingers. were in. her mouth. wut. act three "desk sitting extravaganza." for some reason, miss fine coming and requesting cash-in-hand for forest green tights for gracie is one of my favorite domestic moments of the whole first season. she's so bossy and he's so abiding and it feels like such an intimate moment delivered with such little fanfare. i love it. meanwhile, not only does fran sit all over the desk, but cc does too and it's also cute. there is something about her opaque, white tights that is so endearing to me. i have lots of weird feelings about tights directed at this particular scene, don't i? act four "fran the model" moment. natural, subtle, understated... ICONIC. act six "v-8" moment. i'm obsessed with cc's outfit in this scene -- the garish purple plaid jacket with black fuzzy cuffs, paired with a poofy blouse??? i die. final act group hug. HELLO FRAN AND MAX'S FACES SQUISHED UP AGAINST EACH OTHER. HELLO MAX'S FLUSTERED LITTLE GLANCE OVER TO HER. the costumes. this ep features another show stopping assortment of costumes that i tremendously adore. fran slays in an array of red ensembles -- my particular favorite being the sequin getup from the scene where she meets chloe and the dolce and gabana jacket with the fluffy collar that she pairs with the yellow turtleneck and jeans. i could rock those. shoutout to cc and maggie's outfits too. lotsa plaid means i'm in heaven. and finally, the missteps. as we should absolutely call them out! racism. fran ruins the nice moment she, cc, and niles have in the kitchen by making a racist joke. even cc is like wtf? you’re better than that, fran. andy dick. is an abhorrent creep and predator. period.

mister sheffield. kinda sucks.  what the heck happened to the plot? what the hell was the point of chloe simpson showing up and making maggie a model? you'd think it would be to get in good with maxwell or to levy a favor, but all it does is ruins maggie's self esteem and then she just flakes on max anyway. huh??? chloe's lack of motivation and entire reason for being is shaky at best. and honestly, these things completely overshadow the small cutenesses noted above and make this one of my least favorite episodes of the entire series. i would never recommend this episode to anyone. god, i am so happy to be done with it lolol!! okayyyy! a lot has happened since my last review post... i had this three-quarters written for about two months before i finally came back to hastily finish it. it's a hasty episode, so i had to wonder why i was being to precious with the text. i hope everyone took my advice to just take the gifs and leave the rest -- including this review! in the meantime! happy 29th anniversary to the nanny! happy thanksgiving, happy holidays, and happy new year! lol! congratulations to my fran/regine costume post for continuing to blow the hell up. hello to my new followers, for continuing conversations, and thanks as always for all the love! see ya next time! <-- the show must go on | family plumbing -->

(every episode of) THE NANNY – s1e13: maggie the model