Munsters: Love Locked Out

"Lily, will you pipe down while I'm trying to be sweet and apologize!"

- Herman Munster

Act 1
The Munsters sit down for breakfast and Herman wolfs down his food; an act which makes Grandpa gleam with pride. As he gets up, he tells Lily that he will be getting home late from work because they are holding an office party. He promises however, to be home no later than 6:30. Outside, Herman's co-workers wait in the drive way to take him to work. They know the party will extend well beyond 6:30 but told Herman to say that to his wife so she would agree to let him go. Herman comes out, climbs into the back of the vehicle and they drive off.

Act 2
It is later in the evening and Eddie Munster prepares to go to bed. He asks his mother where Herman is and she indicates that he is still at the party. Eddie kisses Lily and Grandpa good night and asks if Spot can sleep in his bedroom. Lily allows it, but warns him to be careful as Spot has a slight cold and she doesn't want him sneezing and setting fire to the drapes.

Soon after, the living room clock chimes the time and Lily is startled to learn how late it is getting. She is outraged that it is 9:00 and Herman has yet to return from the party. She picks up the telephone to tell him off. The party is very noisy and Herman can barely hear her. She yells at him to return home instantly, but Herman still cannot understand what she is saying. Angry, she hangs up. Herman believes that the line was cut short and resumes his revelry. Lily decides to go to bed.

As the midnight hour approaches, Herman finally returns home only to discover that he has been locked out. His key snaps inside the keyhole and he has to resort to an alternate means of egress. Walking into the living room, he finds Grandpa hanging upside down from the rafters asleep. He awakens him and asks him where Lily is. Grandpa tells her that she is upstairs. Herman, not realizing that Lily is angry with him, cannot wait to go upstairs and tell her about the party. He tries to get into the room, but it is locked. Lily is still awake, but she is fuming. She throws a potted plant at the door. Herman tries to get her to let him in, but when Lily opens the door, she shoves two pillows at him and tells him to sleep on the couch.

Herman tries to sleep, but is awakened in the middle of the night when the family cat begins licking his fingers. He is further disturbed by the sounds of a leaky faucet from the kitchen. Herman gets up to shut it off, stumbles about in the dark and runs into Lily's harp. He lights a match so he can see better, but manages to catch his pants on fire. He pats himself out, goes into the kitchen and shuts off the faucet. Unfortunately, it only begins to drip more quickly, so Herman pulls the entire hose assembly out and ties it into a knot.

Returning to the living room, Herman sees a mouse and shrieks with terror. He climbs atop the coffee table and begins shouting for help. Grandpa and Eddie run downstairs to see what is the matter. Herman tells them about the mouse. Grandpa calms him down and Eddie reassures him that they will be right upstairs if he needs anything. Herman lays back down to go to sleep and curls up with Eddie's werewolf doll, Woof-Woof.

Act 3
The following morning, Herman goes into the kitchen for breakfast. Lily is cleaning up after Eddie and Marilyn who have already eaten and Grandpa sits at the table reading a newspaper. Lily refuses to talk to him, but indicates that she has no intention of feeding Herman. Pounding his fist on the table (which causes the place settings to fly into the air), Herman demands breakfast. Lily slams down a plate containing three prune pits and leaves the room. Grandpa advises Herman not to give in. If he holds out, he says, Lily will eventually come around. Herman resigns himself to getting used to the taste of prune pits.

Three nights later, Herman is angry and tired of sleeping on the couch. He doesn't wish to wait around any longer for Lily to "come around". Grandpa advises Herman to go see a marriage counselor named Harvey Baxter.

Meanwhile, Lily expresses her frustration to Marilyn. Marilyn likewise suggests that Lily should go see a marriage counselor. Lily agrees to try, but only under the condition that Herman never learns about it. Ironically, she recommends the same counelsor that Grandpa suggested Herman should go to.

Lily is the first to meet with the counselor. She begins to tell him about Herman and addresses how the problem originated with the party. Baxter tells her to go home and apologize to Herman. He says that if she takes the first step, it will put the burden squarely on Herman's shoulders and he will realize what a loving and forgiving wife Lily is. He insists that Lily must be the first to assume the role of peacemaker. Although it seems strange to her, Lily agrees to give it a shot.

Shortly after their session, Doctor Baxter meets with Herman in his office. Upon seeing his appearance, Baxter immediately assumes that Herman has been the victim of great violence. Herman assures him that his problems are purely emotional. After listening to Herman's problems, Doctor Baxter gives him the exact same advice that he gave Lily; that he must assume the role of peacemaker and be the first to make ammends.

Herman and Lily eventually return home and they are both anxious to be the first to apologize to the other. They go back and forth trying to assert themselves as peacemaker, but this actually descends into an argument. Lily storms out of the room and Herman knows that he will likely be sleeping on the couch again. Eddie lets him borrow his Woof-Woof.

Grandpa, Marilyn and Eddie conspire to fix Herman and Lily's woes. Grandpa whips up a batch of synthetic measles, which he applies to Eddie's face. His strategy is that if Herman and Lily believe their son is sick, it will bring them back together in the light of a more serious situation. When Lily learns that Eddie is "sick", she calls for Herman. Upon seeing his son, Herman faints and falls to the floor. Lily rushes to his side and Herman awakens. The two make up with one another. From the corridor, Grandpa and Marilyn peer inside and give Eddie a wink. Their plan worked.

Act 4
The following morning, Eddie's measles are gone thanks to Grandpa's "intervention". Herman believes that his measles were psychosomatic, caused by worrying over his parents' marriage. Herman promises that there will be no more office parties for him. From now on, all of his fun is going to take place at home. He goes to the family pipe organ and begins playing Camptown Races. The rest of the family gather around him and begin singing.

Notes & Trivia

 * This episode was directed by Charles Barton, who also directed the 1948 film Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein.


 * Fred Gwynne's 6'5" plus frame was too big for the sofa and he had to lay down with his legs bent.


 * During the breakfast scene, Al Lewis is obviously trying to contain his laughter when Lily presents Herman with a plate of three prune pits.

Quotes
"Have you done everything? Have you put away your toys and brushed your fangs?"

- Lily Munster

"In the mood she's in, she's liable to tear him apart. Well, lucky I'm good at jigsaw puzzles."

- Grandpa Munster

"As husband, father and head of household I demand breakfast!"

- Herman Munster

"In that great furnace known as romance -- your pilot light has gone out."

- Grandpa Munster

"Lily, will you pipe down while I'm trying to be sweet and apologize!"

- Herman Munster