Rhoda

- Season 4

(1977)

Rhoda receives news that her divorce is final. Frustrated by the entire situation, Rhoda needs to take it out on something. Her anger is tempered by a visit from Ida, who unexpectedly returned home a week early from her and Martin's year long travels. But the family reunion quickly goes downhill when Ida learns of the changes in both Rhoda and Brenda's lives including Brenda dating Benny, a man who seems to have no real professional future, and Rhoda having a friend like Johnny Venture. But the biggest bone of contention is Rhoda's divorce, which Ida believes Rhoda ...

With Brenda's announcement of a raise, Rhoda realises how much - or how little - she's making. Rhoda gives up her window dressing clients, and pounds the prevents, until she's about to give up. When she's about to despair, she walks into Doyle's costumes and take herself into a partnership.

There is a brown out in Rhoda and Brenda's building during a heat wave, meaning no air conditioning. If only to get into an air conditioned environment, Rhoda and Gary crash Brenda and Benny's date to go bowling. The bowling match brings out the alpha male in both Benny and Gary, each who believes he is the expert bowler among the group. As such, the two decide to go into a one-on-one bowling match with stakes on the line. Gary decides that the winner gets Brenda, as he has just come to the realization that he still has romantic feelings for her. Brenda, who ends up ...

The morning of their scheduled night out to the theater, Brenda ditches Rhoda in favor of going to watch Benny in a roller skating competition. Rhoda is a little angry at Brenda but can understand. As morning turns to afternoon, Rhoda is surprised that she can't find anyone to go to the theater with her. She is so determined not to go alone that she even asks Jack, Johnny and Carlton in succession if each would like to go with her, each who turns her down for one reason or another. As she makes up her mind not to go, Carlton convinces her that she will have a better ...

Rhoda has been run off her feet at work since it is the Halloween season. She asks Brenda is she'd like to moonlight at Doyle's temporarily as an order clerk to help them get over the Halloween rush, which Brenda gratefully declines. Ida, however, thinks she knows the perfect person for the job: herself. Ida needs the money to buy Martin a gift, and she has the time. Rhoda thinks it's a terrible idea if only because Ida and Jack hate each other. Although Ida guilts Rhoda into asking Jack for her, Rhoda doesn't. So Ida decides to ask Jack himself. Surprisingly, Jack ...

Mike Andretti is a restaurateur acquaintance of Jack's who comes into the costume shop one day to order some uniforms for the staff at the new English styled restaurant he will soon be opening. There is an immediate and mutual attraction between Mike and Rhoda. Mike can see that Rhoda likes him. Jack pushes the two of them together as he can see Rhoda's apprehension in accepting Mike's dinner date if only because this will be her first date since her divorce became official. A first date turns into a second date which turns into a third date which turns into a fourth ...

Although she wanted more with him, Rhoda has agreed to Mike Andretti's proposal that they keep their personal relationship on a casual basis, dating once every few weeks. But after the first little while under this arrangement, Rhoda seems to have settled into their routine well. The only thing she expresses her displeasure about with him is that they have had their dates at his restaurants, where he always seems to get preoccupied with work rather than with her. As such, Mike makes a suggestion that they go away together for the entire weekend. As such a date is ...

It's a snowy Friday, and having to fight the snow to get there is the least of Rhoda and Brenda's problems about their bi-weekly dinner with their parents this evening. They are finding that they have little in common with their parents, which makes these dinners less exciting than watching paint dry. At least for Brenda, she has a late date with Benny so that she has a legitimate and parent approved excuse to leave early. At dinner, Rhoda plans on telling their parents the truth about no longer wanting to have these dinners. Meanwhile, out in the Bronx, Ida and ...

Rhoda reluctantly agrees for the second time in a week to accompany Brenda to go see Johnny's lounge show. As he is available that evening, Gary decides to crash their outing as he has never seen Johnny perform before. Situations during and after Johnny's first set make Rhoda suggest to Johnny that he give it a go as a solo performer rather than rely on back-up singers as he has done up to this point in his career. But making the transition from a group to one on stage for that second set isn't as easy as Johnny or Rhoda would hope. The question becomes whether ...

It's the holiday season and Brenda has come down with the exact same illness she had this time last year: party-itis. Being a shy person, she will do anything to get out of attending her office's Christmas party. She didn't even have the nerve to return a broken dress she purchased fearing the salespeople. Even with Rhoda's advice, Brenda and Benny have a miserable time at the party. Gary and Rhoda believe that Brenda may need professional help to overcome this shyness. So Brenda joins a support group for shy people led by a Dr. Sanders. Meanwhile, Rhoda, who feels ...

Ida sets up a blind date with "Steve Miller" a former school mate of Rhoda's. Rhoda remembers him as a "good-looking Robert Redford" When Steve Miller turns out to be short and bald. Rhoda realizes he is a different Steve Miller. Even though she is disappointed, she says yes to a second date, so as not to treat him the way she was treated in high school. However, Steve Miller turns out to be hateful, smug and insulting, Rhoda tells him off with style.

While Rhoda, Jack and Ramon are dealing with an emergency at the costume shop, Brenda comes by with what she believes is an even bigger emergency having to do with Ida, who is alone as Martin is on an extended golf vacation. Brenda doesn't know what the problem is, but she knows that there is something seriously wrong with their mother, about which Brenda is able to convince Rhoda based on the evidence. Rushing off to the Bronx, they do find their mother at their parent's apartment, she being seriously depressed. The reason: she feels all alone in the world. While Ida...

Rhoda is running on an adrenaline high. She is excited that she has lots of creative and interesting work at the costume shop, so much so that she doesn't refuse new orders, even if it means not sleeping to complete the orders. As time goes on, Rhoda has no idea that she has overextended herself, both in her professional and personal commitments, until she misses deadlines or totally forgets those commitments. Even then, she doesn't realize that there is a problem as she is so focused on rectifying that specific "missed deadline" while dealing with whatever the ...

The Morgensterns' fortieth wedding anniversary is approaching. Ida implies to Brenda that she is expecting a large surprise party for the milestone, which Rhoda believes is stupid to accommodate, as it would not be a surprise. But Rhoda and Brenda devise a plan to make it a surprise, that plan which they proceed to execute. As the surprise party arrives, the fact of it being a surprise or not becomes secondary as an issue between Martin and Ida arises that has the potential to ruin the occasion. Martin has to try to make what Ida believes are amends for his actions, ...

To help Jack impress an old friend visiting from out of town, Rhoda offers to be his date for the evening. Jack spares no expense to make the evening special in his mind, the effort which Rhoda appreciates if not the actual actions. Things change once she meets Jack's friend Larry Kruger, and Larry's wife, Sharon Kruger, at the restaurant. For Rhoda, it's hate at first sight as Larry is a self-centered, egotistical male chauvinist who doesn't care who she is. Sharon is a stereotypical dumb blond who is subservient to Larry's every whim. Jack feels the only way to ...

Through a learn as you work program, Brenda is taking a night school class in bookkeeping, the tuition paid by the bank. As Rhoda does Jack's books but does them poorly - which a stingy and lazy Jack does not mind - Rhoda gets a reluctant Jack to pay for half of her $300 tuition to take the same class. While Brenda works hard and gets good grades along the way, Rhoda can't be bothered to study - she feeling sleep is more important when she isn't working long hours - which is reflected in her average grades. But Rhoda's lack of studying catches up with her by the time ...

Gary's parents have moved to Miami Beach, which Gary believes means that he can spread his proverbial wings and be the person he wants to be without especially his mother's scrutiny. But Rhoda and Brenda soon realize that Gary's mother did many if not most of his day-to-day chores, so that Gary has no idea how to do such basic tasks as shop for food, cook, or even turn on his oven. They also quickly learn that Gary really has no intention of learning how to do these things if he can find other people to do them for him, such as Rhoda and Brenda, who become but don't ...

As the costume shop is running in a deficit situation, Jack and Rhoda have to come up with ways either to save money and/or increase revenues. Rhoda believes the only way to do so is to increase business, so she suggests throwing a by invitation only open house party to bring in new customers. Jack likes the idea, but wants no part of it since he hates parties. Rhoda convinces him that he has to be at the party as the head of the company. But just before the party is about to start and as Jack and Rhoda go to the not often used bathroom at the end of the hallway to ...

Although the store has been in trouble before, Gary learns that he will truly have to close it if he doesn't get an infusion of cash quickly. Benny knows of an investor: himself, as he just came into a $9,500 inheritance, which with his own $500, is exactly the $10,000 Gary needs. Benny offers this money as a silent partner, of which Gary will split the store profits 50/50 on the upcoming one day sale. One part of this plan does not come to pass, namely the silent part, as Benny can't help but provide first his input, then second his directives, and then third his ...

Rhoda notices that a teller at the bank is being extremely nice to a fault to customers. Brenda tells her it's because the bank is holding a contest where customers vote for their favorite teller - one contest for female and another for male tellers - with the winners from each of the twenty branches competing to be the First Security Bank Girl/Guy to be featured in an advertising campaign. Rhoda also learns that Brenda has not allowed her name to be on the ballot. Brenda's family and close friends eventually learn from Brenda that if she doesn't participate, that ...

When one of Rhoda's clothes racks is left outside, a policeman ties his horse to the rack & goes in to tell Rhoda to move the rack. Outside, they find the horse chased after someone with the rack and got hit by a truck. Rhoda feels guilty.

Jack goes to Rhoda's apartment to pick up a sketch and hurts his back. He has to stay with Rhoda until he is better.

Rhoda notices that Jack is out of sorts. She finally is able to get out of him that what is bothering him is that this upcoming Sunday would have been his and his deceased wife Peggy's twenty-third wedding anniversary. While Peggy was alive, he could never remember such milestones, but now that she's dead, he can't stop thinking of them. Learning the story, Ida offers to cook dinner for Jack on Sunday, the dinner to be held at Rhoda's with Brenda and Benny also in attendance. The dinner doesn't quite come to pass as Ida, on her way to Rhoda's apartment, is mugged, her...

It's a dark and stormy night. Benny's car is stuck in the mud at the end of a dirt road. Jack, Rhoda, Ida, Brenda and Benny decide to take refuge in what looks like an abandoned, and thus "haunted" house, which they eventually learn is the now permanently closed Quincy House, the restaurant that Jack was looking for. Scared and hungry with only the few rations that Ida has in her purse, those rations which they decide to share whenever the collective decide they are so hungry that they have to eat, the group feels that they have to be smart to survive as they have no ...