The Kramden\u2019s friends; the Nortons (Ed and Trixie) are getting their second tv set and Alice Kramden tries buttering up her husband Ralph to get their first set.\u00a0 Ralph rants and raves about the dangers of buying \u201cluxuries\u201d as opposed to his \u201cstrategic\u201d savings plan.\u00a0 But she tells him he\u2019s just cheap.<\/p>\n
But Ed comes to Ralph to borrow money to buy the new set because he\u2019s already bought so many appliances on credit that the store has turned him down for the tv set.\u00a0 Ralph decides that if he and Ed split the cost, they can afford the set together.<\/p>\n
Ralph tricks Ed into keeping the set in Ralph\u2019s apartment and thus begins the war to control the channel.\u00a0 Ed Norton is a devotee of the kid\u2019s outer space serial \u201cCaptain Video\u201d complete with his very own space suit helmet.\u00a0 Ralph wants to watch movies and the prospect of Ed watching the inane space show drives Ralph insane.\u00a0 And they battle for days until finally Alice admits at the end that Ralph\u2019s instinct not to buy a tv was actually correct.<\/p>\n
This first episode has already in place many of the characteristics of the Honeymooners\u2019 set up.\u00a0 When we first see Alice, she is trying to unclog the kitchen sink with a plunger.\u00a0 And by the sound effects and Alice\u2019s expression we can tell things didn\u2019t go well.\u00a0 This is the status quo of the Kramden household.\u00a0 Ralph\u2019s bus driver\u2019s salary can\u2019t seem to permit Alice\u2019s dreams of a middle-class lifestyle to become reality.\u00a0 But she never gives up reminding Ralph of these shortcomings.<\/p>\n
When Trixie shows up and encourages Alice to use flattery to try and get Ralph to buy a tv set, we recognize the dynamic these two wives are always bumping up against.\u00a0 Namely, while Ed Norton is somewhat accommodating to Trixie\u2019s opinion, Ralph is vehemently opposed to any compromise on Alice\u2019s requests, especially if they cost even the smallest amount of money.\u00a0 And another characteristic of the Alice\/Ralph dynamic is that after Ralph rejects her request for anything she falls back on mocking his weight.\u00a0 And finally, the episode leans heavily on the trope that whatever joint venture Ralph and Ed embark on will result in anger, failure and embarrassment.<\/p>\n
This is a good representative of the series and has several memorable laughs during the battles between Ralph and Alice but especially between Ralph and Ed.\u00a0 And it is plain to see that no warm-up period was needed in order for the cast to hit their stride.\u00a0 The Kramdens and the Nortons are already hitting on all cylinders.<\/p>\n
Captain Video: Calling all space rangers, it\u2019s time to blast off with Captain Video and his video rangers.\u00a0 Hello out there rangers.\u00a0 This is Captain Video.\u00a0 Are you all, ready join me in our trip to outer space?<\/strong><\/p>\n Ed Norton: I am ready O Captain Video!<\/strong><\/p>\n Captain Video: Let us all put on our official Captain Video Space helmets, adjust disintegrator guns, and now we blast off for Pluto and the Moon!<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Kramden\u2019s friends; the Nortons (Ed and Trixie) are getting their second tv set and Alice Kramden tries buttering up her husband Ralph to get<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[237,4601,240],"tags":[735,734,733,731,447,38,1355,732,154,1692],"class_list":["post-29313","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-reviews","category-the-honeymooners","category-tv-reviews","tag-alice-kramden","tag-art-carney","tag-ed-norton","tag-jackie-gleason","tag-ralph-kramden","tag-review","tag-reviews","tag-the-honeymooners","tag-tv-review","tag-tv-reviews"],"yoast_head":"\n