As a somewhat irreverent tribute to the late Mr. Ritter I've decided to re-create my all-time favorite Three's Company scene. For those of you who aren't Allen, I'll provide a brief synopsis of the episode wherein the scene plays out.
Terry, nervous about working the night shift at the hospital, takes a self-defense class. She shows Jack and Janet a move that purportedly can subdue any manner of assailant, demonstrating, naturally, on Mr. Tripper himself. At some point later in the episode Mr. Furley comes frantically running into the apartment screaming "Big guy little guy! Bam bam bam!" After some attempts at calming him down the roommates figure out that there's a fight happening downstairs, and rush down to see what's the matter. Finding a large man engaged in a struggle with a smaller man, Jack flawlessly executes Terry's self-defense move on the larger man, incapacitating him long enough for the smaller man to scamper off. Unfortunately for Jack, the smaller man was a thief and the larger man is a police officer, an Jack is promptly arrested.
Placed in a holding cell full of hardened criminals, Jack calls for help after being threatened by the leader, "Big Eddie." In response the guard admonishes Jack for beating up the arresting officer, at which point the thugs in the cell start moving away from Jack toward the opposite side of the cell. The gag is that the thugs think Jack is strong/crazy enough to beat up a big burly cop, and thus are scared to death of him. Jack figures out what's going on and latches onto it, exploiting his new reputation to intimidate and make spurious demands from his cellmates. And it's fucking funny.
Just to wrap things up, Jack ultimately escapes prosecution after one of the processing officers cracks wise about Jack's diminutive size, enabling the roommates to shame the arresting officer into letting Jack go to avoid admitting that he was beaten up by little, little man. Not to be confused with an earlier episode where Jack unknowingly knocks out an undercover cop (played by James Cromwell) who mistakes Chrissy for a hooker, and avoids arrest after Mr. Roper makes a comment about Jack being a gay.
Can you say "obscure," boys and girls?
"Obscure."
Just checking.
that's the glory of online comics, my man. i can be as obscure as i damn well please and no crumb-bum syndicate is going to tell me different.
That's so weird, I had not seen an episode of Three's Comapny for years and last week I catch an episode and it happens to be this one. Finally a Holohan reference I can dig my teeth into! Nice tribute!