This episode strays dangerously into soap opera territory, and come on, guys-- we don't watch Mary for soap. Ted Bessell was right at home with Marlo Thomas' Ann Marie on the lightweight That Girl, but seems positively alien to the world of Mary Tyler Moore's Mary Richards.
And then there's his rather chillingly true pronouncement on being hurt-- this injects a sour, even bitter taste into what was always a sweet show. It would have been more typical to convey the point on a wise and whimsical note. Bessell's character ends up being both too light and too heavy to belong with Mary. The script didn't serve him well, and it's easy to see why he wasn't kept on as a recurring cast member.
Of course, Mary could never really be allowed to meet her match; possibly the only candidate the fans would ultimately have approved would be Dick Van Dyke-- or perhaps someone else strong and likable enough to have carried his own show.
Well, mistakes happen.
And then there's his rather chillingly true pronouncement on being hurt-- this injects a sour, even bitter taste into what was always a sweet show. It would have been more typical to convey the point on a wise and whimsical note. Bessell's character ends up being both too light and too heavy to belong with Mary. The script didn't serve him well, and it's easy to see why he wasn't kept on as a recurring cast member.
Of course, Mary could never really be allowed to meet her match; possibly the only candidate the fans would ultimately have approved would be Dick Van Dyke-- or perhaps someone else strong and likable enough to have carried his own show.
Well, mistakes happen.