This episode is so relatable for all us kids who felt like a piece of furniture every now and then. Right?
Jan is having one of those days (or weeks!), ignored, taken for granted, and even her privacy is gone. OMG. She relates her problem to Mike and Carol, who tell the gang to be nicer to their sister --and it gets even worse.
The guys are TOO nice, treating her like she's a baby who may throw a tantrum at any moment. Jan rebels, wishing she was an only child... and be careful what you wish for! I agree with the last reviewer that Eve Plumb is quite believable here, and you really feel sorry for her. What a mess.
There's also a slight TWILIGHT ZONE-ish touch at work here, and its fun to watch, as the gang changes character any time Jan enters the scene. It's like Simon Says, Brady Bunch style.
This was the only episode directed by Roger Duchowny, who worked well with the cast. Roger was a very popular sitcom director, heading the PARTRIDGE FAMILY, DORIS DAY SHOW and later the LOVE BOAT.
According to notes, Robert Reed (behind the scenes) was also having a bummer day. He refused to do the scene with the strawberries, claiming you can't smell them when they're cooking. The script said you could. Huh? Producer Sherword Schwartz told him to do it his way, but this proved to be just the beginning of many fights between he and Schwartz, eventually resulting in him quitting at the end of the next season.
Some say he didn't like Schwartz, others say he just got tired of his role. There was a lot of ruffled feathers as the series went on.
There is a happy ending for Jan! Hooray! Wait and see.
From SEASON 4 EPISODE 8 remastered ABC/Paramount dvd box set.
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