IMDb summarises the three series of Peter Gunn and ascribes points out of 10 … interesting was that series one (NBC), which we’ve now seen almost all of, was mixed. They were finding their way, establishing their pattern but the notion of Edie constantly left on the shelf started wearing thin. Mother left st the end of S1 for a big part offer but she died in RL about a year later.
NBC ran series two then discontinued … it was picked up by ABC but with a different look. Wiki says that by the end of series three, the show had run its course. There were various episodes trying to jump the shark and the friendly Acapulco chief inspector was a positive but there started to appear a too self-conscious, almost oddball, almost slapstick element appearing here and there.
There were some excellent episodes in all three series and we’ve seen one recently … the money laundering in the laudromat, an 8/10 for sure. Well, there’s another today … allow me to explain why good but also a note of caution.
Edie was a problem as a character … forever demurely accepting being stood up by Gunn, so they solved it by her opening her own cafe/bar/jazz club. All right, fine … her piano player in all series actually became her forever hubby in RL, so that was nice. But he accepted Gunn osculating with her? Uh huh. I just do not see Gunn as a lover, imho.
Right, so to this episode … not only Edie but another lovely also kick back at various points. At first I thought he’d been kneed in the goolies but then realised he’d been kicked in the shin. Now I don’t know how physical your relationship with your good woman was/is but I can say … ouch, it does smart.
Thing was though, as MMutR and I discussed, we had a different society then on the whole … if a man was in company, esp. with other men around, and the lady physically lashed out (slap, thrown crockery, rolling pin, kick to the shin) … well if you did not just wear it, you were a beta, not a man … and I still go by this, maybe many men still do. People understood the context, how he’d bought that trouble, given the mores of the time. No one complained.
The exception was/is where real damage was/is intended, as against insta-reaction. In the former case, he would have no choice but to disarm her … my method was full nelson and scissor hold until she warmed to the idea, she liked that. She still kicked once released but not as badly.
It has to be emphasised that it depends on the type of relationship, if she’s feisty/sassy to start with, if they do love one another, if she feels secure with him, knows he would never get physical in anger. If it’s physical to start with, it never builds like a pressure cooker, neither would really hurt the other and she’s not being treated as a china doll.
Well this whole episode has two very physical ladies in action, grappling with Gunn … I was smiling. A good move on the part of writer/director? Debatable but it certainly livened up proceedings.