Moonlighting Episode Guide- Season 5

SEASON 5

# / Episode Name / Air Date / Season- Num.

55: A Womb With a View 12/6/1988 5 - 1
Writer: Glenn Gordon Caron, Charles H. Eglee
Director: Jay Daniel
Guest star: Joseph Maher (Jerome), Sagan Lewis (Dr. Weed)
An angel from above visits Baby Hayes as he waits to be born and gives him the low down on his parents and their relationship.
David: Those women are all highly trained specialists in their field. Maddie: At what? Getting the tassels to spin in opposite directions.
Critique: One of the WORST episodes of TV EVER! I want to see the writer's meeting where someone said "Let's have Maddie lose the baby and let's make it a musical!" Willis playing a baby, how did his career ever recover? Cheesy bad/good world montages, and writers who don't know what to do with a pregnancy storyline so they take an easy out. Dead baby Hayes you're not the only one who wanted to die after this one. F
Songs: Baby Love- The Supremes: Wonderful World- Louis Armstrong

56: Between a Yuk and a Hard Place 12/13/1988 5 - 2 Writer: Kerry Ehrin Director: Dennis Dugan Guest star: Cristina Raines (Joan Spring), Nicholas Cascone (Harold Swinburn), Rod McCary (Dennis Spring), Teresa Willis (Nice Blonde Girl), Paul Marin (Bald Man), Carmine Iannaccone (Dreamy-Eyed Man), Chris Weatherhead (Reserved Woman), Yvonne Farrow (Misty-Eyed Woman), Kate Murtagh (Elderly Woman) Maddie takes on several new cases in an effort to bury her sorrow, including one where a woman is convinced that her husband is still in love with someone from his past.
Maddie: Are you sure you can beat this guy? Do balls ball? Is Minnesota fat?
Critique: Willis and Shepherd are just going through the motions on this one. C
Songs: Lee Dorsey- Working In a Coal Mine
5th Dimension- Up, Up and Away
Beach Boys- Little Honda
The Trashmen- Bird is the Word 3 (Balloon)
57: The Color of Maddie 12/20/1988 88003 5 - 3
Writer: Barbara Hall
Director: Artie Mandelberg
Guest star: Karen Landry (Nora Cooper), Graham Beckel (Maximillian Petrovsky), Alan McRae (Charlie), Drew Pillsbury (Eddie), Gene Hartline (Biker)
Maddie and David struggle to find a new footing for their relationship while working on a case for a woman whose husband of one week returns after a ten year absence.
Maddie: Are you sure you can beat this guy? Do balls ball? Is Minnesota fat?
Critique: They've gotten back into the formulaic Moonlighting but the stories aren't as good as a couple seasons ago when the formula worked. C-
Songs: Honkey Tonk Woman- not sung by the original artist (Rolling Stones): Magic Carpet Ride- not sung by the original artist (Steppenwolf)
4 (Bikes)
58: Plastic Fantastic Lovers 1/10/1989 88007 5 - 4 Writer: Jerry Stahl Director: Allan Arkush Guest star: Michelle Johnson (Michelle Hunziger), Andrew Robinson (Leslie Hunziger), Nicholas Pryor (Dr. Simon Brill), Jennifer Tilly (Nurse Saundra), Monty Bane (Butler), Stanley DeSantis (Desk Clerk) Maddie and David are hired by a disfigured man who has become a recluse and needs the detectives' help in proving that a plastic surgeon wantonly caused his disfiguration. Maddie: Can you imagine the unnecessary surgery he would have tried to push on me. David: I betcha 5 bucks it would have involved an emergency radical pantyectomy, he'd have you prepped for surgery lickedy split.
Critique: This one was working (except for the motormouth disfigured man, I think that may have been Burt under there) until that lame chase. Please tell me they weren't throwing silicone implants and fake noses. B-
Songs: Plastic Fantastic Lovers- Jefferson Airplane
10 (plastic surgery office)
59: Shirts and Skins 1/17/1989 5 - 5
Writer: Roger Director
Director: Artie Mandelberg
Guest star: Joan Pringle (Martha Tracy), Jayne Atkinson (Robin Fuller), Lora Staley (Ann Pines), Jeff Rochlin (Mr. Plusky), Jerry Hauck (Gary Coombs), Melissa Weber (Arlene)
The office divides along gender lines when Maddie takes on a case for a woman who shot her boss for sabotaging her career when she refused his sexual advances.
Maddie: I thought you were gone for the evening. David: You don't think the writers would let you snoop around in my office with out me catching you do you?
Critique: Moonlighting, welcome back, I missed you. Good story, intergrading of the whole office crew. Except the final joke doesn't work, what's in the contract that makes him smile? Is it a no money buyout or low money or some kind of innuendo from Maddie? A
(various)
60: Take My Wife, For Example 2/7/1989 88004 5 - 6 Writer: James Kramer Director: Dennis Dugan Guest star: Jane Hallaren (Lydia Kraft), Lawrence Pressman (Nathan Kraft), John C. Moskoff (Nathan's Attorney), James Staley (Priest), Thomas Murphy (Judge), Samantha Knight (Saleslady), Philip Persons (Salesman), David Kristin (Waiter), Robert Kim (Doctor), Paunita Nichols (Nurse), Steve Jones (Bailiff), Colleen Dewhurst (Betty Russell) A ruthless divorce lawyer comes to Blue Moon for help in reconciling a couple she helped split up, and Maddie tries to buy David a present.
Maddie: I always wanted a string of pearls. David: Yeah you'd look great in a pearl necklace.
Critique: Great funny stuff and the Yugo is genius. A
Songs: Miracles- Shop Around
(David)2 (Yugo grave)
61: I See England, I See France, I See Maddie's Netherworld 2/14/1989 88008 5 - 7
Writer: Chris Ruppenthal
Director: Paul Krasny
Guest star: Phil Simms (II) (Unknown), Kipper Kids (Graveyard Creatures), Gloria Cromwell (Landlady)
Dave and Maddie keep company with a popular corpse and visit a graveyard when a man seeking a bodyguard drops dead in their office.
Maddie: The client is dead. David: We can't always get the best actors for these smaller roles. Madie: No I mean dead, really dead.
Critique: "Weekend At Bernies" came out the same year this aired, big year for dead guy humor. They finally master how to make the goofy stuff come off as goofy fun instead of lame. Also shows you don't need a final chase to tie up the end, no one really cares about the case, it's all about Maddie and David's journey to solve it. B

62: Those Lips, Those Lies 4/2/1989 88009 5 - 8 Writer: James Kramer, Chris Ruppenthal Director: Dennis Dugan Guest star: Charles Rocket (Richie Addison), Rita Wilson (Carla McCabe), Michael Speero (Benny Largo), Lisa Stahl (Model) Maddie is sympathetic while David is skeptical when his brother shows up asking for help tracking down his fiancée's former partner, who has absconded with all their company assets. Agnes: I'm sorry I don't know what I was doing. Mr. Vilola from the looks of it
Critique: The ending guy time music montage is a little forced but "Richie" is always a good time. B-
Songs: Elvis- Girls, Girls, Girls: James Brown- Sex Machine (Get On Up)
Flamingos- I Only Have Eyes For You: Shirelles- It's In His Kiss
Classic IV- Traces: Percy Sledge- Take Time to Know Her
(8 mentions)
63: Perfetc 4/9/1989 5 - 9 Writer: Chris Ruppenthal, James Kramer, Jerry Stahl Director: Gerald Perry Finnerman Story: Jeff Reno, Ron Osborn Guest star: Tim Thomerson (Brock Ash), Bill Erwin (Duncan Kennedy), Lee Bryant (Ms. Van Breegle), David Ruprecht (Unknown), Jay Ingram (Lt. Fontana), Leonard R. Garner Jr. (Reporter #1), Julie Bennett (Woman), Dore Keller (Producer), Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa (Artist) Maddie resists, but David plunges ahead when a dying burglar asks for their help in proving he committed the perfect crime 25 years earlier.
Burt: Ellen Dunbar, Newsweek, I'm a big fan. Woman: Nice to meet you Ellen.
Critique: Yawn! Although Maddie teamed up with Burt actually works better than David and Burt.
(8 mentions)9 (Art Tank)
64: When Girls Collide (1) 4/16/1989 88010 5 - 10
Writer: Merrill Markoe
Director: Dennis Dugan
Story: Charles H. Eglee, Merrill Markoe
Guest star: Virginia Madsen (Lorraine Anne "Annie" Charnock), Ron Vernan (Seymour Sapperman), Beverly Sanders (Adelaide Sapperman), Demi Moore (Woman in Elevator), Francis Coady (Man in Restaurant), Granville Ames (Man in Elevator), Jay Goldenberg (Waiter)
David goes beyond the call of duty to help entertain Maddie's cousin Annie, just when Maddie realizes she may finally be completely over David.
Annie: It doesn't bother you that I'm married? David: No, it does not, maybe I'm just an old fashioned guy.
Critique: Eek! It's Annie! Run! Just when you thought the show was turning a corner, Hurricane Annie strikes. C+
Songs: Roxy Music- Avalon: Temptations- Just My Imagination; Smokey Robinson-Second that Emotion

65: In 'N Outlaws     4/23/1989     5 - 11 Writer: Marc Abraham Director: Christopher T. Welch Guest star: Val Avery (Mr. Viola), Eddie Mekka (Guido Viola), Susan French (Nonni), Patti Deutsch (Secretary), John Capodice (Sal Viola), Ford Rainey (Judge), Jonathan Hole (Chip), Fritzi Burr (Lenora Viola), Charlie Holliday (Hennessey), Victoria Perry (Jury Woman #2), Anne Bellamy (Jury Woman #3), Clinton Allmon (Jury Man #1), Richmond Harrison (Jury Man #2), Dwight Wheaton-Werle (Coroner), Ronald L. Colby (Foreman), Debra Christofferson (Francesca), Joel Simon (Jury Man #3), Connie Fredericks (Jury Woman #1) Burt pouts and frantically tries to solve the crime when Agnes is forced to miss his family reunion because she won't vote to convict a man of murdering his partner / lover. Critique:  This is the most watchable of all the non-Maddie and David shows. Burt is not totally over the top, his side story is good as well as the almost watchable court case.    B-

66: Eine Kleine Nacht Murder (2) 4/30/1989 88011 5 - 12 Writer: Barbara Hall Director: Jay Daniel Guest star: Virginia Madsen (Lorraine Anne "Annie" Charnock), Joseph Hacker (Det. Mick Donegan), Ray Wise (Murderer), Barbara Tarbuck (Maddie's Classmate), Richard Camphius (Gordon), Paul Mendoza (Desk Sergeant), Marcia Burrs (Cooking Teacher), Zack Phifer (Waiter), Andrew Reilly (Desk Clerk), William Jack Phillips (Delivery Boy), Kendall McCarthy (Cop) David and Maddie continue to feud over his relationship with her married cousin Annie. Meanwhile Maddie is under police protection after witnessing a crime.
Critique: Maddie had her obnoxious episodes now it's David's turn to be an ass. That's actually a pretty scary garage chase since they didn't cheese it up. Unfortunately this one is a snooze. C (2 mentions)
67: Lunar Eclipse 5/14/1989 88012 5 - 13 Writer: Ron Clark Director: Dennis Dugan Guest star: Virginia Madsen (Lorraine Anne "Annie" Charnock), James Stephens (Mark Charnock), Mark L. Taylor (Walter Whitebread), George D. Wallace (Father), Dennis Dugan (Cy), Timothy Leary (Wynn Deaupayne), Fred E. Baker (Sargeant), Frank Noon (Workman), Jack Boyle (Man in Mall), Jamie Taylor (Jamie), Jonathan Ames (Office Staff), Kristine Kauffman (Office Staff), Dan Fitzpatrick (Office Staff), Joe Gritasi (Kapatkin) Dave breaks it off with Annie when her husband comes to California, everyone attends the wedding of Burt and Agnes, and the agency closes its doors for a final time as everyone tries to figure out why it all had to end.
Agnes: If there's a God in heaven he'll spin Herbert and me off in our own series.
Critique: Yay! Walter's back! (as Cy) Trying to tie up the show in this series finale, is an obvious rush job. It leaves things more up in the air than if the show had just ended with Annie leaving and the agency still open and solving cases. Closing the agency just leaves a lack of closure with the audience wondering where everyone eventually ended up. Unless you go with their version of characters just dying once they have no more scenes, which is even worse. C
Songs: Ray Charles- We'll Be Together Again
(7 mentions)

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