Back To Index Soap - The Complete Second Season
 Barnes & Noble If anything, this groundbreaking sitcom got even more outrageous in its second season (1978-79) than it had been in its first. Soap effectively redefined the situation comedy, paving the way for a slew of shows that celebrated dysfunctional families. Initially a lightning rod for controversy, Susan Harriss soap-opera parody tackled subjects -- most of them having something to do with sex -- heretofore taboo for TV comedies. But these racy topics were presented with disarming, self-deprecating humor, masterfully conveyed in top-notch scripts performed to perfection by one of the best ensemble casts in the mediums history. In Season 2s 23 episodes, Chester Tate (Robert Mandan) finds his marriage to wife Jessica (Katherine Helmond) slowly unraveling. Meanwhile, Jessicas sister Mary (Cathryn Damon) begins to suspect husband Burt Campbell (Richard Mulligan) of having an affair, when hes actually been kidnapped by aliens, and their gay son, Jodie (Billy Crystal), has fathered a child with girlfriend Carol (Rebecca Balding). Another new arrival, born to the Tates daughter, Corinne (Diana Canova), and her ex-priest lover, seems to be demonically possessed. Trying to keep track of all the plot complications will certainly make your head spin, but its well worth the effort. Soap is a show that operates on separate levels: the openly ridiculous soap-opera send-up always seems to be at the forefront, but the interpolation of then-incendiary plot elements and characterizations reflects what was a gradual loosening of the cultures strictures against frank discussion of racial and sexual matters. Not until Married with Children would a sitcom so thoroughly lampoon the American nuclear family. After seeing these shows again, youll be amazed at how well they hold up -- a real tribute to the vision and craft of Susan Harris and her associates. Ed HulseCustomer ReviewsWrite your own online review > Interested in the song lyrics? - Check out themostlyrics.com! Looking For A DVD? - Check out dvd-a-rama.com! |
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