The Partridge Family Episode #25
Welcome to my review of The Partridge Family Episode #25. This is a very sad episode for me as it’s the last time Jeremy Gelbwaks appears as Chris Partridge. This episode originally aired on March 19, 1971 and is called A Knight in Shining Armor.
The Partridge Family Episode #25 is the final episode of the first season. The series was a big hit by this time. David Cassidy was a huge teen idol and had taken over the covers (and centerfolds) of all the teen magazines. The Partridge Family had hit records, bubblegum cards, coloring books, a board game, and Tiger Beat started publishing the Official Partridge Family Magazine. FYI, I owned all of these at some point.
Anyway, back to the show. The Partridge Family Episode #25 is about a songwriter in need of a lyricist. The songwriter writes groovy music but sucks at the words. I can so relate. They find a lyricist in this strange and quirky man. I like him the most.
Burglar
The show opens with a mysterious man stealing (drinking) the Partridge’s milk that was left outside their house in glass bottles. Do you remember when milk was delivered to your door in bottles? Yeah, me neither but I know my dad was a milkman when he was younger (before I was born). He used to deliver milk like that. You can just leave it outside? Nobody will steal it?
Cut to my baby Jeremy Gelbwaks asleep! Oh my gosh. He’s just so cute. Everyone is woken up as they hear music playing. Reuben is sleeping on the couch downstairs. I wonder why. I’m thinking they just got home from being on tour and it was too much for him to drive home. His hair changes from a very messed up look to his normal look in this scene. Check it out.
Bobby
The Scooby Doo crew sneaks out to the garage to find out what the heck is going on. Hey! It’s Bobby Sherman! (He plays Bobby Conway in the show.) All that music is coming from just one man. I guess he’s been living in the Partridge’s garage for a week waiting for them to come home. He hitchhiked there and when nobody was home, he decided to record some tapes and leave them. Keith is impressed that it’s all one person doing the music. Reuben wants to arrest him. Keith wants to be his buddy. Laurie wants to date him.
Shirley feeds Bobby which is what my mom would also do. He broke into their garage and ends up getting fed a good meal. Anyway, it turns out that Bobby only writes music. He doesn’t do lyrics. Shirley says they don’t do instrumentals. They could try. Look at how things worked out for Kenny G. Not to worry though because Danny remembers receiving some poems in the mail from Lionel Poindexter.
Lionel Pointexter
The family and Bobby set out to find this Lionel on their way to their next gig. Lionel first appears in a full suit of armor. It’s one of his many odd jobs. Lionel turns out to be this crazy genius dude. He can turn on his stove by the timbre of his voice. He goes to weddings just to get free food. I like that. Lionel has many other strange jobs and yet seems to be poor. Mmm…
Keith and Bobby are jamming away while Lionel is trying to snap to the beat. He has no rhythm at all. They show a shot of the three youngest Partridges laughing. That looks very genuine. I wonder what was making them laugh. Lionel says the music is probably good but that he’s been told he has an ear made of tin.
Lionel drives an old hearse and takes Bobby to an orphanage where he’s super popular. The kids think Lionel is rich because he buys them lots of things. Turns out that Lionel has been buying them playground equipment. He buys them a different piece each month. Lionel was raised in an orphanage so he gives back. That’s why he has so many jobs and appears to be poor.
Music
Bobby and Lionel collaborate and come up with the song “Stephanie”. The Partridges perform the new song in concert. I love those pretty blue outfits! I find it very interesting that Bobby wrote the music to Stephanie and yet that same music was used for the Partridge song All Of The Things that they sang in episode 9. Bobby’s not a songwriter. He’s a thief! And how dumb are the Partridges for not knowing the music sounded familiar? Ice Ice Baby.
Bobby Sherman changes clothes a lot in this episode. I wonder why. And he always has a different choker to go with his groovy clothes. I never understood the choker. It looks so uncomfortable and it chokes you. It’s in the name! Choker. Dumb.
Getting Together
FYI, this episode was the pilot for the short-lived Getting Together. It lasted only a few months in the fall of 1971.
I know the tag of The Partridge Family Episode #25 is of the family saying goodbye to Bobby but my DVD doesn’t include that. I remember being sad because that’s the last time I saw my Chris. They’re all standing outside. I think I also have the bubblegum card of this scene. I wonder why it wasn’t included in the DVD. Any idea? The box says “The Complete First Season”. I’m guessing complete in this title means I get all 25 episodes but that they can cut them up as they see fit. I’m kind of bummed.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this first season of Partridge reviews. I’ll be back shortly with the start of season 2 (and Brian Forster as Chris). Thanks for reading.