The Brady Bunch Episode #30

Welcome to my review of The Brady Bunch Episode #30! This episode is called Going, Going… Steady and originally aired on October 23, 1970. Yet another episode centered around Marcia. I can understand Jan’s feelings of not being as good as Marcia. Anyway, the Brady Bunch Episode #30 is the Harvey Klinger bug episode. I know you remember it. The family helps Marcia get her man, but then things serious when they start going steady and the family freaks out.

The show opens with Marcia walking up from school. She’s all goofy looking and stops to smell the fake roses. She enters the house through the front doors. I always thought the kids came through the backyard when coming home from school. Mmm…

Carol is dusting the furniture when Marcia walks in. What are they paying Alice for? Marcia calls her mom Alice and then talks about what a lovely day it is. “The daffodils are singing. The birds are blooming.” I would have thought she was high. Well, she is high….on love.

Weird Marcia

The next scene is of Jan telling Alice what a weirdo Marcia is being. Marcia told Jan that “the air is full of music and the birds smell like wine”. Thindy enters and wants to know why Marcia is just staring at the wall with that dumb look on her face.

Marcia walks into the kitchen where the others are talking about her and Alice asks if she’s okay. Marcia replies, “When your heart has wings, who can feel?” Then she takes a bite out of an unwashed apple. Come on, man! Did fruit not have to be washed back in the 70’s?

The boys come down the stairs to bitch to their parents about Marcia being a weirdo. When Carol tells the boys that Marcia is in love with a Harvey Klinger, Greg freaks out. Mike asks what’s wrong with Harvey Klinger. “Everything’s wrong with Harvey Klinger. He’s an all-time, all-American, Grade A creep. Besides being a jerk, a goof, and a double dingbat.” Watch your language, Greg! Potty mouth.

The next scene is Marcia crying. I hate those. She is not a pretty crier. Harvey Klinger doesn’t know she exists so she wishes she didn’t. That sounds like a cry for help to me.

Mike, Carol, and Alice try to figure out how to get Harvey Klinger to notice Marcia. Since Harvey loves bugs, they start working with Marcia to learn all the different bugs. Meanwhile, Greg is out in the fake backyard digging up bugs for Marcia. He’s getting paid ten cents a bug.

Harvey the Heartthrob

Harvey Klinger appears for the first time in the next scene. He has his nose buried in a book so Marcia sneaks up with her bag of bugs and shakes them on the ground near them. Then she shows off her bug smarts and she and Harvey start a conversation. Harvey then walks her home from school and Marcia is thrilled.

Harvey and Marcia are looking at bugs at the Brady kitchen table. Greg watches them with disgust and then meets Carol in the next room. Jan is next to be disgusted. She meets Carol and Greg and the two kids start making fun of the bug love. Eve Plumb is pretty funny in this scene.

The next scene is of Marcia trying to put on false eyelashes. Is she stupid? I don’t do makeup but even I could do a better job. The girls join in using Carol’s make up and perfume. Mom comes in and gets cranky with Marcia. Marcia tells her mom that Harvey says “a girl my age (13) is like a 20-year-old used to be. And a boy of 14 is like 22.”

Adult Children

Mike decides to treat them like a 20 and a 22-year-old. The next time Harvey comes over, Mike vigorously shakes his hand and slaps him on the back. It looks like it hurt. Almost knocked Harvey’s glasses off. Mike then asks him what his plans are for the future. Things like work, home, retirement plan. Carol and Marcia join the boys and Carol starts talking about marriage. Harvey admits he’s not ready to be 22. Marcia says “Maybe we could go steady just once a week.”

The tag is of Marcia the whore bringing Lester home. I guess this is her new boyfriend. She said Harvey turned out to be a drip and Danny was dull. So was Alan. She’s going steady with Lester this week. Whore.

I hope you’ve enjoyed my review of The Brady Bunch Episode #30. I’m not a huge Maureen McCormick fan but she did a good job in this episode. Stay tuned for my next review which I believe features Barry Williams as a klutz, and be sure to check out my Brady items available in my eBay store.