Love Comes to the Butcher

Mr Klemmer, a widowed butcher has been giving Edith special discounts because she reminds him of his wife.

A lesser episode, it reminds me of one of the worst "Archie's Brief Encounter" which told the unlikely story of another woman attracted to Archie, this one is even MORE unlikely as another man is attracted to Edith. Klemmer is played by Theodore Bikel, a talented actor and musician, he was the original Captain Von Trapp in the Broadway version of "The Sound Of Music" and was Oscar nominated for "The Defiant Ones'. There are not many laughs and it is uncomfortable seeing Edith with another man, especially since this is the same season where she was the victim of an attempted rape.

I had never seen this episode the first time around when it aired. Theodore Bikel plays Edith's longtime butcher who has a crush on her. He brings his fiancee over to the Bunkers for cake and coffee, a introduces the cranky German woman to everyone, also played by Jean Stapleton in a wig and glasses. When she interacts with Edith, there is split screen technique and a Patty Duke stunt double, and the gimmick of it all is fun. And Jean Stapleton played someone with a completely different character, energy and personality, opposite herself, in the role of Edith, so that was what made this episode memorable.