Cindy Brady, Lady

No secret that LOVE, AMERICAN STYLE inspired certain episodes of this show, and very cleverly. Who else better to do the honors than Al Schwartz, writer for Lucy, Jackie Gleason and Red Skelton. Al re-vamped the old "I'll bribe you to go on a date with someone" routine, and did a fantastic job with Cindy and Bobby. 10 Stars.

Cindy has got the blues, the forgotten youngest Brady sister. Showing what a fab-tastic brother he is, Bobby comes to the rescue, writing a "secret admirer" letter to cheer her up. What a great thing to do -- but it has consequences. Bob gets caught by Mike putting another "late night" letter in the mailbox. This scene is hilarious, and catch the surprised look on Robert Reed's face.

Bottom line, Bobby has to tell Cindy the truth, and you know he can't. Enter Bobby's pal Tommy, marvelously played by Eric Shea -- who he has to bribe with a genuine Kennedy half dollar(!) -- to pretend he's the pre-teen Romeo. Hence, the Love, American Style schtick, and beautifully done.

Director Hal Cooper put Eric Shea at the front door, wilted flowers in his hand, ready to meet and greet Cindy. Alice's "oh my gawd" look at the flowers is another gem. Laugh out loud stuff, and applause to Eric, one of the best child actors of the 70s. He appeared in YOURS, MINE AND OURS (1968) opposite Lucille Ball, which inspired the Brady Bunch. Right after this episode, he was cast in THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE, and had a great part.

You have to see this through, also a nod to Susan Olsen, who deserved more larger roles. She and Eric Shea make a cute couple -- junior version of Goldie Hawn and Steve Martin, or something like that.

Best of SEASON 3 EPISODE 21. Remastered Paramount dvd box set. 4 dvds. Green cover edition released 2014.

Yes it both does and doesn't work out for Bobby after being caught by his parents putting things in their mail box and pretending to be Cindy's secret admirer.Then was told he must tell Cindy the truth.Bobby can't bring himself to do so and so he then offers his Kennedy Half Dollar to a boy to be her date.Upon meeting Cindy that boy decides she's too old for him but then she let's him know that she was really only acting to get other's attentions but really did like doing the things that he liked to do.They then had fun together and after Bobby explained to the parents how he got him to play with Cindy and be her secret admirer then Carol then asked him "You bribed a boy to be Cindy's date?"Then The boy came in to give Bobby back his coin Bobby and said what he said and then that boy explained "You don't have to pay me to play with her." Then as Bobby started to flip his coin saying "All's well that ends well."Then Carol grabbed the coin saying something like this if not exactly like this "Not quite you'll still have to tell Cindy the truth later on."Then it ends without having them show that.

As you'll see in the beginning the reason Cindy went through this stage was that she admitted that she was tired of everyone still just thinking of her as just "Little Cindy."Also as you watch these episodes you even find their theme to be "Le Plus ca Change." of which in French directly means "What changes most."but is used as "The More things change the more things stay the same." Like when in "A Very Brady Christmas." Cindy is still thought of as "little Cindy." and she wants everyone to stop thinking of her that way and start thinking of her as older.her niece and Nephews at The Little kids Table where she was put with them said said "We do think of you as older Aunt Cindy.' Then she says to them "Thanks!"Then she holds each of them by their hands.

When I even told my Mom The Theme of The Brady Bunch is "Le Plus Ca Change." she then said to me "That's Awful." with a little smile of Amusement meaning at the same time that she agreed she still thought that it was awful.

Truthfully,Stephen "Steve" G. Baer a.k.a. "Ste" of Framingham,MA.USA