Ep 11. To Tell or Not to Tell
- TV-G
- December 5, 1961
- 25 min
-
8.0 (253)
Rob Petrie, head writer for the Alan Brady Show, has a problem: he knows a secret about his boss that he promised not to tell anyone. The secret in question is that Alan is bald, and wears a toupee when he appears on camera. While getting his hair trimmed at the barbershop, Rob confides in the barber about the situation. The barber is a regular at the club where Rob's wife Laura is going to perform as a singer, and Rob worries that the secret will get out. Sure enough, when Laura arrives at the club, the barber tells her the secret.
Meanwhile, Rob's co-writers Buddy and Sally want to know why Rob is being so secretive and tense. They try to get him to tell them the secret, but Rob insists that he can't. The tension is palpable, and their writing session is unproductive.
At the club, Laura is visibly upset by the secret that has been revealed to her. She confides in her friend Millie, who suggests that Laura keep the secret, because it could be damaging to Alan's career if it were to get out. Laura is torn, because she doesn't want to break her promise to Rob, but she also doesn't want to hurt Alan.
Back at the office, Buddy and Sally are still trying to get the secret out of Rob. They offer to trade secrets with him, and reveal some mildly embarrassing information about themselves. Rob is tempted, but ultimately can't bring himself to break his promise to Alan.
At the end of the day, Rob goes home to find Laura upset and conflicted about the secret. He tells her that he knows Alan would be hurt if the secret got out, but Laura argues that it's not fair to keep secrets from each other. Rob realizes that he needs to tell Alan what happened, and sets out to do just that.
In the final scene, Rob and Laura are at the club watching Alan perform. Alan is wearing his toupee, and Laura makes a comment about it. Alan is momentarily confused, but Rob clears the air by telling him about the secret getting out. Alan is grateful for Rob's honesty, and the three of them bond over the experience. The show ends on a positive note, with the characters having learned an important lesson about trust and honesty.
