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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Mel O&#039;Drama" data-source="post: 406786" data-attributes="member: 23">Season FourOnce again this is just an obligatory between-seasons check-in.The big news this year has been the arrival of Sue Ann Nivens and the departure of Rhoda. Sue Ann, as expected, has been great fun. The bitchy diva behind the happy housewife is always an enjoyable contrast and Betty White plays it to perfection.Less satisfying has been Rhoda’s departure which technically isn’t a departure. At this point there’s been no explanation so she’s simply stopped appearing. I assume this is because the spinoff wasn’t 100% confirmed at this point and if it hadn’t been green lit she would have simply remained on the parent show. On the plus side, at least she had a central role in her final episode due to her are we/aren’t we “romance” with Lou.Rhoda has consistently been one of the best things about this series and I don’t relish watching Mary’s home life without a friend with whom she can talk things out. It’s true that Mary’s apartment already has a number of visits from her colleagues as well as suitors and the occasional relative, but it’s the Mary/Rhoda relationship that gave this location its life and it’s difficult to imagine anyone else filling that role. She gets on well with Murray, but he’s a married man with a home life (and a wife we know to be quite insecure, as the Singles Bar episode reminded us). I have a feeling that Georgette might be pushed forwards a little more as the friend, but Georgette lacks Rhoda’s directness and wisdom (and also, while she's fine in her current peripheral role, I don’t really want to see more of Georgette than we do. She feels too inauthentic and needy. I’d trust Mary Sue over Georgette. At least you know where you stand with her).It’s been fun to watch for coughs and spits from familiar faces in small roles. Fonzie and Laverne have both shown up (it took me almost until the end of her episode before it dawned on me I was watching Penny Marshall). I’m glad Walter Cronkite’s cameo was telegraphed in the episode’s title. Since I know the name but not the face, his entrance would have gone completely over my head. Meanwhile, Don Murray lookalike and Harper Husband Richard Schaal appeared in yet another role (at least his fourth, including Chuckles The Clown). This is his most bewildering yet since I assumed he would be one of the twin brothers he’d played in previous episodes and was a little confused that Mary didn’t appear to recognise him.Since I’m aiming to check out some of Rhoda along with MTM’s Fifth Season, I’d appreciate any input from seasoned viewers on how best to do it. I’m not bothered about strict chronology and will be happy to watch in batches since I suspect both are mostly episodic... but I’d also like a little continuity with any crossovers. I do know that I need to watch the MTM episode that aired just before Rhoda’s wedding episode, and I’d like to watch these back-to-back, but I’m unsure about the best way to get there. Any suggested viewing order would be welcome.</blockquote>

Verification: What month follows July?