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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Mel O&#039;Drama" data-source="post: 414074" data-attributes="member: 23">RhodaSeason ThreeSomebody Has To Say They’re Sorry / The Ultimatum / Rhoda’s Mystery Man / Nick Lobo, Superstar / Nose Job / The Second Time Around / Pyjama Party Bingo / To Vegas With LoveAt this point I’ve seen the last of both Joe and (in this series) Mary. Neither felt as though it was intended to be a final appearance, but it’s natural that this would be the last of Mary since her own series would wrap up before the next season of Rhoda. Still, I’ll miss these little crossovers, which were notable for me for lacking a sense of event. I liked feeling that Mary is still part of Rhoda’s world (and Phyllis’s, come to that) and could just appear at the end of a phone line as long-distance friends do. Invariably I was never quite aware of the exact episode in which Mary appeared, so I experienced that little surprise upon seeing her casually appear.The lack of finality with Joe’s final episode is more disappointing for me. Yes, couples drift apart, but it isn’t very telegenic. Which is why fictional couples tend to have more dramatic endings. I can make peace with it, but it feels very much as though the story will be wrapped up without Joe present and entirely from Rhoda’s point of view. But then, it is her series.It was a treat to see Beverly Sanders return as perpetually-pregnant Susan Alborn, who seems to have been forgotten this season, but IMDb tells me this was her series swan song, too, which is a shame. Rhoda has all these gems in small or recurring roles and casts them aside, mostly unused and unappreciated. There’s an awful lot of talent squandered.Incidentally, when I looked at Beverly’s IMDb page to see if she’d appear in the last two seasons, I glanced at a couple of images and thought for a second I was looking at Olive from On The Buses. Then it quickly dawned on me she must have played the analogous character in the American adaption of that series (which turned out to be the case).Nick Lobo is a recurring irritant. The fact that he irritates everyone on-screen helps a little, but his are not the most entertaining episodes. Johnny Venture is cast in the same mould and I wouldn’t be upset if he stays in Vegas, never to be seen again.Still, the news is mostly good. Even the Lobo-Venture episodes are watchable (admittedly, though, once was enough for these), and the series remains very easy to digest, with some nice lines and stories.I'm happy to report that Gary has become a character I now enjoy. His initial sleaziness - the Beatnik haircut, tinted aviators, plunging neckline and medallion - was clearly an anomaly that was, mercifully, quickly corrected (or perhaps redirected towards Johnny Venture). It would have just been too much for this series. The less confident Gary is a much better fit.With Ida away, I’ve realised that Rhoda has taken on some of her traits when it comes to Brenda. This was particularly evident in the scene where Brenda begs Rhoda not to get angry at the news she’s about to undergo rhinoplasty (leading to Rhoda losing her rag when Brenda helps herself to a salad leaf), and again in the arc with Rhoda putting down Brenda’s new blonde bubble perm. It’s hard to argue with Rhoda riding on either of these hobby horses, since Brenda’s features are lovely and that perm was godawful, but still interesting to see this dynamic play out. If Ida had been around, no doubt she’d have done all the heavy lifting, leaving Rhoda to mediate, and it’s probably natural that Rhoda feels a more urgent sense of responsibility without their parents around.During her salad leaf explosion, Valerie Harper did what appeared to be a nice, naturalistic little ad lib about getting dressing on herself. There have been a few of these ad libbed moments in recent episodes - another one saw Valerie bump into a door frame on her way from bedroom to living room, then draw attention to it by dusting herself off - and they bring a refreshing sense of immediacy and give it more of a “live” feel.</blockquote>

Verification: Who played JR Ewing?