Thoughts about "The Doctors" - July 1976

Another month's worth of episodes of "The Doctors" has aired on RetroTV. Below are my thoughts on what has aired for the month of July 1976.

Penny and Jerry are still dating, and still haven't been intimate. Penny got a job at Matt's secretary, as she passed the typing test. Jerry's sister, Nola came to town, and we found out about her past. She doesn't want to by like her mother, and had worked as a topless dancer, but didn't want to be on her feet 10 hours a day. Nola didn't feel any shame about having this job. Nola though sang, and performed at Andre's, and got a job there with Matt's help. Matt and Nola seem to like each other, and Maggie got upset finding them dancing. This was because Maggie gets all of Matt's anger, but none of the happiness. In another scene Nola and Jerry spoke about Joanie, he played the guitar, and she sang their sister's favorite song "Here Comes the Sun".

Paul used Stacy to get his plans in motion. Ann was aware that Paul wanted to hurt Matt, but due to Paul knowing that Ann put Carolee, in a sanitarium kept her quiet. Steve missed Carolee and had a breakdown listening to "Send in the Clowns" - Frank Sinatra rendition, and breaking the record after Mona came into the room. It was one of Carolee's favorite songs, and they used a photo of Carolee Campbell. Steve and Billy also had a really awful argument. Eventually Mona convinced Steve it was a good idea to move into Mona's new home, though everyone knew Billy wouldn't like it, and we had a two minute scene with Toni, Mike and Steve where this was mentioned. Steve kissed Ann during this month, but she didn't want him this way, and Mona tried to be a matchmaker. We also heard about Mona's past, and saw the portrait of her father, (Steve's grandfather) who owned a bar, and that she could make every drink as her father taught her.

Paul's nefarious plan was to get Stacy to be docile and do his bidding via drugs. He got her to beg him to sleep with her. After she said she would do anything for him, he explained the plan to pull Joan Dancy's respirator. Stacy would be a volunteer in that ward, and go to the linen closet. She would call for help, and Matt would come, the reporter Rudy dressed as security would also be there. Stacy would slip into Joan's room, and pull the plug during the chaos. She would wear surgical gloves to be undetected. The plan worked other than Hank being around, but Stacy was in such shock she could not explain that. Before Stacy did it, she and Rico spoke in the linen closet, and she said she moved on, so it looks like he is going to go to Arizona.

Althea and Nick talked about marriage, but they decided not to wed. She wanted to have a child, and he said while he was interested in a relationship with her, he didn't want to have a baby, and that Penny was enough. Nick and Althea still love each other, but he decided to return to the desert.

Scott tried again to get Eleanor, this time, he got a pill from Paul, and became ill. Eleanor didn't recall this, and Wendy thought her mother was crazy. Kevin thought it didn't make sense that Eleanor was disassociating as she never did that in the past. This situation with Eleanor and Scott, made him skip his double date with MJ, Toni and Mike. Mike had to leave due to the Joan situation, and MJ and Toni spoke about Alan, and how they could be friends now.

Those were the highlights of July 1976, and there was one pre-emption on July 15. I think Mona's past was amusing, as since she came from humble beginnings are treatment of certain others is a bit hypocritical. This month had the last of Gerald Gordon as Nick, and it was surprising that only Althea said goodbye to him on camera, and it was not stated on screen that Rico was going with him, though it looks to be the case.