Review: Imaginary Mary “Last Dance With Mary”

It’s finally over.

Spoilers Below:

As the kids are going to visit Renee, Ben tries to hide his ring box. He tries a few different places but decides to put it inside a pair of his old work shoes. His six month anniversary with Alice is coming up, and he wants to propose. He leaves for work, and Alice sees the kids off. In her search for one of Bunny’s shoes, Alice stumbles across the ring and freaks out. She frantically discusses it with Mary but comes to the decision that she’s happy to get married, and eagerly awaits the evening. Mary realizes that once Alice gets married, there’s no need for her around anymore, and she begins to vanish.

Dora and Andy are both participating in a clothing drive, where the winning class gets a day off and a dance party. Dora reveals her true plan: to grab some of her dad’s old clothes that he doesn’t use for the drive. They both scramble to get as many clothes as possible, and in the hurry, Dora grabs the shoes that have the ring hidden inside.

When Ben comes home, he’s unable to find the ring but hurries to take Alice out for dinner. Alice is hyped for the proposal, and when Ben doesn’t propose, she becomes extremely disheartened. She decides that if he’s not going to propose, then she’s going to leave, and starts packing her bags for France. She gets to the airport but doesn’t have enough for France. As she wonders where to go, Mary decides that she’s had enough, and tells Alice that if she wants a proposal, she should do it herself. Alice resolves to, and Mary fades away.

Ben and the kids rush to the clothing drive and retrieve the ring. When they come home, the entire house has been decorated, and Alice steps forward to propose. Ben is shocked, and they both propose at the same time. When Alice comes forward,

Alice remains down without Mary around. When she starts to panic about the responsibilities of being the new wife, the doorbell rings. The voice sounds like Mary, but it’s just a delivery person. Alice nearly gives up before Mary reappears, having been called back by Alice’s anxiety. The two happily reunite.

Overview:

Alice’s reaction to Ben not proposing instantly was really dramatic and fairly unrealistic. Instead of not wanting to see him or feeling down, she starts packing her bags to go to France. No mention of what she’s going to say, or more importantly, what she’s going to do regarding notifying her job. Sure, it’s a sitcom, but this seemed like too much of a dramatic leap.

While the audience is supposed to feel sad for Mary’s disappearance, it comes off as more of a relief. Mary’s character is crude and unfunny, and frankly, better off not existing. The only good advice came in the final episode, which doesn’t inspire confidence. Her reappearance is more disappointing than exciting, making her one of the weakest links of the show.