The Dick Van Dyke Show (TV Series) Body and Sol (1965) User Reviews

Mary Richard's worrisome whining vs. Rob Petrie's boxing ambitions...

[ronnybee2112 · 8/10 · 11 November 2020]

This episode is toward the end of the last season. It is done as a memory-sequence of much-earlier days. Rob got buffaloed into a boxing a guy ages ago when he and his opponent were both in the army. We already know that Rob is not really in proper fighting shape. We don't know anything about Rob's opponent. A side plot is that a fair sum of money has been bet on this fight,and somehow Rob is favored in the betting odds. Rob is encouraged by a few pals to 'take a dive',in other words lose the fight on purpose so he and cohorts can cash-in on his 'against the odds' loss of the fight.. All the while that this is all unfolding,the yet-to-be married 'Mary Meeker' is playing 'mother hen' and worrying the heck out herself and Rob Petrie over this upcoming boxing match. You'd think Rob Petrie was going to jump out of an airplane without a parachute from the way 'Mary Richards' carries on...and on.. In the end,and to his credit, Rob at least does go through with the boxing match,despite also being begged by the annoying 'Mary Meeker' to not fight at all or at least 'take a dive' . (As usual,'Mary Meeker' honestly has no idea what she's asking for or why Rob simply cannot flake-out but has to do what he has to do).

Rob's choice is simple. He can have all of his fellow soldiers,his whole company and superior-officers mad at him.

OR He can have his worrisome girlfriend mad at him.

Now think about this a second... He has to live with and interact with all these men for the next few years,every day. His girlfriend he only gets to see on weekends.

Realistically,she will either have to get over it,or find another boyfriend.

Not the best episode,but it keeps moving along,and it is indeed entertaining and funny. I liked it. 8/10.

Mildly interesting.

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 19 December 2023]

Boom Boom Bailey.

Body and Sol--from movie. With john garfield.

The title "Body and Sol" is a takeoff on the old John Garfield movie, "Body and Soul". This is because both this show and the movie are all about a reluctant boxer who is being pulled in two different directions.

When the story begins, Sally tells Rob that she met the boxer, 'Boom Boom' Bailey and he sends his regards. Apparently, he and Rob boxed against each other long ago when they were in the Army and what follows is a long flashback...one of many about Rob's military days.

It seems that Rob fought a few fights and won them. But his opponents were all entertainers in the Army...and when Boom Boom's manager approaches Sol about a fight with Rob, Rob is caught in the middle. Laura wants Rob to stop boxing, which he promised, but now the Captain is putting pressure on Rob to fight.

The boxing match was a bit dumb. After all, they never would have had such a fight and the ref clearly would have stopped the match long before Rob's lucky punch. Overall, a mildly interesting episode...nothing more.