The Trough

**The Trough** is the third episode of season 1.

## Opening Scene

Frank receives a phone call from Kevin's school informing him that he has not turned in his incomplete assignments. Realizing that Kevin lied to his parents, Frank disinvites Kevin to the Rustys football game and decides to take Bill instead. An angry Kevin, who has spent all morning painting his face, confronts him. Frank tells him that by the time he gets home, he expects half of those assignments completed before driving off.

## Plot

When Frank and Bill arrive at the stadium, they discover they are seated with Roger Dunbarton, CEO of Mohican Airways, and his wife Brandy. Roger begins to befriend Frank and when Bill has to go to the washroom, Brandy agrees to take him. Roger tells Brandy not to eat hot dogs as she is “getting fat” and he will "cut her off". She then secretly and spitefully scarfs a hot dog while Bill enters the washroom. Inside, he becomes traumatized by the unsanitary conditions of “the trough” and heads back to his seat without a word.

On the way home, they run out of gas. Rosie, who is at a bar nearby, helps them out. When Bill mentions talking to Dunbarton at the game however, this makes Rosie think Frank is no longer on their side.

Leaving Kevin at home to complete his assignments, Sue takes Maureen to the mall. They run into Ginny, who talks to Sue for hours about her marriage falling apart. As the mall is about to close and Sue is about to leave, Ginny gets upset with Sue for not understanding her and how her life is perfect. Frustrated, Sue blows up at Ginny, telling her that her life is not perfect and she sometimes wishes she never got married. She then takes Maureen and leaves.

While left alone, Kevin meets up with Bolo and Lex to smoke weed. He brings a double album with him to roll joints on, which happens to be one his parents used to play for him when he was little. While high, he remembers how close he used to be with his dad and Frank telling him he'd always love him. This motivates Kevin to keep his promise of passing school. After almost getting caught by the police, Kevin runs home before his parents and siblings arrive. He puts on the record and pretends to study as they arrive home. They calm down after a crazy day and watch TV together as a family.

## Characters

### Major Roles

* Frank Murphy
* Sue Murphy
* Kevin Murphy
* Bill Murphy
* Maureen Murphy
* Roger Dunbarton
* Brandy Dunbarton
* Rosie Roosevelt
* Jim Jeffords
* Ginny Throater
* Lex
* Bolo

### Minor Roles

* Colt Luger
* Goomer
* Otto Holtenwasser
* Major
* Vic Reynolds
* Izzy
* Mike Brady
* Bobby Brady
* Jesus Christ (Cartoon)

## Quotes

**Frank:** (to Bill) How would you like to go to a football game in the city with your old man?

**Bill:** Wow, yeah! I though you were taking Kevin.

**Frank:** Yeah, he's not going now.

**Bill:** When did he decide that?

**Frank:** Just now when I told him.

**Kevin:** (opens the door furiously) This shit took me all morning! You promised you were gonna take me!

**Frank:** (angrily)Well, you lied to me! You gave me your word saying you were working on those history assignments, and all of a sudden, I get a call from your teacher saying you haven't done a single one!

**Kevin:** It's **history**! It's not going anywhere!

**Frank:** When I get home tonight, I want to see half of those assignments completed, or as God is my witness, I will put you through that fuckin' wall!

**Kevin:** We're **outside**, genius! There is no wall!

**Frank:** Then I will build one and I will **FUCKING PUT YOU THROUGH IT!**

**Sue:** (hushed) Would you please stop screaming in front of the entire neighborhood?!

**Goomer:** Don't worry, I didn't hear anything.

**Mr. Holtenwasser:** I heard, but I didn't understand it.

**Frank:** (to Sue) Sorry Susan, but your son is no good. (to Kevin) You're not man enough to live up to your agreement, so Bill gets to go to the game. That's final! He's a man. He finished all *his* homework!

**Bill:** I didn't have any.

**Frank:** Shut up and get in the car. (turns to Kevin) And you get in the house!

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**Kevin:** That's it, Dad, drive away, like a CHICKENSHIT **DILDO!!!**

[Frank stop the car and drives back to Kevin]

**Frank:** (sternly)What did you say?

**Kevin:** Nothing.

**Frank:** That's what I thought.

**Kevin:** So unfair!

**Sue:** Well, Kevin, you made your bed.

**Kevin:** Not yet, but I will. God, get off my back!

**Sue:** (angrily) Don't you talk to me that way!

**Kevin:** NOW, LOOK WHO'S SCREAMING IN FRONT OF THE WHOLE NEIGHBORHOOD!

**Goomer:** Still didn't hear anything.

## Trivia

* **Title Reference:** The specially designed urinals in the baseball stadium.
* Frank's friendship with Rosie begins to fall through.
* Sue's job selling Plast-a-ware starts to improve.
* It's revealed that Otto lives a number of houses down the street from The Murphy House.
* Otto mentions his dead wife, Mary Holtenwasser, who died in the 60's.
* Kevin sees a Star of David in Otto's car and comes to the conclusion that he's a Satanist, and he spreads the rumor to Bill.

### Continuity

* In "Saturday, Bloody Saturday", Frank tells Kevin that if he gets good grades in school, he'll take him to the football game. Kevin failed to hold up his end of the promise, so Frank took Bill instead.
* This episode takes place on Sunday, October 21, 1973, since Frank and Bill go to the football game using the tickets Frank was given in the previous episode, and the date on the tickets seen in the previous episode are dated Sunday, October 21, 1973.

### Cultural References

* Bill reads "Krazy Magazine", a parody on *Mad* magazines.
* The Murphys watch an episode of *The Brady Bunch* on TV.