MYTHICITY: *good*
FRYEAN MYTHOS: *comedy*
CAMPBELLIAN FUNCTION: *psychological*
It's "torture Al" time again, though I must give the writers credit. Episodes like ROCK AND ROLL GIRL were pretty obvious that Al set himself up for humiliation as soon as he asked the whole family to contribute money. But GRIME AND PUNISHMENT does a good fake-out, making the episode look like it's going to be a "torture Bud" story.
At the outset, Bud makes the apparent mistake of telling his parents that he's making more money as a talent agent. Al demands that Bud start paying rent on his sumptuous basement lodgings. After a token "running away from home" gag, complete with Bud putting his possessions into a bindle on a stick, the prodigal son returns. Al and Peg for the first time bring out his baby book, and Bud is perplexed to see that there are no pictures. The Parents from Hell claim none were taken because he was such an ugly offspring. Further, the book attests that Bud's first recorded words were, "Bud want food-- Ow." Present-day Bud looks questioningly at Peg, who responds, "Nobody likes a needy baby." This is a rare admission of either Bundy parent using corporal punishment on either kid. It's far more common that when the Bundy parents torture their children, it's through neglect, which is explained by the enormous stupidity and self-centeredness of both Al and Peg.
Bud then gives in, but he stoops only to conquer. Once he has a rental contract with Al, Bud brings in a building inspector-- a big fat woman, of course-- to grade the basement as a place for human habitation. Not only does the inspector not give the basement a passing grade, she exerts an authority that only makes sense in Al's World, fitting Al with a shock-collar until he upgrades the dwelling. Al is confined to the basement, and Bud-- well, maybe he goes back to his old upstairs room, or to the couch, since it's improbable that he'd be bunking with Peg or Kelly. Al swears he won't make the improvements, and he even begins enjoying being separated from Peg's wheedling for sex. However, Bud then starts selling tickets to people who want to poke the confined bear. To be sure, Marcy is the only one who explicitly pays for the privilege of forcing Al to listen to her feminist lectures. Kelly's next up, though Bud probably just told her to entertain her daddy with her "improve class" techniques. One of these includes Kelly dressing up as Pocahontas and throwing a tomahawk at an offscreen Al. We don't know where it hits him, but it might hit the lower extremities, since afterward she calls him "Chief Thunder-Pants." (Later the writers can't resist having the pun of Kelly calling her own performances "Chinese daughter torture," even though this takes away from her appearance of innocent sadism.) Then Bud brings out the Big Guns, or maybe the Big 'Uns that Al claims not to like, sending Peg into the cell to take advantage of the fresh meat.
The Peg-torture finally breaks Al: he agrees to pay for the improvements, and Bud trepidatiously removes the shock collar. However, in a great depiction of twisted Bundy logic, Al's proud of Bud for mousetrapping him, given that long ago Al did the same thing to his father. So for once, Al's victimization leads to a rare moment of father-son bonding, though there's still one last slapstick stunt to keep things on the wacky side.
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