Girls, if you thought Nancy Malone as Mrs. Kalisher, was a piece of work, wait till you meet Carl Fremont, played by Lawrence Driscoll, sporting a malevolent silent movie moustache, to emphasize his villainy, in the "Family" episode, "A Tale Out Of Season."
Carl is a young lawyer, whom Doug (James Broderick) has mentored, and is something of a protégé. He is married, and has a son, Nicky, about eight to ten years old. While waiting for her father, Buddy (Kristy McNichol) runs into her father and Carl, and he asks her if she can baby sit for Nicky that night. Buddy--red flag number one--asks how his injured arm is, and the father says fine. No one suspects a thing. Buddy agrees to take the job.
Just before dinner, however, Buddy comes down with a bug that everyone in her school seems to be getting. She is sent to bed, and Kate agrees to fill in for her. When Doug calls the Fremonts to let them know, Carl takes the phone. We hear a child plaintively crying in another room. While talking to Doug, Carl's wife, Erica, goes to comfort the child, but he grabs onto her arm, abusively. Red flag number two. She pleads to say goodnight to her son, but he says he will not have the boy pampered, that he is being punished, and must learn. He does say she can good night and check up on Nicky, when they come home from their dinner out.
The stage is set. It is now known to the audience Carl is a vicious child abuser, who also verbally, and most likely, physically, does the same to his wife. Frances Lee McCain, a skilled actress, plays the wife as a cowering, intimidated mess, who is as much a victim as Nicky, himself.
Kate arrives, and, as the Fremonts leave, Carl reminds her Nicky is a noisy sleeper, so don't fuss over him. Kate thinks nothing of it, but the viewer gets the message. As the evening progresses, Nicky goes from noisy to nightmares. Kate rushes in to comfort him, and the child is terrified. She calms him, with some hot chocolate, but when she accidentally spills some on his pajama top, he says "I didn't do it on purpose; please don't tell my dad!" As she removes his pajama top to clean it, he implores her not to tell, when she spots, which the viewer does not see, a series of cuts, bruises and welts, indicating the child has been savagely beaten. She frantically calls Doug, who comes over, and makes the same conclusion. Kate is so upset that Doug sends her home.
When the Fremonts arrive, Erica goes in to Nicky immediately, with no problem. Carl is first cordial, offering Doug a brandy, but when Doug explains to Carl what is going on, he is filled with rage, and orders Doug out of the house. Erica looks at Doug, admitting what he sees is correct, but is too afraid of her husband to speak out.
Kate and Doug call the police, and a sergeant comes over and takes inventory. They sign a written complaint, and Doug says he will notify Nicky's school, Carl's partners, and the neighbors. Buddy has heard the whole thing, and expresses concern for both Nicky and Mr. Fremont, whom Kate explains takes out his anger on Nicky because of something he hates in himself. Or maybe because he was abused. But no one addresses Mrs. Fremont, who says nothing.
That is, until Kate confronts her the next day. In a performance that struck me as sympathetic, yet wanting to slap her, McCain, as Erica makes all the classic victim statements--"He doesn't mean to hit Nicky, he just can't stop." She does, to her credit, speak to Carl about going to a clinic, and even mentions Parents Anonymous, but Carl takes out his rage on her. Then the ultimate victim statement--"Carl is all I have. He said he would leave me."
Now, this was in 1977, and she did mention Parents Anonymous, so help is out there; not as much as today, but still, as Kate says, she needs help. With Kate present, she calls Sergeant Bannert of the night before, and says, "My husband is beating our child. Please help me and my child."
For the time, Carl has been issued a restraining order, and Erica is going to get help for Nicky.
Back when this was broadcast, in 1977, the idea still was popular that child abuse took place only in lower income families, or Southern White Trash. This was one of the first times to show it takes place in middle and upper middle class houses, as well. There are no class distinctions when it comes to child or spousal abuse.
Much more hopeful than the Merilee Kalisher episode, but I would like to have seen a follow up to this episode. Because people do violate restraining orders, and, while a start has been made, Erica and Nicky are not out of the woods, yet.
Still, a thoughtful, insightful episode.
Here is my thought--if you or someone else sees a child you think is being abused, chances are you are right. Get in there, and do something.
And pray all the children and parents who need help right now, get it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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