Old Man
Dr. Katz: Professional Therapist - 503
Episode #46
"Old Man"
Season 5: 6/17/98 (preview of new season; first aired in regular rotation 8/31/98)
Katz seems to be losing energy and is sleeping later in the morning. He wonders if he's feverish, but in fact, he feels a little cold ("Oh, Dad, you died last night," says Ben). Ben tries to encourage him -- "I hate to put a fire under your fat a**, but get up and go to work and make money and support me" -- and Katz struggles through the day. Ben calls Laura to tell her Katz's energy is waning, and he mentions that when his dad retires, he wants him to get a boat. (Ben's possible names for the boat: "Spare Time" and "Kickin' Back." Bad names for boats: "Communist Manifesto" and "This Piece of S*** is Gonna Sink.") Katz and Ben reflect on the different types of old man Katz could become. He mentions that he'll probably get an enlarged prostate, which puts pressure on your bladder, as well as your other organs. Also, he's never worn deodorant, though he discovers he probably should. They also briefly discuss death ("We're never gonna die. That's for other people," Ben says). Ben buys paints and an easel so his dad can take up a hobby, but Katz's energy returns and all is well. Over the credits, they discuss post-retirement plans. Katz wants to get a mobile home and tour the country; Ben wants to ride bareback. "We can take Mexico again," he says. Also in this episode: Katz and Stan speak French at the bar.
- Gilbert Gottfried: Jesus had a hard life because he was always being compared to his father; Mother Teresa can't be a saint unless she did a miracle, so she spent the last year of her life doing magic tricks; does his impression of Jackie Gleason in "Casablanca" ("Oh, you're gettin' on that plane, Alice!"); Hitler stole his "take over the world" bit from Napoleon; they finally agreed, if they ever worked the same city, that they wouldn't both do that bit; wants more symbolism in his dreams; when Katz says, "Freud said...", Gilbert demands, "He said this to YOU?"; wonders how someone convinced a network to do "Hogan's Heroes" ("A group of soldiers held in a Nazi prison camp -- it's a comedy! It's a laugh riot!"); demands that Katz change his facial expression.
- Robert Klein: Plays the harmonica and annoys Laura; we celebrate George Washington's birthday with used-car sales ("It's a veritable cherry tree of savings"); watches QVC to fall asleep; Jews bury their dead right away, whereas others have wakes and funerals -- "four or five days, eight shows a day, it's like vaudeville"; Jews get buried so fast they're afraid of taking a nap for fear of being mistaken for dead.
- Jim Gaffigan: From the Midwest, where people wave to you ("How'd you like to make out with my daughter? You can kiss my daughter and I'll wave to you"); grew up in Indiana and wrote a poem: "Help, help, get me the hell out of here"; dad wanted to be a priest but didn't have the temperament ("In the name of the Father, the son of a b****, pray"); saw a guy drinking gravy; imagined doctor visit for this guy ("You're aware your blood is not moving, right?"); tells Laura, in a weird voice, "I like wood"; people say they know someone who looks like him; all he can think of to say in response is, "Tell him I said hi"; he's bald, blind and pale -- "I'm like a recessive gene"; people always want to try on his glasses; that's rude; you don't ask to try on people's toupees or wheelchairs ("Oh, man, you are so crippled!"); there's no need to interview supermodels.
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