History Recap / TheBradyBunchS4E10GoodbyeAliceHello

* WhatTheHellHero: Carol gives a massive one to Marcia and Greg when they admit to treating Alice horribly, out of the belief that she was ‘squealing’ on them, angrily explaining that Alice was just doing her job and they drove her away due to essentially throwing a temper tantrum becaise she wouldn’t let them get away with their misbehaviour.

* [[MyGreatestFailure What Did I Do?]]: When the kids become increasingly rude, snap at her when she simply tries to make conversation and so forth (this all coming after each of the kids, at one point, felt "betrayed" by Alice) Alice begins to think about this very seriously, crying herself to sleep at night several times before no longer wanting to take anymore and deciding to leave.

* Tropes associated with Alice's (temporary) departure:
** DespairEventHorizon: The increasingly rude behavior by the kids grows hostile and to a point where Alice has no choice but to resign. Incidentally, a friend of Alice's (Kay, a nice but eerily and stoically efficient woman who temporarily replaces Alice) relates her own similar experience with a past family to whom she had grown close to but later felt betrayed by.
** MandatoryUnretirement: When the kids finally understand it was their own behavior toward Alice that drove her to resign, they have to do all they can to convince Alice to return.
** PutOnABus and TheBusCameBack: In-universe with Alice, and all within the span of less than 15 minutes in show-running time. The short version: Alice, no longer feeling trusted or welcome by the kids, resigns and moves out of the house (not even saying goodbye); the kids track her down and convince her that they're sorry for how they treated her, and she comes back.
** TheStoolPigeon: What the kids believe Alice has become by (inadvertently) saying the kids did different things; they essentially call her as such in a very hurtful way. It can be implied they called her worse (off-screen).
** TenMinuteRetirement: Alice -- who had just taken a job at a roadside diner -- accepting the kids' apologies and realizing her place is indeed with the Bradys.
* EasilyForgiven: Despite the hurtful things the kids said to and about Alice, apparently all she wanted was to hear them say "We're sorry" and mean it.
* FaceHeelTurn: Alice, to the kids. No amount of Carol trying to de-convince Alice of this can help.

Alice is aware of the boys breaking the lamp, which Greg and Peter try to repair without their parent's knowledge. As such, the boys -- knowing they'll be in trouble if found out -- ask Alice to keep their secret from their parents, which she vows to do. But when Carol discovers the lamp has been broken, Alice is caught between her code of secrecy and Carol directly asking Alice to tell what she knows. Alice, remembering she has never lied to Carol about anything, decides to tell the truth ... and of course Carol immediately withholds Greg and Peter's allowances to cover the repair of the lamp.

Later, Carol asks Alice a seemingly innocent question about who was using the record player the previous night (Carol had discovered it was left on all night). Alice makes an off-hand remark that Marcia was having fun listening to her records the night before. Carol is surprising harsh in telling Marcia (off-camera) that she can't use the record player for a week.

These -- and apparently other incidents -- have the kids upset at Alice. So much that they won't speak to her, for fear that she will squeal to the folks. And it begins to grow ... until they are outright rude and cold to Alice, not even speaking to her when necessary. The hardest point becomes when Alice overhears Bobby and Cindy talking about how they used to love Alice and consider her a friend, but now aren't sure they can trust her anymore.

That night, Alice tearfully vents to her fellow housemaid Kay, about how she used to have fun with the kids, but now they seem to hate her. Kay claims she avoids this kind of heartbreak, by just doing her job, and not bonding with any family she works for. She feels she must leave for the good of everybody. Later, she tells Carol she's leaving for an important job with family, and she must go immediately, so she can't stick around to say goodbye to the kids.

And so it goes. At least she lines up her successor: Kay, who simply goes about her work. Very nice, but too professional. She does not play puzzles with Bobby and Cindy, or play basketball with Peter and Greg, or dance to music with Marcia and Jan, or watch TV with Carol, all of which Alice used to do.

So one evening, Greg and Marcia decide they want to get to the bottom of this whole thing about Alice. They admit they were wrong to behave that way to Alice in the final weeks, but Carol is pissed. She reports that Alice had never squealed, but was forced to tell the truth about Greg and the lamp, and did not know what the record player question was about. She then essentially says, "You pushed too hard, now she's gone." And no amount of "I'm sorry" might ever get her back. Kay overhears, but is indifferent (but secretly pleased because she knows how much they really do love Alice).

And that leads the kids have to figure out how to get their beloved Alice back. So they manage -- on a tip from Kay, no less -- to track her down to a roadside diner, where she had just taken a job. They go in and are seated at a table that happens to be Alice's. Alice is overjoyed and after a few uncomfortable moments, both sides admit they love each other and the kids admit they were very sorry for how they treated her. Alice is overjoyed and quits her job immediately. Why? "Because I got my old job back, and I'm never leaving it again!"

And Alice remains with the family happy ever after!

Later, Carol asks Alice a seemingly innocent question about why the record player was left on all night. Alice makes an off-hand remark that Marcia was having fun listening to her records the night before. Carol is surprising harsh in telling Marcia (off-camera) that she can't use the record player for a week.

These -- and apparently other incidents -- have the kids upset at Alice. So much that they won't speak to her, for fear that she will squeal to the folks. And it begins to grow ... until they are outright rude and cold to Alice, not even speaking to her when necessary. They won't even explain why they're so angry, just that they are and that she's a snitch.

It grows to a point where Alice can't take it anymore. So she tells Carol she's leaving and gives her notice that, effective immediately, she's leaving. She plays tit-for-tat, too: "If the kids pretend I don't exist, I'm not staying to say goodbye, either!"

And so it goes. At least she lines up her successor: Kay, a friend of Alice's who apparently had a similar situation with a family she had grown close to, only for them to turn their back on her when she needed them and when the kids felt they no longer could confide or trust in her.

And that's how Kay goes about her work. Very nice, but too professional.

So one evening, Greg and Marcia decide they want to get to the bottom of this whole thing about Alice. They admit they were wrong to behave that way to Alice in the final weeks, but Carol is pissed. She says essentially, "You pushed too hard, now she's gone." And no amount of "I'm sorry" might ever get her back.

And that leads the kids have to figure out how to get their beloved Alice back. So they manage -- on a tip from Kay, no less -- to track her down to a roadside diner, where she had just taken a job. They go in and are seated at a table that happens to be Alice's. Alice is overjoyed and after a few uncomfortable moments, both sides admit they love each other and the kids admit they were very sorry for how they treated her. Alice is overjoyed and quits her job immediately. Why? "Because I got my old job back!"

* SkinnyDipping: Surprisingly {{Squick}} for an early-1970s family situation comedy, there was an infamous scene where Bobby and Cindy are dressed in robes, ready to go to a neighborhood swimming party at a neighbor's house. Alice checks Bobby and Cindy to see if their swimwear is in goo ... uh, they're wearing their birthday suits. Alice, seeing the red flags, refuses to allow Bobby and Cindy to go to an X-rated swimming party, especially without Mike and Carol's permission; the kids balk but Alice stands her ground (and no doubt -- already on thin ice with the kids -- continues to lose popularity).

It's not exactly known how long things had been building up, but the first example comes when Peter and Greg (rather childishly) play Frisbee in the house. Forgetting the lesson they learned in "[[Recap/TheBradyBunchS2E12ConfessionsConfessions|Confessions, Confessions]]" (that little rule about not playing ball in the house), an errant throw leads an antique lamp in Mike's den being broken.

* BrokenAesop: "[[Recap/TheBradyBunchS2E12ConfessionsConfessions|Mom always said 'Don't play ball in the house]].'"

It's not exactly known how long things had been building up, but the first example comes when Peter and Greg (rather childishly) play Frisbee in the house. Forgetting the lesson they learned in "Confessions, Confessions" (that little rule about not playing ball in the house), an errant throw leads an antique lamp in Mike's den being broken.

* BrokenAesop: "Mom always said 'Don't play ball in the house.'"

* MethodActing: Ann B. Davis was a nice enough woman and always willing to give interviews and sign fan autographs, but in Barry Williams' autobiography, Davis admitted she was nowhere near as good with children as her character (Alice) was. Her real-life inability to relate well with children was placed in the one-time character of Kay.

* AbsenteeActor: Robert Reed does not appear in this episode. Unlike other episodes where his absence in various scenes (or in one case, an entire episode) is usually due to extreme disputes with the Schwartzes over the scripts -- his absence is never explained. (Nor is any reference made as to Mike's absence, as it is merely assumed he is out of town on business.)

* [[MyGreatestFailure What Did I Do?]]: When the kids become increasingly rude, snap at her when she simply tries to make conversation and so forth (this all coming after each of the kids, at one point, felt "betrayed" by Alice) Alice begins to think about this very seriously, crying herself to sleep at night several times before no longer wanting to take anymore and deciding to leave.
* TheWoobie: Alice, thanks to the downright rude and disgraceful treatment by the kids after a series of misunderstandings, miscommunications and (unknown to the kids) Carol asking her for an explanation about things being left out, lights and other things being left on, etc.

* AbsenteeActor: Robert Reed does not appear in this episode. Unlike other episodes (where his absence is usually due to extreme disputes with the Schwartzes over the scripts -- his absence is never explained. (Nor is any reference made as to Mike's absence, as it is merely assumed he is out of town on business.)

* TenMinuteRetirement: Alice -- who had just taken a job at a roadside diner -- accepting the kids' apologies and realizing her place is indeed with the Bradys.

* MandatoryUnretirement: When the kids realize that it was their own behavior toward Alice that caused her to quit, they have to do all they can to convince Alice to come back.

* AbsenteeActor: Robert Reed does not appear in this episode. Unlike other episodes (where his absence is usually due to extreme disputes with the Schwartzes over the scripts -- his absence is never explained. (Nor is any reference made as to Mike's absence, as it is merely assumed he is out of town on business.)