Greg Brady. The Big Man on Campus, popular with his peers, honest, loyal... and responsible? Yes, when he was close to turning 15, he would have said that "you may 'Call Me Irresponsible.'"
Greg is now a high school freshman, and he was well aware, in America, you could — based on the laws of the time — get your first driver's license (in most states) at age 16. note Having just turned 15 and, it is implied, having his learner's permit, Greg — like any cool dude his age — already wants to start saving up for a car ... and knows the best way to start saving is a part-time job. At this point, being an architect is what he is strongly thinking about being (he'd later changes his mind), he asks Mike if there are any jobs at his architectural firm. Mike agrees, and convinces his boss, Edward Phillips, that he can be an errand boy.
Greg starts proving his worth and is ready for a little bit bigger responsibility: being a courier and delivering plans to the print shop. Greg is asked to do this one afternoon and eagerly goes about his appointed task. But en route to the print shop, he passes a newsstand. His girlfriend, a pretty girl named Randi Peterson, happens to be there reading some magazines; Greg gets distracted and, taking a break, gets into a conversation with Randi and begins browsing some of the magazines, showing her some of the cars he might want to buy. While doing so, the lid of the blueprint canister becomes unsealed ... and the plans have slipped out. Greg doesn't notice this until he arrives at the print shop.
Oh, Crap!! What to do? Greg retraces his steps and even stops by the newsstand, but by this time, the plans have (literally) blown away. Greg has no choice but to tell Mike. Needless to say, both Mike and Mr. Phillips are very, very unhappy.
Greg is sure that he's been fired — to be fair, it is never explicitly stated — and his siblings express their sympathies as Peter, Jan and Bobby have (between them) saved 85 cents for gas for rides in Greg's future car. However, it is Alice who really goes to bat for Greg. Seems that on one of her first days as the Bradys' housekeeper, she made a major mistake and it resulted in Mike being very angry with his young, inexperienced maid. Alice had fretted for her future ... but then Mike cooled down, called Alice into the room, apologized for blowing his stack and saying things in haste and gave her another chance. Alice reminds him of the aforementioned events that night years ago ... and Mike sees where this is going, realizes Alice is right and then he goes to apologize to Greg. While making no promises, he tells Greg he will convince Mr. Phillips to give Greg another chance ... and of course Mr. Phillips — who has also had time to cool off — does.
And the even better news: Mike — who still has some draft copies of those earlier blueprints laying around — sees that all was not lost when those earlier plans were sent to press. He sees this as his own opportunity to correct a few things that maybe weren't right with the (now lost) plans, and comes up with an even better blueprint. Greg is then asked to deliver the plans ... but this time, maybe hold them a little tigheter.
Greg is carrying out his intended mission well ... until disaster strikes (again). Actually, the chain to Greg's bike breaks, and he is able to flag down Mr. Peterson, who is taking Randi to drama practice. The print shop is on the way, which works out great ...
... until they arrive, and Greg forgets to get the plans out of the back area of the car, and Mr. Peterson, in a hurry, drives off before Greg can stop him.
So working with Mr. Peterson's wife, he traces his route to a local service station where his car is being serviced. And the canisters are still in the cargo area ... and Greg is able to get the plans successfully to the print shop in time for processing! A job well done.
When "Career Fever" aired a couple of years later, it is implied he still has this courier's job, which Greg juggles with his job at Sam's Butcher Shop. Mr. Phillips chance at rehiring Greg for the job paid off well ... even if Greg ultimately decided to enter the medical field (as the 1980s Brady movies and the 1990 TV series would bear out).
Tropes present in this episode:
- Courier Fool: Greg's first job is a courier for the architectural firm, of which Mike is senior partner. Just like a job at a fast-food restaurant, this first job teaches him responsibility and admitting your mistakes.
- George Jetson Job Security: It's never stated outright, but it is implied that Greg loses his job after losing Mike's plans. Mike feels a sense of responsibility and goes to bat to convince Mr. Phillips to give him another chance.
- Girl of the Week: High school freshman Greg's first steady girlfriend in the series is a pretty girl named Randi Peterson.
- New Job Episode: Why Greg, hoping to save money for a car, takes a job as errand boy at the architectural firm.
- You Have Failed Me:
- Mike, when he is genuinely angry at Greg for losing the original set of blueprints. Averted later on when he realizes he acted in haste and goes to bat for Greg.
- Alice remembers how Mike also hastily got angry at her one night, many years ago, and was ready to fire her, but he later realized he was about to make a hasty mistake and apologized to her.
Also, the Brady kids' part-time jobs:
- Greg: As mentioned, courier at Mike's architectural firm, also a delivery boy at Sam's butcher shop.
- Marcia: Briefly at Mr. Haskell's ice cream parlor.
- Peter: A bike mechanic, but got fired from that for he wasn't very mechanically inclined, later got also a job at Mr. Haskell's, but kept goofing off, and then got a job at the Leaning Tower of Pizza.
- Jan: At Mr. Haskell's, replaced Marcia there for Mr. Haskell thought she was a much harder worker.
- Bobby: Mentioned in "A Very Brady Christmas" 1988 revival, his first part-time job was at Sam's Butcher Shop (implied to be a delivery boy, just like Greg used to be.)
