Davy likes a girl whose overprotective dad won’t let her attend a party without a chaperone. Do the Monkees know any responsible adults?
On a hill overlooking a nice neighborhood, Davy is admiring his new crush from afar. The others encourage him to say hello. Grabbing a clipboard, he walks up to her patio and makes the excuse that he’s taking surveys about TV programs. She doesn’t watch TV until evening, so he jokes about inviting himself to dinner. Leslie likes his attitude, but when her father calls she jumps to answer. She explains her dad’s very authoritarian so she can’t stay, but gives Davy a smile as she shuts the door.
Davy’s next try doesn’t go so well. Leslie’s dad startles him at the door so that he almost drops his phony magazine subscriptions and gets a faceful of door for his trouble. Next, Micky joins him at the door in World War I costumes. This try goes slightly better: The dad explains he was a general in the last war. Although he says he’s put the military behind him, he clearly still enjoys barking orders. As Micky and Davy turn to leave, Leslie’s friend Cynthia leans out her window. She tells the boys she admires their persistence, but Mr. Vanderburg runs a tight ship – even for houseguests like herself. The only way Leslie’s going out for fun is to a chaperoned party.
Back at the apartment, Micky is on the phone in his “stuffy old official” voice, posing as an older military man. Correctly betting that Mr. Vanderburg would give a fellow veteran the benefit of the doubt even if he didn’t remember him, Micky says his “son Micky” is throwing a party and invites Leslie to join them.
The Monkees’ first option for a chaperone is Mr. Babbitt, their landlord. To the boys’ surprise, he warmly agrees, but their mood deflates when he totals up his fee. Their next hope arrives in the form of the building’s cleaning lady. A quick “My Fair Lady” parody later, the group thinks she’s just about ready. Unfortunately, she’s started her own party early. By the time the Monkees need her, she’s so drunk she passes out in the upstairs bedroom.
Leslie and Cynthia arrive. Mr. Vanderburg is right behind them, expecting to meet the chaperone. Gracefully wafting downstairs with a fan daintily hiding his five o’clock shadow, Micky greets his guests as “Mrs. Arcadian”. Mr. Vanderburg is charmed with such a vision, upside-down wig and all, and offers to meet her at the loveseat. Micky joins Mike and Davy, not happy that Mr. Vanderburg didn't just drop Leslie off. Mike’s not worried – but Mike doesn’t have to wear that dress.
Micky is internally squirming under Mr. Vanderburg’s flirtation. Mike and Davy are having a blast watching him. “Mrs. Arcadian” excuses “herself” and yanks Peter aside for a quick performance by the band.
After the song, Mr. Vanderburg settles in with his new lady friend again, a little too comfortably for Micky. He gets up and tells Mike he’s done. Davy drags him back out to the party. Just then, Mr. Babbitt shows up and is so taken with Mrs. Arcadian that he offers to evict the Monkees and let her rent the apartment.
Across the room, Davy lets Leslie in on the party’s secret. Leslie bursts out laughing, but her dad overhears and bursts a blood vessel. Taking control of the party like it’s a barracks, he marches all the guests out the door in single file.
Turning on the Monkees and his daughter, Mr. Vanderburg calls “Mrs. Arcadian’s” bluff by informing the others she’s agreed to marry him. They’ll honeymoon in Madrid, Rome, Venice… The pressure’s on Leslie to admit the lie, but Micky kind of likes that Venice idea. Mr. Vanderburg rips off Micky’s wig and bellows that their deceit is inexcusable. Leslie yells back that his overprotective parenting is inexcusable, making Davy go to all that trouble just for a simple date. They’re interrupted by Mr. Babbitt storming back in to deliver a romantic confession to Mrs. Arcadian… who suddenly looks an awful lot like Micky. Creeped out, Mr. Babbitt leaves the apartment without another word. With the tension broken, Leslie’s dad says he’s willing to work with her on relaxing her boundaries.
Some time later, Leslie’s in her yard, eagerly telling Davy how great it is that she doesn’t need a chaperone anymore! From the safety of a tree, Davy looks at Leslie’s new giant guard dog and half-heartedly agrees.
This episode provides examples of:
- Disguised in Drag: Micky's turn, just because their real chaperone conked out and they needed to fake a substitute right away.
- Funny Background Event: The girl Peter's flirting with gets swept away by Tarzan, complete with a vine swing in the apartment somehow.
- Product Placement: Mr. Clean stops by the party. He even touches up a window.
- Strict Parents Make Sneaky Kids
