Airdate: December 11, 1969
Writer: Jean Holloway
Director: John Erman
Guest Cast: Mark Lester as Mark Helmore
Debi Storm as Penelope Hassenhammer
Christopher Shea as Adam
Michael Barbera as Michael
Shirley O'Hara as Miss Drew
John Garrison as Quenton
Rating: 4 Bells
Episode Summary:
Candy Muir has become quite the tomboy. Dressed in jeans, a sweatshirt and baseball cap, she fits right in with the gang of boys at school. "They even have their own secret signs and everything!" Jonathan tells his mother after Candy and the gang leave him out of their games.
Later, at the Schooner Bay Elementary School, Candy and gang are playing on the slide when Candy spots the new boy in school. "Wow!" she exclaims. It's love at first sight! His name is Mark Helmore and he comes from England. He's a very handsome young man and is also spotted by Candy's nemesis, Penelope Hassenhammer. Penelope immediately welcomes Mark to their school and lets him carry her books for her. Mark is all politeness and the perfect gentleman. Candy looks on jealously as Penelope, looking very feminine in her dress, walks away with Mark.
After school, Carolyn is waiting to pick up Candy. Candy gets into the car looking very dreamy-eyed and all she can talk about is Mark Helmore. Carolyn tries to talk to her about her leaving Jonathan out of their games but Candy isn't listening. Carolyn passes her hand in front of Candy's face but no reaction. This girl is GONE! Even when they get home Candy ignores Martha's plate of cookies and Jonathan's greeting on the stair. Even the Captain is ignored! Popping in he asks Carolyn, "What's the matter with Candy? She doesn't seem to see me." Carolyn replies, "She doesn't see anyone at the moment." The Captain is miffed, "I don't appreciate being ignored by a member of my crew!" Carolyn explains to the Captain that Candy has something on her mind. "Can I help?" he asks. "No thanks, it's my problem." The Captain asks if her problem has a name and Carolyn replies, "It certainly does . . . love!" She runs upstairs to leave the Captain puzzling over her statement.
He misunderstands her meaning and assumes it is Carolyn who is in love! Cornering Jonathan he asks him if his mother's in love and if she has been seeing someone away from the house without his knowledge. "I don't know, " Jonathanreplies. The Captain then explodes with, "Why is it no one around here tells me anything?" Poor Jonathan replies, "No one tells me anything either!"
After dinner the Captain appears in the living room where Carolyn is stoking the fire. "Madam, you haven't told me who is the lucky man." Carolyn, not aware of the Captain's misunderstanding, replies, " Oh, I think his name is Mark Helmore." The captain is incredulous, "You think! You don't KNOW?" He goes on to ask her if she finds Mark attractive and if he's well situated. Carolyn's replies are too nonchalant for the Captain, " I can't tell whether you're serious or not." "Why should I be serious?" she asks. Captain Gregg decides that Carolyn is determined to keep her romance a secret from him. He gloomily gives her his sincere wishes for her happiness and with a very hurt look he dematerializes. His words and behavior cause Carolyn to shake her head in puzzlement.
Returning to her room she finds a beautiful cut crystal bowl on her desk. "Where did this come from?" she asks just as Captain Gregg materializes. It's a gift from him. "A little momento to help you on your journey on new seas." Carolyn is now VERY confused. The Captain continues, "You have always brought warmth and grace to this ship. I'll always remember you." His words were sincere but filled with sadness. "Well, I'm very touched but I wasn't planning to go anywhere. Why are you so anxious to get rid of me?" Carolyn's words send the Captain right over the edge, "Why of all the utterly preposterous, typically FEMALE things to say!" Carolyn is equally perturbed, " Well out of the clear sky you give me a punchbowl and tell me goodbye! Just tell me if you're trying to break the lease." The Captain is almost shouting, "You can't expect to marry and settle down HERE do you?" "Certainly not!" Carolyn replies. The Captain is almost hopeful, "You mean you don't intend to get married?" Carolyn is now becoming amused, "Who would I marry? Claymore?" The Captain is incredibly relieved to find out that it is Candy who is in love and not Mrs. Muir and they both share a laugh over it.
The next day at school finds Candy and Mark in a friendly boxing match on the playground. Mark hits Candy in the eye and Candy comes back with a right hook that knocks Mark down. He good naturedly says, "You're absolutely super. Congratulations, sir!" Candy is mortified. "SIR?" He goes on to say, "I didn't quite catch your name old chap!" "CHAP? I'm a girl! Candy cries as she runs away.
Candy is still crying at home on her bed when Captain Gregg appears beside her. "What's the matter?" he asks Candy gently. "Men!" Candy replies. "Ah, now what have we done?" the Captain asks her. Candy sobs that men like Penelope Hassenhammer and not her. "I have no sex appeal!" she cries. The Captain tries to reassure her, "That comes with age. Just leave everything to me."
Later, Carolyn asks Candy how she got the black eye, and both she and the Captain are shocked when Candy tells them she got it from boxing with Mark. Carolyn is even more shocked when Candy tells her how Mark thought she was a boy. "A boy? My daughter a boy? Well, we'll see about that!"
The next day Candy shows up at school decked out in a pretty blue dress and her hair done up in curls. Mark walks by and sees her. He apologizes and says he hopes he didn't hurt her. He tells her how stupid he feels and understands if she doesn't want to talk to him. Of course Penelope shows up and teases Candy about her suddenly deciding to be a girl. Candy tells her to leave her alone, and Penelope and a reluctant Mark do so. Captain Gregg appears next to Candy and tells her that she should tell Mark how much she likes him. Candy admits she does like Mark, but telling him is not the way to go about it. Ever frustrated by the ways of women the Captain leaves her and decides to vent his frustrations on Carolyn. "What is wrong with your entire sex is you're not open and simple like a man. You hide your true feelings, you play games, you're devious!"
Carolyn retorts, "You force us to be devious. A woman can't just walk up to a man and say, "I love you. Will you marry me?" "I don't see why she can't." The Captain replies. "I'd be honored to hear you say it." Carolyn smiles a little, "Uh, ho . . . you speak from a very safe position!" Captain Gregg tells her that he would have said exactly the same thing if he were alive theoretically speaking, of course! They are interrupted by the sound of Jonathan teasing Candy about loving Mark. Going out to stop their fighting they find that Candy is very upset about how everyone laughed at her for dressing up and how much she hates growing up. The Captain hates to see Candy hurting so he hatches an idea to help her win Mark's heart.
That night he appears to a sleeping Mark and while giving him visions of a beautiful Candy tells him that "Candy Muir is the prettiest girl you've ever seen. There is no other young lady but Candy . . . Candy . . . think of you and Candy . . ." Next he gives Mark a dream that he and Candy are happily singing a song together. Mark murmurs in his sleep, "Candy!"
The next morning Candy is back to her old tomboy self and is happily greeted by her gang. "Who cares about Mark?" she says. "He's a creep!" This puts the Captain in a dither after all his hard work the night before. Carolyn teases him, "Don't take it too seriously. You'll both recover!" The Captain is hardly amused, " What an utterly callous and unscrupulous, typically female attitude!" Still teasing, Carolyn replies, "But Captain, we have to have SOME protection against heartbreakers like you!"
At school, Mark is anxiously waiting for Candy. When she arrives with her gang she causually walks by Mark and says, "Hi." "Wow!" he says dreamily as she passes by. He's in love!
Final Thoughts:
I never thought I'd be giving a 4 Bell rating to "Puppy Love" since it's always been in my memory as just a mediocre episode. After watching it again I realized it's rather a gem! I loved how jealous the Captain got after thinking Carolyn was in love with someone else. How hard he tried to be gracious in his wishes for her happiness all the while his heart was breaking. How obviously relieved he was when he realized it wasn't Carolyn who was in love! I also thought he was so sweet trying to help Candy with her love life. I also saw a bit of Professor Henry Higgins in his performance when he was exclaiming that what was wrong with women was that they weren't open and simple like a man. I almost expected him to sing out, "Why can't a woman be like a man?"
Mark Lester is another reason I like this episode. I was about Candy's age when I first saw him as Oliver in the movie "Oliver!" Like Candy I immediately had a crush on him. What a handsome lad he was! "Oliver!" won the Academy Award in 1968. Mark is no longer acting. He and his wife, Jane, are both osteopathologists in England.
Contributed by Sherry Ledenbach