The Eleventh Season

Season eleven marks the final episodes of the long running sitcom Married with Children. While it is the series' last moments, I was not disappointed for it to come to an end. The show has had a very good run. There are some really hilarious episodes with the Bundys, the Darcys, and a few of their friends. In particular, there are silly stories about Al and Peggy's love/hate relationship, the shoe store, Kelly's acting career, and more. Fans of the series will definitely enjoy the series' final twenty-four episodes.

Some of the best episodes this season are about Al and Peggy. Throughout the series, they have had a love/hate relationship. They tease on each other to no end, but deep down care about each other. It is part of the show's charm. In the three-part episode "Breaking Up is Easy to Do", they go to a marriage counselor and things go south. Al moves out and Peggy looks for a new man. This episode gets pretty fun as Al tries to pick up babes with an awful toupee and Peggy meets a wealthy, charming man. Another fun episode dealing with their relationship is "Live Nude Peg". Peggy pretends to be a stripper to get Al's attention, and it works. There is also "Stepford Peg", where Al brainwashes Peggy into being the perfect wife.

The shoe store is the basis for several fun episodes. They include "Children of the Corns", Al and Griff blackmail Gary who exploits children in a sweatshop to make shoes; unfortunately, the plan backfires, "God Help Ye Merry Bundymen", Al and Griff are fired for younger employees and forced to find seasonal jobs, but they lack the Christmas spirit, "Crimes Against Obesity", a group of obese women hold Al hostage in the store for his mistreatment of large women, "Bud on the Side", Gary and Bud engage in an unholy union that sets Al's stomach churning, and "Chicago Shoe Exchange", Al and Griff trade women's shoes with mall store operators. Overall, there are lots of fun episodes set in the shoe store and they do not fail to provide laughs with their goofy, over-the-top plotlines.

Kelly's acting career continues to be the center of a few episodes. In "Kelly's Gotta Habit", she is up for a great part in an advertisement campaign. The catch is that it is funded by a Catholic nun and Kelly must remain pure and innocent to properly market the product. Unfortunately, Kelly struggles to keep it in her pants as her lust for men overpowers her. Meanwhile, Al goes on patrol with Officer Dan to be on COPS. "The Juggs Have Left the Building" is another big mark in Kelly's entertainment career. She and Peggy enter an amateur singing contest in Branson, Missouri. Their quick rise to fame goes to their heads, which ultimately causes their downfall. "A Babe in Toyland" is another good episode. Kelly guest stars on a children's television show. The host has a mental breakdown and she takes over. Things do not turn out well for her when she turns her back on Bud and completely changes the show.

As for the rest of the season, there are a number of just plain fun episodes. One of my favorites is "T*R*A*S*H". In this episode, Jefferson convinces Al and Griff to join the National Guard. They expect it to be a vacation, but find themselves in a heap of trouble when they are deployed. "Damn Bundys" is another really off the wall, but hilarious episode. Al sells his soul to the devil to play in the NFL. Things are great for Al until he betrays the Devil. "Lez Be Friends" shows another side of Marcy when her identical cousin Mandy visits. Al quickly befriends Mandy, which is odd because she looks just like Marcy. Nevertheless, their friendship makes for some silly moments. In the two-part episode "The Desperate Half-Hour" and "How to Marry a Moron", Kelly gets engaged to a rich, dumb kid whose idea of marriage is sleeping with other women. This fact does not sit well with Al.

Overall, Married with Children has some really fun episodes this season. Nothing too serious happens with the characters, with the exception of Al and Peg's temporary separation, but they still tend to turn some rather common situations into a lot of fun. If you have enjoyed past seasons, then this one should definitely be on your list. It is easy to get into, fun to watch, and laughs around every corner.

Episode Guide

1. Twisted: A killer storm strikes, leaving the Bundys and D'Arcys sharing a basement shelter.
2. Children of the Corns: Al and Griff try to blackmail their sweatshop-owning boss into giving them a raise.
3. Kelly's Gotta Habit: As Kelly agrees to give up sex for a big TV commercial, Al teams with Officer Dan for an appearance on "Cops".
4. Requiem for a Chevyweight Part 1: Al struggles to find a part for his ailing car.
5. Requiem for a Chevyweight Part 2: Following the death of his Dodge, Al sets out to get a new car.
6. A Bundy Thanksgiving: An untimely death threatens Al's Thanksgiving tradition and Kelly tries to save a pet turkey from becoming a holiday dinner.
7. The Jugs Have Left the Building: Peggy and Kelly team up as a singing duo for a talent contest in Branson, Missouri.
8. God Help Ye Merry Bundy Men: As Al and Griff lose their jobs on Christmas Eve, Marcy and Jefferson's entry in a neighborhood contest is sabotaged by Kelly and Bud.
9. Crimes Against Obesity: As he's trying to celebrate his birthday, Al is put on trial by a group of obese women.
10. The Stepford Peg: Peggy's amnesia allows Al to mold her into the perfect wife.
11. Bud on the Side: Al's boss falls in love with Bud.
12. Grime and Punishment: When he starts charging Bud rent, Al is confined to the basement until he makes some much-needed repairs.
13. T*R*A*S*H: Al and Griff join Jefferson in the National Guard.
14. Breaking Up is Easy to Do Part 1: A party game sends Al and Peggy to a marriage counselor; Kelly squres off in the boxing ring against a rival actress.
15. Breaking Up is Easy to Do Part 2: When Al moves out, he and Peggy throw themselves into the singles scene, with widely different results.
16. Breaking Up is Easy to Do Part 3: While Al finds single life dismal, Peggy tries to land a new husband.
17. Live Nude Peg: Al falls in love with a stripper, unaware that she's actually his wife.
18. A Babe in Toyland: Kelly becomes a prima donna after being asked to fill in on a popular children's television program.
19. Birthday Boy Toy: As Jefferson's worries about getting old force him into taking a job, Al tries to cure Peggy's shopping addiction.
20. Damn Bundys: Al sells hi soul for a chance to play in the Super Bowl.
21. Lez Be Friends: Al strikes up a friendship with Marcy's identical cousin.
22. Desperate Half-Hour: Bud's prison pen pal arrives to rob the Bundy's.
23. How to Marry a Moron: Al objects to Kelly marrying an armed robber, until he discovers that he's the heir to a family fortune.
24. Chicago Shoe Exchange: Al and Griff trade the shoe store's inventory for a massage chair.

The DVD

Video:
The video format is given in its original aspect ratio 1.33:1 full frame color. The overall quality is acceptable. There are some noticeable of compression artifacts and ghosting during heavy movement. Overall, while not outstanding, the visual representation is still good.

Audio:
The audio track in this release is given in English Dolby digital stereo sound. The audio sounds pretty clean and is very flat. It is as basic as TV on DVD releases get. This release also supports closed captioning.

Extras:
There are no extras included with this DVD release.

Final Thoughts:
Married with Children's eleventh season marks the final season of series and it is a must for fans. From start to finish, there are some great episodes with goofy, hilarious, and all-around fun as the cast get into one situation after the next. Some of the highlights include Al joining the National Guard, Al and Peggy splitting up, Kelly's acting career, and Bud's affair with Al's Boss. There are a lot of great happenings to enjoy. It is highly recommended.