| “ | Must you be so shallow as to focus on looks?! Like society's some kind of pageant and we're all judged on a meaningless detail like appearance!
... Okay, she's the bell ringer at Notre Dame. I don't care! She's mine and I love her, no matter what she looks like! |
” |
—Eric Duckman defending Angela while waiting to see her new appearance. | ||
"About Face" is the twelfth episode of the USA Network original series Duckman: Private Dick/Family Man. This episode aired on June 4, 1994.
Synopsis[]
Duckman dates an ugly woman whose voice he fell in love with when calling 911. People's reactions, however, prompt her to seek a full makeover, making her gorgeous to everyone.
Plot[]
Charles and Mambo have created a model of the Titanic for a corporate-themed science fair dedicated to representing deaths that aren't caused by alcohol, tobacco, nor firearms. Later that night, Charles argues that switching their project to be of the Lusitania's wreckage would give them a better chance at getting first place due to the larger death toll. Their argument becomes physical, and Mambo winds up choking on their model of the Titanic. Charles wakes up Duckman, who is sleeping on the couch nearby, and tells him to call 911. Duckman rushes over to the phone and is coached by a 911 operator on how to save Mambo. Duckman falls in love with the operator's voice, but doesn't get her name.
In the office the next day, Duckman gushes to Cornfed about the woman over the phone and how her calming, angelic voice made him feel. She made him feel emotions that he doesn't feel anymore (presumably referring to how Beatrice made him feel), and he states that he wants to be domestic and travel with her. Cornfed tells Duckman to call her back, but Duckman has already tried; her supervisor refused to release her name. Cornfed then suggests Duckman uses his own detective skills to try to track the woman down, but Duckman finds that to be a ridiculous idea. Since making false 911 calls is illegal, Duckman instead decides to repeatedly injure Fluffy and Uranus and report it to 911 in hopes of hearing that same operator again. After continuously being unsuccessful, he mopes in his living room, nearly being driven to relapse into his old smoking habits.
Before Duckman can finish lighting his cigarette, the operator calls Duckman herself to ask how Mambo is doing. She introduces herself as Angela, and mentions that Mambo was the first life she's ever helped save, so she wanted to follow up. Duckman asks her out on a dinner date for that same night and Angela agrees. When Duckman sees her, he discovers that she is hideously ugly but falls for her wonderful personality. A few weeks later, while at a restaurant with her, Duckman punches a waiter for making a rude comment about her appearance. Hating that this drove Duckman to violence, Angela decides to get a makeover. She and Duckman continue to date and she is offered a job as a model, soon becoming a national icon. Seeing all the money and attention she is showered with, Duckman decides that he isn't good enough for her anymore. Angela assures him she doesn't feel that way and asks to meet again another night so they can talk about it. Duckman, feeling like he's holding her back from even more success, doesn't show up. The episode ends with Duckman ignoring Angela's phone call, leaving the phone to ring through the end credits.
Character Appearances[]
Continuity[]
- Ajax enters the house by breaking the front window again in "The One With Lisa Kudrow in a Small Role".
Trivia[]
- The first, and perhaps only time, Fluffy and Uranus act overtly sexual.
- First time we see Bernice's group of friends.
- During the montage of Duckman injuring Fluffy and Uranus the theme song from Love, American Style plays.
- The operator is named Angela, and is described as having an angelic voice. Angela is a name meaning angel.
- This episode is based on The Ugly Duckling, a story written by Hans Christian Andersen.
- This is one of the rare moments where Bernice shows care towards Duckman.
Quotes[]
Bernice: (to Duckman) Well, I'm going. Maybe I should get a sitter and have you come with me.
Duckman: (shocked) What, you're inviting me to have a night at the movies with you and your friends?!
Bernice: No, I'm inviting you to circle my car around the block for two hours! Parking is miserable at that theatre.