Architect Partner Politician

August 27th, 2017 by

Mike Brady was an architect, his job at an unnamed architectural firm featured prominently in some episodes. His boss was, Ed Phillips, but it was also revealed to be a Mr. Matthews who was the owner, so the firm could be Phillips/Matthews Architectural Firm. During the series, Mike’s job was featured or sub plotted into stories.

The Brady house was supposed to be one built by Mike. Why an architect would build a house with only one bathroom for six kids escapes some people’s logic, but let’s face it, with no toilet, the bathroom was not going to be a focus of the series. There was also the evolving attic which somehow went from being fit for little people to becoming Greg’s room.

The first time Mike’s career was somewhat a part of a story was when Marcia nominated Mike for Father of the Year. She was caught with her sisters in his den, spilling white out and damaging some designs or notes, but Mike showed why he was father of the year, by only assigning her extra chores. Eventually Marcia keeping a secret ended up amping up the punishments, and Marcia was willing to suffer them. It all had a happy ending with Mike winning, and forgiving his daughter.

Two episodes later, a whole show revolved around Mike having to deal with a difficult client, Beebe Gallini. A cosmetic producer who wanted a pink factory, then one shaped like a powder puff with a roof that opened. Yes, the woman was difficult, and mMike had to put up with the woman, until his kids squirted her with water. Mike kept his job.

Mike was willing to get Greg a job, one of the man nepotistic and well connected jobs Greg would get, as an office boy. Unfortunately Greg made a major mistake, and lost his job. Only to regain it, when Mike stepped up for his son.

Mike must have been a valued architect, since he was sent to Hawaii, and could take his family with him. The three part story was the beginning of season four, and for the first time, every red blooded boy could drool over Marcia and Jan in bikinis.

Greg would end up more involved with his father’s profession when he wrote an essay for school, and through Alice, Mike read the glowing essay about Greg wanting to become an architect like his father. Greg confessed to Marcia he only wrote the essay because he had to for school, and had hoped no one would read it, except his teacher. Mike was so overwhelmed with pride, he began buying Greg equipment and letting him design buildings. Greg was so terrible at it he hoped Mike would relent, but Mike did not give up. Eventually Greg began designing even more bizarre buildings, and finally Mike had to tell Greg he was not cut out to be an architect. Greg finally confessed he had no real interest in being one.

Mike would be sent to King’s Island to deliver some sketches and designs for a new part that his firm was bidding to handle. It was the only episode where the older Brady daughters were discussing baby sitting work. Mike allowed Jan to put a poster in a tube to protect it, and almost lost the bid when he switch tubes with Jan. Brady’s to the rescue. All worked out well.

As the show wound down, Cousin Oliver was brought in, and it was Oliver’s over enthusiasm that cause Mike to smash a model of a building he was designing. Soon Mike’s den became a focus of various nefarious plots. Bobby and Oliver suspected Sam was a spy, and overheard Sam plotting with Mike. The reality, Mike being a good man, was designing some rough plans for Sam to expand his Butcher Shop.

In another episode with Cousin Oliver, Cindy was back to being a snoop. Marcia decided to plot with Jan to teach Cindy a lesson by insinuating a talent agent was coming over to check Cindy out as a possible stand in for Shirley Temple. Turns out Mike’s difficult client was the butt of a joke, but because Cindy was so adorable, the woman was reminded of childhood memories, and agreed to Mike’s sketches. The client was a Gilligan’s Island cast member Natalie Schafer, who played Mrs. Howell, and it would soon be Mr. Howell’s turn to be victim of a Brady scam.

The final episode with Mike Brady and his architecture firm revolved around the Brady’s getting a pool table delivered as a reward for some good work he had done. Probably landed the King’s Island contract. The pool table was from Mike’s boss, and Mike decided to invite his boss, played by Jim Backus, who played Mr. Howell on Gilligan’s Island, over for dinner and playing pool. As is with all Brady events, things spiraled out of control, and soon Mike had half the architectural firm over. All the men graciously lost to their boss, since none wanted to lose their job. Bobby undisciplined, ended up beating Mike’s boss. Then Bobby, asked if he could play. Turned out Bobby was a hustler, and had already beaten everyone in the family. With the ever present Driscoll’s Toy Box, Bobby began to clear the table.

Mike’s co-workers warned Mike about possible repercussion of Bobby winning. Even recommended breaking Bobby’s arm, but Mike did no such thing. Bobby ended up winning over 100 packs of gum, and Mike donated the pool table to a charity. Then Mike disappeared from the series forever. Wild speculative conspiracy theories abound, but Mike returned in the spin offs and movies.

In the spin off shows and movies, Mike became a senior partner at the firm, and eventually took it over. When he decided to run for politics, Jan came back and ran the firm. For some reason none of the boys wanted to be architects, but Jan did. In the end, the house that Mike built was demolished for a new freeway. The Brady posse rallied to fight it, Mike launched a political career, and that was the end of it. In the movies Mike’s political career spun into him being president of the United States.

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