Greg Drive Marcia
March 25th, 2018 by Proprietor
Cars were part of the whole Brady Bunch mystic from the beginning. Whether it was driving the family to somewhere for a camping trip or to the Grand Canyon, the family station wagon was a big part of the events. When you had six kids, a dog that would disappear eventually, and a housekeeper, it was the only way to get around. Mini Vans were not invented yet. The station wagon was used to go to the grocery store to buy Safe Laundry Detergent and ingredients to make cake. Carol even got into an accident in the grocery store parking lot, and the Brady family was sued.
When the show began, Greg and Marcia were close in age, and it was more than likely in a few years, Greg would be 16, and driving. Greg was already thinking about buying a car in the first season. His father even got Greg a job as an office boy to pay for a future car, which Greg screwed up, and probably cost Mike some status. Eventually Greg would be old enough to get a license and drive.
Greg was a bit arrogant about getting his license. You expect such things from the oldest boy. Greg came in to the house moping, pretending he had failed his license test, when it turned out he passed easily. Because Greg could now drive, he was expected to help drive his siblings around. The driving his siblings around got Greg into trouble numerous times, and that became problematic with a certain girl. Bobby could be annoying. Though Greg being able to drive made it easier for the Brady children to slip out and perform on talent shows to raise money as the Silver Platters.
About two seasons later, Marcia was now able to drive. This set up the whole major sibling rivalry between the two oldest. Greg dishing out the cliche of women were worse drivers. Marcia had already bested Greg years ago when she joined his scouting troop, forcing Peter to become a Sunflower Girl. Now Marcia wanted to best Greg in driving. Then reality crashed in, and Marcia became nervous, flunking her driving exam.
Marcia flunking set into motion what might have been a very controversial concept in television in that era. People in their underwear. Marcia had been told to picture people in their underwear and she would be less nervous. Thankfully the producers made sure all the characters who would be pictured in their underwear were adults, and not main characters as well. Even people in their underwear might not pass muster with the editors or censors. In the end everything worked out.
The second time Marcia took her driving exam, she pictured the driving instructor or tester in his underwear. Marcia chuckled, and passed her test. When Marcia showed off her new drivers license, the rivalry came forth. Marcia scored hirer than Greg on the written exam, but lower on the actual driving exam. Since both drivers had hire scores in one exam or the other, neither could determine if Greg’s claim of women being worse drivers was true. The Brady children did not know who was the best driver. Then Mike came up with a simple idea to solve the problem. Greg and Marcia would go to a vacant parking lot, navigate an obstacle course, and whomever stopped closest to the last cone would win. Mike had gotten the idea from something he saw, a trucking rodeo.
Saturday morning, the Brady Bunch gathered in a vacant parking lot somewhere, set up cones, and the competition would begin. Except, something was needed to indicate if a driver accidentally hit the last cone rather than parking close. So, Alice present an egg. The egg was placed on top of the last cone. If someone accidentally hit the cone, the egg would fall off, and break.
Marcia drove the course first, and came within inches of the last cone. Greg laughed, and said he could do better. Greg breezed through the course, and as he brought the car to a stop, there was a distraction, Greg hit the gas slightly to hard, the car jerked, and Greg slammed into the cone. The egg fell off, and Greg lost the competition to his sister. Marcia realizing she was granted victory by fate, let Greg off of their bet. Though both of the older siblings would continue the rivalry.
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