In this episode of Breaking Bonaduce, Danny recieves an award from Harvard.

Finally some good news!

Without breaking so much as a sweat, let alone a Bonaduce, let's get down to the potential meltdowns:

Danny and Gretchen celebrate Valentine's Day

Love is not only strange; it's also estranged, as we find out at the top of this episode. Danny drives to meet Gretchen for what appears to be a Valentine's Day lunch. He explains that he hasn't even seen his wife since she threw him out of the house. Gretchen, meanwhile, says that though they are living apart for now, Danny's her husband of 15 years, so of course she wants to see him on Valentine's Day. Duh.

While dining, Danny unleashes the first of a few great quotes of the episode: "I love you...hence the suit." Hence the awesomeness.

Danny asks Gretchen if she'll accompany him to Harvard, where he's set to pick up the Man of the Year award from the Harvard Lampoon. Gretchen says she's thinking about it. Danny outdoes himself in his response (and earns every bit of his Level 2 on the Meltdown Meter):

"I'm kinda pissed off, so I'm thinking about setting you on fire. But I'm not gonna do it." The tension of the near-threat could have caused an all-out Level 4. However, Gretchen sees the dark humor in this...

...and all is fine.

Ain't potentially dissolving love grand?

Danny accepts his award

Gretchen does end up accompanying Danny to Boston, which temporarily makes everything seem as close to OK as Breaking Bonaduce gets.

Danny attends a few events on the Harvard campus in celebration of his win (a screening of Breaking Bonaduce with a following Q&A, an awards ceremony at the Lampoon Castle, dinner with the students, etc.). Things go well. He shows off his butt to a curious student...

...he speaks humorously about his past drug problem ("When I've got drugs, I ain't got no drug problem!"). He gets naked again during his acceptance speech for the trophy...

You know, fun stuff like that. Gretchen even gets a verbal high-five at one point...

The only snag that's hit is a minor one -- during a Q&A with students, one of them asks Danny how is marriage is. Danny defers the question to Gretchen who's sitting in the audience. "Honey, how's my marriage now?" Danny asks. "We're still working on it," replies Gretchen. Awkward!

Anyway, she proves herself to be a woman of her word, as she and Danny really do work on it for all the world to see:

Sweet, right? It stays that way, too, until the subject of being "romantic" is broached:

Gretchen's not feeling it. Awkward, the sequel!

Which leads us into the final potential meltdown...

Danny and Gretchen reexamine the state of their relationship

This is the closest Danny's gotten to a Level 4 yet this season. Things unfurl beginning with a closed hotel-room door. As we make our way through the room, shaky, hand-held-cam style, we hear Danny and Gretchen continuing their argument about intimacy. Danny soon becomes swift to the fact that they aren't alone and tells the camera man repeatedly to, "Back the f*** up." Uh, that's not gonna happen, for you see...

Like we learned last week: you know things are heavy when Danny Bonaduce is refusing to be on camera.

He gets over it apparently because soon, we cut to a better lit and better framed shot of Danny and Gretchen's discussion...

Basically, Danny's ranting about the fact that Gretchen doesn't want to go to bed with him (she even requested a separate room before they flew out...so it's not only that she doesn't want to be in the same bed as him, she might not want to even be in the same room as him). Danny's kind of manic and so, Gretchen basically throws up her hands.

Apparently this goes unresolved because we see Danny the next day in a car on the way to a radio interview. He doesn't look pleased, and he talks about how, even before the above-capped argument, Gretchen said she was strongly considering filing for divorce.

Danny arrives at his interview...

And one of the first exchanges is undoubtedly one of the most telling:

DJ: The reality show is...is just incredible.
Danny: Thanks, man, I appreciate that.
DJ: 'Cause you're a train wreck.
Danny: No kidding.

Well, you know, at least he can laugh about these things!

Preview next week's episode and witness Danny in his uncensored glory only on VSPOT!

Comments

[ECW]

What is the name of the song that is played at the end of this episode? Has lyrics about Boston in it...thanks

[aubyn]

i am sure that many people will disagree with me but gretchen drives me crazy-i think she is the most codependant woman ever. if she doesn't love him she needs to cut him loose and quit sort of being in the relationship. she continues to half ass this all the way and a lot of times i feel for danny. i know he has messed up but he continues to express how he feels and not sorta be in the relationship.

[Tricia Wilson]

We all know Danny is an idiot and only cares about himself. But what I find truly apalling is Gretchen. It's admirable to try and save a marriage, but she is destroying her children every minute that she allows that man to be near them. Whatever is wrong with him, he needs to fix it. But he should be out of the house and only allowed supervised visits until he can get a grip on himself. If he weren't her husband, maybe a relative or a friend, would she allow him to be anywhere near her children? Hopefully the answer would be 'no', but since he's the Dad, he gets poison their souls with his garbage? While he makes for an amusing DJ, he's a destructive and toxic father. What is she thinking?!!! Is she that pathetic and dependent? Is the mansion and botox that important? I would love to know. Stay married, but make him stay away until he can control himself. It's sad. My children will be watching "Putting the Bonaduce's Back Together" in a few years starring your children.

[Karen]

Great recap for this train wreck of an episode! Great screen captures, too.

I love reading your work. Thanks for the entertainment.

[Jeff Snider]

Unbelievable how Gretchen rejects Danny over and over again and then gets him to believe that he is the bad guy. Most people don't like rejection from a spouse. Some folks don't respond well to it the first time. But again and again? Danny, when the entrance to the pearly gates stays closed for as long as your's has, most men would look elsewhere. Your addiction to Gretchen is far more toxic than any of the substances that you have used!