Writers:  Tim Hobert
Director: Andy Cadiff

Episode Length: 22:10

Guest Stars:

Rating: n/a

Rating:  TV- PG

First Broadcast: May 20, 1998

Storyline #1: Do You Take This Corpse?
It's the big day and it's time for Paul and Claudia to finally get hitched.   Everything seems set. All they need is to reserve the church for the right day.   Oops!  Mike accidentally schedules it for the wrong day and it gets put on the same day as a funeral.  He begs and pleads with the newly widowed husband, and he agrees to give Paul and Claudia just enough time to get the ceremony in.  But when Mike tries to inform the priest about it, he knocks the priest out.  Time is running out and Mike needs someone qualified to perform a marriage ceremony.  In steps The Mayor.  But he's still having trouble speaking and Claudia gets angry at all the sacrifices she's had to make in order to go through with the whole ordeal.  She gets so fed up that she walks out.  At the reception later on, she seems to have calmed down somewhat.  Enough so that she and Paul are sitting at the same table when The Mayor begins a musical serenade that serves as a mock-ceremony.  She says yes and voila, the two are married.

Storyline #2:  A Nervous Mu - Mu - Mayor
Wolf Blitzer is in town and he's attending The Mayor's press conference.  Mike mentions in passing that he could be scouting for Presidential material.  Being intimidated by Wolf is understandable, but Mayor Winston becomes so afraid, he develops a speech impediment.  He stutters whenever called upon to say the letter 'B'.   While seriously hampering his public speaking plans, the fear continues and his stuttering moves up the alphabet into the Cs, Ds and Fs.  Finally, it gets to the point where all he can pronounce is "Ahh."  When Mike knocks the priest unconscious and calls upon The Mayor to conduct the ceremony, "Ahh" doesn't cut it.  Mike steps in, pushing Claudia over the edge and out of the church.  Flash forward to the reception and James is sitting in for the band.  He begins to play "Copacobana".  And The Mayor begins to sing along, proving that he can sing words as long as he doesn't have to speak them.  Mike gets an idea, and he tells The Mayor to "sing" the ceremony.  He does, and Paul and Claudia exchange vows.   When it comes time to kiss the bride, Mayor Winston's stutter pops up again, until Mike takes off the pressure by saying that no New York Mayor has ever gone on to the White House.  His speech is restored and the ceremony is complete.

Storyline #3: A Coming Out Party
For all of Stuart's ranting about his sexual lifestyle, there's at least one person he hasn't told.  That one is his priest, who also is scheduled to preside over Paul and Claudia's marriage.  Carter debates whether or not to tell him, but he just can't bring himself to disappoint the old man.  Carter tries to get around it by telling Father Larry as he's knocked unconscious, but the Staff isn't buying it.  Carter continues the charade by pretending to be interested when Father Larry tries to set him up with a single, female parishioner.  But at the reception, with friends and just enough champagne in his system, he comes out to Father Larry.  And the party goes on...

Review: The Paul Bearer

Overall, a ceremonious episode.    Granted, a wedding as a season-ender has been done before about 8.2 million times.  But this time, the actual event was finished and not-all-that unexpected.  Plus, it was funny and original to boot.  Not exactly a cliff-hanging episode like last year.   But it was a nice wrap-up to a season ending on some pretty high notes.

With Carter's brashness, it's easy to forget that he is human and can struggle with who he is and how he presents himself.  It was great to see him have to swallow his outspokenness in order to not disappoint his Priest.  Was it a stretch to have a life-long acquaintance not know about his sexual orientation?  Sure.  If Carter hadn't told him, it is more than likely that word could have gotten back.  But that would have taken the fun out of Michael Boatman's frantic performance.  And I too enjoyed his attempt to hit on the ladies.

The Mayor losing the ability to speak?  Eerily similar to a few weeks ago when he was losing his hearing.  But at least this time, there was a subtext.  Will The Mayor ever try to make the move up to President?  It'd have to be in 2004:  I don't think they'd be able to pull off a White House run in less than 2 years.  But it makes great talk.  (And Barry Bostwick is a much more attractive candidate than 1/2 the choices out there already.)  It's a shame Wolf wasn't able to make the actual cameo, but it's probably got something to do more with corporate synergy (ABC/Disney vs. Time Warner) than a creative decision.  But if not Wolf, at least Sam Donaldson.  (That toupee would make me stutter too.)

So the big day arrived.  Paul and Claudia are finally together, and it was one of the best wedding episodes I've ever seen.  More often than not, weddings take place between 2 of the main characters.  Here, Paul (and most certainly Claudia) are side players, so they aren't required to carry the show.  That makes the viewer a little less emotionally wrapped up, yet still in the moment.  Had, say The Mayor and Stacy hooked up, it would have been a little more difficult to accept.

And what an idea to throw in a funeral!  I guess you have to have a little bit of a dark streak to find the situation downright funny, but I did.  Was it a subtle reminder that a piece of you dies when you tie the knot?  Was it a way of showing the death of a social life by staying with one partner?  Was it symbolic of the end of one portion of a life by joining with another?  Or was it just a clever, outrageous situation?  Either way, it was great!!

This episode, coupled with Stuart & Carter's new situation, and the possible Mike-Nikki angle will make next year worth tuning in to.  See you there!

Rating [5 pt. scale]: 4.5

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