Ep 27. EP 27 - Sanford & Son & Sister Makes Three
- January 1, 1972
EP 27 - Sanford & Son & Sister Makes Three: In this episode of Sanford & Son, Fred's sister-in-law Esther comes to visit and Fred's worst fears come true as she makes herself right at home and begins to impose her will on the entire household. Esther, who is notoriously difficult to deal with, arrives unannounced and immediately makes herself comfortable in Fred's home, despite his protests. As Fred tries to get rid of her, he discovers that she has plans of her own, including selling her late husband's insurance policy to Fred for a hefty sum of money. Meanwhile, Esther's presence causes a rift between Lamont and his girlfriend Gladys, who is less than thrilled about sharing a house with Esther. As tensions rise, Fred is forced to make a difficult decision about Esther's future with the family.
The episode starts with Lamont and Gladys enjoying a quiet evening at home until Esther shows up unannounced and uninvited. Esther, who is Fred's sister-in-law, immediately takes over the house and begins to boss everyone around. Her presence is driving Lamont and Gladys crazy, and they are soon at odds with each other because of it. Meanwhile, Fred is not happy about Esther's visit either, but he is trying to hide his frustration because he wants something from her. Esther's late husband had a $10,000 insurance policy, and Fred wants to buy it from her for $2,000.
As the night goes on, Esther continues to make herself at home, doing what she pleases and disregarding the wishes of those around her. She takes over the kitchen and cooks a big meal, which no one wants to eat. She also forces Lamont and Gladys to sleep in separate rooms because she doesn't approve of their living together out of wedlock.
The next morning, Fred finally gets Esther alone and tries to buy the insurance policy from her. But Esther, who is not the trusting type, wants to make sure she is getting a good deal. She insists that they go to an attorney's office to have the legal documents drawn up, but she won't tell Fred which attorney she has in mind.
Later, Esther has a heart-to-heart with Lamont and tells him how much she misses her late husband. She also reveals that the reason she came to visit was because she needs money to pay for a medical procedure. Esther's vulnerability touches Lamont, and he begins to see her in a new light.
When Fred finds out that Esther needs the money for a medical procedure, he decides to give her the $2,000 without buying the insurance policy. But before he can do that, Esther disappears, and no one knows where she is. They search the house and the neighborhood but come up empty-handed.
Eventually, Esther comes back to the house, and she has a surprise for everyone. She has gone to the attorney's office and signed over the insurance policy to Fred without accepting any money in return. Esther tells Fred that she wants him to have the money when she dies, but for now, she just wants to know that the policy is in good hands.
The episode ends with Esther leaving the house, and Fred realizing that he might have misjudged his sister-in-law. While she can be difficult to deal with at times, she is still family, and he wants to do what he can to help her.
