Ep 20. The Pen is Mightier Than the Mouth

Rob Petrie, head writer of "The Alan Brady Show," rushes out of the house in a panic. He's forgotten to bring his favorite pen—the one he's used since college—that he always keeps in his breast pocket, and he's leaving for the show's rehearsal in fifteen minutes. As Laura passes him the orange juice, Rob grumbles that he can't think without it—his pen—the thing which he believed made him a good writer.

Laura suggests that he borrow a pen from Buddy Sorrell, his co-writer, which startles Rob, as Buddy's pens are always losing ink, breaking or falling apart. As he heads out, Rob's wife follows and offers him the pen she's holding. But he rejects it, saying he doesn't like fountain pens. However, as Rob makes his way to work, including a stop at a gas station, he keeps noticing pens everywhere he goes. Dick Van Dyke, who plays Rob, does a great physical comedy of darting his head around in wonderment and confusion.

As Buddy and Rob discuss a sketch in the writers' room, Rob distracts himself by clicking the pen's ballpoint tip in and out. "You're going to mess up the spring," Buddy warns. Rob halts, shrugs and concentrates on the dialogue. Over the course of the day, Rob continues to be consumed by the pens around him—sitting in the dentist's waiting room, staring at Allan Brady's expensive pens in his studio, and that of his producer Mel Cooley.

The more pens surround him, the less Rob can function until, in the end, he is driven to throw out his beloved pen. As he ponders his newfound pen-less existence, a new thought suddenly dawns on him—maybe his talent as a writer is not a result of the pen, but instead a part of him. Rob realizes that his insecurities were illogical, as a pen doesn't make a person creative or not.

The storyline is clever, and the comedic elements are top-notch. The episode demonstrates how uneasy Rob is without his pen, and the lengths he goes to justify its worth. Throughout the episode, we see the humorous side of Rob's irrational pen obsession and how it augments his creativity and focus. The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Pen is Mightier Than the Mouth, is a smartly written episode, featuring engaging performances, and clever jokes, which will make anyone laugh out loud.