Ep 19. More Than Neighbors

The Mary Tyler Moore Show Season 2 Episode 19 "More Than Neighbors" revolves around Mary Richards, a single woman who had moved to Minneapolis from New York City to start a new life. In this particular episode, Mary's landlord, Phyllis Lindstrom, played by Cloris Leachman, invites herself over for dinner at Mary's apartment, which makes Mary feel uneasy as she would rather not entertain her nosy neighbor.

Phyllis is known for her condescending attitude towards Mary and her persistent attempts to insert herself into Mary's life. Despite Mary's reluctance, Phyllis manages to convince her to let her come over for dinner, by playing the guilt card and reminding her of all the help she has given her in the past.

When Phyllis arrives at Mary's apartment for dinner, she brings along her husband, Lars, played by Richard Schaal, whom Mary had never met before. Although Mary is a bit taken aback by their unexpected appearance, she decides to make the best of the situation and tries to make them feel comfortable.

However, things take an unexpected turn when Lars reveals that he has been seeing Mary's next-door neighbor, Sue Ann Nivens, played by Betty White. Sue Ann is a known seductress who hosts a cooking show on the local television station and is known for her wild and provocative behavior.

As the evening progresses, Mary becomes increasingly uncomfortable as Lars continues to make suggestive comments about Sue Ann, right in front of her. Mary tries to steer the conversation towards other topics, but Lars and Phyllis keep bringing it back to Sue Ann, which makes Mary realize that the two couples have more in common than she had initially thought.

As the night draws to a close, Mary is relieved when Phyllis and Lars finally leave, but she can't help but feel a bit shaken by the whole ordeal. She is confused about how she feels about Sue Ann, and wonders whether she should confront her about her relationship with Lars.

Overall, "More Than Neighbors" is an entertaining episode that showcases Mary's uneasy relationship with Phyllis, while introducing the audience to Sue Ann, a character who would go on to become a fan favorite. The episode also explores themes of jealousy and infidelity, which were relatively uncommon for television shows at the time.