Ep 18. Handcuffed

John Ritter, Suzanne Somers, and Joyce DeWitt star in Three's Company, a classic sitcom about a young man named Jack Tripper who pretends to be gay in order to live with two single women: Janet and Chrissy. In season 4 episode 18, titled "Handcuffed," Jack, Janet, and Chrissy's new neighbor is a police officer named Officer Simpson. Despite his initial distrust of Jack, Officer Simpson quickly becomes a regular visitor to the apartment. This episode centers around what happens when the three roommates accidentally handcuff themselves together and Officer Simpson is unable to come to their aid.

At the beginning of the episode, Jack is trying to fix a leaky faucet. He has been trying to fix it for hours, but he can't seem to get it right. Janet tells him that the best thing to do is to call a plumber, but Jack insists that he can do it himself. When Chrissy comes home, she is carrying a present for Jack: a pair of toy handcuffs. She and Janet have been playing a game with them all day, but Jack is uninterested. He says that he has more important things to worry about than playing with toys.

Later that night, the three roommates are getting ready for bed. Chrissy and Janet are still playing with the handcuffs. Jack pretends to be annoyed by them, but secretly he is interested. He tries to take the handcuffs from them, but they refuse to give them up. In the struggle, the handcuffs accidentally attach themselves to the three of them. None of them have the key, so they are stuck together until they can find a way to get it off.

The roommates try to call Officer Simpson for help, but he doesn't answer the phone. They try to use the phone to call the police, but they accidentally dial the wrong number. Instead of the police, they get a group of criminals who are planning a heist. The criminals mistake the roommates for undercover cops and decide to come to the apartment to kill them.

As the roommates wait for Officer Simpson to come to their rescue, they begin to get on each other's nerves. They argue about everything from who gets to use the bathroom to how they're going to get out of the handcuffs. Jack is particularly annoyed with Chrissy because she keeps giggling and making jokes. He thinks that she is not taking the situation seriously enough.

When Officer Simpson finally shows up, he is unable to help the roommates because he has lost his key. He says that they will have to go to the police station to have the handcuffs removed. The roommates are hesitant to go to the police station because they don't want to get in trouble for being mistaken for cops by the criminals.

In the end, the roommates are able to come up with a plan to get the handcuffs off themselves. They use Janet's hairpin to pick the lock and are finally able to separate. They breathe a sigh of relief and thank Officer Simpson for his help. The criminal gang finally arrives at the apartment, but they are quickly apprehended by Officer Simpson and his backup.

"Handcuffed" is a hilarious episode of Three's Company that showcases the comedic talents of John Ritter, Suzanne Somers, and Joyce DeWitt. It is a classic example of the show's blend of physical comedy and witty dialogue. Fans of the show will love this episode for its lighthearted and entertaining plot.