3rd Rock from the Sun

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Question: In many episodes, Dick and Mary will go together to a destination, but not leave together. Did one of them walk?

Dick and Taxes - S4-E12

Question: When Mary asks Dick what he expected for not paying his taxes when he learns he owes thousands to the IRS, he responds with, "I certainly didn't expect my girlfriend to wear my ass as a snowshoe!" I'm not sure I have ever understood this joke. What is the meaning behind it?

Phaneron

Answer: The writers often have Dick respond to Mary with a retort that he thinks is in the common vernacular but makes a mistake in wording that is often funny. Dick seems to be imputing a criticism from Mary and responds with a corruption of the more common "I'm going to wear your ass like a hat!" I doubt it has anything to do with owing taxes. Probably just one of the writers assuming a common regional phrase would be universally recognized.

That makes total sense. I always interpreted it as perhaps snowshoes are an expensive item, and given that he was blaming Mary for his newfound financial woes, he was equating her living off his generosity and used snowshoeing as a metaphor.

Phaneron

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Question: When Dick brings allegedly dirty dishes in hoping Nina can get someone at college cafeteria to wash them are they not clean as they can be and when she drops them, they remain in the box, next shot, they are on the floor.

Answer: This seems to be a mistake entry, not a question. And this mistake has already been submitted.

Bishop73

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Question: I'm watching this show on an app called "Tubi TV" and none of the 1st season episodes have the opening narration from James Earl Jones. I remember watching this on TV, but it would have been reruns and I can't remember hearing the narration then either (granted, I may have forgotten hearing it, but it's so distinct and unique that I don't think I would have forgotten it). When the show was in rerun syndication, was the narration removed? Why? Just to ad 30-seconds of ad time? Why would the narration be removed on streaming services where ad time isn't an issue? Do they not have access to the originals? Has anyone seen the narration removed anywhere else?

Bishop73

Answer: I have the entire series on DVD, and season 1 doesn't have the narration on it either. Perhaps the studio cut it to avoid having to pay residuals to James Earl Jones. Some episodes on my DVDs also seem to be missing scenes or parts of scenes that appeared in original airings, but were removed in syndication, so it seems just as likely that all episodes that were supplied for DVD replication or for streaming services received versions that were the edited for syndication.

Phaneron

Thank you for this insight. Interesting the DVDs don't have it.

Bishop73

A Nightmare on Dick Street (1) - S2-E25

Question: Don says if he nabs Karl Borsky he makes detective. (I'm pretty sure I've seen other shows where a cop says if he does something or brings someone in he'll make detective, or some rank). Is that how some police departments promoted officers to detective? I thought it just a matter of necessary years of experience and passing a test (and maybe having a vacancy) and not about having a certain number of high profile arrests or accomplishing a certain feat. Granted Don may be exaggerating, but taking what he said at face value, how true is it?

Bishop73

Answer: Being promoted within the police department is usually a result of time on the job, combined with demonstration of talent and ability. When a character "cracks the big case" or "nabs the bad guy" this means that their superiors will take notice and possibly promote them if possible. In Don's case, he may already have the required years of service, but has yet to show sufficient ability.

Dick and Taxes - S4-E12

Question: At the end of their audit, the Solomons are ordered by the IRS to pay back-taxes, some of which for years they weren't even on the planet. Can the IRS actually make people pay taxes for years in which they had no income?

Phaneron

Answer: No, the IRS cannot make you pay taxes during years in which you had no income but this family hasn't reported any income for years. You are still required to report your income every year, and if you fall below a certain threshold you don't pay federal income taxes. The IRS is assuming they are humans who have a house and careers but they have only filed taxes for a couple years (if at all). To the IRS it looks like simple tax evasion.

BaconIsMyBFF

Chosen answer: Officer Don ended up appearing in 100 of 139 episodes, but I would say season 3 is when he become permanent as Wayne Knight's name appears in the opening credits. However, as he did appear throughout season 2 (first appearance S01E17), it's possible they already considered him permanent at that time since season 3's opening credits also included Simbi Khali (Nina) and Elmarie Wendel (Ms. Dubcek).

Bishop73

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Dick's Big Giant Headache (1) - S4-E23

Trivia: When the Solomons meet the Big Giant Head at the airport and ask how his flight was, he says that it was horrible because when he looked out the airplane window, he saw something on the wing of the plane. Dick responds that the same thing happened to him. William Shatner appeared in the 1960's Twilight Zone episode "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet" in which a gremlin tried to destroy the wing of a plane. John Lithgow appeared in "Twilight Zone: The Movie" playing the same character in the same situation.

More trivia for 3rd Rock from the Sun

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