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Audio is a bit scratchy. As Rush and Sade talk, Vic enters and has big news that Hank Gutstop may start getting caught up on some of his debts to Vic. What new scheme has Hank come up with this time? He is to start work as hostess at the Little Tiny Petite Pheasant Tea Shop. The tiney tea shop that has only three tables in the whole place.
Sade marvels at the strange choice of jobs for good old Hank. Will he be able to attract more business to the eatery? Vic tells how the service will be on par with the best head waiter at any big hotel.
Rush puts in his 2 cents worth on the role playing fantasy with Vic. Sade is unconvinced, and wants to go to see the spectacle for herself, as long as she doesn’t have to get all chummy with Hank.
With all the build up, there’s only one thing remaining when a phone call comes in. Vic gets the news that Hank has lost his job before he even got started.
We know Hank finally gets a real job toward the end of the show’s run. It makes me wonder: why was Hank so unemployable? I may write about this. Thanks for the idea 🙂
Comedy works best when situations are realistic, but just wacky enough to do that thing you really wanted to but before modesty and restraint kept you from doing it. It can also be from a tragic event or character who takes the abuse as the butt of a joke so no real harm befalls the main character. Hank is like that. He’s a characagure. He is someone designed to always be on Sade’s bad side, and just plain creeps her out. He has his hooks in her because nearly everybody else loves the guy. Vic is his ffriend and lodge brother. Hank hangs out in the same circles as uncle Fletcher, and is admired by Rush.
Hank is everything Sade hates. He’s always jobless, or at least under employed. He offers no financial security, he’s always in debt to Vic, and thus irresponsible. I think he secretly has a crush on Sade that keeps him lurking near by, but if so it never is revealed by Paul Rimer.
Hank is the punchline of a running gag, and because of that his character isn’t really developed further than being two dimensional. There isn’t much else I can say about him than that.