The Courtship of Eddie's Father: Tina's mother is visiting from Sioux City. She believes in spiritualism and mysticism and possesses many charms and crystals, their magical powers in which she believes. Rational Tom isn't superstitious, but Mrs. Rickles wants to prove to Eddie that her beliefs are not bunk as Tom would have him believe. As such, she gives Eddie a special charm that she says will grant Eddie's deepest wishes. Tom is angry as he would rather have Eddie work at achieving his wishes rather than place faith in a magic charm. Eddie gets his wish - an A in his spelling test - and believes in the power of the charm. To prove to Tom the power of the charm, Eddie asks for his biggest wish: a mother. Just then, Miss Huffman, an unmarried new substitute teacher comes by, who to Eddie looks to be a potential mother type. When Eddie finds out she's engaged, he thinks he didn't wish properly. Finally, Tom directly but kindly tells Mrs. Rickles that he wished that she didn't impose her beliefs on Eddie. She is apologetic, but through a further gift to Eddie and an accomplishment of Tom's, she makes Tom realize that wishes are not magic but rather a combination of imagery plus will.

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Genre:

Comedy, Family