Welcome to Late Night Retro Television Reviews, a feature where we review some of our favorite and least favorite shows of the past!  On Saturdays, I will be reviewing the Canadian sitcom, Check it Out, which ran in syndication from 1985 to 1988.  The entire show is currently streaming on Tubi!

This week, both Cobb’s and Edna get some competition!

Episode 1.18 “Store Wars”

(Dir by John Bell, originally aired on February 12th, 1986)

Odd episode, this week.

After having a fight with Howard, Edna abruptly leaves town for Florida.  Apparently, this is something that she does frequently.  (We are 18 episodes in and this show has yet to come up with a consistent portrayal of Howard and Edna’s relationship.)  I have to admit that I’ve never worked retail so I’m not totally sure how these things work but can you just stop going to work whenever you feel like it and still have a job?  It seems like this is the sort of thing that would get most people fired.  Maybe it’s different when you’re sleeping with the boss.

Anyway, Howard gets a new secretary and he is shocked to discover that Irene (Cynthia Belliveau) is young and attractive and totally into him.  Soon, Howard is wearing an earring, sunglasses, and dressing like Bruce Springsteen.  Irene even teaches Howard how to do yoga.

All of this leads to Howard getting distracted from the latest work crisis.  A new store has opened up across the street.  Just Food sells …. well, just food.  There are no bag boys or special displays or anything else that would cost any extra money so Just Food can lower their prices.  Soon, all of Cobb’s customers are going to Just Food!  Even when Christian lowers the prices at Cobb’s, Just Food lowers their prices even more.  Is it possible that Just Food could have a spy in the store?

Yes, there is a spy and, as you probably already guessed, the spy is Irene.  (How did Irene get the job?  Didn’t she have to go through a background check?  Do they not do that in Canada?)  Howard eventually figures it all out but he feels a little better when Irene tells him that, even though she was a spy, she truly did fall for him.  They share a passionate kiss and the audience applauds.  Then Irene leaves and Howard calls Edna to ask her to come back home.  “Awwwww!” the audience says.

Uhmmm …. yeah.  Thanks for the mixed signals, studio audience.  Howard basically cheated on Edna while she was gone but apparently that’s okay because, afterwards, Howard asked her to come back home.  Is Howard ever going to tell Edna about Irene?  She’s going to find out as soon as she asks either Marlene or Jennifer about what happened at the store while she was gone.  Unless Edna was hooking up with a 21 year-old life guard in Florida, Howard’s screwed either way.

This episode just felt off.  Howard can be a jerk but he’s always been loyal to Edna, even when they’ve fought in the past.  The “Store Wars” storyline had potential but it was pretty much overshadowed by Howard trying to be Springsteen.  This episode just didn’t work.