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Silver Spoons/Spare the Rod
| Spare the Rod | |
| Season 2, Episode 20 | |
| Airdate | March 24, 1984 |
| Teleplay by | Steve Pritzker |
| Story by | Barry O'Brien and Cheryl Alu |
| Directed by | Jack Shea |
| Produced by | Steve Pritzker |
| ← 2x19 A Summer's Romance (2) |
2x21 → Blazing Hotel Rooms |
| Silver Spoons — Season Two | |
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Spare the Rod is the twentieth episode of the second season of Silver Spoons, and the forty-second episode overall.
Ricky's new friend Toby is seemingly accident prone, but there is a devastating secret behind the broken bones and bruises on his face.
Starring: Ricky Schroder (Ricky Stratton), Erin Gray (Kate Summers), Franklyn Seales (Dexter Stuffins) (credit only)
and Joel Higgins (Edward Stratton III)
Meeno Peluce (Toby), Allen Williams (Larry)
Contents |
Plot Overview
At one point, Ricky and Toby play basketball in the house, and an errant pass breaks an expensive crystal box Edward had bought for Kate as a gift. Edward sees this and is very angry, but Kate tells him to cool it and Edward calms down and, while still very unhappy that Ricky broke a house rule, apologizes.
Toby realizes Ricky got off easy, and then in private lets on that his father is behind all the broken bones and other injuries. Ricky wants to tell his dad and Kate, but Toby swears him to secrecy because if his father finds out, it won't be good.
The next day when Toby comes for a visit, Edward convinces him to take off his winter clothes, which reveals bruises. Toby realizes he has to tell, and Edward tells him he has to report this to the police otherwise he isn't doing the right thing.
Eventually, Edward asks Toby's father, Larry, to come for a visit, where he reveals that he knows about the abuse and is planning to call the police. Larry is not happy and even tries to assault Edward. However, Edward turns the other cheek and tells him he has a choice: Go to Parents Anonymous, or face the consequences. He reveals one of his ex-clients was abusive toward his son, and had convinced a judge that the abuse "wouldn't happen again" ... until it did, and a month later, he assaulted his son so badly he killed him. Larry sees that this isn't who he wants to be and agrees to seek help, and Toby is sent to live with his aunt.
Afterward, Edward then apologizes again for his earlier outburst toward Ricky over the broken crystal box. Ricky still has to buy a new one, but he agrees that something like that isn't worth getting that angry over.
