My Fair Opponent is the twenty-second episode of Season 3 of The Brady Bunch, and the 71st overall episode of the series. Written by Bernie Kahn and directed by Peter Baldwin, it first aired 3 March 1972 on ABC.
Short Summary[]
Marcia's decision to make over a "plain Jane" is one she may live to regret.
Summary[]
Marcia is upset, not for herself, but for a classmate named Molly Webber when their classmates nominated Molly for hostess for senior banquet night, the culmination of their graduation events. The nomination was a gag since Molly is a shy, insecure, clumsy, Plain Jane of a girl who not only has no chance of winning against the most popular girl in the class, Patty Hobert, but will be humiliated through the final selection process. Mike and Carol convince Marcia that if she is so upset about it, that she should do something to help Molly. So Marcia decides to become Molly's version of Professor Henry Higgins. Marcia is able to transform Molly into a beautiful, confident and poised young woman who has a real shot of winning. Marcia even helps Molly write her speech for the selection committee.
A problem arises when Patty has to drop out of the race due to a family issue, leaving Molly to run against the first alternate: Marcia. Marcia decides to drop out of the race to allow Molly to be able to bask in her new found confidence. But Marcia soon comes to the realization that she has created a monster in ungrateful Molly, who now sees herself as unbeatable. And an extra incentive to be hostess is the fact that the new guest of honor of the banquet will be alumnus Colonel Dick Whitfield, an astronaut. So it becomes a contest between Marcia and a Marcia creation, who in some respects has the best parts of her creator. Molly uses Marcia's campaign speech without acknowledging Marcia for her help, and with it, wins the contest, but soon has a change of heart and confesses.