

42 minSeason 4 • Episode 17
LatestEli takes pity on Phil's latest get-rich-quick scheme; Warren, Mark and Jimmy create a hilarious Ed and Carol tribute video for the rehearsal dinner, but Shirley is the one who really brings down the house with a special song; Mike feels a little lost as the best man in the face of the extensive groomsman experience and contacts displayed by Ed's cousin Mitch; Molly opens the door when a possible opportunity comes knocking; Ed gets a behind-the-scenes inspiration for a wedding day $10 bet from a surprising source; Ed and Carol hatch some truly hairbrained ideas in their quest for the appropriate theme for their wedding until Ed's inspiration leads them to the perfect place to start the next phase of their lives.
After his wife leaves him and he's fired from his job at a high-profile New York city law firm, Ed Stevens moves back to his small hometown of Stuckeyville where he buys the local bowling alley and attempts to win the heart of his high school crush.
Acting
Tom Cavanagh's chaotic sincerity carries four seasons of bowling metaphors.
Writing
Phil and Shirley's deranged B-plots deserve their own spinoff.
Score
That theme song lives rent-free in millennial brains forever.
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Ed premiered when NBC's 'must-see TV' was collapsing, making it a forgotten bridge between '90s sitcom warmth and the coming single-camera revolution.
The Stuckeybowl was a real New Jersey bowling alley; Tom Cavanagh actually learned to bowl for the role and developed a genuine 180 average.