When I signed up to recap this show for our site, I did it because I thought Swingtown would be easy to make fun of and criticize. The trouble is, the open marriage conceit, while integral to the storytelling, is only one facet of what has quickly become a complex and fascinating look at social status and mores as they evolved throughout the 1970s. You have three couples, all with their own issues and dilemmas, all at some sort of crossroads in their lives. You throw in an examination of how the failing economy impacted people and you’re talking about a show that resonates with today’s social and political climate as well. I mean, am I still going to comment on the tight swim trunks, questionable hair-dos and hideous wallpaper? Absolutely! I’m just saying it’s a much better show than I ever thought it could be, and I encourage anybody who watched the pilot and jumped ship to read the recaps or catch up with the episodes on cbs.com and get back on board.
First of all, let me point out that the writers caught the snap this week and sent BJ and Rick (who we again did not actually see) to camp for a few weeks, and kept Lori’s scenes to a minimum, although they were significant to her plot. More on that in a bit. They also used the two minutes of getting the boys ready for camp time to give Janet one of her all time best lines, “I always say you can never travel with too many ointments!”
