"Fred's New Boss" is the second episode of the third season and the sixty-second overall episode of the original series, The Flintstones. It first aired on September 21, 1962.
Synopsis[]
Barney gets laid off and Fred gets him a job at the quarry. Barney is immediately promoted to Fred's boss, causing Fred to be jealous that Barney is promoted so quickly.
Plot[]
Barney loses his job and Betty feels profoundly guilty for having unwittingly spent the Rubbles' last $20 on a hairstyle lost through a gust of wind in the wake of a speeding truck. Fred offers $10 to Barney on the mistaken assumption that Barney is too proud to accept charity; Barney, however, is only too willing to accept Fred's donation to the Rubbles' welfare, on the premise that Fred owes money to him for a double-or-nothing bet on the outcome of a bowling game that Barney won against Fred.
Wilma and Betty persuade Fred to go to Mr. Slate's home to ask that Slate hire Barney for menial tasks like sweeping floors or "running errands". Slate, however, pompously and enragedly throws Fred out of his home and Barney must himself petition Slate for employment. By mentioning that he was raised at 142 Boulder Avenue in Granitetown, Barney endears himself to Slate in that Granitetown was Slate's home community and he too lived on Boulder Avenue, at house number 140!
Slate realizes that not only were he and Barney once neighbors but Barney is his sister's son! Barney is Slate's nephew and as nepotism is common practice in Stone Age corporate circles, Slate appoints Barney to be Executive Vice President in Charge of Production and hence is Fred subordinate to Barney at the rock quarry! Not surprisingly, Fred resents Barney's sudden rise to executive status and bristles at Barney's commands as his taskmaster. Fred growls like a lion upon arrival home in the evening, scaring Dino and arousing Wilma's curiosity about Barney's position in Slate's company.
Betty, not aware of Barney's kinship with Slate, informs Wilma of Barney's "qualified" success at attaining executive responsibility and salary and the swift-to-develop snobbery of the Rubbles and resultant feeling of alienation experienced by both Fred and Wilma results in the two couples socializing separately, the Rubbles attending Slate's Executive Club, where tuxedos and stodgy, silent chess games are the norm and Fred and Wilma bowling together, with some difficulty of adjustment for Fred, who loses a game to his novice bowler spouse.
Barney quickly tires of the hoity-toity demeanor of the executive class and Betty learns of the cause of his patronage appointment by Slate and forbids him to work for a member of his family. The Flintstones and the Rubbles promptly reconcile and Barney is rehired by his former employer.
Characters[]
- Fred Flintstone
- Wilma Flintstone
- Betty Rubble
- Barney Rubble
- Dino
- Mr. Slate
- Alice (only appearance)
- Marge (only appearance)
- Pierre (only appearance)
- Traffic cop
Locations[]
Bedrock[]
- Flintstone home
- Slate Rock and Gravel Company
- Rubble home
- Mr. Slate's mansion (first appearance)
- Salon de Beaute (only appearance)
- Bedrock Bowl
Objects[]
- Co-Co Curly
- Rock Bell Phone
Animals[]
- Brontosaurus (as a Bronto-Crane)
- Pelicansaurus
- Mammoth (as a garden hose)
Vehicles[]
- Betty's car
- Flintmobile
Cast[]
| Alan Reed | Fred Flintstone |
|---|---|
| Jean Vander Pyl | Wilma Flintstone Alice |
| Mel Blanc | Barney Rubble Dino |
| Bea Benaderet | Betty Rubble Saleslady |
| John Stephenson | Mr. Slate Pierre Mediator Butler |
| Herb Vigran | Traffic Cop |
Notes/Trivia[]
- This was the last episode to use the original "Rise and Shine" opening and end credits.
- It is revealed that Fred's boss, Mr. Slate, is actually Barney's uncle. This was never mentioned again in any subsequent episode or spin-off material.
- Despite Barney quitting the quarry at the end of the episode, he is shown working for it alongside Fred in future seasons and spin-off material.
- Wilma watches Yogi Cave Bear on TV which is a spoof of Hanna-Barbera's Yogi Bear.
Allusions[]
- The dance is at Cocoa Rock Cave, a parody of the Los Angeles nightclub, the Coconut Grove.
- This is similar to The Honeymooners episode Opportunity Knocks But.
Errors[]
- None known.
| Season 3 of The Flintstones |
|---|
| "Dino Goes Hollyrock" • "Fred's New Boss" • "Barney the Invisible" • "Bowling Ballet" • "The Twitch" • "Here's Snow in Your Eyes" • "The Buffalo Convention" • "The Little Stranger" • "Baby Barney" • "Hawaiian Escapade" • "Ladies' Day" • "Nuthin' But the Tooth" • "High School Fred" • "Dial 'S' for Suspicion" • "Flash Gun Freddie" • "The Kissing Burglar" • "Wilma the Maid" • "The Hero" • "The Surprise" • "Mother-in-Law's Visit" • "Foxy Grandma" • "Fred's New Job" • "The Dress Rehearsal" • "Carry On, Nurse Fred" • "Ventriloquist Barney" • "The Big Move" • "Swedish Visitors" • "The Birthday Party" |