Role Reversal
A therapist suggests two characters act like each other to work out their differences. It never works.
The Odd Couple
Appearances
- The Odd Couple: Season 3, episode 15, "I Gotta Be Me" (1973). Oscar and Felix can't stop arguing, so they go to group therapy, and the doctor suggests they try role reversal. They spend a whole dinner party pretending to be each other.
- The Bob Newhart Show: Season 2, episode 10, "I'm Okay, You're Okay, So What's Wrong?" (1973). Emily is depressed, and its taking a toll on her and Bob's marriage, so they see a marriage counselor, who has them try a role reversal where they pretend to be each other when Bob comes home from work.
- Mork & Mindy: Season 3, episode 21, "Mindy and Mork" (1981). Mindy consults a psychiatrist about problems in her relationship with Mork, and the doctor suggests they try role reversal.
- Diff'rent Strokes: Season 3, episode 10, "Roots" (1981). When Willis's friends tell him he lost touch with his black roots, he and Arnold try to get back in touch by re-decorating their room with African art, taking Swahili names, and wearing dashikis, among other things, and Mr. Drummond starts to think they're "overdoing it," so he consults a psychologist, who has the whole family try role reversal.
- ALF: Season 1, episode 20, "Going Out of My Head Over You" (1987). Willie brings his psychologist friend, Larry, over for dinner to help him and Alf get along. Larry suggests they try a role reversal.
- Dream On: Season 4, episode 19, "Martin Tupper in Magnum Farce" (1994). Martin sends a feuding couple of writers to Judith for therapy, and she starts by having them reverse roles, which just makes them bicker even more.
- Dharma & Greg: Season 5, episode 23, "The Mamas and the Papas: Part 1" (2002). While both families are on vacation together in the Montgomerys' cabin, Larry accidentally breaks a Tiffany lamp, which enrages Kitty. To help resolve the conflict, Dharma tells them to role play as each other. Abby decides to role play as the broken lamp, and Larry gets confused about who the real Kitty is.
- Arrested Development: Season 1, episode 6, "Visiting Ours" (2003). Lindsay and Tobias go to therapy, and the doctor suggests they try role reversal, but Lindsay refuses to participate, so the therapist plays Tobias.