Revisiting Wave of the Future

• Title: Wave of the Future
• Season/Episode: Season 8, Episode 10
• Air Date: December 7, 1981
• Director: Maury Dexter
• Writer: Don Balluck

In “Wave of the Future,” Harriet Oleson, lured by Major Guffey’s promise of riches, transforms Caroline’s restaurant into a franchised “Mrs. Sullivan’s Kitchen,” complete with a rigid menu of pan-fried steak, beef stew, or roast chicken. The military-style efficiency backfires, overworking Caroline, Hester-Sue, and Harriet while alienating customers craving variety. Nels, skeptical from the start, teams up with Charles to open a rival restaurant, exploiting a contract loophole to sabotage the franchise. The plan works, and Guffey, revealing “Mrs. Sullivan” as a paid actress, terminates Harriet’s contract. Harriet, humbled, returns to running a family restaurant. The episode, a satirical jab at corporate greed, ends with a humorous nod to history as Harriet dismisses a pitch for a fried-chicken-only restaurant, unaware it foreshadows KFC. It’s a heartwarming reminder that community and authenticity trump soulless progress.

10 Heartfelt Quotes I chose:

• “It’s nights like this I wish I was somewhere else. Anywhere else.”
• “I know what you mean.”
• “The job, I can’t handle it. I’m here all day, I stay late.”
• “I’m worn out when I get home in the evening, I never even see my family.”
• “I don’t want to put you in a tight spot, but I have to give my notice.”