Mary Ingalls gave Bobby Brady his first kiss

One of the things that I enjoy about retro television is that I pick up on things I missed the first time around. On Valentine's Day MeTV aired romantic episodes of The Brady Bunch. One of them was the 100th show and was titled Never Too Young and focused on the smallest Brady boy, Bobby. He is having trouble understanding why his older brothers, Greg and Peter would rather kiss girls instead of playing ball with him. The elder siblings warn Bobby that one day he will understand but he ignores them.

Later a friend of his sister Cindy named Millicent comes by but it's Bobby she wants to see. She plants a kiss on him and Bobby actually sees skyrockets and believes he is in love. I immediately thought of the chorus to Skyland Vocal Band's 1976 hit, Afternoon Delight. Skyrockets in fight, afternoon delight. Not everyone got their first kiss as a child or had that woo hoo moment. Still, this episode of the Brady Bunch is priceless. Bobby later daydreams that Millicent is running towards him and they join hands and go around in circles.

I also recognized the young lady portraying Millicent as a young Melissa Sue Anderson. When this episode first aired during the 1970s I was not aware of who this actress was. She later became famous for portraying Mary Ingalls in the hit series Little House on the Prarie. Anderson was also in the movie Happy Birthday to Me. She was so 70's in this episode with long flowing dirty blonde hair, a mini dress, those socks that came all the way up to the knee, and dress shoes. I actually wore short dresses with those long socks and dress shoes while in the 8th grade from 1971-1972.

First, love while in elementary school was a big deal in those good ole days. I was thankful to be able to view this Valentine's Day episode and I am so glad that MeTV gives viewers like me the classics that we love that take us back down memory lane. Bobby Brady can't get the kiss out of his mind and talks to his father. He is trying to find out if he is in love and if this will lead to marriage. He could not have been more than 8 or 10 years old at the time.

Bobby later goes over to Millicent's house and when she opens the door he kisses her. He sees fireworks again but his joy is soon turned into despair. The young lady tells him he should not have done that because she might have the mumps. Bobby then begins avoiding his family members because he does not want them to become ill. When he goes missing they later find him inside the dog house. Watching this episode took me back to the days of innocence when first kisses and first dates were really special.

Millicent later calls Bobby and says her doctor confirmed that she does not have the mumps. Bobby is so overjoyed that he gets his parents' permission to go over to her house and visit. The episode ends with Mike and Carol Brady kissing and making their own fireworks. Today Mike Lookland is no longer in show business. He is married with two children and has his own business making concrete countertops. He said he wanted to do something meaningful and it looks like he is doing just that.

Melissa Sue Anderson became a naturalized Canadian citizen after moving there in 2007 with her husband and 2 children. She also wrote a book in 2010 titled The Way I See It: A Look Back at My Life on Little House. Bobby Brady and Mary Ingalls will always have a special place in the hearts of those who enjoyed the innocence of The Brady Bunch and Little House on the Prarie. Melissa Sue Anderson and Mike Lookland sharing their first screen kiss, somehow seems so fitting and appropriate for the time in which they came of age.