On this week’s episode of The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency, I started thinking that Mma Ramotswe, the main character who owns the agency, is a lot like Mary Richards on The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Here’s why:
She’s resourceful. Things were slow at the detective agency, so Mma Ramotswe took on a missing dog case. She wasn’t happy about it, but sometimes you’ve gotta take what life gives you. That’s just the kind of thing Mary would do, because she’s got “spunk.”
She’s intuitive. Using her intuition, Mma Ramotswe determined that a dentist was scamming people by having his twin brother perform dental procedures on patients. Mary was pretty good at reading people, too.
She does the tough jobs. To know for sure if a man was eaten by a crocodile, Mma Ramotswe shot the croc, then sliced it open to see if the guy’s gold watch was inside. Sure enough, it was. I could see Mary doing this. She wouldn’t have liked it, but she’d have done it to solve the mystery and bring closure to the guy’s wife.
She’s got wacky friends. Mma Ramotswe’s mechanic friend says you can learn a lot about someone by “reading” their car. By looking at the makeup mirror’s protective covering, the no wear-and-tear on the passenger seat, the non-worn clutch cable, and the worn tires, he determined that the guy wasn’t married, didn’t have friends, was decisive, and drove a lot. That sounds like something Rhoda would figure out. Only she probably would have “read” their wardrobe.
She’s hopeful. Mma Ramotswe got out of a bad relationship, but she’s hopeful there’s a guy out there who’s just right for her. She’s a glass-half-full person, just like Mary.
She’s a snappy dresser. Mary always had the cutest clothes, from assorted wraps and coats to crisp pant suits so popular in the 1970s. I love Mma Ramotswe’s colorful dresses and bright head-wraps.
What do you think? Is Mma Ramotswe the new Mary Richards?
Clacked by Jane Boursaw 
on Apr 06, 2009 @ 15:00 EST5EDT
