Main cast: Yancy Butler (Lisa Gerou), William McNamara (Nick Boyer), David Leisure (William Tilbrook), Paul Williams (Dr Mueller), and Maureen Teefy (Chrome)
Director: Ramón Menéndez

Lisa Gerou is a wealthy lady who loves perfection. And she knows that only one man is worthy of her: Nick Boyer.

Thing is, ages ago Nick Boyer got into his Cessna and the plane was never seen again, so people assume he was dead. Well, what’s a little death anyway? For the last eight years, she had been sleeping with a scientist, using her sex appeal as a leverage to get him and his team to build her a time machine. Now that it is complete, she ruthlessly dumps that scientist and goes back in time, when Nick is still alive, so that she can finally get her man. She’s the perfect woman, he’s the perfect man – what can go wrong?

Okay, Given the Heir is quite stupid. Sure, the twist by itself is actually amusing in a bizarre way, but the episode doesn’t manage to get the tone right. There are some campy elements that could have made the really stupid aspects of this episode bearable, but there isn’t enough to create a cohesive “this is a farce, don’t take this episode seriously” tone. As a result, the dumb aspects of the episode stick out like a poke in the eye.

Lisa isn’t the brightest bulb in the house, and that stupid darling could have planned things a lot better here, but the rest of the characters here aren’t any better. The casting of Yancy Butler and William McNamara is quite brilliant given the twist, but Mr McNamara could have surely portrayed his suave character with a little more charm. Okay, a lot more charm, as this character comes off instead like a charisma-free killjoy.

At any rate, there is a pretty amusing story in here that takes narcissism to a whole new level, but the execution never feels right. Maybe they could have used a different actor to play Nick, or maybe they could have upped the camp factor in the episode. Maybe, maybe, maybe.