actor died of a cocaine and heroin overdose . Williams ’ s marriage to first-wife Valerie Valardi , with whom he had a son named Zak , was failing . As his life became more complicated , so too did his performances . Mork and Mindy become closer , leading to more dramatic moments .
By the end of the first season , amid the wild gags , the show addresses life experiences , relationship issues , and empathy . For example , only when Mork and Mindy get stuck in a dilapidated cabin in the frigid cold and fear they will die can they express what they mean to one another , prompting Mork to report to Orson that people can ’ t always communicate their feelings . In another episode , when Orson tells Mork he wants to transfer him to another planet , Mindy expresses her sadness , telling Mork that she does not want him to leave . Mork concedes that he , too , is developing feelings for her and decides to stay . In a particularly telling episode , “ Mork ’ s Mixed Emotions ,” Mork struggles with his feelings , claiming that Orkans have no emotions , and vows to Mindy , “ I ’ m closing off my emotions forever .” She replies , “ If you study human beings , you ’ ll find we cannot exist without emotions . People really need their emotions .” When Mork cannot handle his emotions and goes berserk , Mindy feels guilty , and her father tries to console her , saying , “ You were only trying to help Mork be like other human beings .”
The second season takes Mork ’ s desire to discover humanity a step further , offering a glimmer of the movie Robin Williams . In an episode titled “ Dr . Morkenstein ,” Mork gets a job as a security guard in a science museum , where he reprograms a robot to be his friend and then becomes distraught when the robot dies . This episode , in which Mork cries inconsolably , marks a sentimental turn in the series . In a subsequent episode , when Mork thinks he is allergic to Mindy , he is afraid of getting too close . He learns that through closeness , maybe love , he ’ s experiencing a new emotion and tells Mindy , “ You helped me be more human .” By the third and fourth seasons , this trend continued and Williams seemed more intent on showing his dramatic acting chops . By then , as Garry Marshall ascertained , “ I knew that Robin started dreaming of making movies . It is difficult to maintain the momentum on a sitcom when your star has one foot out the door and the rest of the cast know it ” ( Marshall 108- 109 ). One show in particular foreshadows Williams ’ cinematic fame . In one of the most compelling episodes of the series , “ Mork Meets Robin Williams ,” journalist Mindy aspires to get an interview with actor Robin Williams , who bears a shocking resemblance to Mork . Mindy lands the interview and learns that Robin Williams can ’ t say no . Mork understands , as he describes to Orson , “ what it is like to be famous on Earth . When you are
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