The Sonny and Cher Show

Sonny and Cher open the final episode of the season with “There’s a Kind of a Hush,” dressed in matching deep blue outfits. Cher, now visibly further along in her pregnancy, jokes about Sonny’s exaggerated hand gestures as they perform. Their banter takes a playful turn when Sonny critiques Cher’s harmony mistake, only to insist he’s taking a “low-profile” approach on the show. This leads to a debate about astrology, with Cher quipping that everything she does is “written in the stars,” while Sonny counters that it’s actually written in the National Enquirer. Their “Sonnytone News” segment delivers sharp political humor, featuring Andy Griffith as the Speaker of the House in a skit about Congress vetoing the televising of its sessions—years before C-SPAN became a reality. Chaz Bono makes another appearance as a child doctor prescribing lollipops, while Sonny and Sherman Hemsley man an absurdly overpriced NYC toll booth in a nod to the city’s 1970s financial crisis. A “King Kong” sketch sees Cher’s Fay Wray urging Kong to finally get a job, suggesting window-washing while he dreams of movie stardom. The concert segment, a mashup of “Oh What a Night” and “Lonely Night,” is visually striking but musically chaotic, with Cher in a stylized geisha-inspired dress and Sonny seeming under-rehearsed. “Battle of the Sexes” finds Andy Griffith coaching house-husband Sonny on male liberation, encouraging him to burn his undershirts and demand a salary for housework. When Cher arrives home, Griffith calls her a “female chauvinist pig,” and Sonny, cracking up, declares, “I’ll go heat up my buns!” Cher then delivers a dramatic solo of “Feelings,” fully leaning into her signature ballad style, draped in a flowing white gown with a head wrap and oversized gold earrings. The “Sir Bono the Bold” sketch weaves together Arthurian legend, The Wizard of Oz, and a barrage of pop culture jokes, with Chaz calling Sonny a munchkin and Sherman Hemsley playing “Mervin the Magician.” The show closes without the usual “I Got You Babe,” as Sonny, Cher, and Chaz simply say goodnight. With its mix of political satire, signature Sonny & Cher banter, and some truly offbeat moments, this season finale captures the unique, unpredictable charm of their variety show era.