Between 1987 and 1992, the sitcom “Marc et Sophie” made French people laugh and smile every Saturday on TF1. If you didn’t follow everything well or if your memory challenges you, we tell you the end of the series.
Warning, spoilers. The following article reveals key plot elements of “Marc and Sophie” as well as its ending.
“They are happily married, one a veterinarian, the other a general practitioner, and their common waiting room is the place of many adventures: mother-in-law, secretary, concierge, friends… everyone goes there! ” The daily life of Marc and Sophie Righini, interpreted by Gérard Rinaldi and Julie Arnold, accompanied the French public from the end of the 80s to the beginning of the 90s, for five years of good and loyal service.
Created by Stéphane Barbier and Guy Gingembre, Marc et Sophie was commissioned and launched by TF1 after the success of the sitcom Maguy. Thus, the couple made their screen debut on September 5, 1987. The darlings of the French public, who reserved the end of their Saturday afternoon for them, lived their little television life for 220 25-minute episodes before the series ends in the middle of its success, just to leave on a good note.
“Marc and Sophie launched as a challenge, love, tenderness, hugs and fantasy…”: on May 23, 1992, the cult credits of the sitcom, composed by Didier Barbelivien and Pascal Auriat, and sung by Gérard Rinaldi in person, sounded one last time. Marc and Sophie bow out with episode 22 of season 5 of the show, entitled “Expectations and misunderstanding”, and of which here is the summary.
A HAPPY EVENT
Sophie paces in her kitchen: she is waiting for Marc, who has gone shopping. He’s finally back. Left mainly to buy chicken, he comes back mainly with strawberries: he had to cross all of Paris to find some. Indeed, he woke up that very morning with a craving for sugared strawberries and “everyone knows that it is very dangerous to upset the husband of a pregnant woman”: and yes, Sophie is expecting a baby!
Tele Images / TF1
Sophie is then interested to know if he bought cream to go with the strawberries but Marc reminds her that cream is fat while sugar is pure energy. She then worries that she no longer has the right to do what she wants and to be treated like a sick person when she is “just a little bit pregnant” for two and a half months. Marc reassures her: she has the right to do absolutely anything she wants as long as it’s him who does it! Sophie then takes advantage of it: a laundry? Ironing? Marc agrees to take care of it. The Social Security records of his patients? No, she can do that herself!
SOPHIE AGAINST MAMMA
Since she’s going to stop working during her pregnancy, Sophie suggests that they take care of the baby’s room before her belly gets too big. While they are talking at the table, the young woman spots Marie-Louise, Marc’s mother, about to knock on the door. She then flees to her office, asking her husband to tell her that she is working. When his mother asks him where Sophie is, Marc tells her not to disturb her. But Mamma (Ginette Garcin) decides otherwise.
Tele Images / TF1
Marie-Louise arrives in Sophie’s office. She does not want the latter to work, she who has promised to stop, and wants her son to show authority as head of the family to impose this stop. But Marc reminds her that she herself worked at the market until the end of her pregnancy. Mamma protests: it was another time, women were more robust and lived in the open air. Sophie reassures her: she and Marc have decided to go for a walk in the forest of Fontainebleau the next day, which Mamma finds unreasonable. The latter also wants the baby to be a boy and does not hesitate to let it be known. Once rid of her mother-in-law and alone in her office, Sophie wonders why everyone is surprised that people want fewer and fewer children!
Tele Images / TF1
Later, Sophie joins Marc in their living room, asking him if his mother is finally gone. Fortunately, this is the case. She then tells Marc that they will have to find something to keep her mother away because she will not be able to support her throughout her pregnancy. Marc is amused and offers her to move to China but, for Sophie, that wouldn’t be enough to get rid of her!
SOPHIE AGAINST HER MOTHER
Speaking of mother, Grenelle (Claude Gensac) is entering! She arrives with her arms full: she found Sophie’s clothes when she was a baby but the latter wants something new for her child. Her mother disagrees: the quality of the clothes of yesteryear was much better. Sophie points out that most of the clothes are pink and if it’s a boy, that will be a problem. Grenelle is challenged: since when does Sophie want a boy? She hopes that her daughter did not allow herself to be influenced by Marie-Louise. She finally adds that at worst, she will alter the clothes to fit a boy. It is then that Sophie announces to him that they will not know in advance: she and Marc have decided not to ask the sex of the baby before his birth, which shocks Grenelle who ends up leaving in anger.
Tele Images / TF1
In the future room of the baby, Sophie warns Marc that obviously, it will also be necessary to keep her parents away: after all, this child is theirs. She then entrusts him with this mission while she takes care of repainting and decorating the room.
INTERIOR SCHEMES AND DECORATION
The next day, Marc and Sophie leave their home to go for a walk in the forest. Mamma then takes the opportunity to show the baby’s room to a renowned interior decorator. And for Marie-Louise it’s all decided: the child’s room can only be Sophie’s office since she thinks that the latter will stop working. Philippine (Axelle Marine), the decorator, has wild ideas but Mamma decides all the same that she will be the one to take care of them, at her own expense.
Tele Images / TF1
Later, Marc and Sophie discuss first names for their child. Marc asks Sophie if she’s sure she doesn’t want to know the sex of the child. Sophie replies that she wants us to stop deciding for the baby and let him live his life. Marc agrees on condition that he likes the sea, boats and animals!
After leaving to buy wallpaper and other tools to redecorate the baby’s room, Sophie and her mother are back. Sophie explains to the latter that she will stop working gradually but that she will not stop definitively until her sixth month of pregnancy. She then leaves her mother to take care of the bedroom. The young woman, who had always dreamed of being a house painter, then set to work but it was a disaster: nothing stuck and certainly not the wallpaper! When Marc arrives a little later, he notices the damage and teases her.
Tele Images / TF1
At Marc and Sophie’s, Marie-Louise, Grenelle and Philippine discuss the renovations of the baby’s room, gathered around a table filled with plans. When Sophie arrives, she is surprised to find them there. She quickly realizes that the plans are those of her firm. Mamma insists on making it the child’s room, the mothers-in-law don’t want her to work anymore… Sophie ends up kicking everyone out!
DECISIONS AND REVELATIONS
Later, Philippine contacts Sophie and asks her for an appointment to discuss, she accepts. When they meet, the decorator apologizes: she has two children and continues to work, she understands her situation and even thinks that she would be an ideal partner for her new project. She has indeed been responsible for redecorating all public assistance hospitals and needs a partner. So she offers the job to Sophie. The latter discusses it with Marc and hesitates: she must give her answer the next day. As her husband says: the night brings advice.
Tele Images / TF1
Gathered in the Righini’s living room, Marc, Grenelle and Marie-Louise discuss and the latter complains of the betrayal of her decorator. Sophie is back from her appointment with the gynecologist and everyone wants to know her decision on Filipina’s proposal. She announces to them that she has decided to refuse and that she now wishes to rest but asks Marc to accompany her. Left alone, Marie-Louise and Grenelle have suspicions about Sophie’s behavior. They are sure of it: the latter now knows the sex of the baby. And it’s a boy, insists Mamma!
Tele Images / TF1
In their room, Marc asks his wife if she is sure of her decision. She replies yes, she doesn’t see herself traveling all the time and getting away from her baby. But Sophie has other news for him: she broke down during the exam and actually knows the sex of their future child. Marc, impatient, asks her why she didn’t tell him before but she wanted to be alone with him to tell him and above all not to reveal anything to the overly curious mothers-in-law. She tells him in the hollow of the ear. The couple then turns to the camera and smiles, accomplices, at their audience. The information will remain secret. End of Marc and Sophie.
Tele Images / TF1