Marvin Ellis

"I'm like the cognac of men."
— Marvin Ellis

Marvin Zeus Ellis is Honey's husband, the father of Nicole, Maria and Liza, and a next door neighbor of the Huangs. Marvin is portrayed by Ray Wise.

History[]

Season 1[]

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Marvin first appeared in "The Shunning". He was at the party event with Honey, watching the NASCAR races with Jenny Huang. When Nicole came back, she treated him with more respect while shunning Honey.

In "Boy II Man", because nothing satisfies Marvin more than seeing his daughter happy, Honey claims that Marvin spoils his daughter Nichole and won't help Honey at all in controlling Nicole. As such, Marvin allows Nicole to watch TV instead of doing homework and lets her steal from Honey's wallet to augment the allowance he gives her.

Season 2[]

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In "The Real Santa", Marvin dressed up as Santa. Jessica gave him scientific lectures that Santa exists and told him to say it to Evan, when talking to him about it. This was so that Marvin can help Jessica carry out the rumors and lies she makes to Evan that Santa is Chinese and incredibly intelligent and skilled in physics.

Marvin was asked by Louis to help him have a makeshift Chinese New Year celebration at Cattleman's; Marvin then presented Eddie, Emery and Evan with red envelopes with messages on them, telling the boys that Louis told him that they enjoyed that.^[1]

In "Love and Loopholes", Marvin played a game of "Dare or Dare" with Evan and Emery. He told Evan a secret he never told Honey, that before he was married to Sarah, he was married to another woman named Lucinda.

As the North Orlando Chili Cook-Off was commencing, Louis signed up to compete, having dabbled in chili contests back in D.C. Louis was informed by Marvin that he, too, was competing, revealing that he had won the last five years in a row and had a hog ready in the shed to use in his pot. At the cook-off, Louis notices Marvin's table, where Marvin has displayed his winning trophies and is posing in case someone takes a photo of him. Gus and Mey-Mey from Good Morning Orlando appeared to announce the winners, notifying that Marvin had been disqualified as he had used pre-cooked meat in his chili: a Whopper from Burger King, causing him to lose his five prior trophies as well and to be escorted off the grounds. The three finalists were then picked: Eddie, Louis and a woman named Gloria. Gloria won, but believing pride was a sin, relinquished the trophy to Eddie and Louis, who took it home and displayed it in front of their window to Marvin, who was led to believe that Louis had won the trophy.^[2]

Marvin was preparing to go to the country club for lunch and asked Honey where a specific shirt was, although she explained that she didn't get a chance to take it to the cleaners as she was busy with her investment property and asked that he take it to the cleaners himself, although Marvin simply chose to cancel lunch at the club. Marvin then allowed Louis to stay at his house for a while when members of the Huang family contracted lice, and spoke to Louis about how he didn't agree with men and women sharing the workload at home and how he gave the "it's the '90s" mindset about ten years.^[3] Marvin was also invited later to watch the season finale of Melrose Place at Jessica's house, where he admired the dentistry performed in Los Angeles and expressed his love for the show. He later witnessed Evan and Honey's conversation at night and enjoyed the twist of realizing that they were pulling the strings in the shadow, and relished in the realization that Evan had done so simply for a cow mailbox that their neighbor, Lisa, wanted. A neighborhood woman named Ann then approached him, although Jessica immediately warned Honey about their interaction.^[4]

Marvin went out hunting and shot a deer as it was drinking water from a lake. He then brought the head home as a trophy and with Louis' help, had the deer head mounted on the wall. Louis then spoke to Marvin about how he found tapes of shirtless action men underneath their mattress and wondered if Honey ever looked at other men. Marvin, initially panicking, informed Louis that Jessica craved action men types and that Louis had to emulate that to satisfy her, referring to his killing of the deer as an action moment.^[5] Marvin soon informed Honey that his brother Marlon had invited the two of them to join him on a cruise, adding that Marlon wanting her to wear her bikini, unaware that his brother wanted to engage in relations with his wife.^[6]

Season 3[]

Season 3 revealed that Marvin is a dentist with a D.D.S. (Doctor of Dental Surgery). He made Louis's teeth completely white on purpose without asking Louis for permission, and Louis getting upset over this criticized his dentist skills.

Despite being married to Honey, he is much older than Honey. Their significant age gap plays a role in the episode "Sisters Without Subtext", as Marvin asks of Honey that they move in to a retirement home already and that Marvin being old and having worked for multiple decades as a dentist made enough money to retire.

Season 4[]

To be added

Season 5[]

To be added

Season 6[]

World Cup Watching — The families assemble to watch the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup

Marvin and Honey head to the Huangs' house and gather around the television to watch the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup. Honey is feeding Maria while Marvin groans about the game, finding it boring. Honey has also given birth to their second child, a daughter named Liza, who sleeps. The game concludes 45 minutes after going into overtime, although Marvin fell asleep through it.

Bugle — Marvin awakens the Huangs with his bugle

After Jessica invites Marvin's father Mervin and his stepmother Candy to stay with Marvin and Honey to help her with her kids, Honey retaliates by having Marvin give the Huang family a military awakening with his bugle in the morning, waking up Jessica with a loud noise.

Mervin & Marvin — Marvin and his father, Mervin

Marvin and Mervin later head to Louis Huang's Cattleman's Ranch Steakhouse, where Louis and Eddie relay a transcript of their "Talk" to Mervin, Marvin, and Trent Masterson. with Louis discussing circumcision and Eddie explaining what "bases" refer to. Marvin explains how in the Navy, bases meant naval bases and not baseball bases, citing how he almost "got to Pearl Harbor" with the Captain's daughter. Marvin also adds that when he was younger, Mervin gave him "The Talk" without speaking a word but through hand gestures, which Mervin replicates. Eddie then asks how come they look more like brothers, and Marvin states that in the Ellis family, the men look like old men by the time they reach 25 and just retain that appearance for the next 70 years, with Mervin chipping in that he had crow's feet since he was in college.^[7]

Marvin Ellis — Marvin during his retirement party

Marvin decides to retire and is given a retirement party at Cattleman's, with his best friend from the Navy, Clyde Roses, in attendance. His retirement party, primarily the gifts he is given, causes Jenny Huang to declare that she too is "retiring". Louis throws her a retirement party at Cattleman's as well, with Marvin in attendance. Marvin is later paid a visit at his home by Eddie, Emery and Evan to stop him from revealing a secret out-of-state trip they took without their parents' knowledge. Although he refuses, admitting he can not keep his mouth shut, he reveals a secret of his own in the process, giving the three Huang boys leverage to have Marvin keep their secret.^[8]

When Louis decides to try becoming a barber, Marvin heads to Cattleman's to get his hair cut. However, sensing Louis' level of skill and how he had messed up Brian Pew's hair, Marvin decides to keep his hair as-is, thanking Louis for the 'cut' and even tipping him for a 'job well done.' Shortly after, Marvin joins Honey, their two kids, and Emery as Louis drives them around Orlando giving them a tour. Marvin and Honey find the tour boring, and when their daughters begin to cry, Marvin simply states that the children are saying what everyone is thinking.^[9]

Marvin Angel — Marvin dressed as an angel

On Halloween 1999, Marvin and Honey, dressed as an angel and Buffy Summers respectively, were out on their porch, giving candy to trick-or-treaters. The duo were soon approached by Eddie, Emery and Evan, and a confused Marvin asked who they were. After Evan responded and Eddie and Emery imitated him, Honey noticed that they were wearing similar outfits and correctly deduced that all three of them were "Evan." As Marvin chortled and gave them their candy, Eddie and Emery began to make fun of Evan, prompting Marvin and Honey to laugh while an insulted Evan walked away.^[10]

Marvin spends a day fishing on his Angela boat along with Emery and Evan. He tells sexist jokes to Evan while Emery vomits into the sea, who claims the insensitive jokes in conjunction with being seasick is making him hurl. Marvin talks about catching a big fish so that Honey can make fish tacos for him while Evan adds that his girlfriend Sicily can microwave a mean fish stick, and that they should meet. This upsets Emery, who asks whether they think it's the man's job to bring home the bacon while the women's role is to cook it. Marvin replies that Honey handles all the food and groceries for the household and that all he wants to do is catch a big fish. As Emery throws up once more, Marvin tells him to 'man up' while Evan adds that he should 'grow a pair', and Emery becomes infuriated at their sexist remarks.

Marvin (S6E6) — "I treat gals with class and respect. I'm just from a different generation."

After Evan begins using antiquated, sexist terms and claiming that it just comes out of him after spending time with Marvin, Emery declares that they would just have to change Marvin and modernize him. Emery and Evan head to Marvin's house to notify him of his antiquated notions towards women. Marvin tells them that he treats women with class and respect, but that he's from a different generation and believes he's earned the right to tell people to 'grow some balls.' Maria then echoes the word "balls", and the boys see that she is wearing a bikini shirt while playing in a toy kitchen. Evan points out that she's too young to be focused on a bikini and having a nice summer body while Emery notices that her kitchen has been outfitted with a digital clock, claiming that it is to make sure the woman would have dinner ready when the husband came home.

Marvin (6x6) — Marvin tries to improve his mannerisms

Realizing he needs to be a more sensitive father, Marvin asks the boys to teach him. Retreating to Emery and Evan's bedroom, the boys talk him to him about a doctor who has a son and a husband, asking him to solve it. When Marvin is confused, they tell him that it's because the doctor is a woman, which leads to Marvin asking who the nurse could be, much to the boys' chagrin. The boys continue to coach Marvin, reminding him to keep his eye above women's chests, and instruct him to not open doors for women. However, Marvin does so anyways. He tells them he failed and that they should just give him a construction hat and teach him to wolf-whistle, but Emery tells him that he can open doors for any woman he wants so long as he does it out of kindness and not because he thinks they're too weak to do so themselves. Evan adds that the mere fact that Marvin is questioning his behavior is a win in itself, only for Marvin to ask whether the doctor scenario they presented earlier could in fact be two gay dads instead of a female doctor.

Marvin, Emery and Evan return to the Ellis house, where Honey thanks the boys for returning her 'jar opener' and holds out the jar for him to open. Coached by the boys, Marvin tells Honey that she is a strong, independent woman who doesn't need him to open a jar. However, Honey tells him to 'reach into his purse' and 'find his testicles' so that he could open her jar, and when he struggles to do so, adds that he should 'hike up his prom dress', asking Marvin if he is on his period when he fails to open it. Emery and Evan are shocked, realizing that the sexism came from Honey and not from Marvin.^[11]

Marvin & Louis (6x7) — "You want to thank me? Enlist."

Marvin and Louis are enjoying lunch at Cattleman's when Eddie asks to take the afternoon off so that he can work on his Allen Iverson hero essay. Louis suggests that he write about a hero closer to home, although Eddie thinks Louis is referring to Marvin. Eddie thanks Marvin for his military service, and Marvin tells Eddie that the best way to thank him would be to enlist. Louis clarifies that he was thinking of someone even closer to home, someone he's known since birth, only for Eddie to think he is referring to Jessica.

Marvin (6x7) — "Well, then you have time to turn things around. Hey, and if you don't, that's what whiskey is for."

Marvin tells Louis that he could tell Louis wished Eddie saw him as his hero. Louis attempts to brush it off claiming that he was overthinking it, only for Marvin to reply that he was underthinking it. He explains that Nicole used to see him as her hero until one day she stopped, moved out soon after and that they were no longer as close as they used to be. Marvin warns Louis that if Eddie no longer views him as his hero by the time he moves out for college, it would over. Louis reminds Marvin that he only has one year left as Eddie is in junior year, and Marvin replies that one year is enough time to turn things around, but that he could always rely on whiskey if he failed.^[12]

Marvin (6x8) — Marvin apologizes for the cancellation

After the neighborhood constructs a piazza as a median, with Carol-Joan initiating an Italian theme, Marvin decides to teach his daughter, and later the neighborhood, how to play bocce. The neighborhood eventually starts a tournament, which culminates with a finals match. However, when Marvin and his neighbors head to the piazza, they find that Jessica has taken the spot and refuses to move. Marvin then announces that the finals have been postponed and that they should refer to Jamie for a refund on any bets they placed.

Marvin & Eddie (6x8) — Marvin and Eddie watch the bocce finals

After Jessica is convinced by her sons to give bocce a try, she enters the tournament, and Marvin joins his neighbors on hosting the bocce finals on the piazza. Just then, George Bryson and the police show up to destroy the median, as it has been constructed without a permit. Emery and Evan lament how bocce was fun while it lasted, and Jessica replies that they can continue this in their backyard. As Marvin and the crowd cheer, Jessica clarifies that she meant the Huang family only. Marvin and his neighbors then leave in disappointment as the police prepare to bulldoze the median.^[13]

Marvin (6x9) — "Oh, man. Just what the world needs... Another indoor kid."

Sometime later, Marvin is relaxing on his sofa at home when Evan comes over asking to borrow their cordless phone. Marvin tosses the phone to Evan, only for Evan to drop both Marvin's home phone as well as his own, and Marvin chastises Evan for being another indoor kid. Marvin then heads to the driveway to use his car phone and call the home phone line, since both the Huang and Ellis home phones are identical and Evan needs to keep his home line free. As Marvin goes to the car, he retrieves the Scotch in his car and calls home, informing Evan and Honey that he is drinking.^[14]

Marvin Ellis (6x10) — Marvin praises the simplicity of Louis' gingerbread house

After Louis builds a life-sized gingerbread shack and places it on the lawn, Marvin praises it to be perfect, while Jessica disagrees with him. Marvin then explains to her that he finds it perfect because it represents the simplicity he prefers in the Christmas season, before everything became over the top, and that everyone in the neighborhood loves Louis' idea to scale it back. As Jessica tells Louis that he ruined Christmas, Marvin tells Louis that he should drink some eggnog as it only contains 2,000 calories a glass.^[15]

Appearances[]

References[]

[1] Year of the Rat

[2] Doing It Right

[3] Week in Review

[4] Jessica Place

[5] Gotta Be Me

[6] Bring the Pain

[7] Help Unwanted?

[8] Grandma's Boys

[9] S'Mothered

[10] Hal-Lou-Ween

[11] Chestnut Gardens

[12] Practicum?!

[13] TMI: Too Much Integrity

[14] Lou Wants to Be a Millionaire

[15] Jessica Town

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