Harry Solomon
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| Harry Solomon | |
|---|---|
 Promo picture from 3rd Rock from the Sun |
|
| First appearance | "Brains and Eggs" |
| Last appearance | "The Thing That Wouldn't Die: Part 2" |
| Cause/Reason | End of the series |
| Information | |
| Species | Extraterrestrial |
| Gender | Male (in human form) |
| Occupation | Transmitter/various short-lived jobs |
| Title | None (apparently) |
| Portrayed by | French Stewart |
| Created by | Bonnie and Terry Turner |
Harry S. Solomon is a character in 3rd Rock from the Sun, played by French Stewart. He is the brother of Dick Solomon and Sally Solomon, and the uncle of Tommy Solomon. His middle initial is mentioned in the episode "Dick the Vote."
[edit] Mission
In the early episodes, Harry, unlike the rest of the "family", didn't seem to have any definable role in the expedition. During the opening credits of the first season, James Earl Jones, acting as narrator, states that "well-- they had an extra seat" in reference to him.
After the discovery that he has a "transmitter" implanted in his brain (which, apparently, takes up half the space in his head) for the purposes of communication with the home planet, he takes the title of "Communications Officer" which the others agree to so he doesn't feel left out.
According to an interview with French Stewart on the 3rd Rock from the Sun First Season DVD, Harry was related to/knew an important alien back on the homeworld, and that his position was a sinecure.
Communication was usually initiated without warning, either from the Big Giant Head him/itself, or his/its office. Upon contact, Harry is "taken over" entirely. The first signs are always physical - he immediately shudders violently, garbles incoherently, then adopts a stance with bent knees and upraised arms, palms forward. The message itself is always preceded with "Incoming message from the Big Giant Head....", followed by the message body, in a voice unlike his usual one.
When the message is completed, the exit statement is always "Resume normal functions in three ... two ... one ...", after which he shudders, performs a dance-like movement, or sneezes. Returning to normal (or whatever passes for "normal" with Harry) he usually enquires "So what did it say?..."
[edit] Love Life
In contrast to what would be expected of someone as weird and apparently unsophisticated as Harry, he seems a very adept lover and often has interludes with those that might be considered "out of his league" though this did not stop him from, at several points, dating Vicky, the daughter of the family's landlord, Mrs. Dubcek. Their relationship was often interrupted; examples include Vicky's commitment to physical and spiritual purity at which point she becomes celibate; her pregnancy and almost immediate birth of the THE BIG GIANT HEAD's child, after which she heads to Florida; and finally after THE BIG GIANT HEAD returns to make Vicky his queen.
In one episode Harry arranges a date with the clerk, Sam, then sees her again as hostess at a restaurant and makes a date with her again, as "Samantha", which she feels more appropriate for the atmosphere. Harry, not realizing that this is the same person using her legal and nick name, thinks he has made dates with twins, and when "Samantha" arrives he confines her temporarily to the loft's restroom for his date with "Sam". Of course she does not go in for this behaviour and soon exits. Other affairs include a recently divorced mother, a well-toned policewoman, a woman at the laundromat, and Dick's office assistant Nina Campbell. Interestingly, Harry is the only Solomon to not have a sexual relationship with a member of the Albright famiily.
[edit] Life as a Human
Harry in general serves as the slapstick comic foil for the show. The typical "funny points" involve a great deal of running into things or being hit. However there are points when his apparent stupidity gives way to absurdity, such as when Harry declares it is his mission to "bring electricity to the people of Earth," Tommy informs him that humans have electricity, so Harry concludes that "my work here is done."
In contrast to the frequent exhibition of a total lack of intelligence, Harry at one point speaks fluent French to Dick, and has a natural talent for the arts. Despite his aptitude with the physical aspects of the opposite sex, Harry seems incapable of fully functioning in a common social situation. Often he will run off on a mission to right some irrelevant wrong and not realize the "offender" is conceding and will then proceed to take physical and occasionally violent action. Harry held several positions in the "working world." Among them, he served as a representative for Orca Cosmetics for Men, a 24 Hour Diner, a movie rental store, and finally a bartender.
