Overview: Merle announces his plan to leave Fernwood, but first, a bowler at the Capri Lounge wonders if he might run for public office. Dr. Williams attempts to assuage Mary's fears about Chester's plan to level Ohio with a nuclear device. Ackerman fights to keep Mary institutionalized as long as possible because she's "money in the bank." Mary receives a stack of fan mail from TV viewers and talks to Gore Vidal on the phone.