Let us make one thing clear. Fred Flintstone is a relationship mastermind. The planning and effort he puts into excusing himself from activities is something to behold.  Case in point, Hot Lips Hannigan, a singer Fred knew in high school, and an accomplice to one of the most intricate plans Fred has ever put forth to get out of dinner with Wilma.  Let’s unpack this tale of deception and trickery.

We learn Wilma needs to go dress shopping.  This, informs the viewer there must be a formal dinner event coming up. A formal dinner that Fred has no interest in attending.

Fred immediately puts into action, “Plan A”, for getting out of the dinner. This plan involves Fred disassembling Barney’s backyard trampoline, carrying it downtown, reassembling it in front of the dress store where Wilma is shopping and then bouncing up to the second story window.

Fred sells this plan as a practical joke. One to get a laugh out of Wilma.  But, when Fred places the trampoline below the stores only dressing room window, and bounces up to see other shoppers changing out of their clothes, we learn his real motive. To get arrested for a violation of Penal Code 647, a.k.a, “The Peeping Tom Law”. It’s a misdemeanor offense, but can carry a six month jail term. Six months? Seems like the perfect amount of time to get out of going to a formal dinner with Wilma.

Unfortunately Fred’s plan, doesn’t work. You see, Wilma, always carries a frying pan when shopping for dresses. When she spots Fred attempting to commit misdemeanor voyeurism, she batters him over the head with her cookware, thus ending his “I can’t go to dinner with you because I’m in jail” plan.

Fred switches to “Plan B”, which he’s been planning since high school.  He borrows a large magic trick from a friend. This trick involves a closet sized box that can make people, quote, unquote, disappear.

Wilma and Betty volunteer to go into the box, something Fred was sure they would do, and he was right .  Inside the magic box, Wilma thinks it would be funny to pretend to actually disappear.

This is with out any logic what-so-ever.  It’s Fred’s magic trick. He assembled the magic box. He knows where the false door is. In short, he knows how the trick works, since he’s the one performing it.  But, this is where Fred’s genius shines.

When the women run out the back of the magic box, Fred pretends to be confused. He acts as though he really truly believes in magic.  He even lets Wilma and Betty believe, that he’d rather go down to the local concert hall, and sing with his high school pal Hot Lips Hannigan, then try to figure out what dark magic has trapped his wife in an inter-dimensional worm hole.

Wilma buys into Fred’s act. She and Betty then dress up as groupies and go to Fred’s singing performance to test their husband’s commitment.  Fred is a huge hit at the club. Of course he is, he’s set this all up years ago.  A fan club chases after he and Barney. Wilma and Betty, dressed as groupies, help the boys escape their fans. Then, Wilma and Betty put the moves on Fred and Barney. The boys affirm their marriages and run away from the disguised groupies towards home.

And here is the final stroke of Fred’s genius.  When Wilma reveals she hadn’t been made to disappear, but was in fact one of the dressed up groupies at the concert, Fred pretends to be so dismayed by this, that he acts as if he’s gone into catatonic shock. Fred’s Plan B is in full swing, he pretends to be bed ridden with shock and confusion, thus getting him out of the formal dinner engagement he had with Wilma and letting her believe she was the one that got the upper hand.