Maybe he gets blotto another time; right now, we gotta be reminded how they ended up with Nizzie.
Panel 1: We start off with them at a restaurant as they toast one another. It should be noted that Elly's hairdo is more neatly drawn and is on top of a long head. This means we're in new-run country.
Panel 2: As we see the silhouettes of the other diners, Elly points out that they haven't been on a "date" like this in ages. John diagrees; when she asks him if they've done so by themselves in a fancy place wearing formal clothes, he meekly says "Oh." This is because most of the time, their outings are either at the fancy dress parties Lynn always wanted to go to but couldn't because there weren't many in Lynn Lake OR as a family of four.
Panel 3: John thanks the waiter as he brings Elly her prime rib and his his steak a poivre. Given how Jim would later stroke out on such a diet, I think their inclusion here is what they call a Funny Aneurysm Moment.
Panel 4: As he gets ready to Pattersnarf, John asks Elly what they had the last time they went out like this.
Panel 5: She tells him that they had a daughter named Elizabeth.
Summary: All that Rod-bashing to remind ourselves that they don't have much sex? What a waste of time. We could have ran this mildly pleasant strip Wednesday and seen three different mildly pleasant reruns to fill out the week.