Moondoggie A Total Heel??

Let me start by saying I love James Darren as Moondoggie. If it wasn't for him being in the latter two I would never have given them a chance because without JD the characters would have no connection to the original story for me. A Gidget movie has to have one of three people (James Darren, Cliff Robertson, or Sandra Dee) for me to watch. Surprisingly I don't hate Deborah Walley in the role like I used to, and actually enjoyed Cindy Carol in the part (I'm not a HUGE Sandra Dee fan but she IS Gidget).

That being said was anyone else totally disappointed with Moondoggie in this movie? I couldn't get over what a jerk he was. It started out all well and good, him and Gidget were their usual sweet and in love selves, but then that tour guide showed up and he couldn't have cared less about his gf (& basically pre fiance fiance, lol). The character's "character" they built up over 3 movies was totally shattered for me in like 10 minutes, I couldn't get over it. And then he proposes to this chick he's known less than a week, and it's like Gidget never existed. But my favorite part was when she told him no and he ran back to Gidget like it never happened. Really?! And if she'd said yes Moondoggie & Gidg woulda been caput just like that. You just can't turn love off and on again at the snap of your fingers. That was just not the personality Moondoggie had come to represent. And it sorta made me mad Gidget took him back so quick (unless she didn know he'd been turned down by Danielle, or w/e her name was). I kinda wish she'd said yes and Moondoggie woulda came to the realization he was all for Gidget on his own after he got out from under the "Rome in Summer" spell, rather that 'I'm not getting the girl I wanted so I'll settle for what I had". Totally unromantic and anti what the Gidget/Moondoggie love story was all about, imo