MovieChat Forums > I Dream of Jeannie (1965) Discussion > Change in their relationship

Change in their relationship

posted 8 years ago by MargiePax
3 replies | jump to latest

I'm watching episode 12 of the first season. I remember in the beginning Tony was engaged, so I assume it was broken off in the first few episodes.

In this episode, Roger doesn't know about Jeannie yet. Tony has a date. Jeannie runs into Roger's car, and he ends up taking her out on a date, (she finds out he is an astronaut, and agrees to the date to make to make Tony jealous). Their two dates intersect and Tony finds out Roger is the date. Roger tries to make the moves on Jeannie. Yada. Yada. Yada.

After all the usual sitcom stuff, the episode ends with Tony and Jeannie in a lip lock. I remember other season one episodes where they were more cuddly-kissy. How long did that go on? Everyone knows the standard formula for sitcoms is sexual and romantic tension. Will they?/Won't they? I wonder when the writers decided to stop all the kissing? Maybe season 2? A hiatus is always a good time to change a plot line. Most of the episodes I remember from my youth, there was no kissing or romance. It was all Jeannie begging and scheming for affection.

Of course, the death of all sitcoms happens when "will they/won't they" turns into "they did it" and kids are born.

[–] MargiePax 8 years ago

Just watched episode 11 and it ended in kissing after a misunderstanding.

I also noticed, as I mentioned in another thread, the episodes are colorized. They originally aired in B&W.

[–] CajunGenie 8 years ago

Yes, the first season was much more romantic than the ones that followed. My guess is, until they knew if the show would get renewed for another season, maybe they put all the best (and most tender and romantic) episodes up front in season one, to ensure that they would make it to air. Once they got renewed, they obviously had to dial back the romance a bit, to extend the show and add more situations for Jeannie to be jealous of all the other women in Tony's life.

[–] rochey_1 8 years ago

I dunno. I've seen all 5 seasons and i'm re-watching the series. I'm confused about the thoughts on Romance because over the whole show they kiss a lot, i mean a lot. The standard formula for will they/won't they is a slow burn and a first kiss somewhere in the first 2-3 seasons. Jeannie doesn't follow that formula because in the first season, hell the pilot episode, they have their first kiss. Jeannie kisses Tony on the beach when she's freed from her bottle and then again when he pulls her up from the floor while she's laughing. That's 2 kisses within the first episode.

Maybe because it's a sitcom the formula might be different or even the time period, but Tony/Jeannie had the 'they did' from the start. With them the formula wasn't will they/won't they get together. It was will they/won't they get married. Tony even tells Jeannie he loves her in the first season which again goes against that standard formula. Personally i think they are a very touchy feely couple. Jeannie is always jumping on him, sitting on his lap, hugging and kissing him etc. He's the same and always holding her, picking her up, taking her hands too, and there's a real lack of personal space between them. I actually find the show very modern for that time period. I know there were certain restrictions (twin beds, belly button, the bottle/bedroom stipulations etc.) and strict censorship but that show got away with a hell of a lot.

I guess that's why i really enjoy watching it compared to other sanitized shows of that period. It's fun, romantic, hilarious and actually quite sexy. The actors have great sexual tension and chemistry and it comes across as natural. Tony is gorgeous and Jeannie is stunning and so adorable. They're so cute and sexy together, and i was watching the true Hollywood story and the creator said what i was always thinking "the joke is that they are making the beast with 2 backs when the screen fades to black".

Now i know some will argue that no they never were but i think the implication was there and definitely the innuendo. The creator implied it. There's episodes where the show ends mid lip lock or Tony gets pulled into Jeannie's bottle. I personally think at times the show got one over on the censorship board. The Board says Jeannie has to be seen coming out of Tony's bedroom if she goes in, so the show complies but sneakily does things like Tony going into but not coming out of Jeannie's bottle. I guess i'm looking at it with more modern eyes but those 2 were definitely doing more than kissing in my eyes.

As for the change in their relationship. It's hard to say because we got the romance and love confession right there in season 1. Tony himself said that he's never felt the way he has for Jeannie with anyone else and he's crazy about her. It's obvious that with a date here and there Tony doesn't ever have a long term relationship outside Jeannie and he's practically beaming when Melissa leaves in Season 1 showing he never loved her.

He's always jealous when their relationship is threatened by other men. That's when you see just how in love with her he is. It always comes out in his conversations with other characters. I think the most significant one being with General Peterson in the 'tony Millionaire' episode. Jeannie is his one and vice versa. In Season 4 they were definitely a solid couple and devoted.

I think the couple part was always there, but it was the 'marriage' that made it super official in season 5. It didn't matter though, because they were acting like a co-habitating couple throughout the show. I loved the marriage but honestly it wasn't needed because the relationship didn't change,the only thing that did is that Jeannie was now interacting with all the characters and dressing in civilian clothes most of the time.