Is anybody still alive who watched this show?
This was a slice of the ‘70s. So sanctimonious at times
shareYes, I watched it while it aired and I'm now watching it again during the lockdown. Seeing some of the episodes anew the writing is superior in general, but there some issues. It's too schmaltzy for me and I just can't stand Willie--he's such a dork. Usually each episode has two concurrent plotlines, the serious one and the Willie one. I mean why is a 30 year old (I know, he's supposed to be 21, but still) living at home? But that's an issue with many of these '70s shows, such as Eight is Enough which had a bunch of adult kids at home.
shareWillie's only suppose to be 18 (note the way his class has it's high school graduation taking place without him in S1).
Buddy is 13 (age 14 in S2), and Nancy is 24.
Buddy was also age 7 when the other son dies who was age 10 at that time.
That also means Willie would also have been age 12 at that time.
And Nancy would have been 18.
Never saw the one where a child dies; was that in a flashback?
shareIt's an eppy from S1 where BUDDY is pissed about NANCY naming her baby the same name as the brother who died.
Thursday's Child
Episode 5
4/6/767.4
>>As Timmy Jr.'s christening approaches, the whole family (especially Buddy, who stubbornly refuses to take part) relives the painful memories of Timmy Sr.'s death.
So YES, his death would be a FLASHBACK, except for we never see any FLASHBACKS, and only HEAR the story about how he died when the boat they were in tips over and he drowns.
Then BUDDY blames herself for it because she INSISTED that they take her with them on that trip.
And that POINTED HAT that she wears also belonged to her dead brother TIMMY.
Got it. That was probably one I skipped. Since they're all on Youtube now I'll check it out. Reminds me of the 8 is Enough episode where Tommy doesn't want to celebrate Christmas because his mother died. That show had an interesting basis if you don't know. The actress Diane Hyland who played the mother died after the 5th episode, so they just continued the rest of the season pretending she was never there to begin with. It wasn't until this Xmas episode when they acknowledged it.
shareHaven't seen 8 is Enough, but this attitude that Buddy has is being repeated again in S2 in this 2 PART story where her father is BLIND (after being in an accident where a car hits him), and she's pissed that he refused to have surgery to restore his eye sight (which could also KILL him).
The name of this one is called: "Taking Chances: Part 1"
So she's basically behaving the same way again as she did before about Nancy naming the baby after the dead brother. And the rest of the family is also upset with the way that she's behaving and refusing to even speak to her father.
Of course it will turn out that she's right in the end about his having the surgery to restore his eye sight again, which will probably also make her behave the same way again the next time that she thinks she's right again (even though she also gave in and admits that she was wrong to make such a BIG FUSS over naming the baby after the dead sibling).
Anyhow, I'll also be looking for her to have another HISSY FIT again about something else next season, and then have another one again the next one after that.
Wow, I did not know Timmy was that young. Was he at camp when he drowned?
shareSince its been at least 2 yrs since watching it, can't remember it that well or that much about it anymore.
But since Buddy begs to go with them, apparently they were on some kind of a family vacation at a lake or something???
Here's a link where you can watch it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5uW5RfLUa0
"Family" - S1Ep05 - Thursday's Child
Go to the 33 MIN TIME MARK and you'll hear Buddy's brother telling his brother in law (Nancy's husband) about what happened.
He says they were on a fishing trip (that Buddy begged to go on) when the canoe tips over, and Buddy panics and is rescued, while the other brother Timmy gets caught on some tree branches and drowns while the others were helping Buddy.
Back then, families still lived together. Personally, I rather live with my parents than be homeless.
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