MovieChat Forums > The Closer (2005) Discussion > Why would someone like Fritz fall in lov...

Why would someone like Fritz fall in love with Brenda?


Brenda is perfect for her job and mediocre at anything else. I tried my best to pass her off as quirky but she is extremely annoying. I won't go into details. If I have to name something good about her relationship with Fritz, it's only gonna be the physical part of it. Maybe Brenda is really good in bed. *shrugs* I haven't finished watching the show. I'm really hoping she will be less annoying.

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We could go into all kinds of things about how love is blind, the heart wants, etc., but the answer is more simple: he fell in love with her because the script called for him to.

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Exactly. Now we see all the good side of Fritz but remember he had alcohol issues and could have lost his job after his DUIs. Because he's dealt with his own failings maybe he's more accepting of Brenda's.

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Thanks, LoBo, for that insight. I have long been annoyed by their relationship bc I see it as utterly imbalanced -- she has needs and he fills them, but she ignores virtually all of his needs. (I'd be just as unhappy if the imbalance worked the other way.)

That said, you've helped me see another aspect of Fritz (tremendous acceptance, in a positive rather than passive way). Thanks!

"All you need to start an asylum is an empty room and the right kind of people."

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[deleted]

Excellent insight, Nailbac! He's obviously sexually attracted to her in the beginning and they definitely took it slow only consummating the relationship after she'd become so disgusted by a self-absorbed "entitled" murderer of a young innocent girl and needed his comfort. He admires her for her ability and also gets angry at her when called for and she apologizes. She definitely satisfies him intellectually as well as sexually. And I love how they both put up with the other's family eccentricities. Who else could like Fritz's sister but a woman who knows she owes her husband!

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[He] also gets angry at her when called for and she apologizes.
Whenever I start thinking no real person would put up with her, she apologizes. For me, that's the key to the survival of their relationship--but also other factors posted above.

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you actually make a lot of sense...as with many other viewers, I also questioned Brenda & Fritz's relationship in the beginning, I also thought their relationship was very unbalanced, and Brenda was a selfish person with many flaws so I wandered why Fritz would fall in love with her. In the past I basically just accepted their relationship with the simple notion of "love is blind", but you really brought up some very valid points and made me start seeing their relationship in a different light. Fritz is not perfect either, he has his own flaws being a recovering alcoholic and all, so it makes sense that being a flawed person himself, he can relate to Brenda and is more accepting of her flaws. We as the outside viewers, some of us sometimes just look at things at face value and see the unbalance and flawed relationship they have, I think the fact that some viewers find Brenda to be an unlikable character definitely affects the opinions. But their relationship starts to make sense to me after reading your assessment of them...and not only can Fritz relate to Brenda and is more accepting of her flaws, he also has the patience to tolerate her.

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I kind of felt like he enjoyed taking care of her. But yeah, she was so inconsiderate of him throughout the series.

Maybe taking care of her gave him something to do to keep his mind off drinking. (?)

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[deleted]

True but he did when he was drinking too. Taking care of Brenda sometimes seemed like a full time job.

I just re-watched an episode where Fritz tells Brenda about when he hit rock bottom and I think she handled it well. Maybe there were a lot of little moments like those that I forgot about. Maybe those make the relationship seem less one-sided.

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I kind of felt like he enjoyed taking care of her.
You're absolutely right, sim13. I'm rewatching, and in S7, he says to her, "I'm glad I finally became the kind of person people can count on." He clearly has a strong caretaker impulse, plus his sense of self is at least somewhat tied up with being dependable/responsible vs being the somewhat irresponsible person he used to be.

To use 12-step language: Perhaps they have a somewhat co-dependent relationship. That said, if it works for them and is more healthy than unhealthy ... After all, they both seem to contribute far more positive stuff than negative stuff to the world, and that's no small thing.

"All you need to start an asylum is an empty room and the right kind of people."

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A the saying goes. . .. opposites attract.

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Brenda is one of those married to your job people.

She is inconsiderate towards Fritz, her parents, hell even the people she works for.

She will screw anyone to solve her case.

I think Fritz is with her because he likes her and honestly, dating sucks.

What's odd is that Fritz talks about wanting kids.................................with Brenda.
I don't see a maternal bone in the body of that character.

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