So strange


The whole way the show handled relationships was so odd

From the pilot, it made it seem like he was the single guy, and all his friends were married/in serious relationships, and it was going to explore what it meant to be that guy in a group of friends who are all in relationships.

It's actually a kind of interesting premise, and I think it's a nice change to focus on that person in a group, but then, like 5 episodes in, the whole thing had already blown up.

With Angelo's death and Marjorie leaving and then the open marriage thing between Dave and Deena, pretty much none of them were in relationships, and then it became sort of just standard drama fare.

I mean, we're supposed to feel for Brian, the guy who can't settle with a girl, and after a season and a half, pretty much everyone's just kind of floating around just like he is.

I just wonder how long they could have kept up with the story arcs they created. If Dave and Deena reconcile, what else is there? Would Marjorie just be pining for Adam the whole time? Would she start going after Brian again? If not, you're going to need to introduce someone for her too.

I kind of feel like they moved stuff along too quickly in the early going. If you're 20 episodes in and you've already had a death, a "stranded at the altar" scenario, a pair of marriages breaking up, and your main female character blow it with both main male characters, how much is left for you to explore?

reply

Exactly. Maybe it was trying to be ironic; Brian thinks that all his friends who are married or in serious relationships are mature and focused and he's the only one ("the singleton" as Bridget Jones would say) who can't get his act together. But then it turns out they're all as messed up as he is: Marjorie is unsure about getting married, Dave and Deena are bored with each other and decide to have a open marriage with disastrous results, and before his death, Angelo cheats on Brian's sister. (Sorry, I forgot her name). But you're right, the show did move into new territory, too many characters came and went and story arcs with a promising start went nowhere. It was as if the show started off being one thing and then became something else.
It's a shame, because I did like the show at the start but after the whole love triangle, I stopped watching. It was disappointing how Angelo was killed off abruptly and Marjorie's departure after the whole emotional build up of the love triangle was equally as abrupt. When she returned to the show, there was no reaction from Brian whatsoever. It was as if whatever happened between them never mattered.
And was it just me or were Dave and Deena the most annoying characters on that show?

reply

As you say, the show started off being one thing and became another. Maybe they got some audience research and thought they needed to make the move, but it was odd.

The irony thing is interesting, but I think they could have done it more subtlety then just completely blowing up EVERY relationship.

I didn't really like Dave and Deena a lot, mostly because I felt the story arc moved really quickly. I think it would have been handled better if they'd brought some of the stuff along slowly. But a marriage--->open marriage--->Reconciliation in 24 episodes? Maybe some of the getting back together was because they knew it was being axed and they wanted to give closure, but still.

And what about Brian just being gone for however long? His friends all love him so much and no-one tries to track him down? Did he go off the grid? I mean, come on. It's like the writers just had no sense of pace, and so to justify certain changes, they had Brian disappear and reappear six months later just so it could BE six months later in their world.

reply

I think Brian was always outside the circle of people in relationships. This is absolutely in keeping with what seemed to be the premise of the show: that people paired up and were in couples, but what about Brian? He always seemed to be holding himself aloof from his partner, reconsidering, or even having two relationships at the same time.

You say, well, the other people weren't in relationships... and so what's the point of 'what about Brian'? They ALL were in relationships that were true commitments. His sister was married. Adam even was married (after committing to marriage at the beginning of the series, only to be abandoned at the altar). Dina and Dave were married, for Chrissakes, so married that they even lived together when they were 'apart,' and then got married again! Ivy and Jimmy were married and never broke up even for a short time. Have I left anyone out?

Brian was the one person who couldn't get it together to make a commitment. Even when he moved in with Bridget, he didn't want to leave his place. He vacillated between Laura and Stephanie, and we'll never know which one he ended up with. He showed up at the church and told Marjorie he wanted her to marry him instead and then he didn't even marry her! Hmmm. Someone has a problem with commitment, and that's not even getting to the engagement stage.

So, yeah, what ABOUT Brian?

reply

Well, his sister *was* married...then Angelo died. Not something she wanted, sure, but she's still no longer in a relationship.

Adam was going to be married, even though he had major doubts, then he wasn't. Then he got married to Heather, and what happened? Who cares if he makes a commitment when he doesn't stick by it? How is that any better than not making one in the first place?

Marjorie bolts on the wedding, so clearly she's got commitment issues of her own.

Dave and Deena, while technically remaining married, were hardly the picture of relationship stability

Adam, Majorie, Dave, Deena, and Brian's sister all went through significant amounts of relationship turmoil throughout the show. What about Brian? What about all of them? None of those people (save his sister) stayed committed to *anything* throughout the course of that show. *All* of them played wishy-washy games with their feelings, who they loved, who they wanted to be with. Again, the exception was his sister, and the show rendered that moot by killing the guy anyway.

reply