MovieChat Forums > Trophy Wife (2013) Discussion > Does the dad/husband just hate women?

Does the dad/husband just hate women?

posted 10 years ago by Julie_Julii
7 replies | jump to latest

I've watched a few episodes and while it's not nearly as funny as other new comedies this season like Brooklyn 99 I try to watch Trophy Wife whenever I can. Mostly because Marcia Gay Harden is amazing and the kids tend to be cute and very weird.

But why is the dad character (Pete?) so awful to his ex wives all the time? He really seems to resent them and most annoying of all is that this is what is played for laughs more often than not.

I find it hard to believe that he was ever in love and raising kids with either of them. The only female he will tolerate is his new wife. It's so jarring when everyone else in the family seem to make an effort to get along as best they can. All Pete does is bitch about his exes.

Both his exes are such caricatures too. And the new wife just seems like a blank slate who is a few years away from being dumped by Pete too once he's found a younger model.

I'm finding it difficult to get a handle on these characters.

Am I missing something?

[–] Dark_Spider 10 years ago

I honestly don't see how Pete is awful to Diane and Jackie. He's usually very tolerant of the quirks of his exes, mainly Diane's bossiness and Jackie's crossing of boundaries. Sometimes he shows annoyance at them, but its usually justified as a clashing of personalities and nothing malicious or being truly awful. Besides, the exes usually dish it right back at Pete, like that episode where Pete and Jackie take Bert minigolfing.

This has been the Dark Spider

[–] segsig 10 years ago

Totally agree with spider!

I've said this before...you have to realize they're trying to find the humor in co-parenting! It's a very tough situation and you have to laugh.

[–] ArmyofRabbits 10 years ago

I read that the show was actually loosely based on the writer's actual experience.

You can read about their comments here: http://jezebel.com/trophy-wife-producers-sarah-haskins-and-emily-halpern-a-1536138738

I don't think Pete mistreats his exes all the time, if anything it seems he's pretty good at maintaining mutual respect for them. I'm guessing things didn't worked out well because of relationship compatibility.

[–] crotchrocket 10 years ago

lol jezebel
top lel thar

[–] JRichardSingleton 10 years ago

Uh, he's very patient with his exes, especially Jackie, who's a terrible human being.

the joke is Jackie is terrible.

jrichardsingleton.blogspot.com

[–] Julie_Julii 10 years ago

But she's not. All his exes are good mothers with peculiar quirks.

He treats them like asylum escapees.

[–] JRichardSingleton 10 years ago

She is terrible. She comes in his home uninvited. She certainly collects alimony, and she's a mooch. When you're divorced, you can't just re-enter your ex's life without an issue with your kid.

Malin's character is just so wonderful, with a few quirks. The title is ironic, since she is a real wife, just a couple decades younger than her husband.

jrichardsingleton.blogspot.com