CT 4/2/98
What happened to Brancusi? I was asked -- and to tell the truth, I don't really know. When Starch left (the actress died during the hiatus) the explanation was that she married and retired. When Gonzo left we got a whole episode, but with Gloria, I don't have a clue. Now we can approach the question from two sides. One is the "real" side. I.E. Christopher Norris left and the writers didn't feel compelled to put in a line or two -- and or, there was a line, but it's one of the things that got lost in the trimming that any series seems to undergo when it gets shown in syndication. The other side is the "show" side, where we just speculate about the character. Personally, I'm in favor of Gloria and Andrea being off in Australia with the landlord...
CT 4/6/98
Does anyone besides me think that Ernie was good for Stan? I mean, after Ernie showed up, and started treating Stan as if he was a competent, caring, human being, it seems to have affected the way he was treated by the others as well. For example, in Girl Under Glass, Gonzo takes over a patient without thinking about it, but in Slim Chance, he lets Stanley do his job...
KMC 4/10/96
Yes, Ernie does seem to be good for Stanley. She knows how to manipulate
him for his own good...and for others...without hurting him. Stanley is in
search of a mother figure...he gets along awfully well with little old
ladies...he is even remarkably forgiving to the old ladies who tried to con
him into believing that one of them was his "real mother"...and Ernie may
just unconsicencely fill that need for him. And she praises and rebukes
him in just the right measure. What I find interesting in the context of the
show is the change in attitude toward him between the second and third
episodes...counting the pilot. Even in the second episode he is obviously
just tolerated by everyone there...including Trapper. Yet by the third
episode he and Trapper are golfing buddies and Gonzošs and Gloria's attitude
towards him had changed to mild tolerant affection. What happened
between those two episodes to change people's minds about him...especially
Trapper's....because the others would follow Trapper's lead. I hope to
answer that question in a fan story...but would be interested in other
opinions. KMC
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