re: Great Characters that were &quot;Flanderized&quot;

Posted by Freauxzen

Washington

Member since Feb 2006

38443 posts

Posted on 3/10/25 at 3:46 pm to Locoguan0

quote:
Chang from Community

Posted by Freauxzen

Washington

Member since Feb 2006

38443 posts

Posted on 3/10/25 at 3:47 pm to Freauxzen

Gerry Gurgich, Parks and Rec

Posted by pevetohead

lurking behind sonic

Member since Apr 2017

3532 posts

Posted on 3/10/25 at 3:50 pm to Honest Tune

I feel as though the characters of Seinfeld stayed the course from Season 4 onwards. It just took about 2 and a half seasons for the show to figure out who they are.

Posted by Honest Tune

Louisiana

Member since Dec 2011

19285 posts

Posted on 3/10/25 at 3:55 pm to pevetohead

It took the show a bit to find its footing but once it did, every episode was straight gas. I’m doing a rewatch now with my daughter.

Elaine and George all looked at Kramer with skepticism if not disdain early on. Once Richards figured out what to do with Kramer, their stances all softened towards his antics.

This post was edited on 3/10/25 at 3:56 pm

Posted by SammyTiger

Baton Rouge, LA

Member since Feb 2009

78331 posts

Posted on 3/10/25 at 4:02 pm to PurpleandGold Motown

any goody kid character on a sitcom when they don’t evolve
him to an adult

The kid in 2 and a half men is cute and naive season 1 and clearly mentally handicapped by the end of the show.

Luke on modern family although they made an effort to course correct and round him out a bit.

Posted by theGarnetWay

Washington, D.C.

Member since Mar 2010

27185 posts

Posted on 3/10/25 at 4:13 pm to PurpleandGold Motown

Might be my favorite show of all time but JD, and quite frankly a lot of characters, from Scrubs. The show as a whole became more and more over the top exaggeration of how it started.

Posted by Esquire

Chiraq

Member since Apr 2014

14416 posts

Posted on 3/10/25 at 4:23 pm to PurpleandGold Motown

Posted by wareaglepete

Union of Soviet Auburn Republics

Member since Dec 2012

17600 posts

Posted on 3/10/25 at 4:57 pm to PurpleandGold Motown

Would Klinger on MASH be reverse Flanderization?

Posted by Fewer Kilometers

Baton Rouge

Member since Dec 2007

37937 posts

Posted on 3/10/25 at 5:28 pm to nealnan8

quote:
Fonzie

Fonzie in Windbreaker > Fonzie in Leather Jacket

Posted by Jesco

Houston

Member since May 2022

264 posts

Posted on 3/10/25 at 5:39 pm to PurpleandGold Motown

Homer Simpson

Posted by Broski

Member since Jun 2011

79267 posts

Posted on 3/10/25 at 5:40 pm to theGarnetWay

quote:
Might be my favorite show of all time but JD, and quite frankly a lot of characters, from Scrubs. The show as a whole became more and more over the top exaggeration of how it started.

My thoughts exactly and was shocked it took until page 3 to see him mentioned.

He went from quirky dude to full-on feminine.

There's even a blooper in season 8 where he Braff is doing a scene with Scott Foley (who hadn't been on the show since like season 3), Foley broke and Braff laughed and said something to the effect of "You haven't been here in a while, they made me gay now."

Posted by alajones

Huntsvegas

Member since Oct 2005

35772 posts

Posted on 3/10/25 at 5:40 pm to PurpleandGold Motown

Elliot, Carla, and JD all became caricatures of themselves by about season 5. The last few seasons of Scrubs really took a nosedive IMHO.

ETA: I see someone beat me to it

This post was edited on 3/10/25 at 5:41 pm

Posted by alajones

Huntsvegas

Member since Oct 2005

35772 posts

Posted on 3/10/25 at 5:48 pm to Locoguan0

quote:
Sheldon from Big Bang Theory. His "look, I'm kinda human" epiphanies became a weekly occurrence.

Big Bang Theory suffered from trying to develop too many characters. It was so much better in the first few seasons when it was just the main three characters. Penny and Leonard almost become the straight man by the last couple of seasons and the focus is all on Sheldon and even Raj.

I can watch reruns all day, but the earlier seasons are better for me.

Posted by S

RIP Wayde

Member since Jan 2007

169038 posts

Posted on 3/10/25 at 5:52 pm to Broski

Posted by dawgdayafternoon

Jacksonville, GA

Member since Jul 2011

23623 posts

Posted on 3/10/25 at 5:53 pm to CocomoLSU

quote:
I know if a show lasts long enough eventually caricatures will form, but man they went so far overboard with Kevin that it was distracting.

“Don’t become a caricature, Kevin.” - Michael Scott (‘Goodbye Michael’)

This post was edited on 3/10/25 at 5:54 pm

2 ...

Posted by rebelrouser

Columbia, SC

Member since Feb 2013

12830 posts

Posted on 3/10/25 at 6:11 pm to Jesco

quote:
Homer Simpson

Oddly, enough, Homer was the first. If your rewatch S 1 E 1 you will see he was a pretty average working class stiff who was dealing with a trouble making family. When you get to the Frank Grimes episode S 8 E 23, he is a bumbling idiot. That was also the point when the series went to crap.

Posted by Scoob

Near Exxon

Member since Jun 2009

22997 posts

Posted on 3/10/25 at 6:13 pm to RoyalAir

Off topic, but

quote:
Kitsch is a great actor. Does well with his material. But he can't break to the other side of Hollywood, and I'm not sure I know why.

I think we get a taste of why with Terminal List.
In that, Chris Pratt is the lead, and Taylor Kitsch is the buddy/costar. And that was so popular the studio is making a... prequel, because Kitsch's character can't continue in the timeline.

So Kitsch is one of those guys who is a premium costar, but not a true lead.

Posted by tylerdurden24

Member since Sep 2009

48486 posts

Posted on 3/10/25 at 6:16 pm to dawgdayafternoon

Wonder if anyone will push back on this one:

Goku from DBZ to Super

Went from being an at times aloof but mostly serious adult who at least gives some passing thought to his kids and wife in Z to reverting back to being a total child in an adult body in Super (which I can’t tell if Daima was trying to retcon and explain)