Go Back  DVD Talk Forum > Entertainment Discussions > TV Talk
Reload this Page >

Characters Getting Dumber by the Season

TV Talk Talk about Shows on TV

Characters Getting Dumber by the Season

Old 12-27-08, 01:00 PM
  #26  
DVD Talk Limited Edition
 
Sonny Corinthos's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Port Charles, NY.
Posts: 7,360
Received 211 Likes on 160 Posts
Archie Bunker is the best example I can think of. It seemed that each season he got dumber than the one before.
Old 12-27-08, 01:49 PM
  #27  
DVD Talk Ultimate Edition
 
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Upright, in a cool, dry place
Posts: 4,463
Received 70 Likes on 47 Posts
Originally Posted by mwbmis
As MASH went along Radar got much more innocent and naive. This is a character that was mailing home a jeep piece by piece in season one.
That's right. He used to drink in the bar, too with Hawkeye, Trapper John and Spearchucker. After the first season or two, it was all Grape Nehi.
Old 12-27-08, 02:14 PM
  #28  
DVD Talk Ultimate Edition
 
Join Date: Aug 2001
Posts: 4,594
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Good call on Screech.
Old 12-27-08, 04:26 PM
  #29  
DVD Talk Ultimate Edition
 
Join Date: Jun 2000
Posts: 4,774
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
Sam from Cheers is the one that sticks out the most with me. In the beginning, he was actually a pretty smart guy, regularly holding his own against Diane. By the end of the show he was reduced to a walking penis.
Old 12-27-08, 07:22 PM
  #30  
DVD Talk Limited Edition
 
Damfino's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Posts: 6,907
Received 135 Likes on 106 Posts
Malcolm from Malcolm in the Middle started out as a genius savant and ended up being as dumb as his brother Reese. This has to be the most extreme example.
Old 12-28-08, 11:14 PM
  #31  
DVD Talk Hero
 
GoldenJCJ's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Colorado
Posts: 27,136
Received 3,160 Likes on 2,036 Posts
Matthew (Andy Dick) on Newsradio. He became dumber and dumber as the show went on. I even recall Andy Dick in an interview once saying that as the seasons progressed he thought Matthew was bordering on mental retardation.
Old 12-29-08, 12:01 AM
  #32  
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
 
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: San Diego, CA
Posts: 7,534
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
The obvious answer is Homer Simpson.
Old 12-29-08, 12:17 AM
  #33  
DVD Talk Hero
 
Josh-da-man's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: The Bible Belt
Posts: 43,743
Received 2,677 Likes on 1,847 Posts
Yeah, it is really weird watching early episodes of The Simpsons, where Homer is portrayed as ill-tempered and unambitious. And then they started portraying his him clueless, and he just got dumber and dumber until he comes off as being brain-damaged.
Old 12-29-08, 01:30 AM
  #34  
DVD Talk Special Edition
 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Berkeley, CA
Posts: 1,981
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Locke from Season One to Season Two of Lost, however they seem to have reinstated him a little since. He's still not regained the Obi-Wan-esque air about him that he had in the debut season, though.
Old 12-29-08, 09:19 AM
  #35  
Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Posts: 158
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
A few people have mentioned heroes, but I think that the only one who has gotten dumber is Suresh. The others, like Peter and Claire, simply haven't gotten smarter from the first season. They werent dumb then, but with two and a half seasons worth of experience, they should be smarter. Thats why they seem to be getting dumber. Suresh is just a moron now though.
Old 12-29-08, 10:01 AM
  #36  
Banned
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Puerto Rico
Posts: 11,973
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
Kate in Lost.
Old 12-29-08, 10:31 AM
  #37  
DVD Talk Godfather
 
Michael Corvin's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 1999
Location: Louisville, KY
Posts: 62,509
Received 909 Likes on 644 Posts
Originally Posted by dx23
Kate in Lost.
Not sure if I agree with this one either. She's just been domesticated. She used to be a fugitive, but she still can track people through the jungle like nobody's business. She still handles a gun quite competently. She's just had three months of living without fear of a US Marshall on her tail, which allowed her to fall for two guys. Without ruining anything, same goes for her current flashbacks. She still doesn't take shit from anyone, including Jack.

I don't think we know enough of her pre-fugitive character to see a progression.
Old 12-29-08, 11:54 AM
  #38  
DVD Talk Limited Edition
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 5,453
Likes: 0
Received 54 Likes on 49 Posts
Originally Posted by leacha
I do not know if he became "dumber". But I never liked the transition Fraiser went through in his series. His character was a shadow of his former self on Cheers.
More pompous and pretentious... but definitely not dumber.
Old 12-29-08, 12:05 PM
  #39  
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
 
Lateralus's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Valley of Megiddo
Posts: 9,570
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes on 1 Post
Randy is the main reason why I don't watch My Name is Earl, his character is just too stupid.

I also have a agree with Michael Scott, he should do stupid things but since he is their leader he has to be the one that fixes them. They have that happen from time to time but nowhere near the amout they should.
Old 12-29-08, 12:36 PM
  #40  
DVD Talk Limited Edition
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 5,453
Likes: 0
Received 54 Likes on 49 Posts
Originally Posted by Lateralus
Randy is the main reason why I don't watch My Name is Earl, his character is just too stupid.

I also have a agree with Michael Scott, he should do stupid things but since he is their leader he has to be the one that fixes them. They have that happen from time to time but nowhere near the amout they should.
Michael Scott has become over the top and ridiculous.
Old 12-29-08, 01:13 PM
  #41  
DVD Talk Special Edition
 
Join Date: Mar 2001
Posts: 1,690
Received 63 Likes on 40 Posts
Boner from Growing Pains
Old 12-29-08, 04:26 PM
  #42  
DVD Talk Special Edition
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Portland, Oregon
Posts: 1,232
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Not so much dumber, but his character has undergone a shift: David Caruso's Horatio Caine. When CSI: Miami first started, he had a strong melodramatic touch, but he was also down to earth. These past few years, he's become a ridiculous parody of his former self.

He rarely does anything but stand around, pose, and deliver one-liners while putting on or removing his sunglasses. Yes, he's done that since the beginning, but not like now. He barely even participates: He sees something on the floor, wonders aloud what it is, and then waits for someone else to pick it up and examine it. I don't imagine Gil Grissom or Mac Taylor doing that.

Horatio is now this untouchable force. He gets "shot" in the season finale, and I had hopes that something had finally happened to bring him down a bit. But, no, he planned the whole thing. Because nothing can ever happen to him!

--THX
Old 12-29-08, 04:28 PM
  #43  
DVD Talk Limited Edition
 
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: Earth
Posts: 5,863
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Originally Posted by Rockmjd23
Homer Simpson from Police Cops.
::

"uh oh, spaghethi-o's"

Edit-Ha so The Simpsons is on now, and it's the clip show where they show the montage of Homer getting dumber as the seasons progress.
Old 12-29-08, 07:31 PM
  #44  
Suspended
 
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Washington, DC
Posts: 43,205
Received 36 Likes on 20 Posts
Kelso from That 70s Show started out dumb but managed to get dumber as the show went on.
Old 12-29-08, 08:48 PM
  #45  
DVD Talk Hero
 
GoldenJCJ's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Colorado
Posts: 27,136
Received 3,160 Likes on 2,036 Posts
Originally Posted by JasonF
Kelso from That 70s Show started out dumb but managed to get dumber as the show went on.
I'd say Fez was heading down that road as well.
Old 12-29-08, 09:21 PM
  #46  
DVD Talk Hero
 
Josh-da-man's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: The Bible Belt
Posts: 43,743
Received 2,677 Likes on 1,847 Posts
Originally Posted by hardercore
Locke from Season One to Season Two of Lost, however they seem to have reinstated him a little since. He's still not regained the Obi-Wan-esque air about him that he had in the debut season, though.
Locke being a putz was been built into the character since his first flashback in the third episode of season one. While he was displaying leadership qualities on the island, he was shown to be a complete loser in his flashback.
Old 12-29-08, 10:13 PM
  #47  
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
 
Lateralus's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Valley of Megiddo
Posts: 9,570
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes on 1 Post
Originally Posted by Double_Oh_7
Michael Scott has become over the top and ridiculous.
Yeah I know, sometimes I have to turn away or change the channel as he is just so stupid. The first season was horrible but the second and third season he got better but now is starting to regress.
Old 12-30-08, 07:12 AM
  #48  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: The Falls
Posts: 419
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Originally Posted by Lateralus
Yeah I know, sometimes I have to turn away or change the channel as he is just so stupid. The first season was horrible but the second and third season he got better but now is starting to regress.
That's what Ricky Gervais was so skilled at. David Brent would do things because he thought it would make people like him more. But Michael doesn't care. He's clueless and rude.
Old 12-30-08, 08:06 AM
  #49  
DVD Talk Legend
 
Charlie Goose's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: Sesame Street (the apt. next to Bob's)
Posts: 20,195
Likes: 0
Received 5 Likes on 5 Posts
Potsie from Happy Days. He was originally supposed to be Richie's cool friend before the Fonzie character took off. As the years went by, he became less intelligent AND a loser. Except when he memorized that pump your blood song for class.
Old 01-01-09, 05:29 PM
  #50  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: The Falls
Posts: 419
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Randy on My Name Is Earl is a good one.

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.