*The focus of this entry is on Tom and Lynette in a positive way. I understand that everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but please save any flaming on this pairing for another site. I'm just not in the mood. Thank you so much.
Spoiler Warning
I've been wading through spoilers because people have been leaving me ominous, vague reviews or emails that state that Tom and Lynette are going to break up before the end of the season. And while I'm glad that everyone knows what a huge fan of this pairing I am (and generally I really like to be forewarned, particularly of disasters), I hate how insubstantial these thoughts are. So of course I had to go investigate and see if I could find anything concrete.
And that meant going to the televisionwithoutpity forums.
*Sigh*
Don't get me wrong. I really like TWoP in general, but I can't stand to read about any shows I actually like on there. Everything is so negative, and for a show like Desperate Housewives, there's nothing but complaints, bitching, and an emphasis on how horrible the show is. I'm the type of person who reads something and it sticks with me for years, so I NEVER read the DH recaps on that site, and I rarely go into the forums. If I do, the negativity and complaints get in my brain and, as ridiculous as it sounds, I just can't let it go. Even years later, I will not be able to watch a scene without recalling what was written about it.
It's just like the time my cousin mocked (*MOULIN ROUGE SPOILER*) Christian's crying at the end of Moulin Rouge. Now I can't watch that scene without laughing. Yeah, I can't watch the death scene without cracking up. And that's one of my top five favorite movies ever. So you see my dilemma.
Anyway, I ventured into the forums and trekked through the many, many vehement comments that Tom and Lynette are a horrible couple and should break up and that Marc Cherry is lying when he says "America" loves them. Whatever. You can't make a statement that broad without someone disagreeing, but it's just as stupid to make the broad statement that "America" wants them to break up. I don't. No one I watch the show with does. I have talked to quite a few people online who don't. I'm sure there are people that would love to see Lynette dump Tom and run away somewhere and suddenly become this perfect, unflawed success, completely forgetting all of her kids and everything else in her life. And that's fine. Those people are entitled to their opinion. But I'm also entitled to mine, and I hate those broad generalizations.
So as I perused, trying not to read the really disdainful comments too carefully, I basically discovered squat. Supposedly a couple on the show is going to break up before the end of the season (so probably Gaby/Carlos or Tom/Lynette; I can't imagine they'll go there with Mike/Susan again [although the Paul/Susan pairing FASCINATES me!]). I really feel like based on where the show is right now, it could go either way, but I'm not sure which. I mean, Gaby and Carlos have already broken up once, so that feels repetitive. On the other hand, it is true that Marc Cherry has always stuck by his statement that Tom and Lynette just won't break up. I really think it could go either way.
(Also, there is some speculation that Renee and Tom MAY hook up? It all seemed to be based on flimsy evidence. And I feel like they've completely abandoned that whole storyline anyway, so why bring it back in the last hour of the season? It just doesn't make sense).
The other theory is that while Tom and Lynette are away in the B&B, they will realize they're both acting crazy, make up and go off into the sunset together.
Until next year of course.
I HATE both options (this ignores the Renee thing completely, because if they go there I'll probably stab my eyes out, so I refuse to contemplate it).
First of all, why are the Scavos the only couple on the show to ALWAYS get these quickie resolutions? If the writers are going to keep a couple together for all of these years, they really can take the time to actually have that couple delve into their issues and maybe at SOME POINT resolve some of them. They never do this with Tom and Lynette. Time and again, the couple faces some enormous conflict, and time and again, it's never resolved.
Case in point: the season 4 finale. After the cancer, the return of Rick, Kayla's turn to pure evil, and sending Kayla away, how did their storyline end? Tom gave a speech about marriage (which, granted, is one of my favorite speeches on the show), he and Lynette kissed and that was it. On to other, lamer plots.
There are a ton of examples of this: the miscarriage, Eddie kidnapping Lynette, Lynette not wanting to have the twins 2.0, the grocery store shooting, the original go-around with Rick, Tom's lies about Atlantic City, the stupid Renee "affair" from this year, Norah's death, Kayla (where she's gone or how she is), Lynette sabotaging Tom's job in season one, etc. All of these are either resolved with a simple kiss and make up, a fight that is never followed up on, or the plot is just completely dropped. Now, granted, this happens with other characters on this show too, but it seems to happen every single time Lynette and Tom have any conflict arc that lasts longer than an episode.
Basically what I think it boils down to is that the writers like to drag out the conflict over several episodes (case in point: this new job ridiculousness), but then everything needs to be resolved in five minutes or less. Why not take more time on the resolution? Why not let us see them actually work through some of their problems instead of brushing them under the rug? Then maybe we wouldn't have to watch them have the same argument for the 50,000 time.
Which brings me to my second point. While I don't want the Scavos to break up (aka: put us through a divorce that will inevitably end up with them back together anyway, *cough Gaby and Carlos cough*), I wouldn't hate if they were separated for awhile. Maybe they need to take some time apart to come back together. And no, that doesn't mean I want to endure terrible "dating" episodes (I hate Bree and Susan's single periods more than you can fathom), but it could lead to some new and interesting conflict. As long as the end game is still Tom/Lynette, I think I could live with it. I might even be able to someday admit that it was a good idea.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, hire some writers who actually see the potential in this couple. I refuse to believe that the fact that they're still a couple makes it impossible to give them a decent storyline. The writers seem to be stuck in a endless cycle of ridiculous one-up-man-ship over work, Tom bitching about his manhood, and Lynette being an emasculating bitch. These are not the characters I fell in love with.
I fell in love with Lynette because she was flawed and conflicted and smart and ballsy and so damn strong. I fell in love with a character who didn't manipulate her husband over every little thing; I fell in love with a character who could apologize; I fell in love with a character who was passionate and funny.
I fell in love with Tom because he was sweet and lovably clueless and completely in love with his wife and smart and a little goofy. I fell in love with a character who rarely whined; I fell in love with a character who had some kind of confidence; I fell in love with a character who compromised.
I fell in love with this couple because I liked seeing a marriage that reminded me of something real. A marriage that had flaws and pain and imperfections, but was also clearly founded on love and communication. I fell in love with this couple because Felicity Huffman and Doug Savant have fantastic chemistry, they're engaging actors and fun to watch.
I want that back. I want the writers to remember that you can't guarantee a laugh just because you use the word "emasculate" at least once an episode. I want the writers to realize that Tom and Lynette have so much more potential than what they give them. I want the writers to see that they've turned these characters into parodies of themselves.
Be a little creative.
For instance, in twenty minutes, I came up with these ten scenarios:
Ten Tom and Lynette Plotlines
1) Kayla returns
2) One of the kids gets sick and/or dies
3) Lynette decides to do something for herself (write a book or something)
4) Penny actually becomes a teenager and gets a personality (dealing with anything from her losing her virginity to partying too much to lying to joining a band...I don't care).
5) One of Lynette's exes comes back (in 7 years we've never met one). Maybe he's not such a nice guy?
6) Some kind of follow up with the Eddie storyline. Maybe his trial or he reaches out to Lynette from prison.
7) The introduction of a family member we haven't met (one of Tom's siblings?) or the return of Lynette's very briefly seen sisters.
8) The return of awkward couple interactions; maybe they befriend a couple with a secret and something goes awry.
9) Tom makes so much money from this job that he and Lynette are both able to retire. With the sudden luxury of time and fewer kids at home (technically Parker should be off to college after this season), they have to figure out what to do with themselves.
10) Some secret they share together from their early relationship is revealed. Together they have to decide what to do/how to handle it.
Honestly, my ideas may be total crap, but that isn't the point. The point is to prove that there are a multitude of other things that the show could be doing with this couple, but they don't because they're boxed in to one idea. If I could pay the show to never have another episode about Tom feeling emasculated, I would. Truly. But I'm not going to hold my breath.
I guess what this all boils down to is my frustration. My frustration with the repetitiveness. My frustration with lack of resolution. My frustration with the untapped potential of this couple. My frustration with where this storyline is going.
Sometimes I think that if the writers would just go back and re-watch season one...
C'est la vie.
So in the end, I never did discover what fate has in store for my favorite couple at the end of the season. I guess only time will tell.
Showing posts with label spoilers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label spoilers. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Spoilers
Or: Why I'm Afraid Desperate Housewives Is about to Jump the Shark
Those of you who read my recaps might remember how unusually calm I was when the the show first hinted that Tom and Renee had some kind of secret past. That optimism lasted until I read a spoiler that Renee still has romantic feelings for Tom, and since then I've been on a desperate search for specific spoilers. From what I have heard through the grapevine and read, everything specifies that Tom and Renee did have an affair. The indication seems to be that it was pre-series while Tom and Lynette were still dating. Of course, nothing is set in stone until it actually comes out on the show, but I'd bet a lot of money that what I've heard is probably right on track.
*Sigh*
There are so many things that I have to say about this, so let's break this down.
A History of Affairs
First of all, why does this show insistently believe that an affair will add a new, compelling element to any story line. It's not a guarantee to spice things up. Look at the show's track record:
Gaby and John Rowland
I was never a fan of John Rowland, but the fact is that this affair was intriguing for several different reasons. It was layered: a symptom of Gaby's marital problems; a testament to Gaby's and Carlos' selfishness in season one; a crime that added more drama; and, ultimately, proof that Gaby and Carlos' relationship really was built on love. This affair went a long way to define the Solises on this show, and for that reason it was effective and well-written.
Rex and Maisy GIbbons
This is another example of an affair that worked. Rex's affair was in no way emotional, and in that sense I think that it was easier to forgive. I'm not sure if this is a popular opinion, but I, for one, still rooted for Rex and Bree even after this came out. Bree's reaction to this secret was appropriate and, again, revealed a lot about her character in season one. It was not just a salacious secret meant to spice up the show, but rather a meaningful way to extend character and plot development
Carlos and Xiao Mei
In some way, I always saw this as a way to build on the idea that Carlos has more depth to him. One of his key characteristics is how he values family. However, the result of this affair--Gaby and Carlos' ensuing divorce--is a prime example of using an affair primarily to pursue a plot that doesn't work. One of my biggest complaints about season three of this show is that Carlos and Gaby broke up. It was obvious from the beginning that eventually they'd end up back together, and watching them date other people was never particularly compelling. I could write an entire entry on this plot, but I'll save that for another day.
Carlos and Gaby
I have mixed feelings about this affair. It was fun, for once, to root for the people having the affair. However, the drama with Edie and Victor veered a little toward the absurd by the end of this story line. Victor's death seemed like a trite ending; an easy way wrap up this plot in a nice little bow.
Bree and Karl
I know that this pairing was fairly popular, but this affair is the best example, for me, of a relationship meant purely to "spice up" the show. I don't feel like any of the characters grew or changed as a result of this affair. It resulted in Karl's death--the most irrelevant end of a character I've ever seen--and afterwards, Bree and Orson hardly discussed it. Honestly, it felt pointless. Not to mention that, for me, it made Bree extremely unlikable. While Bree's morals are stringent to the point of obnoxiousness at times, at least it makes her admirable. When hypocrisy results, however, it just makes her hard to watch.
Other Affairs
And all of that doesn't even touch on:
*Karl cheating on Susan with Brandy
*Karl cheating on Edie with Susan
*Susan cheating on Mike with Ian
And the non-affairs like:
*Bree and George
*Tom and Norah
*Lynette and Rick
*Mike and Susan (during the Katherine engagement of season 5)
In total, that's twelve "affairs" in this show's seven year history. That doesn't include the affairs of minor characters. Is it wrong for me to find that excessive? I understand that this show falls into the soap opera genre, but honestly, most of the affairs I've seen on Days have had more emotional resonance than some of these.
And now we'll be able to bump that number up to thirteen.
The Purpose
So Tom had an affair. Great. What is the purpose of revealing this?
Character Development
I can accept almost any plot (no matter how absurd) as long as it results in character development. Lynette's emotional affair with Rick in season three was hard to watch, but at least I feel like we learned more about her, Tom and their relationship by the end. Potentially, I could accept this too if there was character development. However, at this point in this show, I really don't know what we could learn about the characters through this revelation.
Lynette
It has already been fully developed that Lynette has no tolerance for affairs. Let's look at how many times they've already overused just the idea that Tom has had an affair:
Season One
*"Move On" - Tom has the hots for their nanny
*"Your Fault" - Lynette finds out about Tom's father's infidelity and overreacts
*"Fear No More" to "One Wonderful Day" - Annabel returns and Lynette obsesses over the idea that Tom will cheat on her
Season Two
*"One More Kiss" - Gaby kisses Tom and Lynette becomes suspicious and paranoid
*"I Know Things Now" to "Remember" - Lynette finds out about Tom's trips to Atlantic City, follows him there, believes he's having an affair, runs away and ends up back with him when she finds out the truth
Season Three
*"Sweetheart, I Have to Confess" - Norah kisses Tom and when Lynette finds out she literally kicks down Norah's door
*"Bang!" - Lynette's confession that Norah is after Tom inadvertently causes Norah's death
Season Five
*"There's Always a Woman" - Lynette thinks Tom is cheating on her until she learns that Porter is actually the one having an affair
Thirteen episodes out of one hundred and forty-one have dealt with this topic. That's 9% of the show (and that doesn't even include that really the first eight episodes of season 3 dealt with Tom and Norah). At this point, I feel like that's more than enough. I get it. Lynette has no tolerance for this. She's almost irrationally paranoid. But it's also been established that she is by far the most forgiving character on this show (see her forgiving Tom about Norah and Kayla for just one example). So how is the revelation that Tom cheated on her twenty years ago going to show me anything even remotely new about her? Based on her history, this is what I will predict:
1) Lynette is going to leave or kick Tom out
2) Lynette will be at war with Renee over this
3) Lynette will eventually forgive him
4) They will get back together
I don't expect to learn anything new about Lynette through this plot. In fact, I'll probably almost be annoyed on some level that she's going to throw away twenty years of marriage over that something that happened over two decades ago.
Tom
On the other hand, I feel like this entire plot is going to try to redefine Tom's character. There is character development and then there is character defaming. This, in my opinion, is the latter. How many times has Tom vowed that he has never and will never cheat on Lynette? How many times has he been in the path of temptation and refused to give in? The only instance of infidelity that Tom has ever engaged in is his affair with Lynette when he was dating Annabel. And, according to Mary Alice, it was only a few weeks into his relationship with Lynette that Tom realized he wanted to marry her. So at what point did he squeeze in this affair with Renee? Let's face it, Tom is the most faithful character on this show and they are retconning his history with this development.
Also, I absolutely don't even understand this pairing. Renee does not seem like Tom's type based on all of the history we've been given on his past relationships. I feel like just because she's connected with Lynette's past, I'm supposed to believe this is plausible. I don't.
Story Development
Where is the show going with this? If a plot is not going to develop the characters, it should at least advance the story. So in the saga of Tom and Lynette, where is this going to take them?
Possibilities:
*Tom and Lynette will break up and get divorced
*One or both of these characters will date other people
*Tom and Lynette will break up, bicker, and eventually end up back together
*The characters will actually stick it out and have to work through this problem
None of these options is particularly appealing to me. The first two, frankly, make me ill. The third seems tedious. And the fourth has already been done to death (see season three with both Norah and Rick). So what will be compelling about this plot? What other options are there?
Jumping the Shark
Most shows that last this long tend to jump the shark. It's a depressing, if true, fact. However, I've had high hopes that this show wouldn't succumb to the usual pitfalls of other shows. A brief look at my history:
Charmed
When It Jumped the Shark: Season 5
Cole and Phoebe's relationship was on the rocks, and eventually Cole was killed off. The episodes became unbearably "cute" and no longer followed a season arc. The characters became selfish and annoying.
When It Became Unbearable: Season 6
Just a year later, the writers broke up Piper and Leo. I actually see a lot of parallels between that and this debacle with Tom and Lynette. Although Leo didn't cheat on Piper, his decision to become an Elder was completely out of character and never properly explained. Then we had to endured a year and a half of drama before they finally got back together. Meanwhile, Phoebe and Paige became more and more intolerable, and the continuity went to hell.
The X-Files
When It Jumped the Shark: Season Eight
Mulder left. On a show built around two main characters, losing one of them proves to be detrimental.
When It Became Unbearable: Season Nine
Scully was relegated to a minor role. Doggett and Reyes became the main characters. Because the show was so driven by Scully and Mulder and their partnership, it really became unwatchable.
Other Examples
Scrubs jumped the shark when the characters became parodies of themselves; How I Met Your Mother made its characters so obnoxious it was hard to root for them (although they seem to be recovering this year); The Office stopped being funny; Gilmore Girls broke up Luke and Lorelai through the introduction of a secret child (I loathe that plot) and made Rory unbearable; and Buffy lost half of its cast when they spun off Angel (not to mention the introduction of Buffy's sister). These are only a few examples; there are many more.
To sum up: When will shows learn that they can only push the realm of believability so far? If you betray your characters, make them shadows of themselves, or try to make unpopular, dramatic changes for ratings (or boredom or writer's block or whatever), it isn't going to help your show.
Tom and Lynette are an immensely popular couple. Even in interviews, Marc Cherry has stated that he knows he can only push that couple so far without the audience revolting. Well guess what, you may have just reached that point.
Please, please prove me wrong.
Those of you who read my recaps might remember how unusually calm I was when the the show first hinted that Tom and Renee had some kind of secret past. That optimism lasted until I read a spoiler that Renee still has romantic feelings for Tom, and since then I've been on a desperate search for specific spoilers. From what I have heard through the grapevine and read, everything specifies that Tom and Renee did have an affair. The indication seems to be that it was pre-series while Tom and Lynette were still dating. Of course, nothing is set in stone until it actually comes out on the show, but I'd bet a lot of money that what I've heard is probably right on track.
*Sigh*
There are so many things that I have to say about this, so let's break this down.
A History of Affairs
First of all, why does this show insistently believe that an affair will add a new, compelling element to any story line. It's not a guarantee to spice things up. Look at the show's track record:
Gaby and John Rowland
I was never a fan of John Rowland, but the fact is that this affair was intriguing for several different reasons. It was layered: a symptom of Gaby's marital problems; a testament to Gaby's and Carlos' selfishness in season one; a crime that added more drama; and, ultimately, proof that Gaby and Carlos' relationship really was built on love. This affair went a long way to define the Solises on this show, and for that reason it was effective and well-written.
Rex and Maisy GIbbons
This is another example of an affair that worked. Rex's affair was in no way emotional, and in that sense I think that it was easier to forgive. I'm not sure if this is a popular opinion, but I, for one, still rooted for Rex and Bree even after this came out. Bree's reaction to this secret was appropriate and, again, revealed a lot about her character in season one. It was not just a salacious secret meant to spice up the show, but rather a meaningful way to extend character and plot development
Carlos and Xiao Mei
In some way, I always saw this as a way to build on the idea that Carlos has more depth to him. One of his key characteristics is how he values family. However, the result of this affair--Gaby and Carlos' ensuing divorce--is a prime example of using an affair primarily to pursue a plot that doesn't work. One of my biggest complaints about season three of this show is that Carlos and Gaby broke up. It was obvious from the beginning that eventually they'd end up back together, and watching them date other people was never particularly compelling. I could write an entire entry on this plot, but I'll save that for another day.
Carlos and Gaby
I have mixed feelings about this affair. It was fun, for once, to root for the people having the affair. However, the drama with Edie and Victor veered a little toward the absurd by the end of this story line. Victor's death seemed like a trite ending; an easy way wrap up this plot in a nice little bow.
Bree and Karl
I know that this pairing was fairly popular, but this affair is the best example, for me, of a relationship meant purely to "spice up" the show. I don't feel like any of the characters grew or changed as a result of this affair. It resulted in Karl's death--the most irrelevant end of a character I've ever seen--and afterwards, Bree and Orson hardly discussed it. Honestly, it felt pointless. Not to mention that, for me, it made Bree extremely unlikable. While Bree's morals are stringent to the point of obnoxiousness at times, at least it makes her admirable. When hypocrisy results, however, it just makes her hard to watch.
Other Affairs
And all of that doesn't even touch on:
*Karl cheating on Susan with Brandy
*Karl cheating on Edie with Susan
*Susan cheating on Mike with Ian
And the non-affairs like:
*Bree and George
*Tom and Norah
*Lynette and Rick
*Mike and Susan (during the Katherine engagement of season 5)
In total, that's twelve "affairs" in this show's seven year history. That doesn't include the affairs of minor characters. Is it wrong for me to find that excessive? I understand that this show falls into the soap opera genre, but honestly, most of the affairs I've seen on Days have had more emotional resonance than some of these.
And now we'll be able to bump that number up to thirteen.
The Purpose
So Tom had an affair. Great. What is the purpose of revealing this?
Character Development
I can accept almost any plot (no matter how absurd) as long as it results in character development. Lynette's emotional affair with Rick in season three was hard to watch, but at least I feel like we learned more about her, Tom and their relationship by the end. Potentially, I could accept this too if there was character development. However, at this point in this show, I really don't know what we could learn about the characters through this revelation.
Lynette
It has already been fully developed that Lynette has no tolerance for affairs. Let's look at how many times they've already overused just the idea that Tom has had an affair:
Season One
*"Move On" - Tom has the hots for their nanny
*"Your Fault" - Lynette finds out about Tom's father's infidelity and overreacts
*"Fear No More" to "One Wonderful Day" - Annabel returns and Lynette obsesses over the idea that Tom will cheat on her
Season Two
*"One More Kiss" - Gaby kisses Tom and Lynette becomes suspicious and paranoid
*"I Know Things Now" to "Remember" - Lynette finds out about Tom's trips to Atlantic City, follows him there, believes he's having an affair, runs away and ends up back with him when she finds out the truth
Season Three
*"Sweetheart, I Have to Confess" - Norah kisses Tom and when Lynette finds out she literally kicks down Norah's door
*"Bang!" - Lynette's confession that Norah is after Tom inadvertently causes Norah's death
Season Five
*"There's Always a Woman" - Lynette thinks Tom is cheating on her until she learns that Porter is actually the one having an affair
Thirteen episodes out of one hundred and forty-one have dealt with this topic. That's 9% of the show (and that doesn't even include that really the first eight episodes of season 3 dealt with Tom and Norah). At this point, I feel like that's more than enough. I get it. Lynette has no tolerance for this. She's almost irrationally paranoid. But it's also been established that she is by far the most forgiving character on this show (see her forgiving Tom about Norah and Kayla for just one example). So how is the revelation that Tom cheated on her twenty years ago going to show me anything even remotely new about her? Based on her history, this is what I will predict:
1) Lynette is going to leave or kick Tom out
2) Lynette will be at war with Renee over this
3) Lynette will eventually forgive him
4) They will get back together
I don't expect to learn anything new about Lynette through this plot. In fact, I'll probably almost be annoyed on some level that she's going to throw away twenty years of marriage over that something that happened over two decades ago.
Tom
On the other hand, I feel like this entire plot is going to try to redefine Tom's character. There is character development and then there is character defaming. This, in my opinion, is the latter. How many times has Tom vowed that he has never and will never cheat on Lynette? How many times has he been in the path of temptation and refused to give in? The only instance of infidelity that Tom has ever engaged in is his affair with Lynette when he was dating Annabel. And, according to Mary Alice, it was only a few weeks into his relationship with Lynette that Tom realized he wanted to marry her. So at what point did he squeeze in this affair with Renee? Let's face it, Tom is the most faithful character on this show and they are retconning his history with this development.
Also, I absolutely don't even understand this pairing. Renee does not seem like Tom's type based on all of the history we've been given on his past relationships. I feel like just because she's connected with Lynette's past, I'm supposed to believe this is plausible. I don't.
Story Development
Where is the show going with this? If a plot is not going to develop the characters, it should at least advance the story. So in the saga of Tom and Lynette, where is this going to take them?
Possibilities:
*Tom and Lynette will break up and get divorced
*One or both of these characters will date other people
*Tom and Lynette will break up, bicker, and eventually end up back together
*The characters will actually stick it out and have to work through this problem
None of these options is particularly appealing to me. The first two, frankly, make me ill. The third seems tedious. And the fourth has already been done to death (see season three with both Norah and Rick). So what will be compelling about this plot? What other options are there?
Jumping the Shark
Most shows that last this long tend to jump the shark. It's a depressing, if true, fact. However, I've had high hopes that this show wouldn't succumb to the usual pitfalls of other shows. A brief look at my history:
Charmed
When It Jumped the Shark: Season 5
Cole and Phoebe's relationship was on the rocks, and eventually Cole was killed off. The episodes became unbearably "cute" and no longer followed a season arc. The characters became selfish and annoying.
When It Became Unbearable: Season 6
Just a year later, the writers broke up Piper and Leo. I actually see a lot of parallels between that and this debacle with Tom and Lynette. Although Leo didn't cheat on Piper, his decision to become an Elder was completely out of character and never properly explained. Then we had to endured a year and a half of drama before they finally got back together. Meanwhile, Phoebe and Paige became more and more intolerable, and the continuity went to hell.
The X-Files
When It Jumped the Shark: Season Eight
Mulder left. On a show built around two main characters, losing one of them proves to be detrimental.
When It Became Unbearable: Season Nine
Scully was relegated to a minor role. Doggett and Reyes became the main characters. Because the show was so driven by Scully and Mulder and their partnership, it really became unwatchable.
Other Examples
Scrubs jumped the shark when the characters became parodies of themselves; How I Met Your Mother made its characters so obnoxious it was hard to root for them (although they seem to be recovering this year); The Office stopped being funny; Gilmore Girls broke up Luke and Lorelai through the introduction of a secret child (I loathe that plot) and made Rory unbearable; and Buffy lost half of its cast when they spun off Angel (not to mention the introduction of Buffy's sister). These are only a few examples; there are many more.
To sum up: When will shows learn that they can only push the realm of believability so far? If you betray your characters, make them shadows of themselves, or try to make unpopular, dramatic changes for ratings (or boredom or writer's block or whatever), it isn't going to help your show.
Tom and Lynette are an immensely popular couple. Even in interviews, Marc Cherry has stated that he knows he can only push that couple so far without the audience revolting. Well guess what, you may have just reached that point.
Please, please prove me wrong.
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