The last episode

Going back to 1990, I was glad at the time that ABC was bringing it back for a last episode. I didn't want it to end, but I had read an article at the time that ABC thought the show was demographically hitting too old an audience because of Bob and Christopher. My 14 year old self thought that was silly, but networks often are. The finale brought in the best ratings in years.

Well the marriage thing I didn't like at the time, but now I see it as a way for to have to leave. Nothing else but love would have gotten him away from what had become his own family.

Seeing it again for the first time in 25 years, I must say I was genuinely moved during the last scene with the Owens family. He and Wesley were best friends, and while the whole scene was touching, their interaction was particularly heartfelt. Especially at the very end the way Wesley said "He's gone" and it just fades away.

The end scene with Belvedere smiling saying he will come back someday, it was heartwarming. It's just too bad it never happened. They just don't make shows that make you laugh and feel good like that anymore. I like this show for being twisted and slightly dark humor wise, but it was always a very warm show. That's what's missing now from television, and maybe from society, is that warmth.

Sorry to get all mushy over a sitcom, but because it hasn't been oversaturated over the years it takes me back to the happier parts of my childhood. It's nice to be able to remember some good times I had watching it with family and friends. Some of whom have also faded into black....

I got mushy when heather said goodbye and then Wesley. I guess love was the right thing for Belevdere.

I haven't yet rated it on the IMDb, and I will later today...but I know the two-part finale will not get super high ratings from me.

I definitely did not care for Kevin's absence in part one (I know Rob Stone was directing, but they should have had him direct one of the other later episodes). The whole family should be in both parts, plus it was a recycled plot having him upstairs ringing the bell, supposedly unable to talk-- as they had done that same thing in an earlier show where Tracy Wells was absent from the action. But this is the least of my 'issues' with the finale. Here is some of what I wrote in another thread, and then I will add a few new paragraphs at the end about how I would have wrapped it up:

*****
Primarily, the finale contains several significant continuity errors. We should have seen Kevin's roommate Carl who has been apparently dropped from the storylines after he dated Heather-- he should have been brought to the bachelor party by Kevin, as that would have made sense. I guess they wanted George to bring a friend and maybe bring the actor who played Skip back one last time-- however, in an episode from season 5, when we had last seen Skip, the one where he had surgery on camera (another tasteless episode in my opinion) we were told he had taken a job at a station in another city. Now in the finale, he's back anchoring and it's like he never left. The writers obviously ignored the previous developments and rewrote his situation to facilitate putting him into the last episode. But it would have been easy if Skip could have just been visiting Beaver Falls, or not included and we had Carl in his place instead.

At the wedding, I think we should have seen the woman who runs the donut shop and her daughter. Wasn't Belvedere still a part owner in the donut shop? That is just totally forgotten about when he moves away.

And of course, I do think the dog should have been in the finale. Like he should have been the ring-bearer, a short scene with the dog carrying the rings up to them as they are about to say 'I do.' Or maybe Wesley could have been holding Spot in the last scene the Owens have with Belvedere as he leaves.

*****
Now the new part: I don't think there was any sexual chemistry at all between Belvedere and Louise. It was not the actress' fault. It's because Hewitt was not physically attracted to women in real life, so it seems awkward and forced, especially the scenes at the drive-in; and all the bits with him singing and saying he was in love. All this love story and marriage stuff with Belvedere should have been avoided. Perhaps he could have just been going through a scrapbook with the family and together they all reminisce about various catastrophes (different from the clips we had seen when Belvedere and Wes were in the attic at the close of season 5).

Personally, here is how I would have ended the show. I would have introduced some new slightly older woman into Kevin's life a few episodes earlier. I would have had Kevin impulsively marry her but then the family finds out she has three trouble-making kids. See where I am going with this? So we have Heather graduate high school and decide whether she wants to go to college in Hawaii with Angela, or get her own place in Kevin's building. Meanwhile, Wes gets sent to a military academy because of some terrible thing that's happened; and Marsha and George put the house up for sale, because one of them gets a great new job offer out of state or out of the country. They are the ones who should have been written out at the end. But instead of selling the house they just turn it over to Kevin who moves in with his new wife and stepkids; with Heather taking his old apartment and now managing the apartment building with Angela (who also did not go to Hawaii). But, the real catch is Belvedere who had thought his time was up, winds up remaining at the house to help Kevin and his new wife, stuck there raising a new batch of Owens. So we get the idea that his life with the Owens is not going to end for a long time yet.

And if they wanted to do a second series, then it would have all been in place, using the existing sets. Plus Tracy and Brice could have made guest appearances, since their characters did not move too far away.

Unfortunately, the writing was on the wall. ABC just had no interest whatsoever in keeping a low-rated show like Mr. Belvedere on its prime time schedule, particularly when it already had top 20 hits like Full House, Perfect Strangers, Family Matters, Growing Pains, Roseanne, Home Improvement, and Coach, among others.