I am surprised they kept bringing her back. I found her very unlikable. Her first episode was ok. That Kevin should appreciate her as a friend despite her weight.
But she was obsessed with him even though he had no interest in her at all. It was not clear why they were even friends. I was shocked to see her again after her wedding episode. Which was a good way to end her character. Instead she is still fantasying about him while with her husband.
Glad you mentioned her. I was going to start a thread about recurring characters on the show. She's my favorite one. I like how she didn't really change after her marriage. It took her husband threatening to leave her before she finally got over Kevin and realized what a good guy she had.
Though she does reunite with her hubby and leaves, Kevin's heart gets immediately broken afterward by Casey who winds up dumping him. It is sort of ironic that Casey tells Kevin he deserves someone who likes/adores/worships him as much as Wendy does. I wonder if the writers were leaving it open for Kevin and Wendy to eventually become a couple later (like if she ended up losing weight and divorcing her husband-- that could have been another good follow-up for these characters).
The reason I like Wendy so much is because we all know people like her. And years later when we're adults, we may think about the Wendys in our life. Of course, we realize there probably wasn't a lot we had in common with her, except the same high school, some of the same teachers and friends. But they are a part of our growing up, and they share our history with us.
She and Kevin had sex but in her return episode he claimed he never touched her and she agreed. ??
shareWell, at the end of the prom episode, they do make out in the car. It was implied they were about to have sex, but it was obviously not shown nor referenced again-- because Wendy soon left town.
It can be said the writers later did a bit of a re-write, by having Kevin say there was no sex. Unless he was still in denial and Wendy was too nice to correct him. Or maybe the characters stopped before they went all the way. But regardless, Wendy was going to remain hung up on Kevin for a long time, whether or not they ever had sex.
I agree w/ jarrodmacdonald. She was a relatable character.
I'm not like her per se, but I'm not the most "popular" person either, for different reasons. Neither was Kevin. Say, maybe that's why they had some common ground to connect on.
She was funny. It's sad that yeah--often those with the best personalities are simply making up for their lack of conventional good looks.
You're right-- they did have common ground. And in a way, Wendy was like an extended part of the Owens family because she was at their home often studying with Kevin.
shareI remember feeling so bad for Kevin when she ruined the sex for him and Casey when that episode first aired. I was so mad at her. Now she comes across as such a better character than Casey when seeing all the episodes. She also gets the best dirty joke in the whole series in "Deportation" episode. Kevin talks about wanting to go around the world, and Wendy says she would let him!
shareI completely agree with you that Wendy was completely unlikable. Yes, she was a plus-sized girl, but she also had a sour personality. I never could figure out the attraction Kevin had for her, especially when he seemed so miserable around her. It was almost like he felt obligated in some way to date her, as if he was atoning for some serious sin he committed against humanity.
shareI am glad to see someone agrees with me. I never cared for her but the episode were we discovered she is still fantasying about Kevin after she was married was ridiculous.
On another note, my Mom was in the room when I was watching that episode. She asked how old Wendy was supposed to be. She was surprised that she is supposed to be the same age as Kevin. That she looks 20 years older than him! LOL
I can see what she meant. It was how she was dressed. Partly because of 80s fashion but she looked liked a middle age housewife. Truth is both actors were probably much older than their characters. But dressing her to look "mature" made her look very old.
I wonder if Rob Stone was upset with the writers for giving his character such a frumpy, girlfriend. As per the norm of the day, the eldest brother on a family sit-com was usually farmed out to the pin-up magazines and marketed to the young female crowd. They always had attractive girlfriends.
But not Kevin.
As per the norm of the day, the eldest brother on a family sit-com was usually farmed out to the pin-up magazines and marketed to the young female crowd. They always had attractive girlfriends.
Uh... that's what gave this show some POINTS. They averted some cliches.
They are nice looking people but decidedly not pinups. A BIG plus for the show is that they look like normal people and aren't really made to be ultra popular flash characters. Kevin is a (jokey) version of an everyday guy, and he's very likable for it.
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