The audience got a little insight into what the Cooper household was like before the divorce, but I wish we had gotten more detail. One Day at a time was very good about giving the audience details and real good on character development. I commend the writers for that. The audience wasn't left hanging or wondering about much. I don't like shows where so many things are left to interpretation. I want to know everything to fully understand the story and its messages. As I said, the characters on this show were very well-developed, and we knew what made them tick. We got some really good background too, but there are still some things we can speculate about.

I wish the writers had provided more about Ed and Ann's marriage and the 17 years they spent together. Yes, I know the show was about Ann trying to make it on her own after the marriage, but you have to know where you've been to know where you're going. We know that Ann got married at 17. Ed was 10 years older so he would have been 27. Back then that age difference was not unusual.

I never was under the impression that Ann "had" to get married. The audience was never given any reason to believe that Ann was pregnant with Julie when she and Ed got married. Still, Julie was conceived really quick because Ann gave birth to her at 17. We learn in the episode "David Loves Ann" that Ed and Ann had sex before they got married. Ann may have been pregnant when she got married but wasn't far enough along to know it.

What do you think Ed did for a living? Do you think he was a professional man? From context clues, it sounds like Ed provided Ann and the girls with a nice middle-class lifestyle in Logans Port. I think that Ed was not rich, but that he did okay. They weren't poor. From the season one opening credits where it shows them leaving the house, you can tell it's a relatively nice house in the suburbs. Julie and Barbara probably had their own rooms, and we learn in the episode "Dad Comes Back" that Ed had a den.

Ed probably had the kind of job that required him to bring work home and work on it in the den. I bet he had some kind of office job. He seemed like the kind of man who would "go to the office" everyday for work. I would think that he worked for some kind of large firm there in Logans Port. His job may have required him to travel a lot because in the episode "The New Car" he had just gotten back from Hawaii on a business trip.

How long do you think Ann and Ed dated before they married? I think it was not very long at all. I think they dated for just a few months, got engaged, and then got married fairly soon thereafter. From context clues, we know that Ann got married shortly after graduating high school. She was raised with the belief that a woman got married as soon as possible and started a family. She probably fell head-over-heels for Ed. Ed was very good-looking and displayed a remarkable self-assurance. Ann's parents probably liked him a lot and encouraged the marriage, knowing that it would provide Ann with a stable and comfortable life.

From context clues, Ed was already totally established before he and Ann married. We learn in the episode "Older Man" that Ed had served in the Marines. Perhaps he had just come home from the Marines when he met Ann. He probably looked mighty good to her in that uniform. I bet a young Ed was enough to make any girl melt. He still looked pretty damn good when we saw him for the first time in "Dad Comes Back". He was absolutely ripped. Ed may have gone to college too. In any event, he was established and ready to start a family. Ann thought she was too.

Ed and Ann didn't have much time to adjust to married life before their first daughter was born, and soon after that a second daughter came. They hadn't been married for 2 years yet and already had 2 kids. From context clues, Ed was a good provider. He got Ann her own house, her own car, and probably anything else she wanted. From all appearances, Ed was a good husband and father who worked hard and took care of his family.

From context clues, we know that Ann was a traditional wife and mother throughout the marriage. In the early years, she was probably happy with that and even expected Ed to take charge and make the decisions. Given that Ann was so young when they married, Ed was kind of the boss by default. Ann didn't have the world experience yet to make quality decisions. Ed had been in the Marines and possibly to college and was older.

The audience knows that Ed took charge and ran the home. Ann was always saying that. However, what kind of "ruler" do you think Ed was? He never struck me as being a tyrant or a "my home is my castle" kind of guy. I think he just kind of naturally took charge of things, but I don't see that as being in a tyrannical way. Ed seemed like he was a very gentle man who was strong at the same time. I never thought that during the marriage he would have only done what he wanted to do and never thought about what Ann and the kids wanted. I think he would have tried to make everybody happy.

Do you think Ed was the disciplinarian of the girls during the marriage? How strict do you think he was? Do you think Ann ever disciplined the kids during those years, or do you think she left that entirely up to Ed? Ann may have been somewhat of a "wait intil your father gets home" kind of mother early on. We learn in "Dad Comes Back" that Ed did spank the girls when it was needed. Ann said he gave them a "good spanking". I've always wondered what she meant by "good".

What kind of physical discipline do you think Ed imposed on them? I really don't see him being like James Evans of Good Times and taking off his belt. I don't see that at all. I would think Ed's spankings simply consisted of a firm hand across the backend. Still, I'd like to know what Ann's definition of a "good" spanking was. Also, I can't imagine Ann not disciplining them some. After all, she was at home with them more.

Even with some spanking, Ed had to be a loving and gentle father. That is evidenced by the way Julie and Barbara reacted when he visited. You could tell they thought the world of their father and were both "daddies girls". It looked like during the marriage that Ed had spent a lot of time with them and had really developed a good, solid father-daughter relationship.

I bet he took them places on the weekends and in the summers. He built them a treehouse and probably played games with them. He probably made them mind, but I bet he let them get away with a lot too. They certainly were totally relaxed around him and loved being with him. We learn in "Dad Comes Back" that Julie and Barbara used to play in Ed's den all the time so they obviously didn't worry about getting in too much trouble. Still, I see Ed as being stricter in the earlier years than he became after the divorce when he only got to see them on occasion.

Really the sole problem between Ed and Ann was the fact that he didn't let her make decisions. Nothing else. When do you think Ann starting being unhappy in the marriage? I would think it was around the time of the women's movement. Ann probably started to feel inadequate and perhaps felt like she was wasting her life in some way. It was clear that Ann valued her role as wife and mother. She simply wanted to define herself in other ways too. I always felt sorry for Ed really because he truly didn't understand what went wrong. He thought he was doing all the right things. As I stated above, he had been the decision-maker all those years kind of by default, and now Ann had grown unhappy with Ed not having a clue why.

When things start out being a certain way in a marriage, it's hard to ever change it after that. Whether the spouse wanting the change is dead right or dead wrong, the other spouse just doesn't want to accept it. I think after the divorce Ed started seeing Ann in a different way. Perhaps if they had married after Ann was also established, they could have made it. They were both good people and both great parents to Julie and Barbara. The problem was more Ann's because she wasn't established when she got married. She hadn't found herself yet. Ann had problems with all people during her time of self-search, not just Ed.

Who would want to stay married to Ann?

Good analysis. As to Ed's job, I think he owned a some kind of company. He was probably a businessman. I agree that he was a good provider for his family but not rich either. As to he and Ann dating, I think Ann said something about her father fixing them up. Perhaps her father knew Ed before. I think Ann was struck by Ed's good looks. She also said in an episode that he had a lot of self-assurance, and that she liked that. I picture their family life as being very good. Even as the so-called "ruler", I think Ed's heart was always in the right place, and that he wanted his family to be happy. As to the discipline of Julie and Barbara, we know Ed did do a little spanking. I don't see it going beyond a swat or two just with his hand, and they probably had to do something really horrible to get a spanking.

Going through old threads. I liked this one. I wish we did know more about the Coopers when they lived in Logansport before the divorce. Very interesting.

What's interesting to me is that taking kids out of a middle class suburb with a large house, a yard, and probably better schools, in favor of an inner-city 2 bedroom apartment, would probably be looked down upon in those days. Or, Ann would get the house automatically because she has the kids. These days, Ann wouldn't automatically get the kids because she's the mother, though. She had almost no money in the beginning and no job.

Going through old threads. I liked this one. I wish we did know more about the Coopers when they lived in Logansport before the divorce. Very interesting.


It would have been cool had they done an ep. where it flashed back to when the girls were little, Ed and Ann younger still married in Logansport !:)

Having younger actresses portray a little Julie and Barbara, and Ann & Ed made up to look younger ! ;) ;)

What's interesting to me is that taking kids out of a middle class suburb with a large house, a yard, and probably better schools, in favor of an inner-city 2 bedroom apartment, would probably be looked down upon in those days. Or, Ann would get the house automatically because she has the kids. These days, Ann wouldn't automatically get the kids because she's the mother, though. She had almost no money in the beginning and no job.

EXACTLY!! I totally agree with your post! ;) :wave:

What's interesting to me is that taking kids out of a middle class suburb with a large house, a yard, and probably better schools, in favor of an inner-city 2 bedroom apartment, would probably be looked down upon in those days. Or, Ann would get the house automatically because she has the kids. These days, Ann wouldn't automatically get the kids because she's the mother, though. She had almost no money in the beginning and no job.

Yes, today Ed would probably fight her for custody. More and more fathers are being awarded custody now. Still, it would probably come down to what Julie and Barbara wanted. At their ages, they could have stated a preference to the judge. Even though they adored Ed, being teenage girls they might still have chosen to live with their mother. She could talk to them about things that Ed couldn't. But yes, Ann wouldn't get it automatically these days because she didn't even have a job or income at first.

It would have been cool had they done an ep. where it flashed back to when the girls were little, Ed and Ann younger still married in Logansport !:)

Having younger actresses portray a little Julie and Barbara, and Ann & Ed made up to look younger ! ;) ;)

I wish they had done a flashback episode! I think that knowing more about the Ed/Ann backstory would have made the show better.

I have always thought that Ann was a miserable shrew. It sounded like Ed provided her and the girls with everything, but she just threw it all away and uprooted the girls. She moved them to a different city and a small apartment without even having a job. By all rights, she should have left the girls with Ed if she wanted to go "find herself."

I have always thought that Ann was a miserable shrew. It sounded like Ed provided her and the girls with everything, but she just threw it all away and uprooted the girls. She moved them to a different city and a small apartment without even having a job. By all rights, she should have left the girls with Ed if she wanted to go "find herself."

Yes, her situation would have been more believable if Ed had been a bad guy and abusive. Other than being a little controlling, Ed was a good man.

I wish they had let Ed be on the show more.

It seemed strange that after season 3 or 4 he was basically cut out except for Barbara's wedding where he looked rather perturbed much of the time.

Bonnie Franklin had a notorious amount of control on this show I wonder if she was the one who limited his screen time. :confused:

He should have been mentioned in The Miracle Of Birth at any rate.

He was way too good for Ann, she didn't know what she had and she took him for granted.

I wish they had let Ed be on the show more.

It seemed strange that after season 3 or 4 he was basically cut out except for Barbara's wedding where he looked rather perturbed much of the time.

Bonnie Franklin had a notorious amount of control on this show I wonder if she was the one who limited his screen time. :confused:

He should have been mentioned in The Miracle Of Birth at any rate.

He was way too good for Ann, she didn't know what she had and she took him for granted.

I wish they had made Joseph Campanella a semi-regular. There were so many episodes they could have used him in. I know that he was a very busy actor so maybe they wanted him at certain times, but it conflicted with his schedule. He should have definitely been in "Runaways" for sure.

Yes!!! Ed should have been in The Miracle of Birth ep. or at least one of the eps that his Grand Daughter baby Annie was in !!:) When Julie was still there, and the two couples moved into that cute little house, that would have been a GREAT time for Grandpa Ed to visit!!;) :heart: The writers should have written a script/episode for Joe Campanella to guest start!!:) ;)

Yes!!! Ed should have been in The Miracle of Birth ep. or at least one of the eps that his Grand Daughter baby Annie was in !!:) When Julie was still there, and the two couples moved into that cute little house, that would have been a GREAT time for Grandpa Ed to visit!!;) :heart: The writers should have written a script/episode for Joe Campanella to guest start!!:) ;)

I agree!! Would have been a great episode! Ed would have been a wonderful grandfather!! He would have spoiled little Annie rotten. :)