In the first four seasons, we see Jack as a really talented chef---we're told this by way of the girls always praising him, the fact that he aces his exams and is "the most promising student in his pastry class" (so says Dean Travers in The Bake Off), and he graduates first in his class. Expectations from everyone are high.

But although he does end up running his own restaurant, we see less of what a great and talented chef he is and more of how he's probably going to ruin his career. He's under Angelino's thumb, who is always reinforcing what a disappointment Jack is financially (and from that we can assume that Jack's Bistro isn't wildly successful). By the time the spinoff Three's A Crowd came around, Jack is sort of an impotent character in that he really has no bright future anymore.

I realize the writers couldn't make Jack a huge success because it would get in the way of the premise of the show---three normal people making a normal living. But it's kind of the "Chrissy treatment" where we are shown one thing for half the series and the other half is spent tearing it down.

I should have also pointed out that Dean Travers actually had faith in Jack's abilities and talents. Angelino never praises Jack at all for anything. If he does it's only in front of other people.

I realize the writers couldn't make Jack a huge success because it would get in the way of the premise of the show---three normal people making a normal living. But it's kind of the "Chrissy treatment" where we are shown one thing for half the series and the other half is spent tearing it down.
Success isn't as funny as failure, isn't it? ;) Basically you nailed the reason here. If he kept improving, then he'd have to move out.

Success isn't as funny as failure, isn't it? ;) Basically you nailed the reason here. If he kept improving, then he'd have to move out.

That's very true. Of course, the writers could have given him the Janet treatment. They made her the manager of the flower shop in Season 2 and then forgot about it. By season 8 we're supposed to believe a person who has held a managerial position is still living in an apartment with two other people after 7 years. Suspension of disbelief.

I guess that's why we never saw Jack buy himself a car but Janet finally did get one in the last episodes of season 8.

That's very true. Of course, the writers could have given him the Janet treatment. They made her the manager of the flower shop in Season 2 and then forgot about it. By season 8 we're supposed to believe a person who has held a managerial position is still living in an apartment with two other people after 7 years. Suspension of disbelief.
It's not easy to stretch a show that mostly takes place in an apartment over 8 seasons and 172 episodes. It gives the characters plenty of territory to fail and devolve in order to keep up the shenanigans of humorous misunderstandings.

Eventually you have to just get dumber and dumber if you're going to be misunderstanding things all the time.

Eventually you have to just get dumber and dumber if you're going to be misunderstanding things all the time.

Yeah, you'd think after eight years the roommates would just ASK each other clarifying questions and save everyone days of mistaken information and fuss. :happyface

In the first four seasons, we see Jack as a really talented chef---we're told this by way of the girls always praising him, the fact that he aces his exams and is "the most promising student in his pastry class" (so says Dean Travers in The Bake Off), and he graduates first in his class. Expectations from everyone are high.

But although he does end up running his own restaurant, we see less of what a great and talented chef he is and more of how he's probably going to ruin his career. He's under Angelino's thumb, who is always reinforcing what a disappointment Jack is financially (and from that we can assume that Jack's Bistro isn't wildly successful). By the time the spinoff Three's A Crowd came around, Jack is sort of an impotent character in that he really has no bright future anymore.

I realize the writers couldn't make Jack a huge success because it would get in the way of the premise of the show---three normal people making a normal living. But it's kind of the "Chrissy treatment" where we are shown one thing for half the series and the other half is spent tearing it down.

Angelino was a businessman, not a chef, and was in it for the money. His attitude had no bearing on how good a chef Jack was. It was his misguided way of trying to guide Jack that caused the financial problems. With all the money he took, Jack wouldn't have been able to advertise the way he needed to, and it would have also hurt his reputation. And on TaC, Mr. Bradford was even worse. Jack was just a potential superstar ruined by outside influences he wasn't able to control.

Angelino was a businessman, not a chef, and was in it for the money. His attitude had no bearing on how good a chef Jack was. It was his misguided way of trying to guide Jack that caused the financial problems. With all the money he took, Jack wouldn't have been able to advertise the way he needed to, and it would have also hurt his reputation. And on TaC, Mr. Bradford was even worse. Jack was just a potential superstar ruined by outside influences he wasn't able to control.

You're right! Angelino was totally money-grubbing and seemed to know zero about actual cooking talent.

As for TaC, that whole premise with Mr. Bradford was too much for me. If I'd been Jack, I would have told Vicki that we'd be moving to a new apartment ASAP. Who wants to live somewhere with a disapproving parent looking over your shoulder and constantly threatening you and your livelihood?

It's kinda funny, because although it's cool to run your own restaurant, I feel like getting Jack's Bistro in Season 6 was a curse for Jack in the long run. If he hadn't lucked into the bistro (and again, that was by sheer luck of circumstances, not talent or earning it), Jack could have given Angelino the bird and moved up in the world.

BTW why do you think the writers put Jack in Angelino's, an Italian restaurant?? He was a French chef!

BTW why do you think the writers put Jack in Angelino's, an Italian restaurant?? He was a French chef!

When you need a job that bad, you're not exactly picky.

When you need a job that bad, you're not exactly picky.

True, but the writers could have placed him wherever they wanted. It was weird that Angelino wanted to open a new restaurant but allowed it to be a French restaurant instead of a similar Italian restaurant to increase his brand's visibility.