Of course the character hadn't been created yet, but I'm wondering if from the perspective of the syndicated episodes in which Iola has ALWAYS supposedly been around the Harper family, if Iola was in fact at the wedding just off-screen.

Or would the excuse been, she was sooo upset at Vint getting married, she didn't even wanna see it

For some reason I always thought she was in the kitchen helping with the food lol

But can you imagine Eunice going off about the ring, and Iola making a scene about Vint marrying Naomi

I do not, no. I know this subject came up many years back in a thread in which both of us participated, but I can't find it off-hand.
I don't think Iola attended because she was upset that Vint was marrying Naomi, let alone after a brief courtship while Iola herself had pined for Vint for decades. Even if she were invited, she'd have said no.

[Disclaimer: I, like you, am working from the perspective that retcons Iola and Bubba into existence, as opposed to on-screen appearance, during the NBC years. That's just the way my brain works once I've seen an entire series. To me, I can't just forget everything that happens in the series once I go back and watch earlier episodes.]

I do not, no. I know this subject came up many years back in a thread in which both of us participated, but I can't find it off-hand.
I don't think Iola attended because she was upset that Vint was marrying Naomi, let alone after a brief courtship while Iola herself had pined for Vint for decades. Even if she were invited, she'd have said no.

[Disclaimer: I, like you, am working from the perspective that retcons Iola and Bubba into existence, as opposed to on-screen appearance, during the NBC years. That's just the way my brain works once I've seen an entire series. To me, I can't just forget everything that happens in the series once I go back and watch earlier episodes.]


Yeah I think I remember that conversation. I know when I was young, I thought there was a woman who sorta resembled Iola at the wedding but she was wearing yellow I think, I used to sorta pretend she was Iola lol

I think we also discussed Bubba's absence, and I was saying, IMO in the NBC era, it's pretty clear that Ed and Eunice are a childless couple and Bubba doesn't exist. I used to think Bubba was in Juvenile Hall during the NBC years, but I think maybe you or someone pointed out that that would be a LONG TIME to be in in Juvenile Hall for someone his age, and I now agree... So I'm under the impression Bubba just didn't exist in the NBC era, I think he was resurrected from the Carol Burnett Family Sketches in the syndicated episodes

Its hard to picture Iola being in love with the gruff, grumpy Vint of the early NBC episodes lol but I can see her liking the loveable goofball Vint of tomorrow-year Mama's Family, In fact... I just cannot see Iola popping into the serious, hostile atmosphere of the Harper home in the NBC era with her cheerful "Knock-knock!" I'm thinking had Iola been around in the NBC years the old-maid aspect of her would have really been highlighted

I do not, no. I know this subject came up many years back in a thread in which both of us participated, but I can't find it off-hand.
I don't think Iola attended because she was upset that Vint was marrying Naomi, let alone after a brief courtship while Iola herself had pined for Vint for decades. Even if she were invited, she'd have said no.

[Disclaimer: I, like you, am working from the perspective that retcons Iola and Bubba into existence, as opposed to on-screen appearance, during the NBC years. That's just the way my brain works once I've seen an entire series. To me, I can't just forget everything that happens in the series once I go back and watch earlier episodes.]

I'm reposting this because my other is not showing up for me for some reason but it's showing it's there, odd! sorry if this is a double post

Yeah I think I remember that conversation. I know when I was young, I thought there was a woman who sorta resembled Iola at the wedding but she was wearing yellow I think, I used to sorta pretend she was Iola lol

I think we also discussed Bubba's absence, and I was saying, IMO in the NBC era, it's pretty clear that Ed and Eunice are a childless couple and Bubba doesn't exist. I used to think Bubba was in Juvenile Hall during the NBC years, but I think maybe you or someone pointed out that that would be a LONG TIME to be in in Juvenile Hall for someone his age, and I now agree... So I'm under the impression Bubba just didn't exist in the NBC era, I think he was resurrected from the Carol Burnett Family Sketches in the syndicated episodes

Its hard to picture Iola being in love with the gruff, grumpy Vint of the early NBC episodes lol but I can see her liking the loveable goofball Vint of tomorrow-year Mama's Family, In fact... I just cannot see Iola popping into the serious, hostile atmosphere of the Harper home in the NBC era with her cheerful "Knock-knock!" I'm thinking had Iola been around in the NBC years the old-maid aspect of her would have really been highlighted

Since Naomi started out as a neighbor of the Harpers before she and Vint hooked up, I think it's likely Iola may have tried to sabotage their initial bond by gossiping about it all over the neighborhood but then when that didn't work and Vint actually decided to marry her, then Iola may have boycotted the wedding to punish Thelma for letting it happen. Maybe, too, Iola had had no use for Fran and that also could have been why she stayed away until Fran died. With Fran dead and the Vinton Harpers having been married a couple of years, I guess she and Thelma decided that there was nothing to stop them from reconnecting (and Vint was too dumbed down to have any real opinion on this). Of course, let's not forget that for the first year or so after Iola showed up she and Naomi were downright hostile to each other but eventually they seemed to make their peace with each other (and Naomi viewed her at worst as someone annoying but NO threat whatsoever to her marriage with Vint).

I really don’t think so. I’m surprised they didn’t redo the wedding as a flashback episode in the syndicated years without Ellen, Eunice, Ed, Aunt Fran, Buzz, or Sonia.

Since Naomi started out as a neighbor of the Harpers before she and Vint hooked up, I think it's likely Iola may have tried to sabotage their initial bond by gossiping about it all over the neighborhood but then when that didn't work and Vint actually decided to marry her, then Iola may have boycotted the wedding to punish Thelma for letting it happen. Maybe, too, Iola had had no use for Fran and that also could have been why she stayed away until Fran died. With Fran dead and the Vinton Harpers having been married a couple of years, I guess she and Thelma decided that there was nothing to stop them from reconnecting (and Vint was too dumbed down to have any real opinion on this). Of course, let's not forget that for the first year or so after Iola showed up she and Naomi were downright hostile to each other but eventually they seemed to make their peace with each other (and Naomi viewed her at worst as someone annoying but NO threat whatsoever to her marriage with Vint).


I would have thought Fran and Iola might have been good friends, there were pretty vivid similarities between the 2, the "old maid" aspect, both sorta socially awkward, etc... They both seemed to be about 3 decades behind in their fashion, I could actually see those 2 hanging out with each other more than Thelma and Iola

I really don’t think so. I’m surprised they didn’t redo the wedding as a flashback episode in the syndicated years without Ellen, Eunice, Ed, Aunt Fran, Buzz, or Sonia.


Yes in the syndicated episodes, the past seemed to be retold in a more updated manner.

In the syndicated episodes, I even get the impression Naomi had not been married 2 previous times before Vint, as told in the NBC episodes.... for one thing, in the episode about the insurance policy Vint was getting, the agent was someone Naomi had dated in highschool, and he refers to her as "Naomi Oats!" If Oats was the name of her 2nd husband ~as explained in an NBC episode~, she shouldn't have been an Oats in high school, unless, by coincidence, her maiden name was Oats and she married a man named Oats... it happens but it's rare..... But then again Vint referred to her as "Naomi Oats" when he first met her Vint and the Kids Move in, and he supposedly hadn't seen her since high school so it's confusing really

I would have thought Fran and Iola might have been good friends, there were pretty vivid similarities between the 2, the "old maid" aspect, both sorta socially awkward, etc... They both seemed to be about 3 decades behind in their fashion, I could actually see those 2 hanging out with each other more than Thelma and Iola

Sometimes folks who are similar to each other DO dislike each other. Let's not forget that even during Fran's wake, Iola did NOT share any memories she herself had had with the deceased despite the opportunity given and despite the work she'd put into preparing the food. I could see Fran sneering at Iola for having never worked outside the home despite having never married and Iola may have thought Fran a snob for being a newspaper columnist. Of course, we have to imagine these things as Iola hadn't been concocted until after Miss McClanahan's eager exit.

Sometimes folks who are similar to each other DO dislike each other. Let's not forget that even during Fran's wake, Iola did NOT share any memories she herself had had with the deceased despite the opportunity given and despite the work she'd put into preparing the food. I could see Fran sneering at Iola for having never worked outside the home despite having never married and Iola may have thought Fran a snob for being a newspaper columnist. Of course, we have to imagine these things as Iola hadn't been concocted until after Miss McClanahan's eager exit.

That's true, though when they were sharing memories, Bubba stormed in and kinda broke up the memory sharing pretty fast lol

The funny thing is, there is a LOT about Iola's life that we don't know about.... I mean we've never even seen the inside of her home... I have always wondered about her means of financial support... I'm sure her parents paid her for caring for them, but there was never any thought given to what she would do after they die . Iola is at Mama's house a lot, but outside of that we really don't know much about her. I know one person speculated that she might even have some sort of a part time job, and maybe this whole other life that we just don't know about, I thought that was interesting

I really don’t think so. I’m surprised they didn’t redo the wedding as a flashback episode in the syndicated years without Ellen, Eunice, Ed, Aunt Fran, Buzz, or Sonia.

I'll just say I'm really, really glad this did not happen. That would have been a complete insult to longtime viewers.
I never thought the show retconned all that much, other than to add Iola to Ellen, Eunice and Vint's childhood years. I never thought Buzz and Sonya were erased, despite the lack of mentions.
As far as the old maid aspect of Iola potentially being played up, it was in the earliest syndicated episodes, especially "Soup to Nuts" which of course was the first syndicated episode filmed but aired down the line. Thankfully her character was altered pretty quickly.

Fran and Iola also both loved their pink. :)

I too think Iola would not have attended the wedding. We saw she liked Vint even as a child, per the flashbacks.

Fran and Iola also both loved their pink. :)

I too think Iola would not have attended the wedding. We saw she liked Vint even as a child, per the flashbacks.

Yeah, I forgot about that, they both did wear pink!! Although Fran did wear other colors occasionally