How would you guys have felt if James left Florida for another woman at the beginning of Season 4 instead of the character dying? Let’s say the premiere episode of Season 4 starts with The Evans getting ready for dinner and Florida mentioning that she and James got into a terrible argument the night before, and then James calls and tells her that he packed up his clothes and belongings before work and that he’s leaving her to live his life with another woman who he’s been having an affair with for a while. Do you think that would have been better than James passing away?

On the one hand, I doubt the Norman Lear would want to send that message about black families. On the other hand, feminism was rapidly catching and what you're describing for Florida isn't that much different from One Day at a Time, so I guess there's a chance he would go there.

How would you guys have felt if James left Florida for another woman at the beginning of Season 4 instead of the character dying? Let’s say the premiere episode of Season 4 starts with The Evans getting ready for dinner and Florida mentioning that she and James got into a terrible argument the night before, and then James calls and tells her that he packed up his clothes and belongings before work and that he’s leaving her to live his life with another woman who he’s been having an affair with for a while. Do you think that would have been better than James passing away?


Or the Alaska Pipeline and have a permanent offscreen role

I also agree that it probably would send a wrong message. If James left for another women, then he would become like his own father (Henry) who also abandon the family. And that would show black families in bad light.

As TVFactFan mentioned, the best method for James's exit probably would have been the Alaska Pipeline and have a offscreen role. And then kill the character at end of fourth season. Like they did with Suzanne Summers in Three's Company :)

Or the Alaska Pipeline and have a permanent offscreen role

I like this idea. Then we wouldn't have had the Carl thing.

Then maybe the writers and Lear could have somehow kept Esther Rolle thru the whole series by controlling the writing for JJ, and we could have avoided the whole Penny thing.

I realize one thing has nothing to do with the other, though.

I don’t know about the Alaska pipeline thing. I don’t think it would have brung proper closer to James and that would have been odd. What about the whole James character being recast then? I could see Hal Williams (the guy that the father of J.J.’s art student in Season 6) as James.

I like this idea. Then we wouldn't have had the Carl thing.

Then maybe the writers and Lear could have somehow kept Esther Rolle thru the whole series by controlling the writing for JJ, and we could have avoided the whole Penny thing.

I realize one thing has nothing to do with the other, though.

It was a season 3 episode with him working out of town which was the New years Eve episode. But then again since he was fired I guess death was the only option

why even post something so stupid?

why even post something so stupid?
It was just an idea I had about a television show I watch and I wanted to know if my idea was better than what we got on our screens, not if the idea came off as stupid according to one person who lives in DandyLand. Shouldn’t you be participating in that intense game of “Saliva Tag” with the rest of your friends at the psych hospital?