Boy this one was a toughie to watch. I have so many conflicting feelings about Freddie in this one. For the first time, I felt real anger towards Freddie Prinze; listening to the scripted words, you wonder HOW he could say them, knowing that his outrage about his father leaving him could very well be spoken by HIS own son in 20 years! Knowing that he had contemplated or was contemplating suicide would leave Freddie Jr. in exactly the same situation. "Where were you on my birthdays; why did you choose to leave me; it's pretty hard to take off when your diapers are down around your legs, etc." Freddie Jr. was only 10 mos old at the time.

I can't imagine the feelings Freddie Jr. must have had if he watched this episode. It's heartbreaking http://www.sitcomsonline.com/ubb/frown.gif

On the other hand, I think those tears Freddie Sr. was shedding were real. He actually got choked up in the voice when he was talking about his mother. You could hear his voice shake and see the tears. God, it was painful to watch. Even Jack Albertson sounded gentler to Chico, like he know Freddie's pain had nothing to do with the script. Either that or he was ONE HELL OF AN ACTOR. But I don't think so. I think he was just overcome with emotion...so many things probably going through his mind.

You can't help but wonder WHY he felt it was impossible to go on? He was loved; he had to have known what his suicide would do to all those people, family, friends that loved him.

Well, I understand this episode was the one shown the night he shot himself. I do remember one episode either as he was in the hospital or the first one after he had died, where James Komack came on before it began and dedicated it to Freddie; to all who loved him. I imagine that tribute's been taken out for the TVLand reruns though.

At least he's not hurting anymore...even if we still are http://www.sitcomsonline.com/ubb/frown.gif

Sorry for the downer, but this one really got to me.

Take care all.

In todays episode he seemed so sad. I noticed when he hugged his dad goodbye & he decided to hug him instead of shaking his hand, he looked like he was about to cry. & When he hugged him I could tell he was in tears. He looked sooo sad. When Chico & his dad finished hugging each other, I noticed he was in tears & when he walked away he was wiping his eyes. I noticed he turned away & was wiping his eyes. It looked like he might've had a hanky in his hand but it was hard to see. I noticed the camera left him really quick & went back to Ed-Jack. I wonder if they did that so he could have a minute to dry his eyes & regain his composure? When Ed was telling him he thinks he'd look like his dad one day, I noticed Chico-Freddie is looking at a picture of his Mom & he gets all choked up. He starts wiping his eyes again.

He looked so sweet & sad. Awww, I thought it was so sweet of him to be so sentimental like that & show his feelings like that. Alot of guys don't & keep them inside. It was sooo sad to see him like that.

You're right I could tell his tears were real. I bet that wasn't even in the script & it just came natural to him. He must have been going thru alot of pain at the time... I can't help but wonder if he knew what he was going to do to himself soon & was sad about leaving his family. I also wonder if the picture of his mom he had on the show was of his real mom? I can't bear to see the poor dear cry. It's soooo sad. You just want to comfort him so bad. I bet after taping the Ceasear Romero episode, he probably had to go off somewhere after it was over to pull himself together.... It was so sad how he left his son fatherless...

He & Ed were sooo sweet to each other the way they hugged each other. I noticed on these last episodes how he & Ed got along so well & Ed wasn't as grouchy to him & they both actually acted like they really cared for each other. I noticed on the New Yrs Eve episode how even Ed seemed nicer to Della. It was weird how he was becoming nicer just before Freddie died...

But this was a sad one. They should've warned ya in advance this was a 3 hanky one...

Oh man! I can't believe I missed this one! My luck it won't come back on either.

mariaelena - how did you know this morning's
episode (Chico's Padre) was the one right before he shot himself? That's a very interesting point as I was wondering just recently which episode it would be so I could look for signs. I guess these last episodes are all shown out of sequence then aren't they? I was just wondering if it was listed somewhere or just how you knew.

I missed it too!!! I'm sooo upset. T.V. Land has just got to do something about the time slot. Some folks I talk to are on the east coast...at least they have a chance to get up a little earlier to watch it at 5:00 a.m. I'm out here in California and it's on at 2:00 a.m. That SUX!!!
I've been looking forward to Easter break so I could stay up late and watch it...but my luck it will be the episodes with Gabriel Melgar.
Someone please tell me how to program a VCR!!! My husband is a truck driver and doesn't have a clue...and he isn't supportive about this Freddie stuff as he calls it.
Someone rescue me...e-mail me if you have to...I'm desperate!

You know I love Freddie and all! But, he was planning this &%^$ act for the longest. The show this morning of him with Ceasar Romero was no acting. It really choked me up inside because he knew he was going to leave this world soon. Freddie had a one track mind and he was going to do the deed! He wanted to punish certain people. "If not" he would'nt have left a suicide letter. The scenes with Freddie and Jack Albertson were heartbreaking because I can see in Jack's eyes that he was really feeling for Freddie (not Chico). I believe it was hard for Jack Albertson to act with Freddie because he was older (from the old school) and he knew Freddie was taking drugs at that time. That poor man must've suffered seeing this young guy who had the world ahead of him and he was abusing himself with his habit + depression on top of that. I know I've seen it myself. Friends who have used and abused drugs and drink and you see them wasting away and no matter what you tell them it goes in one ear and out the other. What pains me the most..... Is "ALL his so-called friends ran away"! Didn't they know he was calling for help?

Thats the messed up part all these people who call themselves your friends will head for the hills at the first sign of some kind of trouble.

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GET OUT OF MY GARAGE!!!

If I knew what kind of VCR you had I'd try to help ya out but sadly, I'd have to be there to tell ya bwo to do it. You'll want to get the instruction book that comes with your VCR & read it to see what to do. Hpoefully that will help ya. My hubby still has no idea how to program a VCR, only how to tape live.

Please try to remember we have come a long way in the diagnosis and treatment of alcohol and drug abuse today. Back in those day's, drinking and recreational drug use was still quite fashionable and accepted in many circles, especially Hollywood. Many people would have felt uncomfortable pointing the finger at Freddie' habit because it would put the spotlight on their own habit. Besides, I think his friends and family thought he was doing something about it by going to the psycharist. Speculation about his problems are hindsight, which in light of today's advances in treatment of depression and substance abuse, is really 20-20. He also faced the real possibility that if his 'problem' were to hit the media, it would end his career, a real possability back then. Today, it makes you more popular to admit you have a problem and go to rehab. Back then was a different time. People didn't understand substnce abuse and were more critical of those who abused. Sorry for preaching. I don't excuse or condemn anyone. I, as much as anyone, would have liked to see him get help, but being in high school and college in the 70's , I saw first hand how substance abuse destroyed and almost destroyed lives of friends, ...and even myself. Thanks for letting me vent.
PS So I don't leave anyone with the wrong impression, I did not do drugs, but I did abuse alcohol to the point that it almost killed me one night. So I guess when I look at Freddie's death, all I can say is,"There but for the grace of God go I."

Remembering other stars who had habits, I remember Marilyn Monroe. She was in the media for abusing prescription drugs. She was put in a sanitorium because she was messed up. Then she came out. Another was Robert Mitchum who they put in jail because he smoked marijuana. These people are still famous today....... Now John Belushi, River Pheonix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, Farley (forgot his first name) and a host of others are no longer with us. If it were me I would've said %$#^ the career! In the Can you hear the laughter? movie Freddie was working extremely hard. He was doing the show & Las Vegas at the same time not to mention all these other things. I think he no longer enjoyed himself. He learned the hard way what Hollywood does to people. Everyone had their hand out for the piece of the Prinze (money etc). I bet you his own son is feeling the same thing now (by that I mean everyone has their hand out). He even fired his manager thinking that would give him extra money & the guy sued him because he was under contract. Maybe "STRESS" killed out dear Freddie too + the fact that his wife left him but, he should've tried to straighten out for the sake of his marriage.

Maybe Freddie was just lost out there. I think he thought he was living up to the expectation of Hollywood. It's just one big machine. I'm sure he had other issues that startd way before the fame. It sounds like he had issues with his childhood. After all, drug abuse is not the problem, merely the symptom of the problem. I think it lied much deeper than we all realize for Freddie.

That episode WAS not aired the night Freddie shot himself. It was due to be aired, but the networked moved it because the show's topic dealt with death and James Komack said publicly that the theme would be inappropriate given the circumstances ... According to TJ, the administrator "Champs Ain't Chumps" was aired that night instead.

Awesome response Luckymama...my hat's off to ya. You nailed it right on the head! Years ago, if a star had a substance abuse problem they were considered a risk...a liability. Today they are looked upon as living on the edge and daring. It has become a romantic notion in today's society to live as if tomorrow might not come...sadly, for some it never will.

I recently figured out that maybe some of his problems were do to him becoming famous at such a young age & maturing so soon. It hit me that he became famous right after high school & by the time he was 22 he was already a famous star, married & divorced with a kid. Plus he hung around with older people like Tony Orlando & there was hanging around with Ed- Jack & Louie-Scatman, plus Mando-Issac, I'd read in the internet that Mando-Issac was older in age then he gave to the show having fibbed about his age so they wouldn't think he was too old for the show. I also noticed how mature he was even when he was goofy. & When he cried on the Padre episode, he was so mature about it too. I even noticed how mature & adult he dressed for his age. Back then at least where I lived, young folks weren't into dressing up etc. & wore jeans all the time & I noticed on the show how fancy he dressed up to go out. Like on the New Yrs Eve Episode. I've read of young child stars having problems & killing themselves. Like I recently read on the internet that the youngest boy that was on the 60's tv show Nanny & the Professor had commited suicide a number of yrs ago. I think his girlfriend had broken up with him or something. So I can't help but wonder if Chico-Freddie experienced that. He was too young to die.



[This message has been edited by Cheryl Harrell (edited 04-12-2001).]

Originally posted by chicosladyfair:
Maybe Freddie was just lost out there. I think he thought he was living up to the expectation of Hollywood. It's just one big machine. I'm sure he had other issues that startd way before the fame. It sounds like he had issues with his childhood. After all, drug abuse is not the problem, merely the symptom of the problem. I think it lied much deeper than we all realize for Freddie.

Chicosladysfair - This is why I must read the book his mother wrote. There had to be something in his childhood that triggered the unforseen events. I have a son who was ridiculed in school for being overweight. My mother was feeding him to death while I worked to earn a living. When he turned "10" I just grabbed my son and told him "Listen you have to stop eating NOW! & get on a diet"! Which I helped him with. He got thin and beautiful just like Freddie! My son still has issues over being rediculed in school but, by me grabbing him and getting a handle on his weight problem I felt I helped him.

I feel like I can understand a little bit what Freddie was feeling. My son last Sept. and 23 years old at the time, was very depressed and away at college. He came home one weekend and went out drinking with some buddies. He WAS DEFINITELY NOT thinking straight!!! He got a DUI which depressed him more and when he came home he took a lot of his brother's anti-convulsant drugs trying to kill himself! I woke up and found him luckily and rushed him to the ER where he was in intensive care for 2 days! It was the worst nightmare of my life!!!!! I learned a lot from that night! He just WAS NOT THINKING STRAIGHT due to the alcohol and then he took the pills without even knowing what he really wanted. After he came to in ICU, he felt TERRIBLE about what he did and didn't really even remember all that took place that horrible night. He just knew he felt scared, depressed and with the alcohol and drugs "talking" he wanted to end his life - he thought! Thank God it didn't end up worse then it did! I still get sooo shaken up over it. My son is fine now and to this day he wishes it never happened! I bet if Freddie were here today, he'd wish that one fateful night of poor judgement would NEVER have happened either. Young people just don't think of the consesquences
I'm afraid.
This is a very hard subject for me to talk about but it does make me understand what
Freddie may have been going through at the time. I wish Freddie's mother could have been closer and maybe she could have helped
too. A mother can tell when something just
isn't right with her children.

I agree with you Catcopy 18; I think Freddie's mind was so fogged up that night; and he was crying out for help. There's no way to know of course, but I'd bet that that split second when he put the gun to his head and pulled the trigger, it wasn't a clear, conscious thought. He had fooled around before, trying to scare people,pretending to shoot himself. Perhaps, this was the same thing, only his drugged state allowed him to really do it. Who knows? There was a suicide note...why would he write that if he wasn't serious. And calling everyone that night to say goodbye? I just can't understand why noone but his manager, Dusty Snyder, was the only one there. I know we can't secondguess people but why didn't Kathy, his mom, and whomever else he called, run right over? Maybe they thought he was just crying wolf again and they were tired of his s**t! That was very cruel what he did to his personal assistant at an earlier time...going into the bathroom, shooting the gun and falling on the floor and then laughing when she came running in! I would've killed him myself right then and there, I would've been so angry http://www.sitcomsonline.com/ubb/frown.gif

The whole thing is incredibly sad and painful and there are so many why's and what if's...I guess when we get to that big garage in the sky, we'll just have to ask him http://www.sitcomsonline.com/ubb/smile.gif only Freddie knew.

Catcopy18, I'm sorry I forgot to address your question. I don't know where I read that this episode was the one shown the night Freddie lay dying. It was on one of the sites, I think. It wasn't the last one he filmed, however; that one is tomorrow morning (Saturday) called "Ed talks to God". So look back if you have them taped; you can see a marked change in Freddie's demeanor in about the last 7 episodes or so. He was trying but it just wasn't there. The usual energy and spontaneity. A couple of them, like this morning's "Matchmaker", it looked like he just phoned his performance in.

catcopy18 - I'm sorry to hear what you went through with your son. "We" mothers go through alot with our children trying to understand them. As for Freddie's mom Maria, I feel sad she lost her beautiful son. He was soooooooo loved.

I wonder if his mom watches the re-runs or read stuff on him online. It must've been hard for her. Hopefully she knows how well he was loved...

Well its hard anytime a mother loses her child but hopefully if she does read the stuff online about him and watches the episodes on tv it comforts her. Im also sure seeing Freddie Jr doing well in his life makes her feel good.

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GET OUT OF MY GARAGE!!!

Yes, the Chico's father episode was very sad. If you notice, Jack Albertson has a sort of concerned look on his face when Chico is just about to say goodbye and hug his father, and when the camera went to Jack, he seemed like he was stalling and gentler than normal. Jack was definetly acting different, he didn't seem to be acting either. He seemed to have real concern for Freddie, but had to sort of act through the scene. I also spotted Freddie's hands shaking when he was crying and looking at his mother's picture. He also blew a sigh of relief at the very end when Ed/Jack is standing right next to him. You can certainly tell that Freddie's pain surfaced.
I just couldn't believe it, watching this, I felt so very sad over this, I couldn't get it off my mind. Sorry to be so glum, but it is rare to see that sort of stuff on television - real life play out in a script. It's painful for all of us to see. I guess it's best to talk about it.