I never could understand why the writers never gave Antonio a decent, steady girlfriend where the relationship actually lasted. Sure, he didn't have a great job and he wasn't as handsome as the Hackett brothers (although I think he's pretty cute), but he's such a nice, sweet, sensative, caring guy who doesn't mind cooking (and is supposedly good at it too). I hated how they made him out to be such a pathetic loser in the final two seasons. Antonio deserved some happiness in his life. I think an Antonio-Casey romance during the final two seasons with an eventual engagement would have been great.

I agree Snoopy. It would have been very nice if Antonio paired up with a woman. I think that it's just the way the character was written. The powers to be probably decided that they needed a guy with low self-esteem, no confidence, unlucky in love and a not so great job.
That's where a large portion of the humor with Antonio came from--his hangdog expression and the fact of him being down on his luck all the time.
It is difficult to watch because he's such a likable guy, but if they solved his problems, he wouldn't fit the bill for the added character and the laughs he generated.
I'm new to the show. Does he find happiness in the end?

Originally posted by Janice

I'm new to the show. Does he find happiness in the end?

Unfortunately, no. That's the big reason I found the series finale very disappointing. I know a big part of the character was that he was supoosed to be the down-on-his-luck kind of guy all the time, but the writers could have given him some happiness in the end.

Of course, in real life there are people like Antonio who can't seem to catch a decent break at all. I guess that was just another way for Wings to keep it real. Some people are lucky in life; some just aren't.

Personally, I like Antonio when he just sits on the sidelines, drinking coffee at the lunch counter and chiming in with smart-ass cracks.....

One of my favorites was when Joe and Gail had just returned from a weekend in Boston. Gail gave Joe a long kiss in the waiting area and said, "That was the best weekend I ever had!".

Roy and Antonio were sitting at the lunch counter and Roy said, "Now there's a woman who never spent a weekend with Roy Biggins!"....

and Antonio, never even looking up from his coffee cup, said, "You mean she's never been chained to your furnace?"

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Another great one was when Antonio spotted a suspected robber in the airport....

He said to the gang, "You remember me telling you about the robbery I saw the other day?"

Helen rudely said, "Remember it? That's all you've been talking about!"

Antonio just stared at her and said, "Oh, forgive me for interrupting your 'All the good men are married or gay' speech!".....

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Please, just one more:

Roy and Antonio were sitting at the lunch counter and Antonio was talking about how when he gets nervous he sweats...and how MUCH and WHERE he sweats....

Roy stopped eating, turned to Antonio and said, "Do you MIND? I'm trying to eat my lunch!"

Antonio stared at him, spread out his arms and said, "Oh, forgive me for offending the delicate flower!".....

THOSE are the "Antonio Moments" that are my favorites! :lol:

LOL, Pilotguy! :lol: :lol: :lol: Those are some of my favorite Antonio lines too.

A couple I should add to your list...

from the episode, It May Have Happened One Night: Roy is upset over a cricket in his office. Fay and Antonio are sitting at the counter and you can hear Roy in his office, trying to shoo the cricket away. Fay says to Antonio, "That sounds like there could be a mugger in there! Maybe you should go help Roy?" And Antonio says apathetically, "Go away, you stupid mugger and leave our good friend Roy alone." :lol:

from Insanity Claus: Bob is holding Antonio hostage. While they're still in the terminal so Bob can make his demands, Lowell starts arguing with Bob. Antonio says to Lowell, "Lowell, why don't you just take the gun and shoot me yourself?" I think this is one of Antonio's best episodes, even if he almost got killed.

and Das Plane. While I don't realy care for the episode, I love his line. "Joe, could you please tell the nice man with the shotgun that I am not a Libyan terrorist?" (Dang N@N for taking it out! :mad: )

Originally posted by Snoopy
I never could understand why the writers never gave Antonio a decent, steady girlfriend where the relationship actually lasted. Sure, he didn't have a great job and he wasn't as handsome as the Hackett brothers (although I think he's pretty cute), but he's such a nice, sweet, sensative, caring guy who doesn't mind cooking (and is supposedly good at it too).

:crazy: :crazy: Somebody has a crush on Antonio ! ! :D :D ;)

Seriously though, I agree that he should have found somebody in the end. I read that Tony Shalhoub was leaving the show whether it was cancelled or not. Maybe he, too got tired of the way Anotonio was getting.

What was the point for having Antonio fall in love with Casey if she was gonna go with Brian? I mean it's like they were building up to something all season long, and then instead of a happy ending, it took a twist.

I heard he was sick and tired of the way the writers were treating Antonio too. I think if the show had gone on without him, it would have been a major blow.

I could have sworn that he said that he didn't want to do another TV series after Wings ended, but apparently, he changed his mind.

Originally posted by pilotguy
Personally, I like Antonio when he just sits on the sidelines, drinking coffee at the lunch counter and chiming in with smart-ass cracks.....

One of my favorites was when Joe and Gail had just returned from a weekend in Boston. Gail gave Joe a long kiss in the waiting area and said, "That was the best weekend I ever had!".

Roy and Antonio were sitting at the lunch counter and Roy said, "Now there's a woman who never spent a weekend with Roy Biggins!"....

and Antonio, never even looking up from his coffee cup, said, "You mean she's never been chained to your furnace?"



:lol: :lol: :lol: yes!! I love that! That is the best! Just the way he says it, and you don't really expect it. It's so funny.

What I loved about Antonio's wisecracks was how he delivered them with a perfectly straight, deadpan face!

Brian used to spout wisecracks too, but when HE did it, he was more like the "class clown" trying to be funny. Antonio was so low-key and serious-looking about it...THAT'S what made those lines SUPER-hilarious!

I don't completely agree with that pilotguy. There were numerous times Antonio would make a witty remark and Tony would start laughing. You could tell he was a hair away from losing it. It's part of what made his appearances so great for me. Watching him have fun with the role.

Originally posted by Happenstance
I don't completely agree with that pilotguy. There were numerous times Antonio would make a witty remark and Tony would start laughing. You could tell he was a hair away from losing it. It's part of what made his appearances so great for me. Watching him have fun with the role.

Hmmm...really? Scenes like that don't stick in my mind....It's the "deadpan" lines that apparently made an impression on me....

I'll have to watch for those "breaking up" lines from Antonio!

I haven't seen Wings in eons, but my favorite Antonioism came in, I believe, the final episode where Helen has exciting news and his jumping around screaming and shouting,

Helen --- ANTONIO, ANTONIO!!! GUESS WHAT?!?!?!?!

Antonio --- (Barely making eye contact) Don't tell me . . . good news.

Another funny Antonio line was when he was dealing with Danny "Dead-End" Connelly. Connelly was demanding that Antonio get him on the plane and threatened to hit him. Antonio looked at him and said, "That won't do you any good because I'll fall, possibly bleed, and maybe cry like a child. But you're still not getting on that plane!!!"

Too bad Antonio didn't just beat the crap out of Danny Connelly. Of course, that probably would have dragged him all the way down to Connelly's level.

Antonio is superb. NUFF SAID
My fav Antonio's lines are: (sorry for the mistakes and deformations-i've never watched Wings in original version which bothers me no end.)
from ep. 89. 'Exclusively Yours'
Brian: These models aren't so great, I mean if you take away their haircuts, makeup and their beautiful bodies what do you get?
Antonio: The girl I dated yesterday

and from ep. 74. Terminal Jealousy :
Helen(cleaning her bar frantically because of the upcoming state health inspector's errr... inspection) :I have to do this. They closed down The Lobster after the inspection and they had only a little bit of dirt and mould under the counter and a tiny cockroach in the soup.
Roy:Helen this is gross. Let's talk about something else, hey Scarpacci how was your date yesterday?
Antonio:Not so good as I thought. We had dinner at the Lobster.

And another from ep. 68. The Key to Alex
Antonio: I never let other people see me cry
Helen:Really?
Antonio:Test me; pull a hair out of my nose

And last but not least:
ep. 53. Noses Off
Antonio:Where's Brian...? ...Nobody NOSE

:D