Oh dear God. I want to punch Flash. - Page 2 - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Johnny be good! · 06-27-2019, 08:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

I see your point, but I felt like they didn't even need a Wacky Sidekick character. They had enough established characters as it was, and even kicked Brendan to the curb.

That ticked me off when they booted Brendan.

Furienna · 06-29-2019, 07:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

I see your point, but I felt like they didn't even need a Wacky Sidekick character. They had enough established characters as it was, and even kicked Brendan to the curb.

Well, many sitcoms had wacky sidekick characters at the time. And I guess that they tried their uttermost to find a replacement for Cody, who left a great void after him when poor Sasha had to quit.

As for what was going on with Brendan, we don't really know why he disappeared. It is even possible that the actor himself wanted to quit.

Johnny be good! · 08-12-2019, 12:26 PM

Hopefully we will find out someday.

TVSCREEN2015 · 11-01-2022, 12:17 PM

He was awful. His stupid whiny high pitched voice and hyper over the top jittery acting. Terrible replacement for Cody that failed miserably.

TMC · 01-02-2023, 03:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lorimar Television

He's only in four or five episodes so all his episodes should've aired by now. I don't think it's that hard to have a higher voice than Brendan, his voice changed at the start of the fifth season and he's supposed to be like ten years old!

Flash as a character kind of strikes me as somebody trying to channel and impersonate Michael J. Fox but made to be much geekier.

TMC · 01-04-2023, 04:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

I'm not a fan of Jean-Luc or Flash. For me, they were examples of Miller-Boyett clinging to the tired idea of getting a "wacky sidekick" to replace the wacky sidekick who had just been kicked to the curb.

If they felt they couldn't keep Sasha Mitchell on, why replace him with a thinly-veiled replacement character, only to replace that one as well, almost immediately?

Yeah, I was watching Step by Step on TruTV over the weekend, and they concluded with the episodes with Flash in them. What exactly was Flash's purpose on the show other than to be a foil to Frank much in the same vein as Urkel was one to Carl on Family Matters? Basically, Flash was that bumbling, geeky kid with a funny voice who was always messing things up but still had a good-heart in the end.

At least with Cody, he had this quirky big brother vibe to Frank and Carol's kids. Granted, a little of Cody (and his Jeff Spicoli/Bill & Ted-esque surfer-stoner schtick) may have gone a long way after a while, but Sasha Mitchell was still able to make the character charming.

I agree with the argument that Jean-Luc was really a cynical feeling ploy by Miller-Boyett to replace Cody and by extension, Flash as the show's resident "wacky sidekick". And Bronson Pinchott was already an established name and face due to Miller-Boyett's past TGIF show, Perfect Strangers (where he played another eccentric foreigner), so it also reeked of stunt casting.

Furienna · 01-04-2023, 06:21 AM

At least, they tried to do something completely different with Jean-Luc.
Even if Bronson had played a similar character on another show, Jean-Luc never was just a poor copy of Cody.
While I must say that I hardly even remember Flash, it is clear that the people in charge understood that he didn’t work out and cut him.

Cody is one of those cases, when a character that is just a stereotype on paper becomes alive when it's played by the right actor.
And in the end, Cody was more than just his surfer/stoner schtick.

08-12-2019, 12:26 PM	#18
Johnny be good! Member Senior Member Join Date: Feb 18, 2007 Location: Westland, Michigan Posts: 1,629	Hopefully we will find out someday.

11-01-2022, 12:17 PM	#19
TVSCREEN2015 Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Sep 27, 2015 Posts: 136	He was awful. His stupid whiny high pitched voice and hyper over the top jittery acting. Terrible replacement for Cody that failed miserably.

01-04-2023, 06:21 AM	#22
Furienna Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Oct 22, 2006 Location: Örnsköldsvik, Sweden Posts: 6,277	At least, they tried to do something completely different with Jean-Luc. Even if Bronson had played a similar character on another show, Jean-Luc never was just a poor copy of Cody. While I must say that I hardly even remember Flash, it is clear that the people in charge understood that he didn’t work out and cut him. Cody is one of those cases, when a character that is just a stereotype on paper becomes alive when it's played by the right actor. And in the end, Cody was more than just his surfer/stoner schtick.