Which late in the series plot development for Sam was worse

[Clayton Endicott III]

They were throwing a lot of new ideas into the mix in those last couple of seasons.

I did, however, enjoy the Hank-Sam-Tony relationship. I liked the absurdity of all of the puppets. They were attempting to give Tony a new foil, and Hank was an artistic type who Tony just didn't get.

[TMC]

Originally Posted by Clayton Endicott III

They were throwing a lot of new ideas into the mix in those last couple of seasons.

I did, however, enjoy the Hank-Sam-Tony relationship. I liked the absurdity of all of the puppets. They were attempting to give Tony a new foil, and Hank was an artistic type who Tony just didn't get.

Maybe they were trying to go for a Nick-Mallory-Steven type of dynamic as seen on Family Ties, where the father (Steven/Tony) doesn't get his daughter's (Mallory/Samantha) quirky, sensitive artist of a boyfriend (Nick/Hank).

[TMC]

Originally Posted by Novera

I think he was the best bf as well, I always thought it was like them refining Mason into a more interesting b/f with all the dorky stuff removed. I hate it when shows break up couples this way, where it's like "hi, it's over, credits roll" after getting to know the character. Like the infamous Julie episode ditching Mike at the altar (Growing Pains)... because of what happened there I always wonder if it was a similar situation when the same thing happens on another show. Did Jesse (the actor) do something wrong, maybe the writers thought he wasn't right for her, whatever it is - it's so weird when they just ditch someone that quickly after building them up so much.

Sometimes you can even sense the actor being happy about it, like that Mike/Julie thing, I feel like I'm watching a guy get dumped by a girl he can't stand but is acting sad about it because that's what you're supposed to do.

To tell you the truth, I never really thought too deeply of the exact reasons why Scott Bloom (Jesse's actor) left the series following the "Double Dump" episode in Season 5. And I thus far, can't find any reputable information online that could lend some insight for why Jesse's character was abruptly written out.

If or when the Who's the Boss? sequel series finally gets off the ground, Jesse is admittedly, one of the characters that I wouldn't mind seeing them revisit.

[TMC]

Originally Posted by TMC

Maybe they were trying to go for a Nick-Mallory-Steven type of dynamic as seen on Family Ties, where the father (Steven/Tony) doesn't get his daughter's (Mallory/Samantha) quirky, sensitive artist of a boyfriend (Nick/Hank).

Then again, the key differences between Family Ties and Who's the Boss? is that the whole Hank-Sam-Tony relationship came along, way, way, way too late in the series' run to truly get invested in. Nick wasn't first introduced on Family Ties until the third episode of the fourth season. And keep in mind that Family Ties, would run for three additional years.

Also, unlike Hank on Who's the Boss?, Nick on Family Ties was actually a genuinely interesting character and not merely an extension of Mallory's character unlike was arguably the case with Sam.

[TMC]

Originally Posted by AMackII

Romance/Marriage with Hank was Sam’s very worst during Season 8

I was watching the first part of the "Better Off Wed" episode again today GAC Family, and I'm still dumbstruck at how rushed and poorly constructed the entire arc is. I don't want to repeat what I had previously said, but it really does feel like one of those last minute, random ideas that the producers and writers had.

What exactly did Sam see in Hank that would make her want to marry him so badly? We don't really know anything about her and Hank's relationship to get a full context about why they're in love with each other. All that we know is that Hank is some guy who is going to college with Sam.

Also Sam by her own admission along with Hank, didn't have any real money, or jobs, or their own house. Did Hank think that everything was going to work out since his parents were bankrolling his education? Of course, that was under the pretense that he was studying to become a doctor, not a puppeteer.

And I didn't like how Tony was painted as the villain just because he doesn't immediately accept Hank's career choices or the notion of his daughter wanting to get married in such a rush. To be brutally honest, if I were in Tony's shoes, I would've likely felt the same way.

I am too of the opinion that Sam was way too young and immature to get married. But they almost brush it off as if it's no big deal in the grand scheme of things, since Hank's parents got married when they were really young and Tony eloped with Sam's mother.

The whole "Sam gets married" arc, is probably the most infuriating storyline that Who's the Boss? ever concocted. Hank was such a bland, awkward, cheesy character to begin with. And the whole thing just makes Sam look really reckless and arrogant. Why would you get married without a concrete plan for your life going forward?

[TMC]

Originally Posted by Novera

What I hated about the Hank storyline was that she was never an outdoorsy type (other than expensive skiing trips) and it felt so artificial. Seriously what were the writers thinking "Lets have the show's bombshell teen turn into a librarian look and marry an outdoor kinda dorky cowboy" Like none of that matches the earlier show, sometimes you have to wonder if someone wanted out of their contract and tried to tank the friggen show!

Maybe it's just me, but now that I've thought about it some more, they really didn't appear to have much of a clear plan or vision for Sam's character in the final two seasons. It's like, we've put her into college ahead of schedule so now what? One of the criticisms that I've read about the last two seasons of Who's the Boss? is that Samantha developed a really awful taste in men. I don't think it was so much just that her taste in men were awful, it's that Sam seemed to become really codependent and clingy in regards to her boyfriends, especially by the time that Hank got involved.

Matt the cowboy however, was actually, an interesting character and he would've made for a nice foil for a blue collar "city slicker" like Tony Micelli. But they completely drop that arc without any proper resolution. To be brutally honest with you, if they had to marry Sam off, I would've preferred for her to marry Matt instead of Hank because at least Matt had a genuine charm and charisma about him independent of Sam. Hank always seemed nothing more than a plot point instead of an actual character.

[TMC]

IFC just started airing Season 8 as part of its latest cycle, and it just reminded me that back in 1992 when this first aired, the writers/producers/network seemed to misunderstand what exactly the audience wanted. They wanted some sort of resolution to Tony and Angela's relationship, not just any old wedding ceremony. To tell you the truth, the whole "Sam gets married episode" just feels like in cynical February sweeps stunt. In other words, let's just trot out this big event even though it makes little sense in the grander scheme of things.

[TMC]

Originally Posted by Novera

What I hated about the Hank storyline was that she was never an outdoorsy type (other than expensive skiing trips) and it felt so artificial. Seriously what were the writers thinking "Lets have the show's bombshell teen turn into a librarian look and marry an outdoor kinda dorky cowboy" Like none of that matches the earlier show, sometimes you have to wonder if someone wanted out of their contract and tried to tank the friggen show!

And as others have said, Sam's marriage to Hank was so weird, rushed, and out of character. By the end, it just lingers there.

[TMC]

Originally Posted by TMC

And as others have said, Sam's marriage to Hank was so weird, rushed, and out of character. By the end, it just lingers there.

Also as others have pointed out, it was really annoying how they kept trying to marry Sam off, starting with that ranch guy (Matt) before she even went to college. She could have had so many different story lines beyond "get boyfriend, get married".