Harry Stone's Parental Confusion - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

nitcrt1 · 09-26-2005, 07:26 PM

Okay, maybe someone can help me fill in the gaps here. When it comes to Harry's "birth situation", I'm a tad confused. I can only put the following pieces together based on information given in various episodes. I can pretty much gather that Harry Stone, Sr. was Harry's adoptive father due to Harry's name. Harry's mother had him when she was sixteen in the institution and he was fathered by Buddy. Here's where it gets complicated. Harry and Harry Sr. were abandoned by Harry's mother when Harry was five years old. Now, if Harry's mother left the institution after she had Harry, then she and Harry Stone, Sr. could not have been married that long. Buddy mentioned that when he got out of the institution Harry's mother was already married to Harry, Sr. As Buddy put it Harry, Sr., "seemed like a nice guy" to which Harry responded that, "He was."

Then, Harry's mother abandoned Harry and Harry. Sr. to go back to the institution. At some point she married Buddy and stayed married to him for 23 years. What happened to her marriage to Harry Sr.? Did she divorce Harry Sr. or possibly marry Buddy when Harry Sr. died? I guess my question is when did Harry's mother marry Buddy and Harry, Sr.?

Does this situation confuse anyone else or is it just me?

hazlenut · 09-26-2005, 08:04 PM

I know what you mean, in Harry's words "it boggles the mind". I still want to know what happened to the baby brother Harry mentioned having in the pilot.

My guess is a lack of continuity on the part of the writers. I think the writers who took over in later seasons had trouble with this concept. I noticed it with Dan too.. in Crossroads he said he lost his virginity when he was 25 to a clients wife but in the finale "Clair" said that in the summer of '67 she caught him fooling around with twin towel girls and was when he was 18?? To be honest, some things make no sense because of this.

nitcrt1 · 09-26-2005, 09:34 PM

I think after the pilot the writers just decided on making Harry an only child. Sometimes that happens. Reinhold Weege may have decided to go a different way with Harry's character after the pilot.

Yeah, "Night Court" always seemed to have a few continuity issues, but the whole Harry family tree is a big continuity issue. I never thought the writers in the later years were on the same page as the writers from the beginning of the show. It seemed like they never watched an episode with some of the things they did. I also didn't feel they carried on Reinhold Weege's vision. Weege had a certain idea about the show and his characters and what he wanted for them. That's why I would have liked to have seen him end his creation instead of people who didn't know the show well. I often wonder how he would have ended it. I e-mailed him that question once, and he said he would have definitely put an end to the show, but he never said how.

McFly121 · 09-27-2005, 01:37 AM

Hehe, Harry's past is like untangling Christmas lights in the garage.

Basically what nitcrt1 said, plus where is Harry sr.? Did it mention when he dies? I'm such a non-fan of the first season that if it was mentioned I missed it. I only know seasons 2-9 like the back of my hand.

The writers could be lax sometimes, and for people who really love the show it makes it look bad. When Dan wants to coach Harry on getting Margaret, he says he rarely does Harry a favor. Harry says, "Rarely? How bout never." Selective memory in his case, as he mentions Dan staying up with him the night he found out his mom was dead. And going to the poolhall to convince Harry to come back after he quit. The Dan/Harry relationship was very deep until around the 1990 season. They dropped the emotion and it became more of a working relationship.

And with Dan's sister...she gets a job in the same city yet is never seen or referred to again. As well it seemed they said "Let's send Bull to Jupiter in the finale", forgetting he has a wife and probably a child on the way at some point.

nitcrt1 · 09-27-2005, 07:11 AM

Harry Sr. did die. In the episode where they find out Harry has a juvenile criminal record. Harry tells his story and mentions that after he spent his breif time in jail that his father (Harry, Sr.) "just sort of died" shortly after that. He never knew Harry had become a judge and "hadn't made a habit of stealing cars" as Harry said.

I don't think the writers knew the show. Harry and Dan helped each other through a lot of things. The changeover in writers made a huge difference in how these characters related to one another.

Harry T Stone · 11-02-2005, 03:58 AM

Family trees are a complicated issue for most sitcoms. Wasn't there an older brother on Happy Days, who went to college and never was heard from again? I guess the same thing happened to me. But, I'm feeling much better now.

Heart Shaped Box · 11-04-2005, 10:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nitcrt1

Harry Sr. did die. In the episode where they find out Harry has a juvenile criminal record. Harry tells his story and mentions that after he spent his breif time in jail that his father (Harry, Sr.) "just sort of died" shortly after that. He never knew Harry had become a judge and "hadn't made a habit of stealing cars" as Harry said.

I don't think the writers knew the show. Harry and Dan helped each other through a lot of things. The changeover in writers made a huge difference in how these characters related to one another.

Harry had a juvenile record?!?! (Sorry for asking, I just recently started getting into Night Court.) Anyway, does anyone know what episode this is where they find out?

nitcrt1 · 11-04-2005, 10:22 PM

Yep, they find out in episode #3 entitled "the Former Harry Stone."

Heart Shaped Box · 11-04-2005, 10:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nitcrt1

Yep, they find out in episode #3 entitled "the Former Harry Stone."

Ohh ok thanks. I was looking at the episodes at this site and I thought it might have been the Crossroads episodes.

09-26-2005, 07:26 PM	#1
nitcrt1 Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Oct 22, 2003 Posts: 482	Harry Stone's Parental Confusion Okay, maybe someone can help me fill in the gaps here. When it comes to Harry's "birth situation", I'm a tad confused. I can only put the following pieces together based on information given in various episodes. I can pretty much gather that Harry Stone, Sr. was Harry's adoptive father due to Harry's name. Harry's mother had him when she was sixteen in the institution and he was fathered by Buddy. Here's where it gets complicated. Harry and Harry Sr. were abandoned by Harry's mother when Harry was five years old. Now, if Harry's mother left the institution after she had Harry, then she and Harry Stone, Sr. could not have been married that long. Buddy mentioned that when he got out of the institution Harry's mother was already married to Harry, Sr. As Buddy put it Harry, Sr., "seemed like a nice guy" to which Harry responded that, "He was." Then, Harry's mother abandoned Harry and Harry. Sr. to go back to the institution. At some point she married Buddy and stayed married to him for 23 years. What happened to her marriage to Harry Sr.? Did she divorce Harry Sr. or possibly marry Buddy when Harry Sr. died? I guess my question is when did Harry's mother marry Buddy and Harry, Sr.? Does this situation confuse anyone else or is it just me?

09-27-2005, 01:37 AM	#4
McFly121 Member Forum Regular Join Date: Feb 18, 2004 Location: calif Posts: 812	Hehe, Harry's past is like untangling Christmas lights in the garage. Basically what nitcrt1 said, plus where is Harry sr.? Did it mention when he dies? I'm such a non-fan of the first season that if it was mentioned I missed it. I only know seasons 2-9 like the back of my hand. The writers could be lax sometimes, and for people who really love the show it makes it look bad. When Dan wants to coach Harry on getting Margaret, he says he rarely does Harry a favor. Harry says, "Rarely? How bout never." Selective memory in his case, as he mentions Dan staying up with him the night he found out his mom was dead. And going to the poolhall to convince Harry to come back after he quit. The Dan/Harry relationship was very deep until around the 1990 season. They dropped the emotion and it became more of a working relationship. And with Dan's sister...she gets a job in the same city yet is never seen or referred to again. As well it seemed they said "Let's send Bull to Jupiter in the finale", forgetting he has a wife and probably a child on the way at some point.
	__________________ "That was Bob's donut!" Last edited by McFly121; 09-27-2005 at 01:57 AM.

11-02-2005, 03:58 AM	#6
Harry T Stone Youngest Judge Ever Occasional Poster Join Date: Nov 02, 2005 Location: Manhattan Criminal Court, Part 2 Posts: 52	Family trees are a complicated issue for most sitcoms. Wasn't there an older brother on Happy Days, who went to college and never was heard from again? I guess the same thing happened to me. But, I'm feeling much better now.
	__________________ *That'll be a fifty dollar fine and time served!*

09-26-2005, 08:04 PM	#2
hazlenut Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Dec 24, 2001 Location: Newark, DE Posts: 147	I know what you mean, in Harry's words "it boggles the mind". I still want to know what happened to the baby brother Harry mentioned having in the pilot. My guess is a lack of continuity on the part of the writers. I think the writers who took over in later seasons had trouble with this concept. I noticed it with Dan too.. in Crossroads he said he lost his virginity when he was 25 to a clients wife but in the finale "Clair" said that in the summer of '67 she caught him fooling around with twin towel girls and was when he was 18?? To be honest, some things make no sense because of this.

09-26-2005, 09:34 PM	#3
nitcrt1 Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Oct 22, 2003 Posts: 482	I think after the pilot the writers just decided on making Harry an only child. Sometimes that happens. Reinhold Weege may have decided to go a different way with Harry's character after the pilot. Yeah, "Night Court" always seemed to have a few continuity issues, but the whole Harry family tree is a big continuity issue. I never thought the writers in the later years were on the same page as the writers from the beginning of the show. It seemed like they never watched an episode with some of the things they did. I also didn't feel they carried on Reinhold Weege's vision. Weege had a certain idea about the show and his characters and what he wanted for them. That's why I would have liked to have seen him end his creation instead of people who didn't know the show well. I often wonder how he would have ended it. I e-mailed him that question once, and he said he would have definitely put an end to the show, but he never said how.

09-27-2005, 07:11 AM	#5
nitcrt1 Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Oct 22, 2003 Posts: 482	Harry Sr. did die. In the episode where they find out Harry has a juvenile criminal record. Harry tells his story and mentions that after he spent his breif time in jail that his father (Harry, Sr.) "just sort of died" shortly after that. He never knew Harry had become a judge and "hadn't made a habit of stealing cars" as Harry said. I don't think the writers knew the show. Harry and Dan helped each other through a lot of things. The changeover in writers made a huge difference in how these characters related to one another.

11-04-2005, 10:22 PM	#8
nitcrt1 Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Oct 22, 2003 Posts: 482	Yep, they find out in episode #3 entitled "the Former Harry Stone."