Can anybody explain Sam's eligibility for the Accelerated program

[TMC]

Wasn't she in the early episodes, depicted as being merely and little more than an average student, who once got a D on her chemistry exam? In the third season, her report card consisted of Bs and a C, so when did her grades change such that she'd be graduating early? Plus, it wasn't like she showed much interest in striving to be a better student. So even if they wrote about a change of attitude in Sam, wouldn't it come too late for her grades to catch up?

[Novera]

I haven't re-watched the series in awhile, when did Sam get into the accelerated program? There is a comment in that link you provided that I agree with 100% that says it would've made more sense that Jonathan was the one who got into an accelerated program.

Sam was a wonderfully richly written character, but the idea of her being a gifted student is clearly incongruous with how they portrayed her otherwise! Obviously it's not sexism, because the writers made Angela an erudite upper class executive, while Tony was cleaning houses grunting "ah oh oh ay"

[TMC]

Originally Posted by Novera

I haven't re-watched the series in awhile, when did Sam get into the accelerated program? There is a comment in that link you provided that I agree with 100% that says it would've made more sense that Jonathan was the one who got into an accelerated program.

Sam was a wonderfully richly written character, but the idea of her being a gifted student is clearly incongruous with how they portrayed her otherwise! Obviously it's not sexism, because the writers made Angela an erudite upper class executive, while Tony was cleaning houses grunting "ah oh oh ay"

I want to say that the storyline about Sam being given the chance of skipping grades and getting out of high school ahead of schedule was the first true sign that Who's the Boss? as a show was really starting to show its age. Did the writers think that they couldn't mine anymore material out of Samantha Micelli being a high schooler?

Like I said, they were really straining credibility because up until that point, Sam was depicted as being an above-average student at best. She wasn't exactly a genius or a future road scholar. It also seemed that the producers forgot what I think made Alyssa Milano so popular with young people in the first place. It's that her character on Who's the Boss? seemed like a very normal, realistic girl.

Boys liked her because she was beautiful but she could also keep up with them and their interests like sports or popular music and girls liked her because she seemed like the ideal, cool and down-to-earth person that you legitimately wanted to hang out and have fun with. So it was completely believable for instance, that she was able to make friends so quickly after moving from Brooklyn to a "classier" place like Fairfield, Connecticut.

The point being that by suddenly adding this plot about Sam being a straight A-student and being so smart that she's able to graduate from high school early, the writers immediately took out all of the relatability that made her such a great character in the first place.

Season 6 was incidentally, arguably the last relatively decent season before the bottom fell out. Of course, the next season saw the introduction of the dreaded Billy and the final season had that ridiculously rushed and contrived storyline about Sam's whirlwind romance and subsequent marriage to her college boyfriend, Hank.

[TMC]

Originally Posted by Novera

I haven't re-watched the series in awhile, when did Sam get into the accelerated program? There is a comment in that link you provided that I agree with 100% that says it would've made more sense that Jonathan was the one who got into an accelerated program.

Sam was a wonderfully richly written character, but the idea of her being a gifted student is clearly incongruous with how they portrayed her otherwise! Obviously it's not sexism, because the writers made Angela an erudite upper class executive, while Tony was cleaning houses grunting "ah oh oh ay"

Other than Danny Pinataro during his post-puberty-teenage years, I can plausibly believe that the central cast members are the characters that they are playing. Like I can absolutely believe that Judith Light is like you said, playing this erudite upper class executive and that Katherine Helmond is this witty, man-hungry, vivacious older woman.

I know that people like to rip and poke fun at Tony Danza for seemingly being incapable of playing anybody but himself (it has long been joked that Tony can only play somebody that shares is name, dating back to Taxi). But hey, you genuinely believe (at least prior to the last few seasons, when he his character became a victim of Flanderization) that he's this positive thinking, blue collar, macho Italian guy from Brooklyn who wants to provide a better life for his daughter.

Maybe I could've within reason, bought Sam as a gifted student if her character was somehow reflective of Alyssa Milano's later in life reinvention as an outspoken social crusader/activist, but like I said, Sam's character wasn't established as being that type of girl leading up to that point.

[TMC]

Originally Posted by Novera

I haven't re-watched the series in awhile, when did Sam get into the accelerated program? There is a comment in that link you provided that I agree with 100% that says it would've made more sense that Jonathan was the one who got into an accelerated program.

Sam was a wonderfully richly written character, but the idea of her being a gifted student is clearly incongruous with how they portrayed her otherwise! Obviously it's not sexism, because the writers made Angela an erudite upper class executive, while Tony was cleaning houses grunting "ah oh oh ay"

What's actually kind of depressing or upsetting about the "Sam accelerates" storyline is that by the looks of it, it appears that Sam never really kept in touch with her old classmates at high school. This is 1990-91, so there obviously, was no virtual communication (such as Skype or Zoom), texting, e-mailing, and there was no social media (i.e. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tik Tok, etc.). So how exactly did Sam keep in touch with her old friends like Bonnie and Julia if she's away in college outside of the tried and true hand-written letters or phone calls?

[TMC]

Originally Posted by Novera

I haven't re-watched the series in awhile, when did Sam get into the accelerated program? There is a comment in that link you provided that I agree with 100% that says it would've made more sense that Jonathan was the one who got into an accelerated program.

Sam was a wonderfully richly written character, but the idea of her being a gifted student is clearly incongruous with how they portrayed her otherwise! Obviously it's not sexism, because the writers made Angela an erudite upper class executive, while Tony was cleaning houses grunting "ah oh oh ay"

Ironically, they already attempted to do a storyline about Jonathan himself, moving up a grade.

[TMC]

Originally Posted by Novera

I haven't re-watched the series in awhile, when did Sam get into the accelerated program? There is a comment in that link you provided that I agree with 100% that says it would've made more sense that Jonathan was the one who got into an accelerated program.

Sam was a wonderfully richly written character, but the idea of her being a gifted student is clearly incongruous with how they portrayed her otherwise! Obviously it's not sexism, because the writers made Angela an erudite upper class executive, while Tony was cleaning houses grunting "ah oh oh ay"

I was just reminded that in the "Housekeeper's Unite" episode from Season 4, Tony meets a fellow housekeeper played by Conchata Ferrell, who informs him that Sam got a C in geometry.

[rusty spike]

I think they went the wrong way with this storyline. It would have been more realistic, but less prestigious to have a story about Sam being called in because she was at risk of failing and dropping out of school. Then a story about her transferring to a HS diploma or GED program for quick graduation would have made more sense.

And an interesting note about grade "jumpers" and college. I went to school with one in the 1980s. She made it known that she was graduating early during my sophomore year. I was shocked when she graduated a year early (just like Sam) but she had been going to Summer School and was taking night school classes after her regular HS classes. I ran into her during my first year of junior college. Both she and I were in "bone head" English class together because we both scored poorly on a grammar aptitude test. She told me that it was a big mistake for graduating early because the college entrance board had questioned her transcript and ultimately rejected her admission~ hence she ended up as a mediocre student in jc.

PS This young lady was very attractive and competed in state wide beauty pageants. She was kind of shy about it and then one night I was flipping channels late Saturday night and watched her place 5th in a state level competition.

[TMC]

Originally Posted by rusty spike

I think they went the wrong way with this storyline. It would have been more realistic, but less prestigious to have a story about Sam being called in because she was at risk of failing and dropping out of school. Then a story about her transferring to a HS diploma or GED program for quick graduation would have made more sense.

And an interesting note about grade "jumpers" and college. I went to school with one in the 1980s. She made it known that she was graduating early during my sophomore year. I was shocked when she graduated a year early (just like Sam) but she had been going to Summer School and was taking night school classes after her regular HS classes. I ran into her during my first year of junior college. Both she and I were in "bone head" English class together because we both scored poorly on a grammar aptitude test. She told me that it was a big mistake for graduating early because the college entrance board had questioned her transcript and ultimately rejected her admission~ hence she ended up as a mediocre student in jc.

PS This young lady was very attractive and competed in state wide beauty pageants. She was kind of shy about it and then one night I was flipping channels late Saturday night and watched her place 5th in a state level competition.

What's interesting is that Alyssa Milano, in real life, is dyslexic. Maybe, I figured that was something of a missed opportunity. It just seemed kind of disingenuous either way for them to go with the route that they ultimately took. Maybe, at the time Alyssa wasn't ready to publicly discuss being dyslexic and just because she may be dyslexic in real life, doesn't necessarily mean that every character that she plays has to be that too.