The Sadness Of Lowell - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

pilotguy · 08-21-2003, 06:49 PM

I've noticed that most people on this message board either talk about how funny Lowell is, or how annoying and "stupid" he is....

I can't remember ever seeing a message talking about SAD the character was....especially as the series progressed.

Sure, there seemed to be a Happy-Go-Lucky attitude there most of the time, but Lowell's life was not really a happy one.

Here was a guy who loved his wife and kids, but had to live apart from them because of his wife's constant infidelity.

He had to move out of the Hackett's house and into his own place...even though he dreaded living alone.

Some of you have mentioned how you wished that Brian or Antonio could have found a permanent love interest....well, even though he had been married before, I wish that Lowell could have found true, permanent love and happiness with someone who genuinely appreciated him.

The SADDEST part of Lowell's stint on "Wings" came when he left Nantucket and the series. Many of us have commented on how sad and upset we get when we watch Lowell's last episode. While the idea of him leaving the show was sad enough, the reason WHY he was leaving was even sadder....

Most of the time when a cast regular leaves a series, it's for greener pastures....a new marriage, a new and better job or career, etc.
However, Lowell had to leave Nantucket just to stay alive after witnessing a murder...and he didn't want to go!

I think that if Lowell was leaving for a new job as Head Mechanic at a big Boston airport, the rest of the cast would have been happy for him (even though they'd be sorry to see him go) and we as viewers wouldn't have felt so badly.

It's just that behind all of the laughs and crazy talk, Lowell has always struck me as a character with a certain sadness about him.....Has he affected anyone else here that way?

Adamantium · 08-21-2003, 07:15 PM

The fact that Lowell joined the Wittness Protection Program is what made his leaving so sad. For the rest of his life, Lowell will never be able to contact anyone from Nantucket. He'll never be able to see his kids again. Nor will he shoot rats with his buddies. All the hype of Joe and Helen's marriage, and Lowell left right after the wedding, so he won't be around to see how their marriage goes. That's why his farewell scene was so emotional. Unlike say when Bobby Wheeler left Taxi". He left to live in California and make it as an actor there. Yeah, he'd be missed, but he left to do better. The Wings gang were saying goodbye to Lowell forever. He didn't know where he'd be the next day.

Here's a plot twist. (First of all, I don't like this story, but it just came to me one day) Lowell boards the jet after saying goodbye to everyone. The Government Agents board and then they reveal they are actually working for the mob and then .. you know. The Nantucket gang don't even know that Lowell is dead. Now we all know that didn't happen. I was just thinking one day about Lowell boarding the jet and all of a sudden that plot entered my brain. I'm sorry for giving a sad story to everyone here.

pilotguy · 08-21-2003, 07:22 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by TVAdam
. I was just thinking one day about Lowell boarding the jet and all of a sudden that plot entered my brain. I'm sorry for giving a sad story to everyone here.

WOW...and I thought the episode with Fay being visited by her three dead husbands was a downer!

Adamantium · 08-21-2003, 07:29 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by pilotguy
WOW...and I thought the episode with Fay being visited by her three dead husbands was a downer!

Maybe I should seek help for seeing images like that.

I had wanted to post that story before, but it never seemed right. But now with this thread, I just thought (nervously) okay, here it is.

pilotguy · 08-21-2003, 07:32 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by TVAdam
Maybe I should seek help for seeing images like that.

I had wanted to post that story before, but it never seemed right. But now with this thread, I just thought (nervously) okay, here it is.

Oh, that's fine...in fact, it was quite imaginative....

By the way Adam, you weren't by any chance the writer of Henry Blake's final "M*A*S*H" episode, were you?

Adamantium · 08-21-2003, 10:33 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by pilotguy
Oh, that's fine...in fact, it was quite imaginative....

By the way Adam, you weren't by any chance the writer of Henry Blake's final "M*A*S*H" episode, were you?

I hated that ending to M*A*S*H. Henry Blake was my favorite character. But I probably had that in the back of my mind during the Lowell story.

08-21-2003, 06:49 PM	#1
pilotguy Member Senior Member Join Date: Apr 09, 2003 Posts: 1,305	The Sadness Of Lowell I've noticed that most people on this message board either talk about how funny Lowell is, or how annoying and "stupid" he is.... I can't remember ever seeing a message talking about SAD the character was....especially as the series progressed. Sure, there seemed to be a Happy-Go-Lucky attitude there most of the time, but Lowell's life was not really a happy one. Here was a guy who loved his wife and kids, but had to live apart from them because of his wife's constant infidelity. He had to move out of the Hackett's house and into his own place...even though he dreaded living alone. Some of you have mentioned how you wished that Brian or Antonio could have found a permanent love interest....well, even though he had been married before, I wish that Lowell could have found true, permanent love and happiness with someone who genuinely appreciated him. The SADDEST part of Lowell's stint on "Wings" came when he left Nantucket and the series. Many of us have commented on how sad and upset we get when we watch Lowell's last episode. While the idea of him leaving the show was sad enough, the reason WHY he was leaving was even sadder.... Most of the time when a cast regular leaves a series, it's for greener pastures....a new marriage, a new and better job or career, etc. However, Lowell had to leave Nantucket just to stay alive after witnessing a murder...and he didn't want to go! I think that if Lowell was leaving for a new job as Head Mechanic at a big Boston airport, the rest of the cast would have been happy for him (even though they'd be sorry to see him go) and we as viewers wouldn't have felt so badly. It's just that behind all of the laughs and crazy talk, Lowell has always struck me as a character with a certain sadness about him.....Has he affected anyone else here that way?

08-21-2003, 07:15 PM	#2
Adamantium TVAdam No More Forum Veteran Join Date: Sep 11, 2002 Location: Springfield, Ohio Posts: 7,839	The fact that Lowell joined the Wittness Protection Program is what made his leaving so sad. For the rest of his life, Lowell will never be able to contact anyone from Nantucket. He'll never be able to see his kids again. Nor will he shoot rats with his buddies. All the hype of Joe and Helen's marriage, and Lowell left right after the wedding, so he won't be around to see how their marriage goes. That's why his farewell scene was so emotional. Unlike say when Bobby Wheeler left Taxi". He left to live in California and make it as an actor there. Yeah, he'd be missed, but he left to do better. The Wings gang were saying goodbye to Lowell forever. He didn't know where he'd be the next day. Here's a plot twist. (First of all, I don't like this story, but it just came to me one day) Lowell boards the jet after saying goodbye to everyone. The Government Agents board and then they reveal they are actually working for the mob and then .. you know. The Nantucket gang don't even know that Lowell is dead. Now we all know that didn't happen. I was just thinking one day about Lowell boarding the jet and all of a sudden that plot entered my brain. I'm sorry for giving a sad story to everyone here.