Crystal: Another Pink Squirrel!

[Mmmfloorpie]

Wanted to start a discussion on Crystal as I feel she is one of the more polarizing characters. Either you love her or you hate her. Which do you and why?

I personally liked her but felt Natalie West kind of got a raw deal. From the beginning she appeared in the opening credits but dropped off the face of the planet as season 5 opened. Clearly they were replacing her with Nancy as that's the season they opened the Diner.

Imagine if they somehow kept Crystal in Nancy's role as partner in the Diner. Would that have been better or worse?

It's also interesting how they seem to have planned the arc of Crystal marrying Dan's father so far in advance. In Father's Day from season 1 Crystal comes over while Dan's father is there and they flirt with each other. I believe there are a couple more situations like this before they finally get married in Season 3. 

That probably had a role in her reduced appearances as well. Marry off the character to a special guest star who normally plays in movies and is likely to make no more than one appearance per season...

I wonder if she will be in the revival.

[StaceyNotStacie]

I think the last time we saw her was during Roseanne's baby shower and she just blended in with the other guests. I barely recognized her. Her absence was glaring during Darlene's wedding. 

During the wedding episode, Dan mentioned that he hadn't spoken with his father in about two years. I wonder if Roseanne kept in touch with Crystal during that time or if they eventually drifted apart. 

[peacheslatour]

I didn't have strong feelings about Crystal but I could not stand Nancy. I think when Crystal married Dan's dad there was really no where to go with the character. By the time she left they were starting the more controversial episodes and Crystal was just too conventional.

[Bastet]

In real time (meaning watching one episode per week), Crystal was okay in those small doses.  When I watch multiple episodes in a row, she's too much.  She's so needy and annoying that she's exhausting to watch; I can't imagine being friends with someone like her.  She means well, but I can't handle people like that.

(The character was pretty much doomed from the start; she was created as the wacky friend/neighbor that must, by law, appear on every sitcom, but it became immediately apparent that the dynamic between Roseanne and Jackie was a much better avenue to go down, so Crystal was just sort of there.  And then she got married and kept having babies, so you don't even need whatever real-life issues existed to understand why she'd just fade away.)

Once she got involved with Ed, she was even more aggravating to endure.  She was such an idiot for marrying him.  As I said the first time I complained about this, the fact he was a bad father and husband the first time around doesn't automatically mean he's forever incapable - people can change, and it has been a long time.  But it means he has to show he's different, not just say it, and he didn't.  Dan told her exactly what was going to happen, but she went ahead and subjected herself and her son to it, and then crapped out two more kids.  Why?  Because to Crystal, just about any man is better than no man.

[Mmmfloorpie]

40 minutes ago, peacheslatour said:

I didn't have strong feelings about Crystal but I could not stand Nancy. I think when Crystal married Dan's dad there was really no where to go with the character. By the time she left they were starting the more controversial episodes and Crystal was just too conventional.

Even the change in the character of Roseanne. She wouldnt have put up with Crystal after season 5 lol.

[AgentRXS]

Quote

She's so needy and annoying that she's exhausting to watch; I can't imagine being friends with someone like her.  She means well, but I can't handle people like that.

This. Crystal was an emotional vampire. I never could stand her and didn't feel like Natalie West was all that strong an actress.

Edited August 18, 2017 by AgentRXS

[qtpye]

I think Crystal was awkward and had a very strange way of speaking.  It was very halting and odd.  Also, I think she was supposed to be the ultra girly one, but was so freaking awkward, that it really never came through correctly.

[bigskygirl]

I think Crystal had the hots for Dan which made it a little creepy when she married Dan's dad. To be honest about it, after the first two seasons of the show all the characters were starting to get on my nerves because to me, the quality of the show started to go downhill fast after the second season.

[Mmmfloorpie]

20 hours ago, bigskygirl said:

I think Crystal had the hots for Dan which made it a little creepy when she married Dan's dad. To be honest about it, after the first two seasons of the show all the characters were starting to get on my nerves because to me, the quality of the show started to go downhill fast after the second season.

Seasons 3 - 4 are the strongest in my opinion. Season 1 is better than season 2 IMO. 

I really hate how in season 2 most of the end credits scenes are just still pictures of something. Like dishes in the sink or food left out on the table. 

Also some episodes have a pre opening credits scene but most don't. I think it was either late season 3 or season 4 where there was always an "opener" scene.

This makes me think they were trying new things with the format in season 2. Also all of Roseanne's jobs during this time. They finally settle on the salon and having Jackie as a cop and dating Gary, then by season 3, boom, a major plot change with Roseanne just saying she quit the salon and now works at Rodbell's. Jackie quits the force and dumps Gary and goes back to being a flakey spinster. It's like they realized how big of a mistake giving Jackie's life structure was. Kind of like how they married off Rhoda in the first episode of that series and then they had her get a divorce because the writer's screwed themselves.

Crystal got swept up in these changes too. Lecy leaves for college so they expand the role of Nancy in order to start the Diner and Crystal slowly disappears.

Edited August 22, 2017 by Mmmfloorpie

[StaceyNotStacie]

I'm watching the earlier episodes. I don't know if it's the hair or the clothing, but Crystal appears older than the others even though she's the same age. She even appears older in her demeanor.

They just showed the episode where they talked about how her first husband died. I love how they can't keep a straight face when they talk about the bridge (and poor Booker who thinks they're messing with him with the story). 

[Mmmfloorpie]

3 hours ago, Stacey1014 said:

I'm watching the earlier episodes. I don't know if it's the hair or the clothing, but Crystal appears older than the others even though she's the same age. She even appears older in her demeanor.

They just showed the episode where they talked about how her first husband died. I love how they can't keep a straight face when they talk about the bridge (and poor Booker who thinks they're messing with him with the story). 

Her last appearance in season 8 or 9 I think it was at Darlenes shower... Wow she looked much older. 

Even in season 7 when Dan goes over to her house and breaks the lamp... It looked like she had some sort of health issue... Totally different from the first 4 seasons.

[ItsHelloPattiagain]

I always liked Crystal. She was certainly messed up with all the husbands, but I have known a lot of Crystals in my life so I feel her character was pretty genuine. Even when she married Ed.She's the friend that always got dumped on but she always liked Roseanne (until she stood up for herself at the bingo parlor)  I'm hoping she pops in at the revival. 

[DkNNy79]

On ‎8‎/‎17‎/‎2017 at 2:18 PM, Bastet said:

In real time (meaning watching one episode per week), Crystal was okay in those small doses.  When I watch multiple episodes in a row, she's too much.  She's so needy and annoying that she's exhausting to watch; I can't imagine being friends with someone like her.  She means well, but I can't handle people like that.

(The character was pretty much doomed from the start; she was created as the wacky friend/neighbor that must, by law, appear on every sitcom, but it became immediately apparent that the dynamic between Roseanne and Jackie was a much better avenue to go down, so Crystal was just sort of there.  And then she got married and kept having babies, so you don't even need whatever real-life issues existed to understand why she'd just fade away.)

Once she got involved with Ed, she was even more aggravating to endure.  She was such an idiot for marrying him.  As I said the first time I complained about this, the fact he was a bad father and husband the first time around doesn't automatically mean he's forever incapable - people can change, and it has been a long time.  But it means he has to show he's different, not just say it, and he didn't.  Dan told her exactly what was going to happen, but she went ahead and subjected herself and her son to it, and then crapped out two more kids.  Why?  Because to Crystal, just about any man is better than no man.

Agree wholeheartedly.  I also hated how she would bitch and moan and take it out on Dan when Ed wasn't around for her.  Like you said, she knew what she was getting into, so she has no one to blame but herself and Ed for their predicament. 

I always wondered if she got money from her husband's death, because while she wasn't obviously rich, she wasn't as poor as the Connors.  Granted they had 3 kids to her 1.  But it did seem like she was always shopping or she was always getting her hair done when Roseanne worked at the beauty salon.

[Mmmfloorpie]

21 minutes ago, DkNNy79 said:

Agree wholeheartedly.  I also hated how she would bitch and moan and take it out on Dan when Ed wasn't around for her.  Like you said, she knew what she was getting into, so she has no one to blame but herself and Ed for their predicament. 

I always wondered if she got money from her husband's death, because while she wasn't obviously rich, she wasn't as poor as the Connors.  Granted they had 3 kids to her 1.  But it did seem like she was always shopping or she was always getting her hair done when Roseanne worked at the beauty salon.

Her husband died on the job so probably she got some pay outs.

[UYI]

On 8/24/2017 at 8:10 PM, ItsHelloPattiagain said:

I always liked Crystal. She was certainly messed up with all the husbands, but I have known a lot of Crystals in my life so I feel her character was pretty genuine. Even when she married Ed.She's the friend that always got dumped on but she always liked Roseanne (until she stood up for herself at the bingo parlor)  I'm hoping she pops in at the revival. 

I doubt it. Part of the reason she was seen so infrequently later on was because of a clash between Roseanne and Natalie West (though no one knows for sure what it was about). I don't even know if she acts anymore; the last time I saw her on TV was when she was interviewed for Roseanne's E! True Hollywood Story, and that was in 2000. 

Edited August 29, 2017 by UYI

[ItsHelloPattiagain]

On 8/28/2017 at 11:35 PM, UYI said:

I doubt it. Part of the reason she was seen so infrequently later on was because of a clash between Roseanne and Natalie West (though no one knows for sure what it was about). I don't even know if she acts anymore; the last time I saw her on TV was when she was interviewed for Roseanne's E! True Hollywood Story, and that was in 2000. 

Natalie West has been doing a lot of theater work since Roseanne. Not much TV. And yea, I imagine Crystal got some money from her husband ending up in the bridge. 

[Rebecca]

I was surprised to see her in the (first) revival. I wonder if she’ll be back for The Conners?