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Little House On The Prairie - General Discussion

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jason88cubs
jason88cubs

Walnut Grove was  a nice quiet town, a town with happiness, a friendly town, with a wave and a smile. No tornadoes, no plagues, hardly any sickness. The one day it all changed. A creepy feeling crawle

Egg McMuffin
Egg McMuffin

WKRP creator Hugh Wilson spoke of his frustration at trying to beat Little House in the ratings. “Every time we gain on 'em, they set a house on fire or blind another child.”

Jacqs
Jacqs

We are still a family even though we are now just a thread. Just imagine us as now being Pa's two room shanty which he never bothered expanding, despite Grace, Albert, James, Cassandra etc...

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Mr. Sparkle

Mr. Sparkle

5 minutes ago, jason88cubs said:

Anyone got a good answer?

Yes. Because if that happened and everyone went home safely or stayed in town there wouldn't have been a dramatic episode. 

How many horror movies have some stupid teenager going into the haunted house by themselves? Otherwise the movie is over in 15 minutes.  

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crazy8s

crazy8s

Other questions about the blizzard episode 

What happened to the Harris girls, little Tommy Spencer and the few other children who were brought back to the school? When the blizzard was over and st charles wakes up, I think the only children shown are the Ingalls, Olesons, Edwards, Henry and Joey.

All those other women who were shown making the decorations and entering the school, and the rescued children did what....? Walked home together in a blizzard?? Woke up before st charles and hightailed it home??

Blizzard so bad everyone was stranded in town but Edwards and 2 (maybe drunk) children can walk back to the school, through what would presumably be deep snow, without snowshoes or anything?

Also, who put new glass in the shattered schoolhouse window that isn't broken when the shutters are opened after the storm??

I have obviously seen this episode way too many times and put way too much thought into logical questions to things with no logical answer.😀

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jason88cubs

jason88cubs

2 hours ago, crazy8s said:

Other questions about the blizzard episode 

What happened to the Harris girls, little Tommy Spencer and the few other children who were brought back to the school? When the blizzard was over and st charles wakes up, I think the only children shown are the Ingalls, Olesons, Edwards, Henry and Joey.

All those other women who were shown making the decorations and entering the school, and the rescued children did what....? Walked home together in a blizzard?? Woke up before st charles and hightailed it home??

Blizzard so bad everyone was stranded in town but Edwards and 2 (maybe drunk) children can walk back to the school, through what would presumably be deep snow, without snowshoes or anything?

Also, who put new glass in the shattered schoolhouse window that isn't broken when the shutters are opened after the storm??

I have obviously seen this episode way too many times and put way too much thought into logical questions to things with no logical answer.😀

I never noticed that about the window!!!!!!!!!!! WOW

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Blergh

Blergh

35 minutes ago, CountryGirl said:

The broken window glass subplot was one of the dumbest, which is saying something for this show. 

If anything, that one should have been given to Olesons. Not only because they had far more funds for glass than the Ingallses but also because Nellie and Harriet could have made it far more comical not only because they were the best at humor and pratfalls but also because it's  not as funny to think of losing at least a year's worth of Ingallses' income every time Laura smashed it!

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debraran

debraran

5 hours ago, Blergh said:

If anything, that one should have been given to Olesons. Not only because they had far more funds for glass than the Ingallses but also because Nellie and Harriet could have made it far more comical not only because they were the best at humor and pratfalls but also because it's  not as funny to think of losing at least a year's worth of Ingallses' income every time Laura smashed it!

I remember finding it uncomfortable knowing that re the money and how Laura could care less really. Why should Ma start having something nice now?

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jason88cubs

jason88cubs

7 minutes ago, Superclam said:

Charles: hey, can I get another loan? 
Sprague: bro, you have any collateral? 
Chuck: I'M CHARLES INGALLS, DAMNIT!!! 

Nels and Harriet: He used that same line on us his first day here when we wouldn't extend credit to him!

Charles: AND BECAUSE OF YOU TWO I FELL OUT OF A TREE AND BROKE MY RIBS!

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debraran

debraran

Charles had the gall to be "cash on the barrel" unless it was him. He would state it and then forget.

Oleson's "we are so glad to hear that, wise words, cash is best"

Charles "well I just need some seed" Just this one time...

Then they owed Olesons most of the time with a running tab. The funniest thing was him thinking he inherited money and not even waiting for it. We aren't talking about a few baubles, the guy bought out the store and had nothing in bank or his hand. But he was an Ingall's. Then he wants a loan to buy his wife something, for pete's sake, make a few shelves for someone, work an extra job or two. Charles really wasn't always the brightest guy. His kids made more selling honey. ; )

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jason88cubs

jason88cubs

14 hours ago, debraran said:

Charles had the gall to be "cash on the barrel" unless it was him. He would state it and then forget.

Oleson's "we are so glad to hear that, wise words, cash is best"

Charles "well I just need some seed" Just this one time...

Then they owed Olesons most of the time with a running tab. The funniest thing was him thinking he inherited money and not even waiting for it. We aren't talking about a few baubles, the guy bought out the store and had nothing in bank or his hand. But he was an Ingall's. Then he wants a loan to buy his wife something, for pete's sake, make a few shelves for someone, work an extra job or two. Charles really wasn't always the brightest guy. His kids made more selling honey. ; )

Yep I remember one episode where he said "From now on it's cash on a barrel!"

(next episode)

Charles: Hey Nels put it on my tab

Nels: Charles you're already 25.00 behind! I can't!

Charles: SOME FRIEND YOU ARE! ANY JOB A MAN CAN DO IN THIS WORLD TO MAKE ENDS MEET IS A DECENT JOB!

Harriet: Well you can't make ends meet so clearly you don't have a decent job

 

(Charles divea through window and breaks ribs)

 

Nels: Oh no, not again

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Blergh

Blergh

Harriet: Nels, instead of giving Charles more credit when you know he'll do something dumb like climb a tree to get a kite to fall on his ribs, how about just having him pay us in Monopoly money?

Nels: But that isn't legal tender!

Harriet: Yeah, but at least we'd have a bigger advantage over the other players at the start of the game!

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Blergh

Blergh

On 1/17/2023 at 4:12 PM, debraran said:

I'm sure she was just making plans for another child to join the family.  : )

 

Maybe but I'll bet there were many times in the next few years Caroline wished she'd just let Charles keep drying that one solitary dish their last morning in Winoka instead of acknowledging Charles wanting to invite Albert to join them to return to Walnut Grove!

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debraran

debraran

I just saw beginning of Albert's addiction episode. I only like the beginning. I thought the glance at old home was sad and Charles is like "looks like they are keeping it up well". Yes, not renting or doing Airbnb. ; )

I forgot for a moment how Charles had to blame the city for Albert's addiction and bad behavior. That was only reason. Albert had a goal to be a doctor, was smart, could have "interned" with local doc, but Mike wanted an addiction story after his child had trouble. Don't blame the city though, many kids in the city weren't addicts and what about James and his other children? Were they all doomed?

I know peer pressure can be hard but I never bought Albert wanting to fit in that way. Willie would have been even harder to see but Albert wasn't a country bumpkin, he lived in orphanages and on the street for a while.

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Blergh

Blergh

9 hours ago, jason88cubs said:

starting to snow..omg...i hope i have enough food!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The irony is that during the 19th century, rural folks rode out blizzards a LOT better than city folks due to having already canned and stored ample stocks of food to tide them through the winter while city folks had gotten SO used to buying street food on a daily basis that many of them had never even bothered to get ice boxes much less stored any tin cans and wound up in serious trouble in blizzards (especially the blizzard of 1888). I think had the Ingallses still lived on a farm instead of in the town of DeSmet, they'd have not been so vulnerable.

Of course, nowadays there are far fewer family farms in the rural US and many folks there live in food deserts- often having nothing but the odd 7-Eleven at a gas station at the junction of state roads dozens of miles away from their homes. While city folks usually have wide selections of grocery stores and restaurants to buy their supplies(and even have them delivered)  in a very short time. Oh, and I've known people  who've commuted from literally the next state to work in the hospital in my city since there are no jobs closer anywhere near their homes!

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Blergh

Blergh

6 hours ago, debraran said:

I just saw beginning of Albert's addiction episode. I only like the beginning. I thought the glance at old home was sad and Charles is like "looks like they are keeping it up well". Yes, not renting or doing Airbnb. ; )

I forgot for a moment how Charles had to blame the city for Albert's addiction and bad behavior. That was only reason. Albert had a goal to be a doctor, was smart, could have "interned" with local doc, but Mike wanted an addiction story after his child had trouble. Don't blame the city though, many kids in the city weren't addicts and what about James and his other children? Were they all doomed?

I know peer pressure can be hard but I never bought Albert wanting to fit in that way. Willie would have been even harder to see but Albert wasn't a country bumpkin, he lived in orphanages and on the street for a while.

Of course, the thing that didn't get mentioned is how Mr. Edwards had seriously injured Albert in that drunken wagon accident some months beforehand that threatened to have crippled Albert. Even though Albert did manage not to get crippled, I imagine that he might have developed chronic pain from the injuries- and thus would not have been been so adverse to the idea of 'trying' morphine to see if he could get some relief from the pain. Let's not overlook that more than one Civil War vet DID have chronic debilitating pain from war wounds and wound up as morphine 'fiends' from that rather than guilt over others in their units dying in combat (as in Granville Whipple)!

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debraran

debraran

Even though I can't watch the later episodes on LHOP, I did have on The Last Summer while I cleaned today. I don't know why I tear up with Ruthie saying goodbye to Jason but I do. Except for her really bad wig (a common trend on LHOP) I liked Vera Miles as Ruthie so much more than his mom (who was a jerk) or any of the characters then. Seeing Jason liking Ruthie wasn't the same as Laura with all her older friends, it seemed more real with him helping her and Dewey. Then Blanche came on and TV went off. : )

 

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Mr. Sparkle

Mr. Sparkle

4 hours ago, debraran said:

Even though I can't watch the later episodes on LHOP, I did have on The Last Summer while I cleaned today. I don't know why I tear up with Ruthie saying goodbye to Jason but I do. Except for her really bad wig (a common trend on LHOP) I liked Vera Miles as Ruthie so much more than his mom (who was a jerk) or any of the characters then. Seeing Jason liking Ruthie wasn't the same as Laura with all her older friends, it seemed more real with him helping her and Dewey. Then Blanche came on and TV went off. : )

 

I don't know this episode, but they really go to that "befriend an old person before they die" well a lot, don't they? 

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debraran

debraran

6 hours ago, crazy8s said:

Albert and the old casket maker guy popped right into my head when i read this.

Yes, that was a job too so similar but Albert was older. I liked how they tried to teach antisemitism in a LHOP way (much more realistic than some with racism) but that again was "meet older person, they die" No wonder the banker left town!

 

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jird

jird

23 hours ago, debraran said:

Even though I can't watch the later episodes on LHOP, I did have on The Last Summer while I cleaned today. I don't know why I tear up with Ruthie saying goodbye to Jason but I do. Except for her really bad wig (a common trend on LHOP) I liked Vera Miles as Ruthie so much more than his mom (who was a jerk) or any of the characters then. Seeing Jason liking Ruthie wasn't the same as Laura with all her older friends, it seemed more real with him helping her and Dewey. Then Blanche came on and TV went off. : )

 

Wait, that was Vera Miles???? Today I learned . . .

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debraran

debraran

5 hours ago, jird said:

Wait, that was Vera Miles???? Today I learned . . .

She was beautiful, was on a Bonanza too (weren't most guests?) but they put her in the most awful wig. This pic doesn't do it justice, it was like a white toupee dropped on her brown hair. I don't know who did hair/makeup but it was usually awful.

She was beautiful in "real" life. https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/131567|150420/Vera-Miles/#overview

image.png

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Egg McMuffin

Egg McMuffin

I can’t stand “The Last Summer” because I think that Faux Ma (Mrs. Carter) is so cold and nasty about the whole situation with Ruthie. Lady, get on your broom and get the hell out of the Little House.

On 1/29/2023 at 2:55 PM, Superclam said:

That brings up that it is time for my semi-annual rant: 

THERE WAS A FIRE AND BLANCHE TOOK THE BABY OUT, WHEREAS NEITHER MARY NOR ADAM NOR ANY OF THE OTHER ADULTS DID. BLANCHE IS AN ORANGUTAN IN CASE WE WEREN'T CLEAR. 

For that alone, Blanche deserved to be added to the opening credits. Can’t you just see her disembodied head appearing after Victor French’s in that cheapass “New Beginning” intro? “Blanche as Blanche”

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debraran

debraran

3 hours ago, Egg McMuffin said:

I can’t stand “The Last Summer” because I think that Faux Ma (Mrs. Carter) is so cold and nasty about the whole situation with Ruthie. Lady, get on your broom and get the hell out of the Little House.

For that alone, Blanche deserved to be added to the opening credits. Can’t you just see her disembodied head appearing after Victor French’s in that cheapass “New Beginning” intro? “Blanche as Blanche”

Yes, she ruined her birthday and broke her sons heart. She could have talked to Ruthie or husband later but geez, she was a witch.

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Blergh

Blergh

11 hours ago, CountryGirl said:

Sarah Carter, you are no Ma. Not even Ma 2.0 - not by a country mile.

After the way Sarah totally pooh-poohed Jason's gift to her (to say nothing of ALL the hard work he'd put in) and fouled his friendship with poor old dying Ruthie, Sarah would be lucky to get air in a jar for any future presents. And, yeah, why didn't John attempt to speak up on his younger son's behalf instead of just letting his ungrateful co-parent sour their son's generosity,etc.? John must have taken lessons from Almanzo 'Log-Bump' Wilder who'd stood by and said/did nothing while his own spouse Laura eviscerated his depressed niece after  suicide attempt!

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Blergh

Blergh

Of course, what's ironic about Sarah being such a sourpuss mother to Jason is that in the last few years Pamela Roylance has participated in LHOTP reunions and podcasts along with her character's sons and the three have all been happy to see each other and eager participants. IOW, Miss Royland seems about as far from her character as Hersha Parady was from Alice in terms of being a much more likable and interesting person offstage!

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debraran

debraran

(edited)
On 2/4/2023 at 7:38 AM, Blergh said:

Of course, what's ironic about Sarah being such a sourpuss mother to Jason is that in the last few years Pamela Roylance has participated in LHOTP reunions and podcasts along with her character's sons and the three have all been happy to see each other and eager participants. IOW, Miss Royland seems about as far from her character as Hersha Parady was from Alice in terms of being a much more likable and interesting person offstage!

With many of these things, the less popular players seem to like to go and fans are forgiving since time lessens memory and they just want something from their LHOP days. So many are gone or never did the reunions. Alison and Melissa are the stars now and used the popularity to keep themselves going (Alison more I think) Dean fans like his involvement too. I would have only gone if close and Richard Bull was there and Katherine but alas that didn't happen. I like Alison but I always wondered why "Albert" Matt never made one but they did go on talk shows. He might have and I missed it.

I also found it glaring that Jon Gilbert was gone and no one will talk about him, not so much at reunion but anything about him. People he acted with, Matt, Sherri, his wife (although they might not have asked back then) anyone who had scenes with him, did they have a relationship outside of the show? Alison has actually fibbed in a funny way about him doing plays or being a monk but everyone attests to the pics online being false and he isn't a stockbroker wherever (although that guy must get some weird calls at work) Only Richard Bull spoke of his dysfunctional home and I think it's sad. I hope he's well and I'm sorry they show made him decide show business wasn't for him and neither was anyone attached to it. He did keep in touch for a bit with his TV parents and Melissa Sue knew someone he knew but not for too long. I hope he is well. In "google/Internet" world it really is hard to be invisible if you work but I respect his bowing out.

Edited by debraran
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Blergh

Blergh

(edited)

Amazingly during a 'Stars in the House' podcast, when the hosts recounted that MG as well as Matthew and Patrick Labortyeaux had been adopted, MG piped up that Jonathan Gilbert had ALSO been adopted which the others concurred but literally said NOTHING else about him the rest of the time on the- either to address his time on LHTOP much less allude to what any of them believe might have become of him since. Nor did the hosts bother to ask any followup questions. Do you think some or all of them might have told the hosts NOT to go into any detail about Mr. Gilbert beforehand as a condition of them participating in this podcast raising monies for charity?

Edited by Blergh
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debraran

debraran

(edited)
2 hours ago, Blergh said:

Amazingly during a 'Stars in the House' podcast, when the hosts recounted that MG as well as Matthew and Patrick Labortyeaux had been adopted, MG piped up that Jonathan Gilbert had ALSO been adopted which the others concurred but literally said NOTHING else about him the rest of the time on the- either to address his time on LHTOP much less allude to what any of them believe might have become of him since. Nor did the hosts bother to ask any followup questions. Do you think some of all of them might have told the hosts NOT to go into any detail about Mr. Gilbert beforehand as a condition of them participating in this podcast raising monies for charity?

I think so...back then, I thought of abuse that he might have had or something not talked about on TV. I don't know why, because most things are. If he got caught up in the law, homeless, etc. you'd know. Something went on where MG or her sister Sara and most of the cast that were with him over a decade (!) say nothing. I respected his on TV parents for giving him big kudos for his acting (which Alison poo-pooed a bit) and saying out of all the kids, he was the smartest and best behaved. Really no gossip. Richard said he loved having him as a tv son and said his mom heavily favored Melissa and ignored him. I think Katherine alluded to things too. Richard said he made some money over the years, took it said goodbye but for that type of behavior, you must really hate or dislike most around you if not mentally ill. Melissa did look at first but never said if cops found him and if some heard from him, I'm sure he kept in touch for a while. One fan who knew people said no picture ever online was him, although the greying guy they show is close. The brunette looks nothing like him. I can't believe after over 10 years of working with someone, Matt or any of the boys will mention him. An author said he knew somethings but you could tell he was very close to the vest. I think accusations of wrong doing without a report or the person there to back it up is just gossip so I respect they wont do that but it's very hard to drop off the face of the earth and I wish someone knew he was at least alive. If he went to college, there would be credible records (in US anyway) If he worked for any company with SS # they'd have that information. Now he's too old and it's been too long. Just so sad or maybe for him, a nightmare ended and his life began.

Edited by debraran
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Blergh

Blergh

(edited)

Miss Arngrim did somewhat imply that Mr. Gilbert had been somewhat neglected as a child by his adoptive family when she recounted a story of being a guest at the Gilberts with both Melissa and Jonathan somewhat picking at their chicken and rice dishes which got Mrs. Gilbert (or whatever name she was using) to say that if they didn't like their food Alison could have ALL of their food and taking away their plates and piling it onto Alison's! Although Miss Arngrim recounted that she had had no real meal beforehand and she WAS hungry (and had room for all three portions), she was somewhat embarrassed for the Gilbert sibs. Anyway, she tried to explain away Mr. Gilbert's reluctance to chow down  via saying(I'm paraphrasing )'for all anyone in that house would have known, he could have already  gone somewhere else for a three-course meal'.

IMO, this somewhat implied that she believed that Jonathan had been left to his own devises with no one in that home caring what he was up to as long as he showed up to eat and sleep.

Of course, what's also a bit sad in retrospect is that for all the praises MG had for ML for stepping up to the plate and becoming 'her Pa' after her own [adoptive] father had died, neither she nor anyone else has ever hinted that ML attempted to do the same for Jonathan.

Yes, I agree that if Mr. Gilbert's still in this world, I hope he's had a happy, satisfying adulthood (and his privacy would need to be respected) but it's sad that no one in his original [adoptive] family seemed to care that he seemed to have washed his hands of them and none of his LHOTP colleagues bothered to keep up with him (even via mutual acquaintances) for more than a few years after the show's end.

Since it's known that he was adopted by the Gilberts as an infant, perhaps shortly after he seemed to have washed his hands of the Gilbert clan, he might have somehow discovered who his  bio parents were and what his original name was - and changed his name BACK to that to ensure his anonymity. If so, then not only could he have easily gotten legal employment in the US using his SS# with no LHTOP fans being able to look it up but he could have even gone to college and graduated under said name with none of the fans being the wiser.

Edited by Blergh
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debraran

debraran

6 hours ago, Blergh said:

Miss Arngrim did somewhat imply that Mr. Gilbert had been somewhat neglected as a child by his adoptive family when she recounted a story of being a guest at the Gilberts with both Melissa and Jonathan somewhat picking at their chicken and rice dishes which got Mrs. Gilbert (or whatever name she was using) to say that if they didn't like their food Alison could have ALL of their food and taking away their plates and piling it onto Alison's! Although Miss Arngrim recounted that she had had no real meal beforehand and she WAS hungry (and had room for all three portions), she was somewhat embarrassed for the Gilbert sibs. Anyway, she tried to explain away Mr. Gilbert's reluctance to chow down  via saying(I'm paraphrasing )'for all anyone in that house would have known, he could have already  gone somewhere else for a three-course meal'.

IMO, this somewhat implied that she believed that Jonathan had been left to his own devises with no one in that home caring what he was up to as long as he showed up to eat and sleep.

Of course, what's also a bit sad in retrospect is that for all the praises MG had for ML for stepping up to the plate and becoming 'her Pa' after her own [adoptive] father had died, neither she nor anyone else has ever hinted that ML attempted to do the same for Jonathan.

Yes, I agree that if Mr. Gilbert's still in this world, I hope he's had a happy, satisfying adulthood (and his privacy would need to be respected) but it's sad that no one in his original [adoptive] family seemed to care that he seemed to have washed his hands of them and none of his LHOTP colleagues bothered to keep up with him (even via mutual acquaintances) for more than a few years after the show's end.

Since it's known that he was adopted by the Gilberts as an infant, perhaps shortly after he seemed to have washed his hands of the Gilbert clan, he might have somehow discovered who his  bio parents were and what his original name was - and changed his name BACK to that to ensure his anonymity. If so, then not only could he have easily gotten legal employment in the US using his SS# with no LHTOP fans being able to look it up but he could have even gone to college and graduated under said name with none of the fans being the wiser.

In a book I gave a fan, Praire Memories I think, by a French author, he interviewed 5 of the stars and Richard or Katherine (or both) said the mom heavily favored Melissa and someone on the forum said Melissa resented him coming into the family so might not have treated him well either. I never confused photo ops with real life. If I can make up a fantasy in my head, I will keep yours. I like it.

I know he wasn't a big star or that important but someone would have loved to see him somewhere and take a photo. He might have changed a lot now but not then. Melissa G said she saw him three times since he left and made peace with it, but no one says "Where? How?" Very odd how followup questions aren't asked. I don't think a lot of love lost. Michael befriended Melissa but I don't recall any guys. Maybe if he lived, he might have touched on Jon, IDK.  One the Carrie twins kept in touch but again lost touch as he moved.

The Internet is so funny, they'll have a bio of him and his wife Keren and pics and they guy is nothing like Jon. He's a stockbroker in NYC but it's like unlike he had plastic surgery, that's not him.

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