Random Post

So I've been writing a personal document regarding dead actors affects on the TV shows that they were on. I've decided to include it in my post today. Also, I will be talking soon about the winners of the Sliver Globe Awards plus information on cancelled shows this season. I won't do it yet. But I hope that you enjoy my random ramblings in this random post and John Ritter as Paul Hennessy on the TV show 8 Simple Rules. I've given that show an A+. Hopefully, this posts well. I could give a more definite review of the show later. I also don't know if I will do this with Survivor contestants or not, but if I do, that would be on my Survivor blog and not here. Besides, only one of them has died so far. Anyways, I hope that you enjoy this post.

Dead Actors Affect on Show

 

John Ritter as Paul Hennessey on 8 Simple Rules

 

31 Episodes

 

Season 1

 

Pilot

 

This is the first appearance of Paul Hennessey. We look at his relationships with his kids. He favors the boy, Rory, and takes special care of his two daughters. He's taking more responsibility in the house so his wife can go back to work. He is not a cool father, at least, not to his two daughters. He works at a newspaper and is a writer. He is now a columnist instead of sports writer of the month. He is an ineffective father. He is the main character of the show. He is seen as overprotective. He doesn't like his daughter's boyfriend. He can be a good father sometimes. He will work at it in the future. No one paid him any value. That's all he needed. He is full of pride and doesn't know it. He shouldn't be full of pride. He is too carefree. He doesn't see the value in others. Kerry Says, "I don't call you man with ax in head (link to Trick or Treehouse)."
He is concerned about what is right, at the sacrifice of others. No one was concerned with why he acted this way. Don't tempt me. You got to let me in sometimes. A smile that can stop my heart. He did this for the right reasons. This is a bad place. They've changed.

 

Wall of Shame

 

Do the right things for the right reasons. He would get up for a plague. I'm a man, not a miracle worker. At least I said it. I'll care even more when the game's over. See, I do listen. He daughters think that he's a bad father. He doesn't know what the right thing to do is. Rory knows how to use Paul to his advantage. He seems more concerned, at first, about sports than raising his own kids. He doesn't listen to his children that much. He winds up on the wall of shame by the end of the episode. He also never cared about the game in the end. So he didn't get what he wanted in the end, but at least he did the right thing and cared about his children.

 

Bridget's First Job

 

No can be a good thing. Fiscal responsibility is the point of the episode. Jobs don't grow on trees. How can you blame tops and pants for the downfall of society? It's worth being lonely if it means being a good dad. He didn't realize that his daughter could be a success, but he is proud of her. But he is right that Bridget does not know the right thing to do sometimes.

 

Wings

 

The episode revolves around Bridget getting a driver's license. Kate says, "I can see why Paul we need milk can be hard to understand." That's a link to Goodbye. There is also a subplot revolving around Kerry's art work. Do you really think that you can get through life on looks alone? Paul doesn't like his child driving the car. Ironic statement by Kate: "There's nothing wrong with your heart, Paul." He was being mean at to Bridget. He needs to learn how to let go.

 

Son-in-Law

 

The plot revolves around Bridget breaking up with Kyle over a dream and Kerry dating for the first time. He is damned if he does and damned if he doesn't. He is used by his daughter who knows a famous sports player. His daughter really does know how to play him. But he gets what he wants in the end and there's no way to control him all the time.

 

Cheerleader

 

The plot revolves around an opening in the cheerleading squad. Paul was once a yell captain (like a cheerleader), but his own wife didn't know. Kerry gets the place, but Bridget was the one who wanted it. He doesn't read parenting books, but only cares about them not having sex. He thinks that Kerry is the smart person and shouldn't be the cheerleader in the house, even though he was once the same thing.

 

Trick or Treehouse

 

This is a Halloween episode revolving around a Halloween tradition at the Hennessy house. There is an ironic statement about Paul in regards to the Ouija Board; I have it on good authority that Paul Hennessy is not dead. No one wants to sleep in the treehouse this time. People don't seem to like Paul and his crazy traditions. This will be their last time in the treehouse. The family will remember their last Halloween together for the rest of their lives. This and the pilot are the only two episodes to mention any of the 8 Simple Rules.

 

By the Book

 

The plot revolves around Paul trying a parenting book on his kids. Paul is once again accused of being a bad father, this time the worst father. His tactics are caught, but they soon discover that they could use it against him. In the end, it doesn't matter that his kids hate him.

 

Two Boys for Every Girl

 

The plot of this episode revolves around Bridget having two boyfriends at once. The family thinks that family gatherings are punishments. Paul likes to put the fear of God into any and all of his daughter's boyfriends. Paul thinks that honesty in the best policy and tries to fix his mistakes when things go wrong.

 

Give It Up

 

The plot of this episode involves a contest revolving around who would get to choose the location of the vacation in the future. In the end, no one really succeeds in their mission. Paul wants to make his family better. In the end, he gets his way. Definitely not one of their better episodes

 

Paul Meets His Match

 

In the Thanksgiving episode of the first season, Paul meets another overprotective father who is now his boss. His name is Nick Sharpe (first appearance) and is played by a familiar actor. He is considered a psycho dad because he is too overprotective and when he meets someone just like him, he doesn't think that he is being fair. In the end, Paul becomes more open to the boyfriends of his daughters. Kate's parents are mentioned, but are not seen on camera. That wouldn't happen until Goodbye when the actors who play them are cast.

 

All I Want for Christmas

 

This episode is a Christmas episode, of course. Paul is bad at giving gifts to his family. His daughter Kerry is trying to adopt a dog and that is the main point of the episode is on pet adoption. When it airs on television, it ends with a public service announcement. Paul wants to help his daughter with adopting dogs. There is also a subplot with his wife performing a solo at church on Christmas Eve. She sings well. The dog in this episode is never seen again, but is supposedly a part of the Hennessy family now. It is pretty good, even though it isn't Christmas.

 

Rory's got a Girlfriend

 

This episode involves the double standard. Why are there rules for dating the daughters, but not the son? Paul isn't involved much in the plot of this episode. Supposedly a statistic: 33% of kids are sexually active by the time they are freshman in high school. Paul is bad at math. Rory is as bad with the women as Paul was at his age. That's pretty much it.

 

Career Choices

 

The episode revolves around the future of Kerry and Bridget. Paul tries to promote Kerry's artwork at the school and probably crosses the line. Paul learns that he can't always be the best person and that the previous generation isn't always as smart. This episode is yet another example of how he isn't the best father.

 

Kerry's Big Adventure

 

This is a Kerry centric episode where Paul's influence is getting her to be less gloomy. He's also bad at keeping secrets.

 

Come and Knock on Our Door

 

This episode features homage to John Ritter's old show, Three's Company and a cameo by Don Knotts at the end of the episode. Paul is concerned that Kyle is now dating both of his daughters at once and doesn't know how to fix the situation. This is yet another example of Paul hating Kyle. That's because he kissed Kerry in the previous episode. The phrase "tears of a clown" is confused with "sexual healing." This episode makes fun of the premise of Three's Company.

 

Drummer Boy Part 1

 

Paul isn't the focus of this episode as much as Bridget is. Paul once again plays the overprotective father with potential boyfriends. This time, the man in question is a tutor to help her with learning a new musical instrument.

 

Drummer Boy Part 2

 

In this episode, it sort of continues the storyline from the previous episode. Paul still isn't the focus of the episode. He really doesn't know how to handle situations with boyfriends or potential boyfriends.

 

Cool Parent

 

Paul is considered a loser to his kids. He fell asleep at a party and became a hero to the kids. But in the end, he gave it up to do what's right.

 

Every Picture Tells a Story

 

Paul is given an opportunity to write a book for Carter Tibbits, a legendary racecar driver that is probably fictitious. He screws up the deal with a joke when his son took him seriously. But in the end, he does get to write the book as referenced in future episodes. But what becomes of it is unknown due to Paul eventual death.

 

Kerry's Video

 

Paul wants to help Kerry with a video. He also accidently breaks Bridget's nose when they are playing tennis. In the end, everything turns out okay.

 

Good Moms Gone Wild

 

Paul learns more about what his wife did during sophomore year of college when they were broken up. He is not the focus of the episode.

 

Career Woman

 

Paul wants to teach his son to not have a monkey. He also wants his wife to have a bigger job as a nurse. This episode is a good example of male/female relationships and could be a good example of something to show under the sexism part of an ethics class. Paul doesn't do much in this episode. The monkey is never seen again after this episode.

 

Queen Bees and King Bees

 

This episode focuses on the mean girl relationships in high schools and how they expand to Paul's life.

 

Bake Sale

 

One of my favorite episodes, Bridget is given a sack of flour to raise a baby for a health class assignment. Paul isn't the main focus of the episode. They treat the sack as a real baby but they end up using it for baking materials.

 

The Doyle Wedding

 

The whole family doesn't like the Doyle's and wants out of going to their wedding. But they end up going and they have a good time. Paul is as much a focus as the rest of the family.

 

Sort of an Officer and a Gentleman Part 1

 

Paul is writing Carl Tibbits's book. It is not known what becomes of it after his death. This episode isn't much of a Paul episode. It isn't really a two part episode. Bridget continues her relationship with Donny Doyle and Kate's sister comes to visit after her husband leaves her.

 

Sort of an Officer and a Gentleman Part 2

 

This is the first episode of the series that I ever saw. Paul wants to find out the mystery of a pregnancy test that he's found. At the end of the episode, it turns out that it's his wife's. The episode ends on sort of a cliffhanger that it resolved in the next episode.

 

Season 2

 

The first three episodes this season was filmed before John Ritter's death, but first aired after his death. That makes them the most valuable episodes this season with Paul Hennessy in them. They were introduced by Katey Sagal when they first aired. Also, The Hot List, YMCA and The Drug Dog, which would have had Paul in them, would live in future episodes.

 

Premiere

 

This episode continues the possible pregnancy of Kate's storyline from the last episode. I don't know why they were produced out of order and this was the third filmed and the first aired. Words from Bridget to her dad, "You don't deserve milk." That is a link to Goodbye. Paul looks different than he should which could show signs of John Ritter's impending sudden death. This episode does present a great what if moment. Kate could have still been pregnant and Paul could have still died. Although, he really was never supposed to anyways.

 

Sex Ed

 

I originally didn't like this episode because it was focused upon sex so much. I have since come to appreciate the episode. Not quite sure what to say except that Paul is bad at explaining sex to his kids and goes crazy sometimes.

 

Donny Goes AWOL

 

This is Paul Hennessy's last appearance on the show. Paul isn't as much the focus as Bridget is. Paul tries to get Bridget to do the right thing regarding the two boyfriends that she has. In the end, he succeeds. The last words spoken by Paul Hennessy as said by John Ritter, "Alright, I hope everybody read my column." That would become important in the next episode.

 

Goodbye

 

This is the most important appearance of Paul Hennessy. It's the episode where he no longer appears, but life goes on anyways, as it normally does when someone dies. It begins with a part of The Hot List, what would have been the fourth episode of season 2 had John Ritter not died. Although the death of Paul Hennessy is never directly stated and the reason for his death isn't either, we know that he is dead now and will never appear again. The family showed typical reactions with Rory getting mad at his dad and upset over what has happened, Kate wondering why God would plan this in her life, Bridget not liking how things ended between her dad when he died, and Kerry not understanding what happened. Life goes on, even though the main person had died. This is quite possibly the saddest episode of a sitcom in television history. But of course, I've lost my own father.