Like most of us I miss the show these days, and I miss the gang. Some characters I miss more than others and you
know who tops the list so earlier this evening I got out the Season Two discs and replayed
Frankie My Dear yet again. It really is a remarkably good episode, one of the standouts of a remarkably good series. The story itself has a sort of timeless quality to it, something that has undoubtably been played out throughout the ages, from medieval times to the
Star Trek era; with a little tinkering I can see it working for other shows as well. In another timeline maybe it's Daphne on a date with that lunkhead Dylan, with Fred in the role of Princey and Scooby and Shaggy are under the coat as Orlando Doo.
I think overall Mac and Bloo got a little more screen time than Frankie did but her time was excellent time indeed and she really carried the episode well. And of course it's always nice to see her happy and smiling even though you know life is going to hand her another lemon. She shrugs it off and moves on, showing that she's stronger inside than you think. I have no doubt in my mind that if Mac and Bloo hadn't gotten involved and she had gotten into a relationship with Dylan, she would have seen through him soon enough and sent him packing, and if he'd turned out to be an abusive sort she isn't the sort who would've gotten trapped; she might put up with it briefly but eventually she'd have flattened the coward and had him arrested. Mac and Bloo turned in a good, solid performance as well, from the "and hot!" routine through the final confrontation with Dylan and everything in between. Chris and Princey's roles, while smaller, were just as important to the story, and they were both perfect for the parts they needed to play, the lovestruck teenager and the somewhat dim, over-the-top romantic. And then there's Orlando Bloo, one of the funniest characters the Foster's team ever dreamed up. I doubt we'll see him again before the series ends but I think one last time would be a hilarious treat for us all. I'd love to see Mr. Herriman under that coat with Bloo sitting on his head.
Again, this was a standout episode, and for me it remains my favorite even to this day, three and a half years after it first aired. Frankie will always be the star in my eyes, and in this episode she
was the star in nearly every way, but I tip my hat to all the other characters involved, regulars and one-shots alike, and to the artists and writers who made it all possible. Well done I say, well done to all!
