Weird absences from family events on TV.

[Nr1Humanoid]

In the real world, close relatives or dear friends would normally never miss a family wedding or funeral, but it's not always as easy on television shows as actors come and go and later are not available. Who were some of the most noteworthy character absentees that really would have, and should have, showed up on such events?

[DiBiase is Good]

I know you specified TV but there’s an example in film that really pisses me off. It’s the absence of Oz in American Pie 3. Whilst there are plenty of things to dislike the third film over (Stifler f***ing a grandma, Stifler eating shit, Stifler’s homophobia, basically the film being The Obnoxious Adventures of Stifler) that particular detail just doesn’t sit right with me.
For all the grossness and unlikeable antics the main four get up to (yay, let’s secretly film a hot girl changing clothes!) there was actually still a genuine warmth to the affection they had for each other. It was the heart of the series. So when one of them gets married and one of the four doesn’t show up, it bugs me. What’s worse is that they don’t even address it in the film (there’s a throwaway line about it in the Reunion film). They could have at least said “Oz won’t be able to make it due to work” or something. It wouldn’t have been great but it would have been better than nothing, which is exactly what they gave us.

[James Fabiano]

Chuck Cunningham. At his sister's wedding.

[Dave the Dave]

I found it odd that the only people at Eric Matthews’ HS graduation party were his immediate family, a few teachers and his little brother’s two friends.

[BlackoutCreature]

The final episode of the 2003 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series featured the wedding of April O'Neil and Casey Jones, and all their friends and allies over the shows seven seasons were invited. Except April's sister Robyn. They invited cousin Sid, despite him being willing to sell them out to the Purple Dragons a few seasons earlier. They invited Karai, despite her attempts to kill them multiple times. But not Robyn.

The 2012 had a similar situation at Splinter's funeral. Pigeon Pete was in attendance despite him no longer being a Mighty Mutanimal and dialogue indicating his fallout from the team wasn't happy, but current Mighty Mutanimal member Mondo Gecko wasn't there. I think this was an animation error, like the production staff told the animators to have the Mutanimal's present, and the animators used outdated reference material for it, but I have yet to see any confirmation for this anywhere.

Smallville had a couple of incidents like this. At Lex and Lana's wedding in season six they pulled Lana's Aunt Nell out of mothballs for it, but her biological father, Henry Small, was nowhere to be seen. Granted they kinda left their relationship in a weird place, and he had his own issues with the Luthor's, but he and Lana seemed to be on good terms when we last saw him in season two.

And then there was Chloe and Jimmy's wedding in season eight where Chloe's father is never even mentioned and her first instinct after getting engaged is to ask Clark to give her away.

Also in season two Martha's father William is introduced, having been estranged from his daughter and her family for years. While he and Jonathan don't really reconcile their issues, William does show interest in wanting to have a relationship with his grandson Clark. He's then never seen again, not at Jonathan's funeral, not at Clark's wedding to Lois in the series finale.

[Cranjis McBasketball]

Vivian Banks gave birth, became a whole new person and the baby went from newborn to kindergartner in 3 months. That’s odd.

[Malibu Stacy]

More recent one that bugged me- Laney Lewis not showing up or being mentioned at her dad's wedding on The Goldbergs

[Celexa Bliss 54]

They explained it in the show, but still, Denise missing Theo's graduation from college in the series finale of The Cosby Show. Basically, Lisa Bonet and Bill Cosby had another falling out, which was enough to cause her to not get asked back for the final episode. So they had her call from wherever Martin was supposed to have been stationed to say she was pregnant.

Did they bring Jonathan Taylor Thomas back for the Home Improvement finale?

And of course, the biggest one of all: Judy Winslow!!!!! Morgan Matthews has nothing on that girl when it comes to long time-outs.

[CMWaters]

Anime example that I've always pondered:

What do Usagi Tsukino's parents and brother think about her becoming Neo Queen Serenity?

Yeah, they pretty much become non-factors later in the series, but a small hint at what they think of it would be nice.

Then again, families not being Mamoru, Usagi and Chibi-Usa were pretty much non-factors in most incarnations. Even Minako's parents were scrubbed outside of "Codename: Sailor V".

[A Platypus Rave]

Feb 22, 2022 19:36:52 GMT -5 James Fabiano said:

Chuck Cunningham. At his sister's wedding.

That's because he was fed to a false hydra >_>

[A Platypus Rave]

Feb 22, 2022 23:30:47 GMT -5 Celexa Bliss 54 said:

And of course, the biggest one of all: Judy Winslow!!!!! Morgan Matthews has nothing on that girl when it comes to long time-outs.

Like all of the Family slowly disappeared for instance Aunt Rachel vanishing while Richie was still around >_>

[I'm Team Bayley and Indi]

Aunt Becky and Michelle for the weddings of DJ, Steph and Kimmy on Fuller House

[Ben Wyatt]

Feb 22, 2022 19:18:13 GMT -5 DiBiase is Good said:

I know you specified TV but there’s an example in film that really pisses me off. It’s the absence of Oz in American Pie 3. Whilst there are plenty of things to dislike the third film over (Stifler f***ing a grandma, Stifler eating shit, Stifler’s homophobia, basically the film being The Obnoxious Adventures of Stifler) that particular detail just doesn’t sit right with me.
For all the grossness and unlikeable antics the main four get up to (yay, let’s secretly film a hot girl changing clothes!) there was actually still a genuine warmth to the affection they had for each other. It was the heart of the series. So when one of them gets married and one of the four doesn’t show up, it bugs me. What’s worse is that they don’t even address it in the film (there’s a throwaway line about it in the Reunion film). They could have at least said “Oz won’t be able to make it due to work” or something. It wouldn’t have been great but it would have been better than nothing, which is exactly what they gave us.

I read somewhere that in the original script (or a deleted scene....I can't remember) it's explained that Oz and Heather were in Spain or something but...yeah. 

Though the Kevin character was barely used as it was (because Stiffler needed to be the focus or everything) that he might as well have not been in the movie either

[Ben Wyatt]

One that pisses me off: Ross and Hathaway not being at Mark Greene's funeral on ER. At the very least the 3 worked together for YEARS but Doug and Mark were best friends, Mark and Carol went way back and Mark helped deliver Carol's twins, yet they couldn't be bothered to go to his funeral? If they couldn't get Clooney and Marigules, then show two lookalikes from behind or something.

[Totorob101]

Watching Mork and Mindy and the 4th season where Mindy and Mork get married,none of their friends from previous seasons bar Exidor turned up for it.

[James Fabiano]

Feb 22, 2022 23:43:22 GMT -5 A Platypus Rave said:

Feb 22, 2022 23:30:47 GMT -5 Celexa Bliss 54 said:

And of course, the biggest one of all: Judy Winslow!!!!! Morgan Matthews has nothing on that girl when it comes to long time-outs.

Like all of the Family slowly disappeared for instance Aunt Rachel vanishing while Richie was still around >_>

I think Urkel has the same effect Zack Morris supposedly did.

[James Fabiano]

Not family, but...how about Ted Baxter not being at Rhoda's wedding?

Sue Ann I understand as Rhoda really didn't meet up with her a lot.

[dirtyoldman]

Although the opposite of what this post is, I did like in Only Fools and Horses when Rodney gets married Del mentions their grandad.

[Deleted]

When they were all in Heaven at the end of Lost they weren't all there.

[agent817]

In "Walker, Texas Ranger," CD wasn't at Walker and Alex's wedding. Yes, he was mentioned but it was said that he couldn't make it because of some flight from outside of the country. The character hadn't been on the show (because the actor left to pursue a career in politics), and this was before he was written off the show.

Now that I think about it, the characters of Trent and Carlos could have been used as they bordered on being regulars. I am aware that they had that spin-off show that failed, but it would have been nice to see them at Walker and Alex's wedding.