Did anyone root for Brian Krakow in the My so-called life?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They should have cast a cuter actor for Krakow. You know, a clean cut hot guy with glasses.

The plot is classic teen/woman angst: knowing the smart/together guy is the better/safer choice but longing for the passion with the sexy/broken/jerk.

Oh, and Angela is not focused on having a passionate romance with Jordan. They literally break up because she doesn’t want to have sex with him although she is 15 and all her friends have done it. Angela is very cerebral. She imaginary that Jordan has some great depth to him, and he does have some, but not nearly as much as she needs. That, again, would be Brian. Sorry!

[Anonymous]

I'm the one who posted about all the Patty and Graham stuff. I just read that linked interview and AUGHH! I can't believe they would get divorced, except it does sort of fit. That show. We were all robbed!

I think I will do a rewatch. Would anyone be here up for rewatching and doing a thread together, like 1-2 episodes a week or something like that?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm the one who posted about all the Patty and Graham stuff. I just read that linked interview and AUGHH! I can't believe they would get divorced, except it does sort of fit. That show. We were all robbed!

I think I will do a rewatch. Would anyone be here up for rewatching and doing a thread together, like 1-2 episodes a week or something like that?

I am the OP and I will be happy to comment. It's still very fresh, I promise.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No. I was a sucker for Jordan. What can I say…

Same. I don’t buy them “longing for each other” if that was the direction the show was headed. Maybe if he had a glow up?

How do you not buy it? The season finale followed the plot from Cyrano de Bergerac. The creator said so, and it was obvious anyway. Nobody roots for hot dumb guy there.

Because Brian was an immature jerk. Angela is immature and sweet. I don’t like him as a person in season one. He has his moments, you can see how he can have lots of character growth over several seasons, and obviously this is where they were taking it. But I don’t have to like it. Jordan was never going to be end game, at least not realistically. But Brian and Angela in high school isn’t doing it for me either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Another layer to this is the fact that Angela's parents, Graham and Patty, also knew each other in high school. I haven't re-watched as an adult (but parts of this show are seared in my brain) , so I may need someone to confirm that P&G did NOT date in high school because Patty was super popular and wouldn't have given Graham a second chance.

I also don't remember whether that was discussed in front of kids, but I think it's a dynamic they were aware of--goofy dad, still kind of feeling like he's out of his league but not realizing that he's actually become more attractive over the years(?)

Graham is also having a weird moment with someone he is attracted to (not Patty) which Angela sees and definitely feels weird about--not sure if that would make her more interested in being with someone who feels stable/safe or make her more inclined to explore what she can before she is tied down.

I think I need to rewatch. I feel like certain parts will be more painful to watch from the parent/adult perspective!

Yes, they went to the same high school and Patty was extremely popular and completely out of Graham's league. In the show finale Patty was supposed to meet (non-romantically) with thethe hot guy that Patty did date in HS. Back then, he drove a motorcycle and was a reckless driver. However, the guy cancels the meeting because he took decongestants and was afraid to drive. Such a great little side-story!

Also, mr "safe guy" is clearly falling in love with his restaurant partners. The affair is not there, yet, but it's pretty clear that was where the show would be headed in the next season, so it's a surprise that they planned to have them divorced. So the adult story line actually shows that mr hot changed, and also, that mr safe was not as safe as we thought. But once again, the potential appeal of Brian for Angela is not that he is "safe". It's that he is smart and introspective, like Angela.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No. I was a sucker for Jordan. What can I say…

Same. I don’t buy them “longing for each other” if that was the direction the show was headed. Maybe if he had a glow up?

How do you not buy it? The season finale followed the plot from Cyrano de Bergerac. The creator said so, and it was obvious anyway. Nobody roots for hot dumb guy there.

Because Brian was an immature jerk. Angela is immature and sweet. I don’t like him as a person in season one. He has his moments, you can see how he can have lots of character growth over several seasons, and obviously this is where they were taking it. But I don’t have to like it. Jordan was never going to be end game, at least not realistically. But Brian and Angela in high school isn’t doing it for me either.

What are you talking about? You don't need to like him, but he absolutely was not portrayed as "immature jerk". I mean, he was not perfect, but he is smart and generous. Angela is portrayed as callous and a user towards Brian, and she is literally called on it in the show. She is often sweet, yes, but can also be cruel.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No. I was a sucker for Jordan. What can I say…

Same. I don’t buy them “longing for each other” if that was the direction the show was headed. Maybe if he had a glow up?

How do you not buy it? The season finale followed the plot from Cyrano de Bergerac. The creator said so, and it was obvious anyway. Nobody roots for hot dumb guy there.

Because Brian was an immature jerk. Angela is immature and sweet. I don’t like him as a person in season one. He has his moments, you can see how he can have lots of character growth over several seasons, and obviously this is where they were taking it. But I don’t have to like it. Jordan was never going to be end game, at least not realistically. But Brian and Angela in high school isn’t doing it for me either.

What are you talking about? You don't need to like him, but he absolutely was not portrayed as "immature jerk". I mean, he was not perfect, but he is smart and generous. Angela is portrayed as callous and a user towards Brian, and she is literally called on it in the show. She is often sweet, yes, but can also be cruel.

Brian was definitely immature, and when he was being a bit of a jerk it’s because he’s jealous and hurt by Angela’s intoxication with Jordan. But they were in different places. Angela was growing up and pining for the hot bad boy and Brian was still riding his bike and working on extra credit assignments.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'll have to watch again but I feel like it had vibes of the nerd feeling sort of bitter that this gorgeous girl was more interested in the hot guy. If she wasn't attracted to him, she shouldn't go for him.

I don't think Angela was positioned as "the gorgeous girl." She was pretty awkward and uncertain herself.

Exactly. She was positioned as the nerdy alternative girl who dwells on her own thoughts 24/7. She is pretty but not sexy and not interested in sex. Jordan sees her as someone who complicates stuff; he doesn't want his friends to know they are dating and calls her "abnormal" when they break up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They should have cast a cuter actor for Krakow. You know, a clean cut hot guy with glasses.

The plot is classic teen/woman angst: knowing the smart/together guy is the better/safer choice but longing for the passion with the sexy/broken/jerk.

Oh, and Angela is not focused on having a passionate romance with Jordan. They literally break up because she doesn’t want to have sex with him although she is 15 and all her friends have done it. Angela is very cerebral. She imaginary that Jordan has some great depth to him, and he does have some, but not nearly as much as she needs. That, again, would be Brian. Sorry!

Ahh, you saying this makes the connections to Never Have I Ever clearer. But Mindy Kaling did make the hot guy grow and have more depth. And made a better “safe choice” than Brian Krakow. Never Have I Ever fixed those issues. Maybe that’s why I love it so much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No. I was a sucker for Jordan. What can I say…

Same. I don’t buy them “longing for each other” if that was the direction the show was headed. Maybe if he had a glow up?

How do you not buy it? The season finale followed the plot from Cyrano de Bergerac. The creator said so, and it was obvious anyway. Nobody roots for hot dumb guy there.

Because Brian was an immature jerk. Angela is immature and sweet. I don’t like him as a person in season one. He has his moments, you can see how he can have lots of character growth over several seasons, and obviously this is where they were taking it. But I don’t have to like it. Jordan was never going to be end game, at least not realistically. But Brian and Angela in high school isn’t doing it for me either.

What are you talking about? You don't need to like him, but he absolutely was not portrayed as "immature jerk". I mean, he was not perfect, but he is smart and generous. Angela is portrayed as callous and a user towards Brian, and she is literally called on it in the show. She is often sweet, yes, but can also be cruel.

Brian was definitely immature, and when he was being a bit of a jerk it’s because he’s jealous and hurt by Angela’s intoxication with Jordan. But they were in different places. Angela was growing up and pining for the hot bad boy and Brian was still riding his bike and working on extra credit assignments.

No, they were pretty much at the exact same place. Brian, too, was growing up and pining for Angela. Like Angela, he, too, was highly introspective and conflicted about his "extra credit assignments" and the life he was living. His parents were psychiatrist/psychologist, not engineers. You are basically embracing Rayanne's perspective on Brian, but that perspective is very incomplete and the show is very clear about this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No. I was a sucker for Jordan. What can I say…

Same. I don’t buy them “longing for each other” if that was the direction the show was headed. Maybe if he had a glow up?

How do you not buy it? The season finale followed the plot from Cyrano de Bergerac. The creator said so, and it was obvious anyway. Nobody roots for hot dumb guy there.

Because Brian was an immature jerk. Angela is immature and sweet. I don’t like him as a person in season one. He has his moments, you can see how he can have lots of character growth over several seasons, and obviously this is where they were taking it. But I don’t have to like it. Jordan was never going to be end game, at least not realistically. But Brian and Angela in high school isn’t doing it for me either.

What are you talking about? You don't need to like him, but he absolutely was not portrayed as "immature jerk". I mean, he was not perfect, but he is smart and generous. Angela is portrayed as callous and a user towards Brian, and she is literally called on it in the show. She is often sweet, yes, but can also be cruel.

Brian was definitely immature, and when he was being a bit of a jerk it’s because he’s jealous and hurt by Angela’s intoxication with Jordan. But they were in different places. Angela was growing up and pining for the hot bad boy and Brian was still riding his bike and working on extra credit assignments.

No, they were pretty much at the exact same place. Brian, too, was growing up and pining for Angela. Like Angela, he, too, was highly introspective and conflicted about his "extra credit assignments" and the life he was living. His parents were psychiatrist/psychologist, not engineers. You are basically embracing Rayanne's perspective on Brian, but that perspective is very incomplete and the show is very clear about this.

Disagree. He was happy to do the extra credit and he kept asking Angela over and over why she’d changed, why she wasn’t into the extra credit and other stuff they used to have in common, why is she so different now. She’d started to mature and move past that stuff, going to parties, making different friends. He hadn’t gotten there yet.

[Anonymous]

Just to be clear, there are multiple PPs above not liking Brian. I’m not the only one. And yes, one of the PPs gave some good examples. He’s hyper-critical of Angela and any changes she went through, and of course the way he treated Delia.

[Anonymous]

I was rooting for Brian as a person, but not for a relationship with Angela. I think overall Angela is a good example of a girl learning boundaries and not giving into pressure- either to do things she's not ready for physically, and also not giving into pressure to date a guy just because he likes her even if she's not interested.

I was more invested/interested in her friendships.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No. I was a sucker for Jordan. What can I say…

Same. I don’t buy them “longing for each other” if that was the direction the show was headed. Maybe if he had a glow up?

How do you not buy it? The season finale followed the plot from Cyrano de Bergerac. The creator said so, and it was obvious anyway. Nobody roots for hot dumb guy there.

Because Brian was an immature jerk. Angela is immature and sweet. I don’t like him as a person in season one. He has his moments, you can see how he can have lots of character growth over several seasons, and obviously this is where they were taking it. But I don’t have to like it. Jordan was never going to be end game, at least not realistically. But Brian and Angela in high school isn’t doing it for me either.

What are you talking about? You don't need to like him, but he absolutely was not portrayed as "immature jerk". I mean, he was not perfect, but he is smart and generous. Angela is portrayed as callous and a user towards Brian, and she is literally called on it in the show. She is often sweet, yes, but can also be cruel.

Brian was definitely immature, and when he was being a bit of a jerk it’s because he’s jealous and hurt by Angela’s intoxication with Jordan. But they were in different places. Angela was growing up and pining for the hot bad boy and Brian was still riding his bike and working on extra credit assignments.

No, they were pretty much at the exact same place. Brian, too, was growing up and pining for Angela. Like Angela, he, too, was highly introspective and conflicted about his "extra credit assignments" and the life he was living. His parents were psychiatrist/psychologist, not engineers. You are basically embracing Rayanne's perspective on Brian, but that perspective is very incomplete and the show is very clear about this.

Disagree. He was happy to do the extra credit and he kept asking Angela over and over why she’d changed, why she wasn’t into the extra credit and other stuff they used to have in common, why is she so different now. She’d started to mature and move past that stuff, going to parties, making different friends. He hadn’t gotten there yet.

Nope, he was not happy to do "the extra credits" and he called Angela on some of the fake stuff she did to fit in with the cool crowd, not on cutting classes. He spent a lot of time thinking about girls (we know all this because there was a whole episode narrated from his perspective) and was really in a very similar stage as Angela (very much obsessed with the other sex but not sexually active, very self-aware and insecure). He never complained that Angela was different now because she didn't care about extra credit. That would just be stupid and I don't know why are you inventing this.

Brian occasionally complained when she was egregiously using him (taking his bike and leaving it at Jordan's place without even thinking about that, etc) and when she pretended to be or know something she didn't. He listened and supported her whenever she needed it, and literally helped Jordan woo her back. This is a complex character that the show spent a lot of time flashing out, and not some generic stand-in for a nerd.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just to be clear, there are multiple PPs above not liking Brian. I’m not the only one. And yes, one of the PPs gave some good examples. He’s hyper-critical of Angela and any changes she went through, and of course the way he treated Delia.

How did he treat Delia? They just met, he liked her, wanted to move on from Angela, but couldn't. They had, like, one date scheduled and he canceled it. It sucked for her but hardly makes him a jerk.