The Wonder Years recently surfaced on Netflix. I found the mother, Norma Arnold, to be one of the more underserved characters. I'm not a fan of the show, but hear me out.
For one, Alley Mills is just so pretty. (And much more lovely & earthy than, say, Betty Draper (AMC's Mad Men.))
Alley's part is unsung particularly early on, as she is mostly just a source of one line: "Kevin."
Kevin, the annoying twit at the center of every damn episode. Complete with the twerpy eyebrow raise that probably won him the show. That's not my area of expertise. Me and Kev are about the same age, so kudos for some great child-acting, Fred Savage. Seriously, thanks for Party Down. (Bobbi & Constance are my favorites!)
Anyway, I think there is more to Kevin's Mom's character. Here, I champion the underdog and accept this project. What might we discover? What does her house say about her? Did the writers ever, actually do her justice? Who are her friends?
What questions does the show leave us with, assuming I can survive viewing this much Wonder Years?
Most of all, let's check out what fun the wardrobe staff had dressing her, stylizing this nearly-invisible character played by an utterly lovely actress.
All content is work safe, with probably some F-bombs here or there - so I guess, not actually work safe.
Enjoy!
Suzy Dragnet
