A show that ended where it all first began, The Wonder Years finished where it first started, back in that small town with Kevin (words can't even begin to describe), Winnie (soon off to Paris and as breath-taking as ever), Jack (who we learn came to pass in the next two years), Norma (with her new-found success as a business woman), Wayne (who would have thought the guy would have turned out the way he did?), Karen (pregnant as ever), and Paul (the same old Paul we've come to know and love). The final episode still to this day comes to almost bring me to tears, even now as an adult. Just thinking about the way things turned out; how Kevin and Winnie ended up separate from one another; how Jack, superman as far as I am concerned, turned his life around and finally achieved true happiness only to come to pass away after only a couple more years; how Norma, the sweetest and most caring mom of all-time made things work for her both in the home as she always had, but now also out in the real world (although I can't imagine how she made along after Jack passed and conversely just how he would have handled losing her if the situation were reversed); how troubled-Wayne transformed himself into an entirely different and better person as he matured and went to work for his dad (the influence Jack had on him late in life undoubtedly made all the difference for Wayne); how Karen came back into the picture with a new baby boy on the way and truly happy as she deserved to be; and Paul, or as I like to call him, "Mr. Do-No-Wrong" and how his consistency throughout the entirety of the series remained a constant (and I love Paul and I'm so proud of him for getting accepted into Harvard and going into law); just thinking about all of these great people and how things turned out for them, though it seems collectively that they achieved happiness, it is also bittersweet. When I think about the possibility of Kevin and Winnie not ending up together, it just makes me sad. Winnie is so perfect in so many ways, in fact, in my life, I measure the girls pursue by her. And just the way Kevin treated her and acted when he was around her and was so happy to be with her, he just deserved her. But I guess that life doesn't always work out the way it's supposed to. And Jack, THE stand-up guy among stand-up guys, to think that he so convincingly and successfully transitioned from his go-nowhere position at Norcom (that by the way was killing him, and probably was the cause of his ultimate death when it came down to it) to owning his own hand-made furniture business, just to die two years later, the thought brings with it so much sorrow. He's the type of dad I sometimes wish I had (and in some ways I do have this type of dad, but it some ways I also do not). I know that to some he seems rough around the edges, but just look at his situation. He's a Korean-war-veteran, he has an incredibly demanding job (for much of his life anyway), he has bills to worry about, he has a daughter who makes spontaneous decisions that affect the entire family (with much of the strain landing directly onto him as the father), a son in Wayne who really up until his early 20's has no direction in life, and Kevin, who brings with him both the good and the bad when it concerns his father. And even with all of this, under it all, he is a truly loving father, a dedicated husband, an incredibly hard-worker, and really truly a great man over all. His life, in my opinion, emulates the life of a true success story, even though it was cut so short. And Norma, oh god, who could ever forget about Norma? Let's not forget the fact that she is drop-dead gorgeous, but besides that, as far as personality is concerned, she's probably the sweetest thing I've ever laid my eyes on. She's such a loving mother and wife and homemaker, but in addition to all this, as we learn from her success, she's also competent when it comes to business matters as well. But this is really getting away from what she is all about at least as far as the show is concerned. Truly, she is an extraordinary family woman and quite frankly, I can't think of a better mother in the history of television or even real life for that matter.
Bottom line...
I love this show and all the characters associated with it. I grew up watching the show and still to this day, almost 15 years after having viewed its content for one first full run, I still love it with the same passion I did as a child. I love it more than I can describe for all of the reasons I have mentioned above and also for more, ones I can't even describe because I am so infatuated with it. Watch it. See how the characters progress. See how they learn. See how they make each better people while they interact with one another. Witness their transformations. Witness their growth. Learn how they all come to be and how they all come to end.
It's a wild ride and it's one that I intend to take many more times in this life and while I'm still able. Be well everyone.
P.S. I love you, Winnie Cooper.
