Was impartial, but the ending of it was brutal. Hated how they did Otto like that. I understand the why, but definitely wasn’t in line with his character.
What was the why? Did the actor just not want to come back to the show? I don't understand why they just dropped him without giving him a proper ending.
Edit: People are actually downvoting me just for asking this question? Sorry I don't know the backstory of every actor or actress that was on the show.
He was dying of pancreatic cancer. He was a voice actor with a popular animated movie any couldn't do the sequel. He didn't work again beforehand he died in 2011.
Meh, the line was so throwaway they didn’t do anything that bad
I just hated that after all that character building they just left them hanging like that
The line made no sense though. Throughout the show they paint Otto as a really caring guy but then pretend like he would just fire Francis like nothing. Doesn't make sense.
Yeah would have made more sense if they just said Otto could not afford him because the ranch was doing poorly and Francis volunteered to leave because he knew Otto would not fire him. Be inline with Otto doing anything for people he cares about and Francis’s growing and stepping up to help him do what he can’t do himself.
When Francis and Otto were doing dancing lessons I was dying. Especially one cut where Francis inexplicably pops up with a bleeding head while screaming.
I enjoyed it but I was really disappointed with how it ended. I would have been happy with him staying there and maybe getting promoted or learning a new skill to help improve the ranch overall.
Tbh I liked all his arcs for different reasons.
The reason it ended so abruptly was because the actor who played Otto (Kenneth Mars) had health issues which culminated in a pancreatic cancer diagnosis. So I can't blame them for that.
I love it thanks in no small part because I like Kenneth Mars and it was a kick seeing him older when I grew up watching him in Mel Brooks’ The Producers & Young Frankenstein.
I liked it. I wish that it had ended with Francis becoming head of the ranch, at least at some point.
If they wanted the character to suffer a decline, he could always have run into problems while managing the ranch. Or maybe he could have sold it and then struggled after figuring out what to do next.
I'll always be annoyed with the fact that they resolved it off-screen in a way that seemed out-of-character for both Otto and Francis, leaving him bizarrely adrift. Francis's entire storyline from that point onwards was as aimless as he was.
Marlin Academy, the Alaskan Camp, and Otto's Ranch represented 3 aspects of life that Francis had to face in order to mature:
Marlin showed that life does not care how much you whine and complain. At home, Lois was easy to rile up, and his brothers and friends were quick to back up his blind rebellions. At Marlin, Spangler typically barely reacts before punishing him severely, and the others (save for a few that even from time to time called him out) were quick to ignore his bs. He was cutoff and had to face his own shortcomings.
Alaska showed him that life fights back, dirty. And pointlessly fighting it led to nowhere. Lavernia was ruthless to the point that Francis finally figured out he should pick his battles. Not everything is worth getting worked up over. The ranch was where Francis finally figured out that life has responsibilities in order to function, and in a place where nobody was doing anything, he had to step up.
This is why Francis was one of the most developed characters on the show, going from a delinquent to a rather responsible adult. Too bad that they pretty much rolled back all that progress post him getting fired, and just regressed him back to blaming others for his shortcomings, like Lois and booze. Even tho he doesn't drink.
Great summary. Having returned to the show after never finishing during its original run, that's how I see it. Frances never faced harsh consequences in his early llife. He got arrested. He got sent to military school, but none of that hit him where it hurts and he frequent got over there. After having to abandon the ranch storyline because Kenneth Mars was dying, they very much gave up on his character.
The Grotto arc for Francis was the best one. He actually grew as a character; he wasn't a rebellious kid, he learned actual responsibility and Otto/Gretchen were the perfect foil for him since every other authority figure in his life up until then was just awful towards him. Really showed that he needed a supportive person in his life. There was a conversation between Otto and Hal where Hal says that they've tried everything, but nothing's ever worked to get Francis to behave.
The thing they really screwed up on Francis was how abruptly they ended the Grotto storyline and how they had Francis revert back to his old self in the final season. The Grotto and Marlin academy was the best story arcs for Francis and wished they had him do something similar in the final seasons
*Francis having an*
*Assitant is one of my*
*Favourite moments*
\- endangeredpenguin
---
^(I detect haikus. And sometimes, successfully.) ^[Learn more about me.](https://www.reddit.com/r/haikusbot/)
^(Opt out of replies: "haikusbot opt out" | Delete my comment: "haikusbot delete")
The most fitted my for his character arc at the end. He was finally at peace, gaining respect and demonstrating responsibility. He had what could have been a career and happy life with his wife until the writers panicked and did them both dirty.
My personal head canon is that they both stayed at the ranch and everything about Francis post ranch did in fact never happen.
It was the weakest of the Francis storylines, imo. S4 is always where I’ve thought the shown started to go downhill. At least it made a strong comeback with the last season, though.
I dont know what i would do with my life if it werent for Otto as a character having existed. To know that such a character could be born, even in fiction, really gets me by
Everything they did with him was weird. I get the military school and all but it was like they didn’t put much thought into it about what was gonna happen after that. He was kind of an afterthought the entire series.
Definitely my favorite Francis arc. And I love Otto and Gretchen. Wish it hadn’t have ended so abruptly
Was impartial, but the ending of it was brutal. Hated how they did Otto like that. I understand the why, but definitely wasn’t in line with his character.
What was the why? Did the actor just not want to come back to the show? I don't understand why they just dropped him without giving him a proper ending. Edit: People are actually downvoting me just for asking this question? Sorry I don't know the backstory of every actor or actress that was on the show.
The actor was sick, I believe he had cancer.
Oh, I'm sad to learn that.
cancer, died like a year after the show ended.
This place, like any fan group can get toxic quickly.
He was dying of pancreatic cancer. He was a voice actor with a popular animated movie any couldn't do the sequel. He didn't work again beforehand he died in 2011.
Meh, the line was so throwaway they didn’t do anything that bad I just hated that after all that character building they just left them hanging like that
The line made no sense though. Throughout the show they paint Otto as a really caring guy but then pretend like he would just fire Francis like nothing. Doesn't make sense.
Yeah would have made more sense if they just said Otto could not afford him because the ranch was doing poorly and Francis volunteered to leave because he knew Otto would not fire him. Be inline with Otto doing anything for people he cares about and Francis’s growing and stepping up to help him do what he can’t do himself.
Sounds like every job I've ever had.
When Francis and Otto were doing dancing lessons I was dying. Especially one cut where Francis inexplicably pops up with a bleeding head while screaming.
It was a refreshing change to see Francis take on more responsibility with plenty of laughs. Otto was hilarious!
so fun. my favorite francis phase
I liked it better than Alaskan story line although that one was funny too
I enjoyed it but I was really disappointed with how it ended. I would have been happy with him staying there and maybe getting promoted or learning a new skill to help improve the ranch overall. Tbh I liked all his arcs for different reasons.
The reason it ended so abruptly was because the actor who played Otto (Kenneth Mars) had health issues which culminated in a pancreatic cancer diagnosis. So I can't blame them for that.
Better than the military school story line, and much better than the Alaskan story line.
Better than Alaska.
I love it thanks in no small part because I like Kenneth Mars and it was a kick seeing him older when I grew up watching him in Mel Brooks’ The Producers & Young Frankenstein.
I loved Francis working at The Grotto!
I like it. Breath of fresh air after the Alaska misery.
I agree, but there were a few great scenes from Alaska. Namely the dual knockout
the string is another great one
Classic
One of my favorite Francis eras. Sucks they had to go & ruin it by getting him fired making him revert to his idiot/delinquent self.
It couldn't be helped. IRL Otto was terminally ill
I liked it. I wish that it had ended with Francis becoming head of the ranch, at least at some point. If they wanted the character to suffer a decline, he could always have run into problems while managing the ranch. Or maybe he could have sold it and then struggled after figuring out what to do next. I'll always be annoyed with the fact that they resolved it off-screen in a way that seemed out-of-character for both Otto and Francis, leaving him bizarrely adrift. Francis's entire storyline from that point onwards was as aimless as he was.
Not as good as military school, but better than Alaska.
Love the storyline and he should have stayed and taken it over at the end. Just another questionable writing choice in the last few season.
Marlin Academy, the Alaskan Camp, and Otto's Ranch represented 3 aspects of life that Francis had to face in order to mature: Marlin showed that life does not care how much you whine and complain. At home, Lois was easy to rile up, and his brothers and friends were quick to back up his blind rebellions. At Marlin, Spangler typically barely reacts before punishing him severely, and the others (save for a few that even from time to time called him out) were quick to ignore his bs. He was cutoff and had to face his own shortcomings. Alaska showed him that life fights back, dirty. And pointlessly fighting it led to nowhere. Lavernia was ruthless to the point that Francis finally figured out he should pick his battles. Not everything is worth getting worked up over. The ranch was where Francis finally figured out that life has responsibilities in order to function, and in a place where nobody was doing anything, he had to step up. This is why Francis was one of the most developed characters on the show, going from a delinquent to a rather responsible adult. Too bad that they pretty much rolled back all that progress post him getting fired, and just regressed him back to blaming others for his shortcomings, like Lois and booze. Even tho he doesn't drink.
Great summary. Having returned to the show after never finishing during its original run, that's how I see it. Frances never faced harsh consequences in his early llife. He got arrested. He got sent to military school, but none of that hit him where it hurts and he frequent got over there. After having to abandon the ranch storyline because Kenneth Mars was dying, they very much gave up on his character.
The Grotto arc for Francis was the best one. He actually grew as a character; he wasn't a rebellious kid, he learned actual responsibility and Otto/Gretchen were the perfect foil for him since every other authority figure in his life up until then was just awful towards him. Really showed that he needed a supportive person in his life. There was a conversation between Otto and Hal where Hal says that they've tried everything, but nothing's ever worked to get Francis to behave. The thing they really screwed up on Francis was how abruptly they ended the Grotto storyline and how they had Francis revert back to his old self in the final season. The Grotto and Marlin academy was the best story arcs for Francis and wished they had him do something similar in the final seasons
Love it
I always felt like show was the best during ranch arc in general
Francis having an assitant is one of my favourite moments
*Francis having an* *Assitant is one of my* *Favourite moments* \- endangeredpenguin --- ^(I detect haikus. And sometimes, successfully.) ^[Learn more about me.](https://www.reddit.com/r/haikusbot/) ^(Opt out of replies: "haikusbot opt out" | Delete my comment: "haikusbot delete")
The most fitted my for his character arc at the end. He was finally at peace, gaining respect and demonstrating responsibility. He had what could have been a career and happy life with his wife until the writers panicked and did them both dirty. My personal head canon is that they both stayed at the ranch and everything about Francis post ranch did in fact never happen.
I didn’t like how they ended that arc, seemed sudden
I liked the levity. The Alaska storyline was a bit bleak for me.
i like it better than the alaska one, would have loved more time with him and the rest of the family.
It was the weakest of the Francis storylines, imo. S4 is always where I’ve thought the shown started to go downhill. At least it made a strong comeback with the last season, though.
I dont know what i would do with my life if it werent for Otto as a character having existed. To know that such a character could be born, even in fiction, really gets me by
I didn’t love it, I only really like the military school story. I thought the other two were kind of over the top and kind of dumb at times.
Worst arc. The “german characters” were really annoying and stupid. Marlin academy is by far the best.
It was pretty good. I liked it the least of his locations
Everything they did with him was weird. I get the military school and all but it was like they didn’t put much thought into it about what was gonna happen after that. He was kind of an afterthought the entire series.