Poor Stephanie always getting disciplined by Joanna
I think Joanna is a bit hard on Stephanie in many episodes. She is always scolding Stephanie. I understand she's the boss, and obviously supposed to boss her around to some extent-- but doesn't it seem as if Joanna is too bossy sometimes?
Maybe that was the point the writers were trying to make. That Joanna and Dick had to be the opposite of the Vanderkellens. In a way, the Loudons are more the kind of parent figures Stephanie should have had growing up. And when she takes the job at the inn, she is learning to become a real person with a real set of values-- something the Loudons can help teach her.
But many of the stories show Joanna being a bit too pushy, always trying to correct Stephanie.
The relationship between Dick and Michael is not written this way. Sure, Dick gets exasperated with Michael's shenanigans, but he is more accepting of Michael's faults, not trying to correct them all the time.
As a result of Joanna being more uptight than Dick in this regard, I find Joanna to be one of the least sympathetic characters on the show. I think Mary Frann does a good job with a mostly thankless part, but the character is just not very fun. I start to feel sorry for Stephanie when Joanna is cracking the whip.