MovieChat Forums > American Dreams (2002) Discussion > Had it ended on its own terms...

Had it ended on its own terms...

posted 17 years ago by bluefooeyes
12 replies | jump to latest

how do you think it would've ended? And I don't mean the alternate series finale ending at the end of Season 3. I mean if it had been allowed to go on to a 4th, 5th, 6th...etc season. I wonder if they had a plan from the very beginning (like some shows do) on how they wanted to end it. We know that Meg would've come back home in Season 4 and she would've been graduated from high school then. I'm sure we would've seen her go on to college. So I wonder where we would've made our exit with these characters. With Meg graduating from college? With the start of the 70s? With a flashforward to present day Meg, JJ, Patty, Roxanne, etc? I know we'll probably never know, but I guess it's just something interesting to ponder. So, how do you think American Dreams would've ended provided it went out on it's own terms?

[–] GotMilk00 17 years ago

Jonathan Prince was saying he wanted the show to go from Kennedy's assassination (late 1963) to Watergate (1974) so that would have been 10 years. Thatis an extremely lofty goal because almost no TV show can last 10 seasons.

But I'm assuming that by the 70s, after some conflict, Meg and Sam's interracial relationship would be accepted and they would get married at the end of the show's run.

Honestly, I really don't know what else they would have done from there. Maybe JJ would do something significant with the space program. Patti and Will's roles could be enhanced drastically as they would be much older. There are so many possibilities, it's hard to say. The one thing I feel strongly they would do though would be the Sam/Meg relationship.

[–] bluefooeyes 17 years ago

Yeah you're right, it is really hard to say. I don't know about the whole Sam/Meg thing though. I thought they were cute together and they definately got eachother so I'm sure they would've made a good couple, but in a different time. I read something awhile back with Prince referring to Sam and Meg as being star crossed, as hokey as that may sound. They would've definately been able to be together in another time, that we know for sure and no doubt they would've been met with a lot less adversity. But they weren't from another time, they grew up in the 60s. I think this is something they would've played with in the seasons that could've followed, much like they did in seasons 1-3 but I don't think they would've made Sam and Meg a full blown couple. They might've run the risk of people seeing this as the show trying to make too big of a statement. If Sam and Meg did end up together at some point in the future, I don't think they would've stayed together forever and ending up getting married. I do also recall something I read where Prince was talking about the type of guy Meg would've probably ended up with and it wasn't Sam. I vaguely remember him saying that she'd probably end up marrying a guy similar to Luke, maybe a producer or something. Which I can totally picture.

[–] pioneergrrrl 17 years ago

I doubt that the Pryors would think it's a statement. Loving v. Virgina was handed down in the 1960's and the Pryors had then known Sam for a very long time. So it would just be handled like the previous opening of a store in North Philly had been--the times are changing.

If anything were to make a statement, I'd bet JJ coming home from Vietnam wounded and now disillusioned would do it.

This would be a contrast to his 'all-American father, who wants to be quiet about things, content to let them run their course. JJ and the growning up Will would publically press for greater disability accomodations/services for the both of them. The disability movement did start in the early 1970's both from disabled vets and non-vets who were simply being denied accomodations because they had disabilities.

[–] bluefooeyes 17 years ago

JJ sord of followed in his father's footsteps though and in the end, agreed with him on a lot of stuff. Like, for example, when Meg told him that she and Sam might be more than friends and JJ told her it was a bad idea and that he wouldn't forgive her if she did something like that.

[–] pioneergrrrl 16 years ago

But would JJ still be quiet if he were the one shut out of so many opportunities only because he had served his country and now survived?

He after all was sincerely concerned when his mom confessed she actually did not like cooking every night--and that was why they had Tuna Casserole in what seemed like every night.

It jarred him that his mom did something she sometimes hated. But he did not 'write it off' and his mom had not thought oh he's a guy, he won't understand my feeling trapped and stereotyped.

I could believe that JJ would ultimately depart with his father on other social issues.

[–] shylock13 16 years ago

I also think that Sam and Meg would have ended up together. They had that chemistry right from the beginning. I think it would have been a fitting end, by the end of the show their interracial relationship would have been more accepted.

[–] pioneergrrrl 16 years ago

YES! It was so obvious that they would have been the best couple. They clicked together with each other.

[–] lizzo13 17 years ago

I don't know how it would have ended, but I ALWAYS thought it should have ended with RFK's death in 1968. I just would have loved for them to get to that year and am still disappointed they didn't make it.. I think the pilot was perfect for opening with JFK's death, and it would have been great to go full circle and end with RFK's... Kind of a mirror of the first episode..

Hearts disfigure, but that's no concern when we're wounded together..

[–] kerneschick2005 16 years ago

speaking of the alternate ending, I never saw the finale when it originally aired. The only finale I have seen was the one I found at megavideo and downloaded. Which is the original, and how do I find the alternate?

thanks!

[–] bluefooeyes 16 years ago

The alternate series finale ending was never aired and is not available anywhere. The only way we'll likely see it is if they release Season 3 officially on DVD or find some sort of alternate way of "airing" the finale on the internet (which is something they were working at a few years back but it never happened).

[–] atomicseasoning 16 years ago

Yeah that would've been interesting showing the remainder of the 60s and what the characters would've done next. Maybe Meg and Sam would've ended up together, but who knows. JJ's plot would've been interesting if they said he nearly missed being on the rocket test launch which killed three astronauts in 1967, or even more dramatic, what if JJ nearly made it onto the Challenger Space Shuttle in 1986 before its disaster or at least knew some of the astronauts! (Wouldn't have some of the Challenger astronauts been about "JJ's age" in the 1960s?)

[–] DegrassiFan08 16 years ago

I don't know for sure but don't you have to have some sort of degree to be an astronaut? I would have liked to see more of his storyline though. He seemed to be making a good impact,espeically coming up with the glove idea. I'd also like to think he gets a head coaching job at East Catholic for football.

I also read there would be tension in their marriage after Beth wants to go back to Penn. As a huge fan of Beth and JJ I hate it when they fight. After all they've been through.

I always wanted to know what would have happened with those corrupt cops/city council. The ones that beat up JJ and busted up the tail lights of the car. That was an interesting story line.

I'm still hoping that season 2 and 3 are released on DVD. Luckily I have them downloaded but I'd still love the DVD. I'm holding out hope as other shows like Third Watch (especially first season premiered 9-10 years ago) have just now come out on DVD.