As a young girl, I loved The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and Rhoda was my favorite character. I loved that she got her own show and her character was so developed on Rhoda. And the supporting cast is outstanding! Who doesn't love Nancy Walker and Harold Gould as Ida and Martin (Rho's Ma and Pop)? Julie Kavner is perfection as Brenda (who deserved her own spinoff in my humble opinion, and also deserved her wedding to Benny to be shown). David Groh was an early crush of mine as the rough-around-the-edges but kind-hearted (at least in the beginning) Joe. To be fair, the whirlwind romance of Rhoda and Joe, which culminates in a wedding less than halfway through the first season, could have been played out slower. I get that couples were not yet living together on tv in 1974, but the courtship could have gone on a bit longer, and the two could have married in the second or third season. This would have eliminated the problems that the writers faced when they were running out of "married couple" storylines for Rho and Joe.
It also would have been better for David Groh, who left after the chance to star in another show. It didn't help that his character was turning into a such an angry person, constantly finding fault with Rhoda. The plot device of Rhoda's separation from Joe and their eventual divorce did work in her favor, although I wish that she would have continued working with Myrna at Windows By Rhoda. I love the episodes with the fabulous Barbara Sharma! Rhoda really came into her own as an independent divorcee rather than an insecure wife waiting for the other shoe to drop and her husband to split. The additions of Ron Silver as Gary Levy, Anne Meara as Sally Gallagher, and Ray Buktenica as Benny Goodwin were comic gold and made up for the loss of Joe and Myrna. My one issue I have with this otherwise fantastic show is Rhoda working in the costume shop. It went downhill after that, which is a shame-because we never get to see Brenda have her happily ever after with sweet Benny. Overall, Rhoda is one of the funniest, most endearing sitcoms out there, and it really does get better with age.
It also would have been better for David Groh, who left after the chance to star in another show. It didn't help that his character was turning into a such an angry person, constantly finding fault with Rhoda. The plot device of Rhoda's separation from Joe and their eventual divorce did work in her favor, although I wish that she would have continued working with Myrna at Windows By Rhoda. I love the episodes with the fabulous Barbara Sharma! Rhoda really came into her own as an independent divorcee rather than an insecure wife waiting for the other shoe to drop and her husband to split. The additions of Ron Silver as Gary Levy, Anne Meara as Sally Gallagher, and Ray Buktenica as Benny Goodwin were comic gold and made up for the loss of Joe and Myrna. My one issue I have with this otherwise fantastic show is Rhoda working in the costume shop. It went downhill after that, which is a shame-because we never get to see Brenda have her happily ever after with sweet Benny. Overall, Rhoda is one of the funniest, most endearing sitcoms out there, and it really does get better with age.