Last week, the CBS sitcom Kevin Can Wait stunned fans by killing off a central character in a brief scene that also featured an awkward joke about kung-fu lessons.
The reasoning behind the decision was clear, as producers had previously announced their intention to cut Erinn Hayes’ character from the show in order to replace her with Leah Remini in the role of Kevin James’ wife.
But even though they saw it coming, many fans were surprised by the manner in which the show bumped Hayes off.
The show dealt with the death of Donna Gable with a few throwaway lines and the aforementioned kung-fu joke.
Barb on Stranger Things got more of a heartfelt send-off.
Not surprisingly, fans of KCW were highly critical of the bizarre plot twist.
“Still disgusted with #kevincanwait. Season 1 was so good. I hope season 2 bombs & gets cancelled. @KevinJames @LeahRemini @KevinCanWaitCBS,” tweeted one viewer.
Never one to shy away from a conflict, Remini shot back on Twitter:
“How do you really feel? I feel like you are sugar coating it,” she tweeted, adding:
“1) I didn”t make that decision 2) it’s a sitcom & it isn’t that deep 3) she is on another show 4) real things are going on in the world.”
We get the point that Leah is trying to make here:
Not only is Kevin Can Wait a work of fiction, it’s a work of fiction that’s not intended to be taken seriously.
That said, it’s always a little irritating when people who make their living from the arts lash out at fans for forming an emotional attachment to their work.
We’re with Leah on her first three points, but she loses us on “real things are going on in the world.”
Yeah, we’re sure the people who are tweeting about your show are well aware of that, Leah.
1. All that stuff going on in the world is a big part of why people gravitate toward harmless diversions like old-school three-camera sitcoms, and…
2. Most people are capable of caring what happens on their favorite shows while remaining cognizant of the important issues of the day. These people also possess rare talents such as the ability to walk and chew gum at the same time.
Look, Leah Remini extricated herself from the Church of Scientology and is now boldly telling the world about her struggles.
She’s a badass and she’s earned our eternal respect and admiration.
But she’s also earned a ton of cash as an actress because of her ability to make audiences relate to and identify with the characters she portrays.
So maybe not going out of her way to alienate that audience would be the right call.
