[Redway]

Originally Posted by Soldier Boy

I think as with most comedies there's also been "character trait creep" where he wasn't quite as dramatically incompetent in the first few seasons but became more and more so. Similar to Joey in Friends, who started out S1 as their "less educated but fairly street smart" friend ... but by the end was basically a toddler trapped in a grown man's body.

(Moving swiftly on from LT’s usual bait) yeah. They did the same thing to Homer Simpson, Junior off My Wife and Kids and Chelsea (That’s So Raven). Chelsea in particular was fairly smart in season 1 (and partially season 2) but in seasons 3 and 4 it was a miracle how she was able to get by without a cater all day or had the sentimental sensitivity-intelligence to even have strong morals about animals. In the earlier episodes she hardly acted like that at all.