Why You Should Stop Pairing Off Papa O'Toole

5/16/2017

Gregory Harrison as Joseph O'Toole in Signed, Sealed, Delivered: Higher Ground.

Why Dale and Shane's mom aren't an option.

We all love Papa O'Toole---this much is indisputable fact. And because we love him we want to see him happy. Unfortunately, we've decided that this happiness should include a life partner, and the options we've chosen are inherently problematic in ways I thought it might be valuable to address.

What We Know

If there's one thing Joe's brief relationship with Kate taught us, it's that he's actually not quite ready to make that leap yet. There's an interesting parallel to be made between Oliver in the early stages of the series and how Papa O'Toole behaved in Higher Ground---a topic we'll take up some other day---but on a basic level I think it's safe to assume he rushed into his relationship with Kate without knowing much about her.

Eric Mabius and Gregory Harrison as Oliver and Joseph O'Toole in Signed, Sealed, Delivered: Higher Ground

It didn't work out, but he'll be ok.

If there's one thing this man needs, it's time to get to know someone, and determine if they "have the right chemistry to work together" as Oliver might put it. Part of me wants to think that when Joe tells Oliver he's "hand[ing] it over" that the "it" implies not only his lingering hurt over the Kate situation, but handing his desire to find someone to spend his life with to God, too. That said, you shouldn't be looking for Joe to have a girlfriend in SSD8. And even if someone does get introduced, I think I have some ideas of whom it will definitely NOT be...

Not Dale

While it seems reasonable to pair Joe off with a woman we've already met, there are just some women that absolutely shouldn't be in the running---one of them is Dale.

Not only does she fall under the category of someone Joe doesn't know very well, except in the context that Oliver presents her in---as a backward-facing alternative to Shane---Dale's function in the story makes it likely that we won't be crossing paths with her again. Dale served a very specific purpose in transitioning Shane and Oliver out of their respective valleys, helping to lead them to each other. Dale's role in things is technically over---and for a more thorough reason than I can even get into right now, but stay tuned! That being said, when you remember that Martha wastes nothing, you can almost guarantee Dale won't be back because she won't have anything to contribute to the story. And I certainly don't see how putting Joe and Dale together could contribute anything substantive to any narrative from here on out.

Emilie Ullerup as Dale Travers and Gregory Harrison as Joseph O'Toole in Signed, Sealed, Delivered: One In A Million

So you saw this and had some ideas...

But above all, it just shouldn't happen. If I were to entertain the idea at all, the following reasons would eliminate her immediately: They are at different places in their lives---Dale is career-oriented and Joe is retired---he wants someone to share completing his list of buckets with, counting her out. Just because she can't have Oliver doesn't mean her interest would shift to dad---even considering it kind of makes me queasy. It's just a hard pass.

Not Shane's Unidentified Mother

When it comes down to it, this is the blind pairing that bothers me most. It's probably even worse than pairing Joe with Dale. First of all, we don't even know this woman, aside from day-late birthday macaroons and preserving "the last rose of summer" this mystery matriarch is exactly that---a mystery. In fact, at this point, Joe probably doesn't even know that Shane even has a mother that's alive, let alone single and ready to mingle---it has never been mentioned on-screen with him present.

Kristin Booth as Shane McInerney in Signed, Sealed, Delivered: Truth Be Told

This is actually all you've really seen of Shane's mom so...

I acknowledge the argument that both Shane's mom and Joe have been abandoned by their spouses, and the legal caveat that because Joe and Oliver aren't technically blood relatives that it wouldn't be completely out of the realm of possibility that both couples could get married or "whatever." But just put yourself in Shane and Oliver's position for a second and think about how you might feel if that was your mom/dad dating your significant others' mom/dad. It's weird, right? Not to mention if they got married it would make you step-siblings in a way (?)---see, things just keep getting more sideways by the second...

Let's allow Shane's mom the opportunity be her own, independent, entity, with her own unique contributions to the narrative, uncomplicated by some pre-conceived notion that she should end up with Joe. Please?

Then Who?

That's a great question. And one I am more than happy leaving the answer to the to the real expert on it---Martha Williamson. Whomever Joe finds himself with will be the product of a lot of thought at the writers' table about where they see Joe's character going, and how adding a relationship into the mix will aid him in getting there. I don't think we need to put our two-cents into the process without even half as much thought or consideration.

But if you asked me, her name should be "Mary." Get it---Joseph and Mary? And that is literally ALL you will hear from me in the way of suggestions, and I am TOTALLY ok with that.

Resting My Case,
~C

15 Comments

MwH

5/16/2017 11:10:55 am

Bravo. Besides we don't know if Shane's mom is single and ready to mingle. Maybe she is remarried. We actually know very little about Shane beyond the divorce,college major, Steve and the fact that until she got transferred to Denver by Becky she has never stayed in one place very long. As you wrote in one of your blogs this seems to be the first time in a long time she has "no plans to leave."

Patsy

5/16/2017 12:44:09 pm

Hooray for common sense! All the unbridled chatter about Joe and Dale or Joe and Shane's mom has made me crazy!
First of all, LET MARTHA WRITE THE STORIES! She has done a pretty admirable job so far or we would not all be such loyal followers!
Second, it is possible that Joe has a bigger role to play than just adding romance where it is not needed!
I always appreciate your well studied and common sense approach to your blog writing! Thank you for keeping the trivial speculations just that!

Mwh

5/16/2017 01:27:56 pm

Yes. It is the martha williamson's vision. The story will go or not go in the direction she feels is true to their characters.

Carol

5/16/2017 01:44:16 pm

Just please keep Joe in all the coming movies!!!!!

Christine

5/16/2017 01:57:11 pm

Yes, thank you! I never felt that Joe should end up with Dale or Shane's mom. I just feel like either of those scenarios would be just too weird and uncomfortable for Oliver and Shane.

Beth

5/16/2017 02:49:16 pm

I actually couldn't even figure out why ANYONE would want Joe with Dale. She's WAY too young for him! She seems nice and not the type to date her unrequited love interest's father.

Appreciative Fan

5/16/2017 05:56:37 pm

AMEN

Victoria Garzione

5/16/2017 04:32:24 pm

thank you, thank you for making my day. Regarding Shane's mother and Joe had me chuckling regarding the second paragraph. We have that situation in my family. Trying to explain it to outside people is so hard to do. I am always ending up making it more sideways by the second with my explanation.

Pat

5/16/2017 05:27:33 pm

Thanks for addressing this topic and as always, and your analysis is always insightful. i stand accused as a "trivial speculator", I suppose, as I recently posted that I wondered about the other parents of the main characters and yes, heaven forbid, even suggested the possibility of a Shane's mother & Joe match. Whilst never, in any way, thinking I was trying to supercede Martha's vison for the series. Some of us may just like to have some fun while we wait for #8, #9 and beyond. Just sayin'......

An Appreciative Fan

5/16/2017 05:58:58 pm

I could not agree with you more.

An Appreciative Fan

5/16/2017 06:09:49 pm

Sometimes I fear that written words out of context can come across harshly. Therefore, to fans who disagree, that is certainly fine. We all agree on how great SSD is and how much we all love the actors and Martha.

Patti

5/18/2017 08:12:24 am

Sometimes I think that's the "curse" of the computer comment. No context. I have been on the receiving end of a perceived crisp comment....but then I think it's like we're a bunch of friends drawn together by our love of SSD and we're walking down the street chatting and we each just say a little something. We just all want to participate and we all share a faith. This helps me to hear and appreciate everyone's voice. I can feel the love that runs thru this blog site and I think we are all so lucky to have found this. And so "Appreciative Fan" your sensitivity is so precious and welcome.

Tina

5/16/2017 08:01:39 pm

I totally agree! Thank you for putting this down in words. I agree with every thing you have said.

Diane

5/17/2017 10:29:59 am

I think all of us could qualify as a “trivial spectator” just as Pat confessed. I am certainly among those who have speculated, not just about Joe and Shane’s mother, but about what will happen next and when with Oliver and Shane and Norman and Rita. There are predictions about the stories every time they begin filming and let’s not forget all the fanfic that has been written, speculation that has, in some cases, taken us several years down the road.

There is nothing wrong with speculating. No one is dictating to Martha about how she’d better write the next installment (too late, it’s already written). Frankly, sometimes I don’t like her ideas at all. One appearance of Steve would have been more than enough for me. But she did with Steve in HG what I knew needed to happen with Oliver. She did the same thing with Shane in LWY. Both of them, because of being left by someone they loved in the past, needed to be in a situation where they thought they might or had “lost” the one they love – again.

I’ve had scenarios of this in my head for quite some time but they never included Steve. In the end, as always, Martha moved the story in the way it needed to go in order to solidify their relationship. And while I might have preferred a different route, we reached the desired destination.

Does that mean if I don’t like what Martha does with Joe that I’ll never watch SSD again ? Hardly ! I know that however she writes it, it will be perfect. She is a gifted and inspired writer. It will be more than okay.

It reminds me of my Father. He is writing my life story and sometimes I don’t like His ideas. I don’t always like every chapter or certain characters that He has included. But later, I see the wisdom of what He has done and how I have grown to know and trust Him more. I don’t know what my future holds but He never tells me to stop dreaming and hoping and asking for the moon. All He asks is that I trust Him. I may not get my dream but He has promised to do more than I could ever ask or imagine.

An Appreciative Fan

5/17/2017 12:57:45 pm

Really well expressed.That could be a devotion on Ephesians 3: 20.

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