Jenny Wilder

If I am correct, Jenny Wilder was a fictional character, but I think Shannen did add something to the show. Does anyone know of any real people Shannen could have played instead? She was too young to play Carrie, but maybe Laura really did know someone else that age. I think that would have been better than making up a character just to keep the ratings high.

I Don't know who she could of Played. but i don't think that anyone would of missed her if she had't been on the show all together sure some episodes she was ok but wanting to kill herself that was a little carzy i could of done without a Jenny that is all i am saying

That's the funny thing about Shannen - it seems to me that people either really like her or they hate her. The thing is neither the Greenbush twins nor Missy Francis could act, but I always thought Shannen had sort of a spark to her.

I think they were just trying to put a girl on there of about the same age as Laura was when the show started, I guess to try to fill the role that Laura left behind when she grew up -- kind of what they did with Nancy to take the place of Nellie. I've noticed this with other shows too, like when Olivia was added to The Cosby Show apparently to take the place of Rudy once she grew up a bit.

The episode that I think Jenny did a nice job in was, "Wild Boy." Jenny was very compassionate towards Matthew, and they had a cute chemistry between them.

I know that Shannen Doherty is not a very "likable" person, which is too bad, but I really enjoyed her in the original "90210" series. She was a good actress. It's funny how she always plays a nice character, but in real life, had some issues.

JW wrote:

I Don't know who she could of Played. but i don't think that anyone would of missed her if she had't been on the show all together sure some episodes she was ok but wanting to kill herself that was a little carzy i could of done without a Jenny that is all i am saying

LOL Jacob, I am behind you 100%. Nope, I wouldn't have missed Jenny one bit. IMHO, an absolutely useless character whom they had no business bringing onto the show. I would have been much happier had they aged Rose a bit, if they needed a young girl--at least it would have been historically accurate. I honestly didn't like the character of Jenny, and I didn't like Shannen either. And I REALLY hated her bangs. Ok, so ask me how I really feel?

Teresa wrote:

The episode that I think Jenny did a nice job in was, "Wild Boy." Jenny was very compassionate towards Matthew, and they had a cute chemistry between them.

Well, I have to hand it to you there...I actually did think she was pretty good in that episode. And you're right, she and Matthew did have a cute little chemistry! LOL, I would have loved to have seen MATTHEW stay and Jenny shipped off somewhere! And I have to say, I agree with you...it's not like she's a terrible actress, I was just completely and utterly annoyed by her, which I'm sure was completely out of her control!

Amy, I've been waiting for you to find this thread. Don't feel like you have to hold back so much, though.

I like your idea of aging Rose a little bit! That would have been a lot better. See, they really needed to hire you and Cheryl.

I too didn't particularly like the way they added Jenny to the cast just to get more children on the show, but I thought Melissa and Shannen both did a stunning job in "Times Are Changing" when Laura is upset with Jenny for attempting suicide.
Actually when I did an internship at a depression hotline in college, I often used what Laura said to Jenny as a sort of a model when I was talking to suicidal people.

Savannah wrote:

I like your idea of aging Rose a little bit! That would have been a lot better. See, they really needed to hire you and Cheryl.

See Amy, we really should be writing fan fics together.

Jenny, oh, where to start. Melissa actually addresses the issue of replacements in her interview that came with the DVD set that had the final 3 movies. She insists that Nancy and Jenny weren't supposed to replace Nellie and Laura. That might be true, but you can't have a show that is geared for children and families without any children in it, so Jenny and Nancy became very important after the Ingalls family left at the end of Season 8, and the introduction of Jeb and Jason Carter gave you the siblings element that the Ingalls girls had carried. Nancy began sparing with Cassandra, but with the exit of the Ingalls family a new nemesis for Nancy was necessary or Nancy became useless; and let's face it, you always have to have one character you just hate, and while Harriet Oleson fit the bill for the most part, we had seen enough tender moments from Harriet to have some understanding where she was concerned, so they needed someone new that you could really hate, and Nancy is it.

Personally, I never cared for Jenny, and I care even less for the actress who portrayed her. Jenny had too many whiny and "poor me" moments, and it seemed even they didn't know what to do with the character, as they had her try to commit suicide by walking into the lake and then also almost accidentally drown later on in the season. I don't like "The Wild Boy" episode, so even though that was one of Jenny's finer moments, I would have been just as happy if Season 9 didn't include that one.

I agree, Cheryl, I DID NOT like the "Wild Boy." To this day, I cannot watch it. I despise what that man put Matthew through in the beginning. But, I do like Jenny in this episode, the few times I have actually watched it.

Honestly, until a few weeks ago, when it was talked about on this forum, I never knew that Shannen had an affair with Melissa Gilbert's first husband. That is why I cannot stand her now. And she was only like 17 or 18 or something. Ewwwww!!!! I can get past her other issues, but not that one.

Amy, you got my tickle box turned over! You mean you didn't want a little girl to name Jenny??? LOL

I was okay with Jenny's character, at the time. BUt now that I'm in the middle of all this fine discussion now for the past hmmmmm 5yrs......I do think more could have been written for Carrie, James, Cassandra and Grace. They did have the kids, why not use them??

I never watched 90210, only the tv movies Shannen has been in. Those seem fine.....If given the choice- a Melissa or Shannen movie.....Melissa everytime.
I honestly think all of Shannen's poor choices in the business and private have kept her from doing more work. She just doesn't go into it without "elbowing" others.
Melissa was a bigger woman than me......I would have found that well Carrie fell into and dropped her in it.

Gin wrote:

Amy, you got my tickle box turned over! You mean you didn't want a little girl to name Jenny??? LOL

I was okay with Jenny's character, at the time. BUt now that I'm in the middle of all this fine discussion now for the past hmmmmm 5yrs......I do think more could have been written for Carrie, James, Cassandra and Grace. They did have the kids, why not use them??

I never watched 90210, only the tv movies Shannen has been in. Those seem fine.....If given the choice- a Melissa or Shannen movie.....Melissa everytime.
I honestly think all of Shannen's poor choices in the business and private have kept her from doing more work. She just doesn't go into it without "elbowing" others.
Melissa was a bigger woman than me......I would have found that well Carrie fell into and dropped her in it.

Gin!! You are such a hoot!!


LOL, you won't find any argument from me! But LOL, in all honesty, I'd take Jenny over Cassandra. To me, she was even more annoying, if that's possible.

whitelighter491 wrote:

I too didn't particularly like the way they added Jenny to the cast just to get more children on the show, but I thought Melissa and Shannen both did a stunning job in "Times Are Changing" when Laura is upset with Jenny for attempting suicide.
Actually when I did an internship at a depression hotline in college, I often used what Laura said to Jenny as a sort of a model when I was talking to suicidal people.

That is really neat, and I can see why. I thought that particular scene was SO well done...I loved Mellissa in it, and you're right---Jenny was good there too.

bethandmanly wrote:

Jenny had too many whiny and "poor me" moments, and it seemed even they didn't know what to do with the character, as they had her try to commit suicide by walking into the lake and then also almost accidentally drown later on in the season.

I agree with you Cheryl, completely!

Teresa wrote:

Honestly, until a few weeks ago, when it was talked about on this forum, I never knew that Shannen had an affair with Melissa Gilbert's first husband. That is why I cannot stand her now. And she was only like 17 or 18 or something. Ewwwww!!!! I can get past her other issues, but not that one.

I know, that is so gross. I can't get past that either. I'm much MORE grossed out by Melissa's ex though.

If the other Ingalls kids had to leave town, then the idea of aging Rose sounds good.....maybe they could have just aged the whole town a few years and covered those years with some narration.

But I do think that they just had to have some kids somehow, since it was a "family show." It seems like a lot of people don't really like any of the "new kids" that "took over" when the Ingalls kids left.

My desire for kids for the final season would have been the Cooper kids find some long-lost relative who really needed them and go live with him/her and for the show to focus on Albert, Carrie, and Grace as far as kids. But with plenty of Laura and Almanzo things also thrown in. It would be natural for the Ingalls kids to often be with Laura and Almanzo, so they could have been a big part of the story even without adopting an older kid.

I do like Shannen Doherty acting in LHOTP, even if I don't like her much in real life, nor her character as Jenny Wilder. I wish she could have played Rose Wilder. She was gifted to acting, even if as a person she is not too agreeable.

I don't like "The Wild Boy" for a simple reason: it seems to be a copy of "Silent Promises", when Laura learns Daniel Page, the deaf-mute guy, how to speak helping himself by his fingers.

Vanesa.

I like "THE WILD BOY". I think it is enough different from the story about Daniel, since in that one his father was not any kind of a mean man but was even willing to learn sign language eventually. THE WILD BOY is kind of a combination of the story about Daniel with CHILD IN PAIN and the story of Albert's morphine addiction, in my opinion. But it is enough different that I like it, and I think the boy who played Matthew did a really good job. THE WILD BOY even reminds me a bit of THE ELEPHAN MAN, and I love that movie, so maybe that is another reason I like it.

I learned that Shannon Doherty has passed away. She was only 53. That's really rough. While I am not necessarily a huge Shannon Doherty fan, I thought she did a fine job on LHOTP. (I didn't watch the other shows she was in so cannot really comment on them.) In any case, it's sad what she has had to go through the last few years of her life with her fight against cancer. It seems from what I saw that she was quite open about it and hopefully she has inspired other people with cancer or helped them in some way through sharing about her experiences.