But rewatching the show, as I've done many times since, I've come to appreciate that the relationship had potential. Kris Kamm as Stuart is quite amusing (he may, in fact, be a better actor than Clare Carey, who plays Kelly) with enough depth to justify Kelly's interest. That is, like Ryan from Last Man Standing, he isn't simply a host of correct sounding doctrines. He has a sense of humor. He cares about his family. He makes sacrifices. And he's hot.
His dishonorable behavior in Season 4 isn't completely unexpected--the characters are young and success does go to people's heads--but it's an instance where I think writing needs came up against character development and character development lost.
Unlike Last Man Standing, Coach's focus is on Coach, not on his family. This isn't wrong or right. The two shows, though both relatively conservative sitcoms, begin with differing premises. Tim Allen likes to play a husband/father within a community. Coach is about a guy's life and where he ends up. The end of the series is entirely believable since the viewer has been prepared from Day 1 to watch a man change and grow.
Kelly & Stuart would have distracted from the premise. In fact, eventually, even Kelly was written out. She'd become too distracting (and honestly, wasn't interesting enough without Stuart to sustain multiple episodes).
I suppose I could now meander on about the "stories" that people write for themselves (or that others try to write for them) regarding romance in real life--but that's far too "master's thesis taken to the nth degree." So I'll refrain.
