Why did SHE marry HIM?

[Johanna]

I get that some people might not enjoy discussions about the main characters love interests (other than each other), but I honestly wanna discuss this.

David thinks Maddie got married to spite him, she says she did it because of a great and extraordinary love (bla!) and to Bert it just doesn`t make sense (right about that!).

I think she got married because she knew she couldn`t trust herself once she met David again. I actually think that was the one and only reason for her so-called marriage. Maybe she wasn`t as smart as she thought she was: it didn`t work.

[funkycat]

I recently rewatched my Season 4 videos - they were in pretty well pristine condition because they have not been re-watched too often!!
Have to say that when these episodes first aired with Walter I did think "Who is Maddie kidding?"
She is clearly running scared and because she has had minimal contact with David over the past few months she does not know how he is feeling/reacting etc. She imagines him in different guises and ultimately realises that she is terrified of facing him. So, IMHO she takes the lifeline that is offered to her by Walter and marries him. At the time I was shocked that Miss Take-your-time-and-consider-all-your-options would do something as rash as marrying a stranger but as I said, I think Maddie felt she needed a buffer and Walter was a handy emotional crutch.


When this episode first aired I remember thinking that Denis Dugan's Walter was a charming, intelligent and witty guy but there was no sexual chemistry between him and Maddie. It was interesting to hear Glenn Caron say on one of the DVD commentaries that Denis was one of only 3 actors who auditioned for the role of David Addison who could master the fast paced dialogue. Obviously even though he could do that, the casting folks at the time clearly felt that the chemistry was lacking. Their first instinct was right. It's precisely because of that lack of spark that Maddie's marriage is not believable as 'an extraordinary love'.
Who knows why she really married him - we can always blame it on pregnancy hormones!!!

[Johanna]

That is interesting that he auditioned for the role of David! But no chemistry there.
And later in season 5 when David lists the men Maddie has been intimate with, Walter isn't included. The thought of that always makes me happy. Makes the marriage not so real.

[beesnbears]

It had nothing to do with Maddie's attraction to Walter or even his ability to talk to her and be sympathetic. I do believe he was both of these things.

It had everything to do with Maddie's insecurities. Yes, she was a woman of the 80's, bold, strong-willed and confident, except when it comes to emotional matters of the heart. She has real issues of thinking that things were suppose to happen in a certain order or a certain way and when things begin to deviate from what she visualizes she builds the Great Wall of China around herself.

I have decided, after watching the whole evolution of David and Maddie's relationship many times back then and now (VHS tapes then.......DVD's now!!) that the real reason Maddie married Walter is because of what we learned in Tracks of My Tears. Her love and desire was so deep for David that she was truly afraid that he would try to become someone that he was not, i.e., Pat Boone. She did not want to force obligations on him, especially with her thinking that the baby was Sam's.

Yes, David repeatedly declared his love to her, but she simply had trouble with matters of the heart.....

I have tried to take this viewpoint just recently as I have been watching Season 5. It's either that or view Maddie as mean and spiteful.....I don't like doing that anymore!!

This is why I really have enjoyed Virtual Moonlighting and some of the other fan fiction out there. They completely understand Maddie and reveal how she eventually listens to her heart, but still does not lose her edge from the 80's.

[bluemooner]

ooh, i really like your post, beesnbears!

[beesnbears]

Thanks Bluemooner!! And I still feel the same way, too!!

BTW, I have enjoyed many of your posts as well!

[bertviola]

I think she married Walter because he was the "safe bet". Remember how they talk about the gambling? Seeing her "train crash" dream, I think she feels being with David is "the gamble". She isn't ready for that(despite the many years) and probably never will be. She is still a frightened, little girl who is not used to really running her own life(which is a bit odd, since she seemed to have made some progress on that part since the pilot, but then again, having money or not makes a big difference in how well someone can conceal how mature and able someone is). In my opinion, Walter was the "safe bet" that allowed her to continue to live the cushy, cozy life she was used to without her changing(you can also see that in their big fight scene in episode 12, she's basically the same Maddie, only yelling at Walter instead of David). It does make some odd sense in that way for me, but I still think if they have to let her do that, it would have made more sense if she had stopped over somewhere to meet Sam and marry him(especially since she seemed to think the kid is his).