Fans are holding out hope that season six will bring some much needed fun back into the show. Here are some of the characters who are missed.
1. Tonye Patano (Heylia James)
Heylia was a significant part of the show’s comedy from the pilot episode. Her delivery of each one liner was always perfectly executed, and all banter at her house flowed perfectly. Fans missed her constant presence when Nancy stopped doing direct business with her in season two, but she is now out of the picture entirely, and the show is suffering in her absence.
2. Romany Malco (Conrad James)
Conrad was part of Heylia’s family and business, so he was only around for marginally longer than she was. He stayed in the show till the end of season three, and hasn’t made a single appearance since then. Not only does the show feel weaker without him, but Nancy has not had another connection of equal power. As great as Esteban is, their chemistry pales in comparison to hers with Conrad.
3. Renee Victor (Lupita)
Lupita was the live-in housekeeper when the Botwins lived in Agrestic. Her wit was sharper and quicker than most others on the show, and the best quote on the show to date belongs to her. Andy and Doug are sitting across from one another in the living room debating terminology, and when Lupita comes in they turn to her: “Lupita, what do you call the thing between the dick and the a**hole?” With a perfect smirk, she says, “The coffee table.”
Since the move, Lupita has appeared very briefly in a couple episodes, primarily when Nancy first comes home from the hospital with the new baby. It is not quite the same though, and the family feels more strained without her presence.
4. Maulik Pancholy (Sanjay)
The paranoid, often-apologetic Sanjay was a fun character in a different way than most of the cast – he was usually the butt of the jokes or the cause of trouble rather than a comedian himself. But he was sincere in his attempts to help Nancy out and Pancholy is able to make the character very funny even with his many challenges.
Thankfully, it looks as though Sanjay is coming back. In the most recent episode of season five, Sanjay and many of the old crew have been united for a group meeting with a new leader – Celia Hodes. This should be interesting.
5. Allie Grant (Isabelle Hodes)
True, Isabelle has been around in recent seasons here and there. Fans loved her brief phase as Shane’s constant best buddy. But her appearances have been sporadic, especially compared to the comedic gold that she and her mother, Celia, used to create in the first couple seasons.
Along with Sanjay, it looks like Isabelle will be joining – if not leading – the new group. As Isabelle moves into her teenage years, her bitter smirk is becoming more and more prominent, but never was it so perfect as when the circle of introductions came around to her and she spat out, “Isabelle Hodes. The brains.”
