My radar for anti-woman sentiments is pretty strong, and fwiw, I think the criticism of the Brenda-Fritz relationship is valid. The relationship is totally imbalanced -- she needs and he supplies, but when he has any needs, she's unavailable or in a denying mode or too self-absorbed to pay attention. I'd dislike that relationship just as much if it were the other way (as it is often depicted), because imbalance stinks.
To me, it's just a bad relationship, not an indictment of Brenda-as-strong-woman (that is, not a way of cutting down to size a woman who is powerful and effective at work).
A poster in another thread suggested that Fritz's insights into his alcoholism might have made him more accepting of other people's faults/weaknesses, which seems valid. Or, this could be an example of a not-so-healthy co-dependent relationship. Or, it could be that the writers didn't give enough thought to this relationship, because surely there was a way to show how self-centered Brenda was without making so implausible her relationship with Fritz ( = Fritz is depicted as so strong and emotionally-psychologically healthy, but a really healthy guy wouldn't want or tolerate someone who never thinks about his needs).
"All you need to start an asylum is an empty room and the right kind of people."
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