The Big C/YMMV

• Alternate Character Interpretation: We're supposed to see the main character of The Big C as an uptight woman who becomes liberated by her impending death by incurable cancer; unfortunately quite a few critics see her as a selfish woman who cares so little about her family (Man Child husband, crazy environnmentalist brother and Jerkass teen son; she doesn't have any friends) that she doesn't bother to explain her abrupt change in character. Everyone else is justified in thinking she's just an incredibly rude person.
  • A friend (played by Cynthia Nixon) shows up in episode 8.
• Colbert Bump: Strangely, has made more people (especially the British, who like this show a lot), want to visit Minnesota, including St. Paul.
• Crazy Awesome: Andrea.
• Ensemble Darkhorse: Marlene. So much so that people are threatening to drop the show after her suicide.
• Tear Jerker: Quite a few scenes, especially Cathy's rant to the support group stalkers in ep. 3.

Cathy: I'm never going to see my son getting married!

• • Throughout the first season finale Adam seems unaffected by Marlene's suicide or Cathy finally telling him she has cancer. That is until, while rummaging for $20 in his mom's purse, he finds the key to the storage container. There he finds not only the red car, but hundreds of presents for every birthday, Christmas and graduation she'll miss throughout his life. It finally hits him and he breaks down sobbing.
  • The season 2 finale when Cathy realizes Paul is dead.