ABC’s The Wonder Years, a reimagining of the ’80s sitcom starring Fred Savage (who serves as executive producer), had never shown any connection to the original series until this week’s episode.
In Wednesday’s episode, titled “Love and War,” Bruce (played by Spence Moore II) returned home from the Vietnam War after being shot and injured. Although he was expected to make a full recovery, the eldest Williams son has been reluctant to discuss how he was injured, even keeping secret the Bronze Star he earned from the incident.
Insecure alum Yvonne Orji guest-starred as Bruce’s girlfriend Tammy, whom he proposed to in order to regain a sense of normalcy. They decided not to marry or live together, but to continue dating.
After Tammy’s rejection, Bruce broke down what happened the night he was shot. He was on patrol with his men when they were ambushed by gunfire. As his squad retreated, he and his friend Brian noticed three men were on the ground and went back to get them. He was shot in the process and called for Brian, who never answered.
Since he was injured, he knew he had to get out of there and not endanger any of his men – even if it meant leaving Brian behind. His hasty decision left him wracked with guilt, especially since he hadn’t kept the promise he and Brian had made to notify each other’s families if anything ever happened to them.
After opening up to his family, Bruce found the strength to write to Brian’s family and let them know how he died. Dean, curious about the picture of Brian with his sister, asked the pretty girl’s name.
“Gwendolyn, but he called her Winnie,” Bruce said. Winnie, as in Winnie Cooper, Kevin Arnold’s neighbor and biggest love interest in the OG series. Her brother’s death was revealed in the original Wonder Years pilot, but the exact details of his death have never been explained until now.
What did you think of The Wonder Years’ special nod to the original series? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.