The Wonder Years Reboot Reveals Tragic Connection to Original Series

It took less than a full season to reveal a heartbreaking connection between the current ABC series The Wonder Years and its 1988 inspiration. It’s a connection that showrunner Saladin K. Patterson has always had in the back of his head, and ties all the way back to the original series pilot. In the latest episode, titled “Love & War,” Bruce Williams (played by Spence Moore II) returned from the Vietnam War with an injury and a lot of emotional pain. The source of that pain, as it turned out, was the death of his friend in battle, and the guilt Bruce felt over having to leave him behind in order to save other soldiers who were still alive.

That friend’s name was Brian, and as soon as it came up, it set off some alarm bells for fans of the original series. Brian Cooper, played by Bentley Mitchum, was sent to Vietnam and killed there. By the end of the episode, it was revealed that, indeed, it was Brian Cooper who was friends with Bruce. 

You can see the original scene revealing Brian’s death below. 

In the episode, Bruce tries desperately to find a new “normal” by proposing to his girlfriend, played by guest star Yvonne Orji. They ultimately decide against getting married, but will stay together as a couple. That sounds like a happy-ish ending to the story, but the rejection was the last straw, and Bruce finally revealed to his family the story of Brian’s death, and the revelation that he had promised to contact Brian’s family, should anything happen to his friend. At that point in the episode, he had not yet done it.

Later, while preparing a letter and package for Brian’s family, fans whose suspicions had been raised by the use of that name would get the payoff they were waiting for. Among Brian’s things was a photo of  himself with his younger sister. Dean (Elisha Williams) remarks that the girl is pretty, and asks her name.

“Gwendolyn, but he called her Winnie,” Bruce answers, before the camera fixes on the photo, which features Mitchum’s Brian Cooper and Winnie, played by Danica McKellar.  

The scene from last night’s episode is available over at Deadline.  

“The tie-in to the original with the Brian Cooper character, that’s something I pitched to ABC when we originally pitched the show for the pilot. That was something I said I would love to have as part of the Bruce character’s backstory, and as an homage to the original series in a very respectful way,” explained Patterson. “If there was going to be any overlap or an Easter egg between our two series, I thought this was a really respectful way to tip my hat to the original. It also makes a statement for the characters in our world because Vietnam was the first war where Black soldiers served as leaders of white troops.”

The Wonder Years airs Wednesday nights on ABC.