Nell & Addy: Frenemies with Heart
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Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — Gimme a Break!
jarrodmcdonald-1 — 1 month ago(February 19, 2026 05:57 PM)
The show starts to become anchored more by the relationship with Nell & Addy starting in the show's fourth season. This was obviously because Dolph Sweet was undergoing treatments and his screen time had to be decreased. So instead of the main focus being on Nell and the Chief, it switches to Nell & Addy.
This becomes even more pronounced in the fifth season after the Chief has died. In the sixth season, when Nell and Addy live together in New York, the relationship between the two women is even more of a focal point. It works, though.
I think what's great about the connection between the two characters is that the actresses seemed to have genuine rapport on screen. They could both sing and both do comedy, and like Laurel & Hardy they were physically very different from each other, so the physical comedy was really funny.
Probably it worked so well because Telma Hopkins wasn't there to upstage Nell Carter or steal her thunder. She underplays some of her scenes and lets Nell take all the glory. A special actress does that.
I'd say the best Nell-Addy frenemies episodes are in the fifth season. They have a huge "break up" in 'Addy's Goodbye' then get back together.
In 'So Long Jonathan,' Nell body slams Addy after a massive disagreement about Julie & Jonathan's marriage.
They are at loggerheads again in 'The Elevator.' This is a really good episode that gives us insights about their younger days and how Nell's version of tough love helps Addy.
And perhaps the best frenemies episode with the pair occurs in 'Nell's New Car' when they fight over a car that Addy has sold Nell. They are both really nasty to each other in this particular episode, the friendship really goes into enemy territory. Somehow, they apparently bounce back from all this, since they have made amends in subsequent episodes.