How Little Women 2017 series romanticizes Jo and Laurie

I am not done yet! not even close. Little Women Masterpiece series from 2017 romanticizes Jo and Laurie in ways that the book doesn´t. In the novel Laurie first time tries to kiss Jo when Beth gets ill (they are 16 at this point). Jo firmly says no to him. Then when they are in their early 20s Laurie tries to flirt with Jo and pressures her to get physical with him and Jo says no.

She travels to New York to get away from him and there she meets Friedrich who is her sexual awakening (Alcott did like older men but that´s another story). Jo and Laurie kiss in the series and make out, before Jo says no to him. When Laurie proposes in the book he says that once they marry Jo doesn´t need to write but he wants her to be his caretaker.

Heidi Thomas the script writer clearly had some issues with Amy, since she is written quite out of character. In an interview she complained about Friedrich condemning Jo´s writings, when in the book Jo herself doesn´t want to write sensationalism which she calls “trash”. Why is it so difficult to find a person to write a Little Women adaptation who is respectful towards the novel? Laurie is once again a blank canvas. His immaturity in the books and the eventual growth process with Amy is missing, same as with 2019 film.

Thank you for coming to another Teddy talk!