After Lopez Vs. Lopez Delivered In-Law Shenanigans, Vicki Lawrence And Stephen Tobolowsky Weigh In On Their Futures On George Lopez's NBC Sitcom
When might fans see Ruthie and Sam back with the Lopezes?
Spoilers ahead for the November 2 episode of Lopez vs. Lopez Season 3, called "Lopez vs. In-Laws."
Lopez vs. Lopez has spent the last three seasons bringing in big name guest stars opposite George Lopez, real-life daughter Mayan, and the rest of the cast of series regulars. The latest episode in the 2024 TV schedule featured two comedy greats: Stephen Tobolowsky and Vicki Lawrence as Sam and Ruthie Van Bryan, Quinten's parents. With the families set to be tied closer than ever with Mayan and Quinten marrying (and the Van Bryans helping George and Rosie foot the bill), will Sam and Ruthie be back? The two guest stars spoke with CinemaBlend about Lopez vs. Lopez and possibly returning.
"Lopez vs. In-Laws" was actually Vicki Lawrence's first episode of George Lopez's sitcom, and she came on board without knowing what to expect from the Lopez vs. Lopez set. When I spoke with the longtime Carol Burnett Show actress about playing Ruthie, she weighed in on the idea of reprising the role:
Ruthie as a character wasn't entirely "fun and easy and silly," if the awkwardness between her and Rosie was any indication, but that wasn't the real-life experience for Vicki Lawrence on the set of Lopez vs. Lopez. She went on to elaborate on why she was so pleasantly surprised by her time on the sitcom:
Of course, as a mutli-cam sitcom in front of a live studio audience, the pace of Lopez vs. Lopez has to be quick. Considering that her very first job in showbiz was as a player on The Carol Burnett Show, that element wasn't shocking to her. Lawrence shared:
Vicki Lawrence's comfort in front of a live studio audience continued throughout her career, including the short-lived Fox sitcom called The Cool Kids, which also starred David Alan Grier, Martin Mull, and Leslie Jordan through its first and only season. The actress reflected on that show as she also praised Lopez vs. Lopez, saying:
In a fun twist, Stephen Tobolowsky actually had a guest appearance on The Cool Kids back in 2019, so Lopez vs. Lopez was a reunion for him and Vicki Lawrence. The November 2 episode (which will be available streaming with a Peacock subscription) was also Tobolowsky's return to George Lopez's latest sitcom, as he – who Lopez vs. Lopez actor Matt Shively described as a "legend" – first played Sam Van Bryan back in Season 1. So, would he be up for a third appearance on the show? When I asked that very question, he didn't mince words:
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That's truly a compliment to the show coming from Stephen Tobolowsky, who has been quite prolific on the small screen over the years. He recurred on a wide variety of shows across genres, including Deadwood, Heroes, Glee, Californication, and The Goldbergs, to name just a handful. He was also a series regular on One Day at a Time and among the cast members who reunited this fall for a throwback table read.
Basically, Stephen Tobolowsky has a lot of experiene on a lot of different sets for comparison! The actor shared his thoughts on how Lopez vs. Lopez compares to One Day at a Time specifically, explaining:
Both George Lopez and Mayan Lopez playing fictionalized versions of themselves makes it hit a little harder when Lopez vs. Lopez deals with heavier subjects, even when the father and daughter are still bringing the laughs. The formula is one that clearly has worked for Stephen Tobolowsky, and he – like Vicki Lawrence – in on board to reprise his role as a Van Bryan parent.
Whether Lopez vs. Lopez plans on bringing the Van Bryans back in Season 3 is still unknown, however. For now, fans can just keep tuning in to NBC on Fridays at 8:30 p.m. ET for new episodes, immediately following new episodes of Reba McEntire's Happy's Place. You can also stream every episodes of Lopez vs. Lopez so far via Peacock and the first two seasons with a Netflix subscription.
Laura turned a lifelong love of television into a valid reason to write and think about TV on a daily basis. She's not a doctor, lawyer, or detective, but watches a lot of them in primetime. CinemaBlend's resident expert and interviewer for One Chicago, the galaxy far, far away, and a variety of other primetime television. Will not time travel and can cite multiple TV shows to explain why. She does, however, want to believe that she can sneak references to The X-Files into daily conversation (and author bios).