Jonas Foutley is the biological father to both Ginger and Carl. He is the ex-husband of Lois. Jonas abandoned Lois and their children shortly after Carl’s birth. Ginger never had any fond or, for that matter, clear memories of her father, and all the photographs of him that are in her possession are of his leg.
History[]
In Hello Stranger, Jonas Foutley is revealed to be Ginger and Carl's father. Ginger gets a belated graduation card in the mail from him and attempts to invite him to her poetry reading. Although he never returns her call, she convinces herself that he will show up. Lois, however, rightly believes that he will not appear. Lois is in the hospital at the time of Ginger's performance, and has sunflowers sent to the school with a card signed "Dad", but Ginger figures that Lois sent the flowers and her father let her down.
In An "Even Steven" Holiday Special, Jonas is shown performing as Santa Claus, standing on the street corner, collecting money, and happens to come across Carl and Hoodsey. Hoodsey believes that Jonas is really Santa Claus, and confides in him that Carl does not believe in Santa, because Santa has never granted him his only wish (to have his father home for Christmas). After hearing this, Jonas decides to pay the Foutleys a visit, which somewhat improved his relationship with his children (but not really with Lois).
Though Jonas never really becomes a fixture in the family, he appears sometimes to bequeath fatherly advice to Ginger, and to teach her about the extended family from which she is descended. Carl, however, seems to remain bitter, and limits the majority of his contact with Jonas and Lois seems to have mixed feelings with the whole situation.
Personality[]
Jonas is described as an "animal lover" and has a pet dog named Ben.
Appearance[]
He’s usually seen wearing a plaid green shirt with blue pants and tan shoes. He also wears glasses.
Relationships[]
Family:[]
Ginger Foutley: Ginger shares a close bond with Jonas. She never shows any resentment towards Jonas for his actions of flaking and abandoning the family. Ginger usually calls Jonas for advice or to know more about her family ("Losing Nana Bishop"). When Ginger has appendicitis, Jonas visited her at the hospital and delivered her a bouquet of sunflowers and comforted her when she was in bed.
Carl Foutley: At first, Carl shows resentment towards Jonas early on in the series as he couldn't forgive Jonas for leaving the family. He also showed bitterness due to Jonas never visiting the family, which was Carl's Christmas wish every year. In "A Lesson in Tightropes", Carl is angry that Jonas visited Ginger at the hospital and for Lois spending time with him, which makes him think that Lois will lose her love for Dr. Dave. However, in "Ten Chairs", Dr. Dave convinces Carl to forgive Jonas and the two begin a new relationship.
Friends:[]
Harold: Harold is a co-worker of Jonas when they both dress up as Santa Claus for the holidays. Harold shares his short history of having kids when Jonas asked if he had children of his own. He also told Jonas "to go in peace", showing that Harold is peaceful guy.
Romance:[]
Lois Foutley: Lois and Jonas met sometime around the 1980’s and settled down. They clearly loved each other to the point where Jonas would record tons of home movies and becoming a father of two before shortly leaving them.
Trivia[]
- He’s seen dressed as Santa in An "Even Steven" Holiday Special as he tries to get donations for a charity. This could mean that he does this occasionally from time to time.
- Jonas drives an old blue pickup truck, which is prominently featured in An "Even Steven" Holiday Special. It’s seen briefly in The Wedding Frame, where it is shown parked outside of Jonas's apartment building with a parking boot on the front left wheel and yellow police tape stretched across the driver's door. The truck largely resembles a 1947-1953 Chevrolet Advance Design, but incorporates design cues from other 1950s-1970s pickup trucks. The stepside bed, for example, more closely resembles a bed from a 1960s-1980s truck than one from the 1950s. The truck also features a white camper shell/cap that is more 1970s-1980s in terms of style. The truck is shown in its first appearance to have manual crank windows (An "Even Steven" Holiday Special). Given the setting of the series, Jonas's truck is more than like a 1970s or 1980s Chevy or Ford.
- Jonas is shown to be something of a deadbeat, or least someone who lives well beyond his means. In The Wedding Frame, when he’s picking up his camera from the repair shop, two of his credit cards are declined. Also in The Wedding Frame, his truck is shown fitted with a parking boot and yellow police tape (see above), indicating that he got too many parking tickets or didn't pay the property tax on his vehicle (the series takes place in Connecticut, a state that in real life requires annual property tax to be paid on vehicles).
- He also didn’t appear in the epilogue.
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