Thirtysomething was more than a snapshot of the late '80s/early '90s - it was a cultural phenomenon. By Season Three, the show about the inner workings of a group of close friends and married couples had reached full maturity as a series. The relationships and conflicts existed on a completely realized level that allowed the viewer to associate, to new heights, with what was happening on their TV. Whether it was Michael and Hope trying to keep their fire lit, Gary evolving into fatherhood, Melissa's ongoing struggles with the opposite sex, Ellyn's wandering moral judgment, or a transformed Elliot caring for his cancer-stricken wife Nancy — the lives of these characters had come a long way in just a couple of seasons.