DT - I agree with you re: Connie's development. She was the typical Italian female, almost a caricature, in GF1. When we first meet her, she is completely dependent on the men in her life, from her father to her husband to her older brother, with no self-identity. We begin to see her evolve in GF2, although again in a "typical" female role - that of caretaker of Michael's children. By GF3, she is definitely a strong and capable woman, although quite alone. I also found her to be one of the most tragic characters because of that aloneness.