We never saw Connie’s reaction to Fredo’s disappearance in II. But she refers to him, resignedly, in III, after Michael tells her he’s made confession: “Michael, you know, sometimes I think of poor Fredo, drowned. It was God's will. It was a terrible accident. But it's finished.” Some on this board believe that Connie knew Michael had Fredo whacked, but that scene showed she accepted it. Given her hysterical, accusatory reaction to Carlo’s murder, the question is why she would she accept Fredo’s murder?

One possibility is that she may have felt that she was partly to blame for Fredo’s death, and in order to bury that guilt, she convinced herself that Fredo drowned:

The horror that Connie felt over her husband’s murder was compounded by Michael’s having stood godfather to their son on the same day Carlo was whacked. And Connie had asked that Michael be the baby’s godfather. Carlo was a dead man in any event, but she recognized that Michael “stood godfather to our child just to throw us off the track. The coldhearted bastard” [novel]. In II, Connie knew that Fredo had betrayed Michael, but in that memorable boathouse scene, she got on her knees (nice touch!) and begged Michael to forgive Fredo. Fredo, too, was a dead man. But what if Connie believed that her entreaties had once again had put someone she loved in Michael’s deadly trap? And what if she believed that the deliberately deceitful and coldhearted way they were killed was aimed at her--the product of Michael’s resentment of her (perhaps because he held her responsible for unwittingly setting up Sonny’s murder)?

The burden of guilt Connie would have to bear would crush her. So, I’m guessing, Connie simply blotted it out by convincing herself that Fredo really did drown. And, after Michael told her he made confession, she knew he’d asked forgiveness for whatever happened. Rather than rekindle her guilt trip, she came to closure. What do you think?

I agree TB that Connie had several things to reconcile in her mind. She had led a sheltered life as the Don's daughter either not knowing who he really was or denying it and benefiting from it. She was also helpless to prevent Carlo's murder. She had been lied to by her brother regarding it and belatedly came to recognize just who her brotehr was ("You cold-hearted bastard" and "That's your husband" and "Read the papers"). Just those two things would have been a mountain for her to climb emotionally. Then the murder of her brother by her brother in which she unknowingly assisted. Madonne! Yes, to keep her sanity, she convinced herself that Fredo drowned. And, yes, she was also feeling guilty over Sonny's murder and yes, I can see Michael having some negative feelings toward her because of it and her knowing or feeling it. Thus, she came to completely identify with Michael("Do it!"). It was all a defense mechanism.

I don't think Connie felt guilty over Fredo's death, I think she convinced herself Fredo had drowned cause the actual truth(even though she knew what it was) was just too horrible to comprehend, I liken it to when something bad happens to a child. As that child gets older it's like the bad thing never happened because the human brain has a way of erasing those kinds of things.

That's just my 2 cents

I have posted this before, but IMHO Connie is the person most transformed in the trilogy, and for what it is worth she carries anything redeemable about III.

From the boathouse scene in II, Connie tells Michael that she came to terms with Carlo's killing, telling Michael that he was
being strong "like papa," and that her whoring around was her immature way of punishing him. Then she tells him "you need me" and that she would "take care of him." Michael knew he needed her, and she is the only figure he seems to respect in the rest of the trilogy. He lets her get away with allowing Kay to see her children, and when she is critical of him, he accepts it.

She engineers Vincent's rise in the family, she orders the death of Zasa causing Michael to reinforce his authority ---"I command this family" and at the end of III she actually makes her bones.

As for the scene TB mentions, I am one who believes she knew Michael killed Fredo. Assuming Anthony knew it, Kay knew it, and Mary wanted to believe he didnt kill his brother, its a pretty easy conclusion that Connie knew. If you take her statement about Fredo drowning in context there is little doubt.

There she is giving Michael an insulin shot and he is telling her he went to confession. She finds it strange that Michael would confess to "a stranger" and Michael tells her it was "the man" who he believed to be a "real priest." Connie has to know Michael's greatest sin was fratricide, but loyal sister and care giver that she is, she tells Michael what he wants to hear...she thinks Fredo drowned. I do not think she would have mentioned this on the heels of learning that Michael had likely confessed this sin that very day. She was
soothing Michael, and one could argue advancing her campaign to have Michael replaced by Vincent.

If anything Connie saw that Michael was "slippin" and the family needed new blood. In that sense at the end of the day it was Connie manipulating the manipulator.

Connie was a very understated character in GF and II, but in III she is thrust into the forefront from the beginning to the end.....The GodMother.

Connie was very twisted by GFIII. GFI she was the spoiled, starry-eyed brat daughter who couldn't see how she was totally played by this man she married; GFII she became hardened and became some trashy, rich woman with nothing else to do in life but drink, party, speand her family's money and berate her family at every turn. GFIII, she was the family female presence who embraced all of her family's criminal pursuits and came across as some sexless old maid that lived with her shady brother and got her rocks off by helping them plan murders. Far different cry from I Connie that looked down on her family's dealings and was more of a joke than anything else. In her heart, she knew Michael did something to Fredo but she couldn't admit to herself that her family had become that twisted. So she pretended it was all an accident, to herself and Michael.

I think she was just fed up.. She went from being a calm women who just wanted a happy marriage and a family of her own to not caring about anyone but her self to a cold and dark women. She was tired of all the things in her life she held in her heart being ripped away. Sunny, Vito, Carlo, Antonio( mother), Fredo and even Michael who accepted being godfather to her kid and than killing her husband the same day. not to mention all her marriages failed as well. I only watched the third movie a dozen times because I thought it was a poor written movie. But that is what I saw in her.

I always thought that each son took one of Vito's strengths, but Connie showed them all.

Sunny- was strong and always willing to jump into a fight thinking it would solve the problem.
(Connie GFIII)

Michael- was smart and just wants things done his way or no way and looks out for his best interest.
(Connie GFII)

Fredo-he was gentle, emotional and wanted to take the safe way out but still sacrificed anything to be involved. (Even being a traitor)
(Connie GFI)


I will probably get negative responses from this but it’s just my opinion.