Al was absolutely a victim of Al's choices in life. he was stubborn and dumb and insensitive, so he usually created whatever conflict he found himself embroiled in, and nearly always lost whatever he had staked. usually from his own actions, but sometimes from the shit luck that plagued him his whole life after high school. one of my favorite lines was when something totally random would screw up his plans, as if on cue, and he would just look up and say, "Good one, God." cracked me up as a little kid.

one of my favorite tropes about that show was how stuck in the past Al was. he scored 4 touchdowns in the homecoming game of his senior year, and everything after was downhill. he brought up that game constantly and nobody ever gave a shit. characters like that, who can't let go of some b.s. that happened 20 years ago, are so tragic and hilarious to me.

even the "No Ma'am" club they tried to organize was a completely joke. a bunch of dumbass guys in the neighborhood pretending to struggle against the supposed tyranny of their wives, but it's just guys drinking after work in a garage until they are hungry or sleepy. like little kids running away from home.

You weren't supposed to "think" of Al, you were supposed to relate to his frustrations and musings. I'd go insane if I played St. Peter with entertainment media characters. They're meant to be enjoyed not judged.