This blog was originally published on elkharttruth.com on Feb. 29, 2016. Season 2 of “Fuller House” hits Netflix on Dec. 9.
We may not always have the milkman, the paperboy or evening TV…but we do still have “Full House.”
It’s just “Fuller House” now.
The much-anticipated reboot premiered Friday, and I have mixed feelings about it.
Let me first say that I love “Full House,” but I wasn’t ready for reboot.
I didn’t think “Girl Meets World,” the reboot of “Boy Meets World,” worked. While it was fun to see the cast members reunite, the Disney show missed the spark of its predecessor.
“Fuller House” has a similar problem. But, after the first two episodes, it improved.
The Netflix show’s first episodes were jam-packed with nostalgia and old gags. From “How rude!” to an Elvis baby costume, a lot was there…including an awkward break-the-fourth-wall moment acknowledging the absence of Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, who played Michelle Tanner in “Full House.”
The premiere takes place 29 years after “Full House.” It focuses on D.J. Fuller (formerly Tanner) (Candace Cameron Bure), who’s trying to balance work and family life after her husband died.
So, basically it’s “Full House” with reverse gender roles. Guess who checks in to help out? Stephanie (Jodie Sweetin) and Kimmy Gibbler (Andrea Barber).
It’s not necessarily a bad thing, it just makes some plots, such as episode’s 2 moving in and sharing rooms, boring. And the first episode was filled with exposition, even though I bet 90 percent of people watching the show already knew the basics.
But by episode 3, the plots improved. They weren’t all rehashed from “Full House,” and they incorporated the use of modern items such as smartphones, Uber and social media.
Issues such as parenting and moving on cross over well between the two shows, but “Fuller House” takes a moment to look at other problems such as infertility. It was refreshing to see this type of comedy tackle bigger issues while still maintaining its loving, always-ending-in-a-hug moments.
At times the plots came out forced, such as a “Dancing with the Stars”/“Dirty Dancing” moment at a club with Maks and Val Chmerkovskiy and D.J.’s high school boyfriend Steve’s (Scott Weinger) attempts to date her. It also could be stale with the old jokes and format (one conflict for the kids, one for the adults), but it still provided laughs.
The problem with these reboots is that expectations are too high, so it’s impossible to please people. But I will say “Fuller House” is better than “Girl Meets World.”
If you loved “Full House,” give “Fuller House” a chance, but try to keep your expectations at bay. It’s still enjoyable, but you won’t be saying “Holy chalupas,” the catchphrase of Max, DJ’s middle child.
What do you think of “Fuller House”?
