Like most of the US looking for a throwback, I binge watched Fuller House this past weekend on Netflix. Unfortunately, most of my binge watching time was thanks to the stomach flu. With a little bit of Tanner Fuller family fun I at least had a few things to laugh about.
I’ve seen that a lot of people were not quite fans of the series and I’ve read a lot of Facebook debate over the issue. Was Fuller House what everyone expected it to be?
For me, it was EXACTLY what I expected it to be in the best way possible.
The Fuller House Background
20 years later we are thrown back into Danny Tanner’s living room. Jesse and Joey are visiting for the weekend and Danny Tanner has the house up for sale. DJ Tanner Fuller has been living with Danny and her three kids named Jackson, Max & Tommy. Her husband is a fire fighter who passed away in the line of duty about a year ago.
As Danny is getting ready to move to LA to start a national morning TV Show with Becky, Joey has moved his comedy tour to Vegas and it is time for the Tanner family home to be passed to the next generation. Danny offers up the house to DJ when Stephanie and Kimmy offer to move in and help raise DJ’s three kids. Kimmy brings along her daughter Ramona for a whole new twist with four kids and three parents.
The “adults” head off to their new adventures while the “kids” take on the adult role.
The Fuller House Bad
My main complaint and from what I’ve heard a lot of other people say was the first episode. Generally speaking you expect the first episode of a TV series to hook you in. Fuller House didn’t necessarily hook viewers in but it gave them a lot of nostalgia to the TGIF days. Truth be told, the first episode of Fuller House was a reunion episode. The entire cast (minus Michelle) was back and they told a lot of the old corny Full House jokes and gave each other a lot of hugs.
Mr. Woodchuck even made an appearance.
While I could’ve done without some of the old corny jokes, it was 40 minutes to get through and set the stage for what was to come for the rest of the show. You got a reintroduction to each of the characters and where they are now in their lives.
A lot of the negative complaints I’ve read were people expecting it to be a newer, hipper and up to date Full House. They expected the corny jokes to go away and the overall feel of the show to be more adult. It was not that at all. Fuller House took Full House and fast forwarded 20 years keeping the same look and feel of the show. For me, I expected nothing less and was completely okay with the way they made it work.
The Fuller House Good
Once you get past the first episode, Fuller House settles in with DJ, Kimmy and Stephanie raising four kids. Suddenly all is right in the world again and we are starting to see a real Full House episode take place. Please note, a real Full House episode.
The kids in the series are hilarious. Jackson and Romana are about the same age as Jackson is trying to score a date with one of Ramona’s new best friends. Out of all of the characters I must say Max is my favorite. He is too smart for his own good but is usually at the center of the lesson of each episode.
Yes, each episode still comes with a lesson. Some of them are the same lessons we learned 20 years ago with the original Full House crew and some are more up to date (like not breaking into a computer and downloading a virus). Viewers learn about families blending together even if they’re not traditional, families expanding and some families even growing apart.
While a lot of adults are watching the show for a throwback, Netflix putting this right in the kids categories will be perfect for older kids and pre-teens. There are some jokes that will go over kids heads as most TV shows have, but for the most part the show is clean and very family friendly.
Should You Watch Fuller House?
If you are a fan of the original Full House and honestly miss the show I would highly recommend watching Fuller House. You’ll get a little bit of a throwback yet feel like you are still connected with the Tanner family.
If you have older kids who like cheesy shows on the Disney Channel, I would recommend turning family night into a Fuller House night. Just make them get through the first episode full of throwbacks.
If you sort of liked the show but weren’t too big on the corny jokes, you might want to skip out on this one.
What are your thoughts on Fuller House?
I use to watch this as a child. I am impressed by your deep analogy of the show.
Fuller House is wonderful to watch as an adult and a child!
I LOVED every moment of my Saturday Fuller House binge! I get that there were a lot of nostalgia jokes but that was what I expected, especially for the beginning. And the Michelle “jabs” were HILARIOUS! They were trying to hook in the old fans while still making way for a new audience, and I think that’s exactly what they did. I plan to watch it again because I just loved it that much!
Katie @ Talk Less, Say More recently posted…March 2016 Goals (And How I Did With February)
I agree! It was a great mix of old and new. I think it will get even better in season 2 now that they have everyone’s reaction to season 1!
I feel the same way!! I imagine the cast knew a reboot would have to still have the cheesy goodness in it- it’s Full(er) House! I know the critics bashed it but I’m sure it went over well with the fans. Candace Cameron Bure is so relatable!
Yea I think a lot of it was people having the wrong expectations! Full House was cheesy and that is why it was so great!
I am 6 episodes in and loving it!
Keep going! It was a great ending!
I really wish the Olsen twins joined! I saw them all in an interview recently and it looked like they had a ball filming again 🙂
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I know! I hear rumors that Jon Stamos is trying to get them back for at least one episode of season 2. I could see everyone losing their mind if it happens!
I. Loved. IT!!! I agree with almost all of your points, except that I also loved all of the corny jokes that came back 😉 We watched the whole season, too… there was a scene between Steph (who has always been my favorite – I’m a middle child) and DJ in the nursery… I don’t wanna post spoilers… but there were tears on screen and on my couch. So touching and realistic. It’s a perfect reboot for all the people of our generation wishing there were still TGIF-type shows on TV. I personally canNOT with the Disney and Nick stuff now… I could definitely go for more of this though 🙂
Katie {Always, Katie} recently posted…Grapevine Wreaths, Revisited (For every day and Easter)
I completely agree with you! I fully expected it to be completely cheesy, and it was. Although there are those sexual undertones that I’ve heard a lot of people complain about, we are still watching it with our kids, and they love it! I admit, it makes me laugh, too!
Stefanie (@LexieLooDylan2) recently posted…21 Acts of Kindness
I’ve really been enjoying it. I heard it wasn’t very good, but I feel like they are really keeping the theme of the show alive. I loved Full House as a kid, so I am totally enjoying it.
Janelle @ Wholly Healthy recently posted…5 Ways to Make a Push-Up Easier
I thought it was cute (also binge-watched while sick with the flu)…I eye-rolled a bit with some of the cheesiness, but in a good/nostalgic way. Good for them for having fun with it! 🙂
I enjoyed the first episode and enjoyed the throwbacks to the original series, but I didn’t enjoy the show when it stood on its own two feet. I watched the entire first season, but nostalgia aside, I likely won’t watch the second. I think I was going into it more expecting more of the old series and cast and less of the new, not a fault of the show at all.