By Amanda Allen ’17

Who would have thought the beloved Tanner family would make a reappearance in family rooms years later? Netflix made this possible, introducing the original series “Fuller House” on February 26 with 13 episodes. The series is a resurrection of the ABC sitcom “Full House” and stars many of the original actors.

The Tanner family is brought together when Danny Tanner (Bob Saget) and Becky Katsopolis (Lori Loughlin) prepare to move to Los Angeles to co-host their morning show. Danny’s friend Joey Gladstone (Dave Coulier) returns to the house to gather his things before moving to Las Vegas for his comedy shows.

After the first episode, which mainly centers around the reunion of the cast, the show focuses on the eldest, now grown-up daughter D.J. Tanner (Candace Cameron Bure), who struggles to raise her three boys after the death of her husband. Middle sister Stephanie Tanner (Jodie Sweetin) moves in to help D.J., giving up her music career. D.J.’s irritating childhood best friend Kimmy Gibler (Andrea Barber) also joins them, along with her daughter, after a recent divorce.

The show entails the daily lives of the next generation of the Tanner family, with no new surprises. Giving D.J.’s youngest son Max the catchphrase, “Holy Chalupas!” evokes nostalgia in viewers that enjoyed the original show, which reminds them of the characters’ old popular catchphrases. Many of the popular catchphrases were revived within the first episode. Stephanie’s “How Rude!”, Uncle Joey’s “Cut it out!” and Uncle Jesse’s “Have Mercy!” jokingly worked their way into the show. The only phrase missing is “You got it dude!” from youngest daughter, Michelle Tanner. Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen are sole members of the original cast who did not join in on the reunion. Within the first episode, the cast addressed why Michelle was not present: she was too busy running her fashion empire. “Fuller House” threw some shade by including a long pause at the camera after this explanation, which was a perfect passive-aggressive approach to address the absence.

Besides the nostalgia, the show is nothing special compared to today’s exciting television shows. The lack of plot makes it difficult for viewers to stay tuned. If they want this show to last, the writers need to come up with more original ideas. The show tries to include D.J.’s high school sweetheart, Steve, as a possible love interest. This highlights the shows inability to move forward from the past. The episodes are similar to the original series, with each conflict resolved with a happy ending. Although the series is a bit outdated in humor, the show maintains its cute and family-friendly theme, resembling a Disney show. “Fuller House” purposely scratches the surface on the topic of D.J.’s husband, as if even death is too controversial to address.

Despite the inability to move on from the past, this series is an entertaining family show that keeps things fun for viewers. Even though the show has received mostly negative reviews from critics, it has been renewed for a second season. Something about the Tanner family proves to be irresistible even a second time around.

Grade: C