TV Show Review: Full House - Season 2

Stars: 5 out of 5
Pros: Tender moments and funny moments mix together for a great family sitcom.

Cons: None

The Bottom Line:

Light entertainment

Whole family can enjoy it

Just sit back and laugh

A Full House of Change

Season two of the sitcom Full House starts pretty much where the last one ended. Widower Danny Tanner (Bob Saget) is raising his three daughters with the help of his best friend Joey (Dave Coulier) and his brother-in-law Jesse (John Stamos). Daughters D.J. (Candace Cameron) and Stephanie (Jodie Sweetin) are in elementary school while baby Michelle (both Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen) is growing into a toddler.

The changes are slowly introduced in the first few episodes and focus mainly on the adults. Most superficially, Jesse gets an unwanted haircut and looses his 80's mullet in the very first episode. The second episode finds Danny moving from sports announcer to co-host of the new morning program "Wake Up San Francisco." And that's when we meet his co-host, Rebecca Donaldson (Lori Laughlin), who immediately catches Jesse's eye. Jesse, meanwhile, is leaving behind his father's extermination business and going into advertising with Joey.

The two older girls still face the daily trials of growing up. D.J. plans a surprise party for Kimmy (Andrea Barber) that leads to a fight between friends. Stephanie faces her first cavity and the horror of a Christmas where Santa can't find her.

The biggest change for the girls comes for Michelle. By the time the season ends, she's two. While the majority of her scenes are still in the opening teasers, she's beginning to have an expanded role in the story lines. She even gets her first major plot when Rebecca's nephew visits in "Baby Love" and a secondary story line in "El Problema Grande de D.J." Ok, so the twins obviously still don't know what they are doing and often mug a little for the camera. They are so completely adorable it hardly matters. As a friend of mine put it, this is the Olsen twins back when they were cute.

There are some standout episodes this season. "D.J.'s Very First Horse" finds a horse in the Tanner's living room. Stephanie decides she can't take the lack of attention she gets as the middle child and gets married so she can move out. Danny's date for the evening turns out to be one of Jesse's old girlfriends in "Triple Date." On the heart warming side, "Pal Joey" finds Danny at odds with Joey after Joey and Jesse start spending all their time together. And in the episode that makes me cry every time I see it, the cast remember Danny's wife Pam in "Goodbye, Mr. Bear."

The mix of laughs and heart tugging moments is a trademark of the series, and it works well. The cast is great as going from comedy to the light drama without missing a beat. It may not be award worthy acting, but it's certainly good enough to make get you lost in that world.

And we can forget a special appearance by the Beach Boys in "Beach Boy Bingo."

The set features all 22 season two episodes on four discs. The picture is full frame and the sound is mono. We're not looking at anything that will blow your system away, but it gets the job done. The features are limited to a trivia game based on season two alone and a collection of clips on "The Top Ten Rules of Parenting."

This is a sweet, fun show that will keep you entertained in season two. It's perfect for the entire family to enjoy together.

Season 2 Episodes:

1. Cutting it Close

2. Tanner vs. Gibbler

3. It's Not My Job

4. D.J.'s Very First Horse

5. Jingle Hell

6. Beach Boy Bingo

7. Joey Gets Tough

8. Triple Date

9. Our Very First Christmas Show

10. Middle Age Crazy

11. A Little Romance

12. Fogged In

13. Working Mothers

14. Little Shop of Sweaters

15. Pal Joey

16. Baby Love

17. el Problema Grande de D.J.

18. Goodbye, Mr. Bear

19. Blast from the Past

20. I'm There for You, Babe

21. Luck be a Lady Part 1

22. Luck be a Lady Part 2