“I Heard a Rumor They Have Cake that Tastes Like Pie.”
I have no excuse. I’ve had the DVD set for Fuller House season 5 since it was released over four years ago. I guess I was just trying to put off seeing the end. But I finally watched the final season of the show, and I enjoyed it.
If you aren’t familiar with the show, Fuller House was a continuation/reboot/sequel series to the classic 80’s/90’s sitcom Full House. When the show started, recently widowed D.J. Tanner Fuller (Candance Cameron Bure) had asked her sister Stephanie (Jodie Sweetin) and her best friend Kimmy Gibbler (Andrea Barber) to move into her house, aka the old Tanner house, to help raise her three boys, Jackson, Max, and Tommy (Michael Campion, Elias Harger, and twins Dashiell and Fox Messitt). While Stephanie was single when the series started, Kimmy brought with her a teen daughter, Ramona (Soni Bringas), and an ex-husband who didn’t want to stay an ex, Fernando (Juan Pablo Di Pace).
Along the way, Stephanie found love in the most unlikely place – Kimmy’s brother Jimmy (Adam Hagenbuch). And D.J. rekindled her romance with her high school boyfriend, Steve Hale (Scott Weinger).
Season 5 picks up where season 4 left off. Stephanie and Jimmy are coming back from the hospital with their new daughter, which Kimmy was the surrogate for. While Stephanie and Jimmy try to adjust to being parents, the guys go into partnership to buy a favorite sandwich shop. Ramona gets a new boyfriend while Jackson winds up with the lead in the school play. Stephanie decides to cook Thanksgiving dinner, which turns into a disaster – but not in the way you are thinking. And Steve proposes to D.J., leading to planning a triple wedding for three very different brides.
No, the Olsen twins don’t make an appearance here, which means Michelle is the only character from the original we never see. Because this season filmed while Lori Loughlin’s legal troubles were going on, we didn’t get to see Aunt Becky this season (which seemed weird given the wedding that ended the series), but Bob Saget, John Stamos, and Dave Coulier popped up several times as Danny Tanner, Uncle Jessie, and Joey.
And yes, this show is built on nostalgia for the original series. There are lots of nods to the original either in moments, storylines, riffs, or outright copying. But you know what, I was here for it. Having rewatched the first half of Full House since I watched season 4 of Fuller, I caught more of those references this time.
Not to say that this is a carbon copy by any means. There are plenty of fresh storylines and jokes to be had, and I couldn’t help but laugh as I was watching.
One thing I really appreciated was the way the show portrayed the friendship between the three guys, Fernando, Jimmy, and Steve. The show did a good job of giving them chances to act together, and I loved watching their chemistry. It might not be as strong as the chemistry between D.J., Steph, and Kimmy, but those actresses have been friends playing these characters longer. Anyway, it was nice to see a show that showed such great friendships. We can even include John Brotherton’s Matt, D.J.’s ex-boyfriend but still current business partner, in the circle. Yep, he shows up a few times.
I’ve found that many modern sitcoms feel forced to me, with the shows working too hard to bring the laughs. I felt that here with the first few episodes of the season, but once the show got rolling, the laughs came more naturally. Either it is because I was watching this show over the course of a couple of weeks, so I could get more used to the rhythm, or the writers and actors took a couple of episodes to find the rhythm again. Either way, I was laughing and enjoying the show completely by the time I’d hit the first quarter of the season. And that continued until the end.
And I have to give the actors their due. We have quite a large cast, obviously, but they all shine when they are on screen. And no matter who the actors are playing off of, the chemistry is strong and brings the laughs.
Season five consisted of 18 episodes, and they are all in the DVD set on two discs. Each episode is roughly 30 minutes. Since this was a Netflix show, there aren’t commercial breaks, and the shows run the length of time needed, sometimes a little longer, sometimes a little less.
Along with the laughs, we also get some serious storylines and moments. Nothing remotely preachy, but some good storylines that reflect who the characters are and what they’ve been through. These storylines ultimately turned into very heartwarming moments that I loved.
Which brings us to the series finale. I hit me harder than I was expecting, and I mean that in the best way possible. Be prepared for all the feels. It’s a perfect ending.
If, like me, you’ve been putting off watching the final season of Fuller House, it’s time to watch season 5. You’ll really enjoy seeing where the characters end up. If we ever get more with this very full family, I would be there in a heartbeat.
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