I have been blessed with a gift that has come in handy exactly zero times over the course of my life: the ability to remember the plot of every single Full House episode.
Sure, sometimes it takes me about 20 seconds to recall the exact details — but when I manage to conjure up information from the deep recesses of my brain, it's like I'm 7 and watching ABC's TGIF lineup all over again. This is the episode where Stephanie makes a new friend named Mickey, but she's kinda bad, and forges notes from her mom, and hangs out with girls who smoke in the bathroom. Stephanie acts like a total dork around them, and they make fun of her because she doesn't want to light up. Ultimately, Stephanie realizes she doesn't need to smoke to be cool, and when Mickey asks her if she wants to hang out, she responds: "I do, but my lungs don't."
I could go on, but I think you get the picture.
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Like many kids who grew up in the '90s, I watched Full House religiously, tuning in every week for 22 minutes of Tanner family shenanigans (and, of course, John Stamos). Today, I can't explain why I loved it so much; I guess something magical happened when the sentimental music started to play and Michelle learned a lesson.
So you can imagine my reaction when I heard the show was getting revived on Netflix as Fuller House. I was excited! And my excitement was dampened only a bit when I found out how much Fuller House was retreading the original: Trading Danny for D.J. (young widow with three kids), Stephanie for Uncle Jesse (an aunt moving in to help take care of nephews), and Kimmy Gibbler for Joey (a best friend stepping in to help out). How many tragic deaths are these people going to endure?
Of course, as Fuller House's premiere date crept closer — with the entire season arriving at once, in Netflix's customary binge-friendly format — I knew my reservations weren't enough to keep me away. I invited some friends over to watch the first few episodes, and soon enough, we were back in San Francisco, at the only slightly updated Tanner house. The first episode crammed in so many catchphrases and callbacks to the original Full House that I felt like I was being smashed in the head with a nostalgia hammer. Within five minutes, all I could do was silently pray that they would cut. it. out.
But we resolved to keep watching, and something happened. Slowly but surely, the show started to find its groove, and we found ourselves enjoying it. I didn't come into Fuller House jaded; while I had my doubts about the reboot, it had nothing to do with thinking I was too cool for it (as pretty much every critical reaction has implied). My perspective was different. As a huge childhood fan, I wanted it to be fun and hold true to the original without being a total retread. At first, I thought Fuller House had gone too goofy, like when — spoiler alert! — D.J. jumps into the ring at Lucha Kaboom and becomes a wrestling star in front of thousands. And then, for the first time ever, my uncanny knack for recalling Full House episodes came in handy, as I remembered when Stephanie crashed a car into the kitchen, and when a chimpanzee fell in love with Uncle Jesse. For better or worse, Fuller House was perfectly in sync with the original.
Of course, it's not a perfect recreation of the original series. Perhaps as a sop to older Full House fans like me, it's a little more risqué (D.J. actually talks about her "knockers" and has a naughty interlude with a guy she thinks is her plumber). But Fuller House also represents an evolution of the series — and arguably, in some cases, a significant improvement. Take the surprisingly strong performances from Andrea Barber, who brings just the right amount of nuttiness to grown-up Kimmy, and Jodie Sweetin, who does a solid job of portraying Stephanie as someone straddling the line between being there for her family and furthering her career.
And while it's hard to imagine Fuller House launching a full-blown breakout star, middle son Max (Elias Harger) makes a surprisingly big impression. The Olsen twins are Full House's most famed alums, but that's mainly due to how they were marketed. The best of the child performers was Sweetin, and this time around, the middle child once again steals the show with the best lines and cutest personality.
And yes, Full House diehards, you'll still get your nostalgia fix. The regular cameo appearances from the "adults" — Danny, Uncle Jesse, Aunt Becky, Joey — work because they don't take the focus away from the main cast (except when you have to pause and ask yourself, "How does Lori Laughlin still look the same 20 years later?").
Let's be honest: Love it or hate it, you know what Fuller House is. There's no need to write any recaps about it, and you won't gather around the water cooler, debating what D.J. meant when she glanced at Kimmy during their Dirty Dancing routine. There is no greater meaning. This show was made for Full House fans like me, and I couldn't be happier. It's that familiarity and comfort that has me looking forward to the just-announced second season.
Oh, and John Stamos. Always John Stamos.
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