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Fuller House Recaps- S1: E5 “Mad Max”

Fuller House Recaps- S1: E5 “Mad Max”

In the canon of the first season of Fuller House, this episode ultimately feels like a filler episode, with the exception of one major revelation:

Stephanie explains to DJ, at the end of the episode, that she is unable to have children.

While I’m sure the writers of Fuller House want the audience to focus the majority of their attention of who DJ will end up with, I don’t.

Instead, I’m sort of obsessed with the fact that the writers have made such a conscious effort to paint Stephanie as the ultimate middle child.

Here she is at age 34, without a real job, without a family of her own, and without any real direction in her life.

Now on top of that, she has recently find out that even when she does settle down and start a family of her own, she can’t have her own biological children.

This plot line is crucial to the character of Stephanie finally beginning to start acting her age. She is now realizing that by infusing herself more fully in to DJ’s family, she can begin to have a sense of being needed by a family again.

To further illustrate this, Stephanie helps “Mad Max” gain confidence by letting him practice his song to Stephanie’s audience, via her cell phone.

This is also the episode where there’s a classic misunderstanding when Ramona flushes a baby diaper down the toilet, causing DJ to believe that a guy who Kimmy set her up with online is actually the plumber. From there, innuendos follow to help ensure we know that Fuller House is not a G-rated show.

Please mark my word. The aspect of Fuller House that is the most intriguing is not DJ, but instead Stephanie.

For this show to really go somewhere, we will have to see Stephanie truly grow into her age; because truly, right now, she’s about a decade behind.

She’s not the typical 34 year-old. Leave it to Stephanie’s family to change that.

Also, here’s my own video version of this recap as well:

1 Comment Posted on marriage, Nostalgia, parenting, Uncategorized

What Kind of TV Parents are We? (Infographic Included)

Jason-Maggie-Seaver-growing-pains-5110661-402-512

My wife and I have talked before about which TV parents we are most similar to. We quickly decided that Jason and Maggie Seaver, of the 1980s sitcom Growing Pains (1985-1992), best represent us.

It seems like most TV sitcoms of the 1980s revolved around some kind of amendment to the traditional nuclear family.

Like a wise-cracking alien joining the Tanner house on Alf. Or Uncle Jesse and Joey joining the Tanner House on Full House. And don’t forget how neighbor Steve Urkle basically lived with the Winslows.

But with Growing Pains, there was a nuclear family in which the parents loved each other, and unlike most sitcoms since the 1980s, the dad wasn’t an idiot.

Plus, there was no outsider who is adopted into the family; unless you count the final season in which Leonardo DiCaprio joined the cast, but I figure most of us had stopped watching by that point.

The parents were intelligent, hard-working, and sensitive to the children’s psychological needs. Though that sounds like a pretty normal thing to feature on a family sitcom, it’s not.

Writers on sitcoms often can’t handle a happily married couple with kids. If nothing else, the writers have to kill off one of the parents.

Danny Tanner’s wife died after a drunk driver hit her, on Full House.

Then DJ’s husband died while fighting fires, on Fuller House.

And then if both parents are still alive, the dad is by default, an idiot: Homer Simpson on The Simpsons, Al Bundy on Married with Children, Carl Winslow on Family Matters, Tim Allen on Home Improvement…

I would actually argue that the Seavers were actually the most normal, life-like family in the past 30 years, in a sitcom. That’s the simple reason that I believe that Jason Seaver best represents me as a TV dad, and Maggie Seaver represents my wife.

Below is a related flow-chart asking, “Which T.V. Mom are you?”

(Because I fully recognize that the majority of the readers of my blog are not male, but instead female.)

Thanks to Berries.com for this graphic.

Which TV Mom Are You?

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Dear Jack: Climbing Walls, Exploring Tunnels, and Walking on Water

5 years, 3 months.

Dear Jack: Climbing Walls, Exploring Tunnels, and Walking on Water

Dear Jack,

I’m overly aware of the importance of making sure you get your fair share of attention and quality time, with your sister Holly on the way.

So last weekend, while Nonna and Papa were in town, we made sure we had nothing but fun adventures with you; knowing that two months from now, that sort of opportunity may not be as easy to make happen.

On Saturday morning, you and I took Papa to the The Crag in Cool Springs, near where I work. You’ve always enjoyed the climbing walls at playgrounds so Mommy and I figured you’d want to join Papa and me.

Dear Jack: Climbing Walls, Exploring Tunnels, and Walking on Water

While Papa and I spent our time literally jumping off the walls, your favorite activity was swinging on the ropes; which is not an official activity there, but you made it your own.

After we left The Crag, a spur-of-the-moment idea hit me…

Back a couple of months ago during the blizzard, I had filmed an episode of my web series Uncle Nick’s Enchanted Forest in the storm drain near my office.

After you saw it, you told me you would like to go there sometime with Papa and me. Since the opportunity presented itself, we went for it.

Through our exploration, we even discovered more tunnels I myself never knew were there. It technically was a bit dangerous, but that’s a good thing when you’re with Papa and me.

Dear Jack: Climbing Walls, Exploring Tunnels, and Walking on Water

The next day, you and I went with both Nonna and Papa to a playground and park nearby our house. I must say, you were very eager to show off your climbing wall skills.

After you conquered the playground, you and Papa and me discovered a hidden creek.

Dear Jack: Climbing Walls, Exploring Tunnels, and Walking on Water

I was especially proud of you when you agreed to “walk on water” with me. The rocks stood out of the water just enough for us to strategically walk across without getting our feet too wet.

After you conquered the playground, you and Papa and me discovered a hidden creek.

We had some great adventures this past weekend. I’m glad you like doing the same kind of stuff as me!

Love,

Daddy

Dear Jack: Climbing Walls, Exploring Tunnels, and Walking on Water

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Dear Holly: The Concept of Getting Sleep While We Still Can

34 weeks.

Dear Holly: The Concept of Getting Sleep While We Still Can

Dear Holly,

While I know good and well there is no such thing as proactively making up for all the sleep I’m going to lose when you are born, by sleeping more now, I still attempted it anyway.

Last week when Grandma was in town from California, Mommy and I were able to get to bed by 9:00 each night, since Grandma sped up our nightly routine. With her doing dishes and cleaning up afterwards, it added an extra free hour to our night; which we as the parents used for sleep.

However, this process simply reinforced to me how I am physically wired: I get more exhausted when I get 8 hours or more of sleep every night.

So for a week, I slept much more than I’m used to: I usually sleep about 6 and a half hours each night.

That extra 90 minutes per night was not a good thing for me.

This week I switched back to about 6 hours of sleep per night, and now I feel great!

I feel so well-rested, energized, and aware of life. I am in a great mood. Whereas last week with all the sleep, I was so groggy.

So while I obviously recognize that my sleep schedule will be greatly reduced when you are born next month, and it will remain that way for months to follow, I’m actually basically ready for that chaos.

As for Mommy, her sleeping needs are different than mine. She can’t function like I can if she goes to bed at midnight; she’s often falling asleep by 9:00 at night anyway.

In the end, there’s no true way to prepare for the sleep we will lose when you are born, but it’s no big deal.

I’m not worried about it. I’m just glad you are healthy and going to be here shortly.

Love,

Daddy

P.S. You are 34 weeks old in the womb this week… while I’m 34 years-old outside of the womb.

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Fuller House Recaps: Renewed for a 2nd Season

Fuller House Recaps: Renewed for a 2nd Season

Just a few days after the 1st season of Fuller House was released on Netflix, it was announced that a 2nd season has been ordered.

Therefore, that means there will also be a 2nd season of Fuller House Recaps. I look forward to continuing to be your host and guide not just through the rest of this first season, but the next one as well.

Here’s my video recap of this historic event:

I imagine that Season 2 will answer some of our unanswered questions:

“Why does Uncle Joey wear a wedding ring but never mention his wife or bring her to the house?”

“What about Danny’s wife? We briefly saw her kiss Danny, but I don’t believe we even got a name.”

“Who will DJ choose: Steve or Matt?”

Plus, is there a chance that Mary Kate or Ashley will reprise the role of Michelle? (Either one will do; we don’t have to have both.)

And will Stephanie, age 34, finally start acting like she’s 34?

The fact that Fuller House was so quickly renewed apparently tells us something about the money being made from the show.

Obviously, Netflix must have greatly benefited from the number of viewers that turned out to watch. They realized that whether or not the critics liked the show was irrelevant; what matters is that it’s a popular show.

In other words, the free market decided to make Fuller House so popular it would actually be financially irresponsible to not make a  2nd season.

Ultimately, the whole concept is pretty weird: A feel-good family sitcom from 1987 is resurrected, not on a major TV network, but on a streaming service people can watch anytime.

It was a plan just crazy enough to work. And even if we are mainly here just for the curiosity side of it, we still are indeed coming back.

Good job, free market. Good job, 1980s kids. Good job, Netflix.