Article first published as WELCOME TO THE FAMILY Review on Seat42F.
NBC tosses another family-centered
sitcom into a very crowded field this fall with WELCOME TO THE FAMILY.
Valedictorian Junior Hernandez (Joseph Haro, Awkward.) is surprised to
learn that his barely-graduated girlfriend, Molly Yoder (Ella Rae Peck,
Gossip Girl), is pregnant. But not as surprised as their families are
when they finally meet one another.
There is nothing about WELCOME TO THE
FAMILY that is original or fresh. It is the melding of two groups of
people who dislike each other, rubbing one another the wrong way in a
comic style that will soften as the series goes on. The culture-clash
and the parent-child relationships are familiar and predictable. Plot
“twists” are seen coming from a mile away. And even those that aren’t
(such as the big one at the end of the first episode) don’t seem
surprising in the context.
Yet, I did find myself enjoying the
“Pilot,” despite these glaring flaws. The reason must be the cast, which
has oodles of charm, and the writing, which remains amusing, even as it
is uninspired. The show goes for the guaranteed laughs, but they’re
laughs all the same.
WELCOME TO THE FAMILY’s “Pilot” pretty
much belongs to the patriarchs. Mike O’Malley (Glee) plays Dan Yoder,
the free-wheeling, non-controlling daddy, while Ricardo Chavira
(Desperate Housewives) is Chuey Hernandez, the proud papa who fulfills
the role of dad his father never did. Unfortunately, the two men get off
on the wrong foot before they even realize their kids are dating during
a first meeting that seems far too contrived.
Dan and Chuey are the main focus of this
premiere. Yes, their kids have to deal with a pregnancy, but they have
to deal with one another. The series understands that it has two great
male leads who can carry the story on their own, and thus gives them
more than their share of the first half hour, banking on their charm and
humorous competition with one another to draw viewers. This gamble may
just work out for them.
Though, Ricardo and Mike aren’t the
show’s only weapons. Despite having much less to do in the “Pilot,”
their wives are equally talented actresses. Caroline Yoder (Mary
McCormack, In Plain Sight) and Lisette Hernandez (Justina Machado,
Private Practice) pretty much get along right away, of course, because
the calm, rational wives have to balance their crazy husbands in these
types of series, so their subplot is small and uninteresting. However,
McCormack and Machado are better than what they get to show in the
premiere installment.
For a series to have any legs, the
episodes will have to diversify away from the central conflict, and the
rest of the ensemble will be required to pull their weight, too. With
these particular ladies in the major roles, I have no doubt that it will
not be a problem.
I also have to give props to Peck and
Haro. Peck stands out, even in such a familiar trope, and earns her own
place in the cast, balancing being stupid with actually being aware of
her mental limitations. And Haro is appropriately earnest as the boy who
wants to do the right thing, even if it means giving up his dreams of
college and career, which seem secondary to him right now, just wanting
to be happy with his girl.
Both characters are pretty one-sided in
the “Pilot,” but surely that will change in later episodes. That good
news is, I like them already, and if they have even a little bit of
depth in them, they should be OK. In time, they might even be as
interesting as their TV parents.
Junior also has a younger brother named Demetrio (Fabrizio Zacharee Guido), but he is mainly set dressing in the “Pilot.”
Also, props to the hashtag #wttf as a
way to reference the show. Not super novel, but edgier than I would have
given ABC credit for.
In short, WELCOME TO THE FAMILY is
nothing that critics will fawn over nor awards will flow to. But it’s a
well-made situation comedy about two families coming together, populated
with an experienced, highly talented cast. In this, it should do well
enough.
WELCOME TO THE FAMILY premieres Thursday, October 3rd, or watch the “Pilot” now on Hulu.
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