WELCOME TO THE FAMILY Sort of Welcome

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 3^rd, or watch the “Pilot” now on Hulu.

Check Out of PRIVATE PRACTICE

Article first published as DVD Review: Private Practice The Complete Sixth and Finale Season on Blogcritics.org

Spun off from Grey’s Anatomy in 2007, ABC’s Private Practice tells the story of a group of doctors who all work out of the same medical practice. After six seasons, the series ended this past January. Now, those final 13 episodes are available on DVD.

As much as it has always presented itself as an ensemble, Addison Forbes Montgomery (Kate Walsh) has always been the star of the series. Her entire journey over the past six years has been to find herself, find her man, and find her family. It’s been a long, arduous road, full of plenty of screw-ups along the way. Season six concludes her six-year story arc, as she considers marriage to Jake (Benjamin Bratt) — who may just be the one — while facing motherhood for the very first time.

Addison isn’t the only one hoping to settle down. Sam (Taye Diggs) also is tired of dating, if he ever did like it, and now is ready to be married again. But who will be the girl for him? Stephanie (Justina Machado), his new flame, with whom things seem to be going well with? Naomi (Audra McDonald), his ex-wife, who returns late in the season after a long absence with a few surprises? Or could it be Addison?

Meanwhile, Charlotte (KaDee Strickland) prepares to give birth to triplets, and is not very excited about it, while her husband Cooper (Paul Adelstein) and their son Mason (Griffin Gluck) feel just the opposite. Cooper and Charlotte’s union has never been an easy one, yet the love between them is so strong that one knows they just have to work things out in the end.

Charlotte may doubt her ability to be a good mother, but watching her with Mason, we are confident that the new babies will be well taken care of. This may not be the way Charlotte wants her life to play out, but Cooper is sympathetic, and this story, while testing their marriage, could result in an even stronger bond between them.

Violet (Amy Brenneman) tries to find a way to honor departed husband Pete’s memory and process the anger she still feels towards him. This is a very interesting take on mourning, since Pete and Violet are not exactly in a good place when he passes on. The story does as good job of presenting how someone might face the loss of a spouse not be entirely missed.

The rest of the cast have their stories, too. Amelia (Caterina Scorsone) builds herself back up from a painful low and Sheldon (Brian Benben) faces his own mortality while understanding he is not alone. Every one of the series story arcs is well served before the final curtain.

Creator Shonda Rhimes seems determined to bring each player full circle, completing the path they have been walking, and tying up the loose ends as neatly as possible. However, in doing so, season six has some weaknesses as well. Not every couple that ends up together feels as earned as they should. Things get a little too on the nose when Violet reveals in the series finale (SPOILER) that she has written a book called Private Practice. But compared with past seasons, which sometimes delivered not-so-satisfying arcs, this sixth one is stronger than most, and at least tugs at the viewers’ heart strings with aplomb.

The special features are light, the three-disc set containing only deleted scenes and bloopers. But since these are some of the best installments of the series, for the die-hard fan, the episodes alone should suffice.

Private Practice The Complete Sixth and Final Season is available now.

Private Practices shuts its doors

Article first published as Private Practice shuts its doors on TheTVKing

ABC's Private Practice came to an end this week after six seasons on the air. Some of the plot arcs over the years were fantastic, others not so much. But there are some wonderful characters here, and some memorable stories, and thus, it's sad that it's over. Especially since it ran much shorter than the series it spun off from, Grey's Anatomy, still going strong nine seasons in.

The main character of Private Practice has always been Addison Forbes Montgomery (Kate Walsh). Viewers meet her in Grey's Anatomy, the cheater in a bad marriage, and we watch her pull herself together, mostly after moving away to sunny California. Addison searches for love, both romantic and as a parent, and this all finally comes together for her in "In Which We Say Goodbye."

I don't know that the show has really demonstrated that Jake (Benjamin Bratt) is a better match for Addison than anyone else. To keep the drama going up until the end, they have their rocky moments in the final season. Still, it's thrilling to see Addison get her happy wedding day, and as long as she believes that Jake is the man she is meant to be with, who are we to complain?

Besides, we know that Jake is a good man. We've seen how he treats his daughter (Emily Rios), and what he does to make sure that Addison can keep baby Henry, whom she wants more than anything. He is the type of guy that will sacrifice his own desires so that the ones he cares about get what they need. I don't know that Addison deserves someone quite so good, considering all of her faults, but it's gratifying to see her happy.

The big surprise in "In Which We Say Goodbye" comes when Sam (Taye Diggs) and Naomi (Audra McDonald) hook up, and then she gets pregnant. This, alone, would be enough, and yet, Private Practice takes it a step further. Months pass, Sam goes after Naomi, oblivious about the baby, and the episode ends with their second wedding, Naomi having returned to the practice and her friends.

Is this the ending the makes sense for the characters? After all, when last we saw Naomi, she was happily engaged. Sam is in a relationship with a wonderful woman, Stephanie (Justina Machado, Six Feet Under) throughout the past few installments. Why break up these pairings at the last minute?

That's the thing about the Private Practice finale. It gives the perfect resolution for each character, one that will pull the heart strings of the viewer, even if it doesn't quite fit with where the plot was going. The emphasis is placed on giving us the sappy. I don't know if that's the goal of every show as it goes off the air, but because of the way this show has played out, it works here.

Other stories are more mundane, but still sweet. Amelia (Caterina Scorsone) probably has the least to do, but we see things are going well with her and James (Matt Long, Mad Men), and that's enough. Cooper (Paul Adelstein), Charlotte (KaDee Strickland), Mason (Griffin Gluck), and the triplets find their balance as a terrific family. I loved this most of all, Cooper and Charlotte being my favorite people on the show. Sheldon (Brian Benben) gets to be with the woman he loves, even though she is dying.

Sheldon's plot is the only one I complain a bit about in this group. I know that there is no way to avoid his love interest kicking the bucket, and thus, he will be sad, while the others are smiling. But this would have been OK if he had returned to his job, months later, and we could see him laughing with everyone else in that final scene. Instead, he is the sole one missing, and it casts a slight pallor, knowing that where he is cannot be nearly as joyous at the practice.

Is this woman even who Sheldon is meant to be with? He has a tendency to jump into a relationship full force, and it is easily conceivable that she is just the latest in the line. "In Which We Say Goodbye" would have us believe otherwise, that she is Sheldon's soul mate, but like Jake with Addison, we don't really see what sets her apart from the other women Sheldon has loved. Thus, I'm a little bit depressed that he leaves everything else that is good in his world to care for her. He should have kept his job, and with it, the network of support at work.

Finally, we get to Violet (Amy Brenneman). She goes stag to the wedding, a sign that she is moving on from Pete and finding herself, something the character has always struggled with. This is a fitting ending for her, as Violet's plots have always been more about self-discovery and triumph, rather than depending on a love interest, the way other characters have. We get to see her doing well, probably temporarily, until the next tragedy comes along, but at least she'll have this moment in time.

It's a little too on the nose that Violet's second book about "joy" is called Private Practice. Are we supposed to think that everything we've seen over the last six years came from her book? I wouldn't think so, considering the early days were so Addison-driven. I enjoyed the characters debating whether it was a good title or not, but it does take one out of the story a bit in that moment, sacrificing the believable world the characters inhabit for a joke.

Violet also treats a patient (Sarah Ramos, Parenthood) in the finale that doesn't want to leave her. Series creator Shonda Rhimes has stated that the patient's words are her message to the fans. So Shonda doesn't want the show to be canceled, but realizes it's for the best? I'm not sure I quite understand. However, it's her show, so she can say whatever she wants. I just thank her for making it.

That's kind of my overall impression of Private Practice at this moment. I didn't always agree with the direction, and sometimes it frustrated the hell out of me. But it was definitely Shonda's vision, and at the end of the day, she knows how to jerk a tear, or help an actor develop a fully realized person. As I watched the last hour, I couldn't help but thinking, despite my periodic disappointments, it was a pretty darn good show, overall, and I wasn't ready for it to end.

At least it went out with a great last season. Private Practice will be missed.

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