Morgan Lanyon
We all must admit, we have missed seeing Uncle Jesse, portrayed by John Stamos, on our screens. With his loving fatherly nature towards the children of Full House, while still keeping his rocker style, he was a character adored by millions.
Now, years later, Stamos has a new show. You would think that the brilliant, versatile actor would have sought a new role, a role outside of his comfort zone. You would think he had retired from the role of the bad boy who finds himself raising a family. And you would think Stamos would branch out and find his niche in other categories. But here we are, anxiously waiting in front of our TVs to witness, once again, John Stamos, a bad boy that suddenly finds himself with a family.
“Grandfathered,” which appears Tuesdays on FOX, portrays Jimmy (Stamos), a middle-aged womanizer who owns a high class restaurant that is frequented by the rich and famous. But of course, there is a twist (otherwise the show’s title would be quite befuddling). Jimmy is suddenly visited by Gerald, a twenty-year-old who suddenly reveals that Jimmy is his father. And the fun part: Gerald has a little daughter, named Edie.
Gerald, portrayed by Josh Peck, is in some way the same persona as Peck’s notable character, Josh Nichols from Drake and Josh. They both are awkward, laughable individuals who are overly affectionate towards their parents and struggle in the lady department.
Suddenly finding himself going from bachelor with no baggage to grandfather, Jimmy begins to go through the struggle of becoming a part of this family, which includes Gerald’s mom, Sara (who I can already sense some romantic tension with in the future between her and Jimmy). He also is there to help his son romantically, as in getting Gerald’s baby mama Vanessa to notice him.
The show has promise, I can say that much. Sure, I am a little disappointed by the few changes in characters from the past to the present (i.e Uncle Jesse to Jimmy and Josh Nichols to Gerald). However, there is some truth to the saying, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Stamos and Peck’s past roles provided countless laughs, so I can see how the writers would keep some of the same characteristics.
Additionally, I am excited to see Jimmy’s relationship grow with Edie. Maybe it is my younger self longing to see Uncle Jesse and baby Michelle all over again, but it does make me want to keep watching.
All the episodes so far have had strong plot lines, and combine laughs and emotions, both key factors that keep viewers. I can’t say that “Grandfathered” is the next best TV show out there, but I can say that I will keep watching.
