My dog, Katniss, the subject of this increasingly infrequent blog, is, aside from her incessant whining and barking, a beautiful, funny, smart and sensitive dog. One regret I could possibly have regarding Katniss is that she’ll never have puppies to carry on her, um, “legacy” of constant kisses, “protecting” our house with barking night and day, a penchant for snuggling and seemingly endless energy. But my wife and I did what the animal shelter and Bob Barker told us to do: We had our pet spayed to help control the animal population.
Apparently that doesn’t apply to some television dogs.
“Fuller House,” a sequel to the sitcom “Full House,” which aired on TV in the ’80s and ’90s, debuted Friday, Feb. 26, on Netflix and has been a significant topic of conversation online in many forums, including among many people I know on Facebook and between my wife and me. I enjoyed the original show in its heyday, so I have been interested in seeing the cast together again, especially since the emphasis of the new show is on the characters of D.J., Stephanie* and the sisters’ nutty but loyal friend, Kimmy. I was glad the show’s producers said “Cut. It. Out.” to the older male cast members so the ladies could have a chance to shine along with their characters’ children. And no, I will not “have mercy” in trying to incorporate as many of the original show’s catchphrases as possible into this post. “How rude” of me, right?
Anyway, in the first “Fuller House” episode, D.J.’s former high school boyfriend, Steve, bursts through the front door of the Tanner/Fuller home¹ with a very pregnant golden retriever, Comet Jr. Jr., a descendant of the original show’s dog, Comet. D.J., now a veterinarian—which, as Dr. K has told us, is not an easy feat—immediately tends to the dog. As Comet Jr. Jr. begins giving birth, if you look closely, as D.J. hands off one of the swaddled pups to Stephanie (around the 26-minute mark of the show), said puppy is fake! OK, I’m at least 90 percent sure the puppy is fake. And wouldn’t Comet Jr. Jr. be very upset to have one of her pups taken from her so soon? Aren’t we humans supposed to let the mommy dog take care of her babies?
And shouldn’t D.J., as a responsible veterinarian, encourage the dogs to be spayed/neutered?
As I watched that first episode, I couldn’t help but think of how awesome it would be to see our Katniss as a mommy, but even if that were to happen, what would we do with a whole litter of puppies? We would keep one for sure, hypothetically, but what about the rest of the dogs? And even though D.J.’s son wants to keep one of the pups, Comet Jr. Jr. Jr., what would happen to the rest of those dogs? And why can’t they just name the puppy Comet III?
Should I just end this post now and put you out of your misery? “You got it, dude.”
___
*Jodie Sweetin, aka Stephanie, shares a birthday with me, although she is a little younger than I am. Once I found out we shared a birthday, she was always my favorite character. It’s been widely reported that Sweetin has had her share of troubles since the cancellation of “Full House,” but she appears to be doing just fine on “Fuller House,” which makes me happy for her. She’s a tough cookie.
¹D.J.’s married name is Fuller, though we all know her maiden name is Tanner, hence the “Fuller” in “Fuller House,” plus the house itself is a bit fuller(?) with all the people living in it. I read somewhere that the “Full/Fuller House” house was worth nearly $1 million when the show originally aired, but now it’s worth in excess of $3 million. How do people afford to live in San Francisco? And why couldn’t I find said home when I visited the city a few months ago?
Speaking of discussing this show endlessly, I asked people on Facebook—and now I ask you, dear reader—would the success of “Fuller House” lead to possibly a second season? Was it a good idea to bring it back? After all, the revamped show is so corny I have to watch it in small doses, though it’s still fun. And what other shows should be revived? “Gilmore Girls” and “Baywatch” are coming back, so why can’t other canceled shows see new life—or is this a sign of the entertainment industry’s current lack of original ideas? Here’s a few I would like to see return:
- “Batman”: Can you imagine Adam West from the 1960s series serving in a mentor role to a new Batman?
- “Family Matters”: What would an adult Steve Urkel be like?
- “Parenthood”: No one I know wanted it to end.
- “Friday Night Lights”: “Texas forever,” right?
A Guero and His Perro 