In just 2 episodes (3 if you go by production order), Cody has already been added as a full member to the oversized cast and has a new title card in the intro, but he's basically a bookending cameo as he leaves in the opening, then races back in the climax to help the family in a way that absolutely should have disqualified them. And again, they're really struggling to balance all the characters they have, with JT, Dana, and Al continuing to get the main focus among the kids, Brendan getting time but not much personality, Mark and Karen continuing to be one-note, and Penny and Ivy getting so few lines or screentime it's a wonder they've been held past the pilot. Karen does at least get some more screentime, even if her way of beating the pie eating contest is a bit disquietingly sexualized given current conversations about child sitcom stars. The family games themselves are amusingly done, and I like how much of it is filmed with actual outdoor locations. As a midwest scandinavian, I don't really take any issue with the rival family being a heavily accented clan called the Larsons, given the setting of Wisconsin, though I'm more side-eyeing the gendered jokes about their athletic daughter being played by a male actor. Other good stuff: Mark's desperate drowning of himself in the apple dunk trial, and the continued chemistry between Duffy and Sarandon. Other bad stuff: the nail breaking relay race; Cody continuing to romantically pursue the uninterested Dana and even refer to her as his fiance.
Review by noelctBlockedParentSpoilers2024-04-07T20:53:29Z
In just 2 episodes (3 if you go by production order), Cody has already been added as a full member to the oversized cast and has a new title card in the intro, but he's basically a bookending cameo as he leaves in the opening, then races back in the climax to help the family in a way that absolutely should have disqualified them. And again, they're really struggling to balance all the characters they have, with JT, Dana, and Al continuing to get the main focus among the kids, Brendan getting time but not much personality, Mark and Karen continuing to be one-note, and Penny and Ivy getting so few lines or screentime it's a wonder they've been held past the pilot. Karen does at least get some more screentime, even if her way of beating the pie eating contest is a bit disquietingly sexualized given current conversations about child sitcom stars. The family games themselves are amusingly done, and I like how much of it is filmed with actual outdoor locations. As a midwest scandinavian, I don't really take any issue with the rival family being a heavily accented clan called the Larsons, given the setting of Wisconsin, though I'm more side-eyeing the gendered jokes about their athletic daughter being played by a male actor. Other good stuff: Mark's desperate drowning of himself in the apple dunk trial, and the continued chemistry between Duffy and Sarandon. Other bad stuff: the nail breaking relay race; Cody continuing to romantically pursue the uninterested Dana and even refer to her as his fiance.