Since it's premiere this past March, I've become addicted to ABC's midseason addition to their Sunday night lineup. For those of you who haven't been fortunate enough to hear about it or see it, it is a wonderful, thought provoking new drama entitled "The Family". It follows the Warren family in Red Pines, Maine. The Warren's youngest son Adam was kidnapped ten years ago. Hank Asher, the Warren's neighbor was convicted of his murder mostly due to the fact that he is a registered sex offender. The show begins with a young man coming into the Red Pines police department and claiming that he is Adam Warren.
The show chronicles Adam's return to his family in the midst of the family's matriarch, Claire Warren, running for Governor. What follows is a fast paced, gripping drama about the psychological effects of trauma and tragedy on survivors, political intrigue, sex, lies, betrayal and, of course, family.
Is the Adam that has returned truly Adam Warren? Will Bridey, the journalist who went to high school with the oldest Warren child, Danny, find proof that her suspicions of Adam being an imposter are true? Does the Warren's middle child and chief political advisor to her mother, Willa, have something to do with Adam resurfacing? Will Claire's husband, John, stop sleeping with Detective Nina Meyer (whose career was built on the arrest and the conviction of Hank Asher)?
The questions are numerous and the answers come quickly in the twelve episodes that comprise "The Family's" first season. Unfortunately for its loyal viewers, ABC chose to cancel "The Family" this past Thursday, prior to the final episode of the season airing. I, along with several other loyal viewers, am deeply upset about ABC's decision. This show has an amazing amount of potential and should be allowed to continue for a second season. Here are the top eleven reasons why Netflix, Hulu, Amazon or another network should pick up "The Family".
Warning: spoilers below for those who have not watched the first season of "The Family".
11. The Cast Is Amazing
"The Family" stars Joan Allen as matriarch Claire Warren. Her portrayal of a mother in the midst of unimaginable grief while striving to better her community is gut wrenchingly poignant. The conflict and inner turmoil she experiences over the course of the first season is immense and Allen easily walks the line as a strong, confident, intelligent woman who is one second away from a complete mental and emotional breakdown.
"The Family" is also blessed to have Andrew McCarthy portray neighborhood pedophile Hank Asher. McCarthy deftly portrays a man who has urges that are monstrous and despicable while also eliciting sympathy from viewers.
Alison Pill as devious, closeted, deeply broken middle child Willa Warren is phenomenal. Her actions may be manipulative and misguided, but the viewer truly knows Willa has had to play the fixer for her family since she was a child. They can see through the poor decisions to Willa's good intentions.
Liam James and Rupert Graves as Adam Warren and John Warren respectively also deserve kudos. There is not a weak link in this cast. When you have amazing actors such as these and they portray characters as deeply flawed as the ones Jenna Bans has created it would be a crime not to see them develop in further seasons.
10. Riveting Story
The story is wonderful. There is so much intrigue and mystery involved and the surface of it was barely scratched in the first season's twelve episodes. Many viewers believe that this show was better suited to be a miniseries, but the potential here is truly unlimited. We have to find out what happened to Adam after he left the bunker. The investigation into Doug is not yet over. What will happen to Jane and her baby? What will happen when Bridey is discovered? How will John react when he finds out the truth about Adam? Where did Danny go and will he ever come back? This show has just gotten started and it would be a shame to cut it short before it has a chance to evolve and resolve in a satisfying manner.
9. The Show Has A Big Fan Following
I've been hanging out in some of the online fan groups for "The Family". I've never come across more passionate fans. The FamFans (as they refer to themselves) are a constantly growing group of fans devoted to watching the show and dissecting everything that happens. One FamFan even started a Change.Org petition to have the show picked up by another network after its cancellation was announced. That petition has over 10,000 signatures and it's only been a few days! If you are interested in signing the petition, please check it out here.
8. Season Two Is Already Mapped Out
According to series creator Jenna Bans, season two is already mapped out. If you've seen the last episode of season one, you know what season two is going to be about. It promises to be a roller coaster ride for the ages!
7. The Flashbacks Give The Show Life
One of my favorite things about this show is the way it interweaves the present day storyline with the storyline of ten years ago when Adam was taken. Jenna Bans has said in interviews that if the show continues they will continue to do flashbacks, but they will flashback to different time periods. There is so much ground to cover in the ten years between Adam's kidnapping and homecoming that there would be enough material for many seasons to come. It would be so thrilling to see how the Warren family deteriorated in the aftermath of Adam's kidnapping. I would love to see how Claire Warren went from housewife at the time of Adam's kidnapping to beloved mayor of Red Pines when he reappears. Showing how these characters came to be the present day versions of themselves is something that sets this show apart from so many others.
6. There's Nothing Else Like It On TV
In a wold where our television shows are either procedural dramas or reality shows, "The Family" is a breath of fresh air. It's heavily serialized but it gives the audience answers almost as quickly as it brings up new questions. The story isn't convoluted and the twists aren't outrageous. It is a show about a family that experienced unspeakable tragedy and it chronicles how they picked themselves up and moved on. In my opinion, it's a throwback to classic television dramas.
5. It Makes You Think
I love the fact that this show delves into the psyches of pedophiles and juxtaposes two pedophiles in a meaningful way. We live in a society that demonizes anything that is considered abnormal. In many parts of the country mental illness is considered taboo and misunderstood. I've seen many fans of the show comment on how the character of Hank Asher is just as monstrous as Doug Anderson's character. I beg to disagree. The creators of this show go to great lengths and take great pains to illustrate the difference between the two men. Hank doesn't give into his urges while Doug does. There's no question that Hank is just as sick as Doug (and I mean sick in the sense that pedophilia is actually a disease recognized by the DSM-V) but does that mean he is a monster? I think the show does a brilliant job of leaving this open to interpretation and debate. Overall, several of the characters in this show make truly terrible decisions but one of the things I think this show is trying to do is show how trauma effects individuals and how that can shape their personalities and psychology in the aftermath of tragedy.
4. ABC Gave The Family A Raw Deal
Ok, this may be a controversial point. "The Family" premiered in early March. It premiered on a Thursday night and then was moved to it's permanent home of Sunday night. First of all, I think that by premiering the show in March, when every other show has been airing since September/October or January/February gave "The Family" very little chance to succeed. People were already devoted to the shows they wanted to watch this season. They weren't about to abandon any of their established shows that were already several episodes into their season to give a new show a chance. I also think that moving the show to Sunday night decreased the show's chance at survival. Sunday isn't a hugely popular TV night and since the show was airing later than most midseason replacements it didn't have any chance at finding a large audience.
3. It's Perfect For A Streaming Site or Cable
The shows that do well on Netflix, Hulu and Amazon are shows that have shortened seasons and are heavily serialized. These shows also tend to be a little bit more controversial in terms of subject matter. "The Family" is a show that is about trauma and tragedy but it also delves heavily into the world of pedophilia and psychological maladies. It doesn't show anything graphically and I don't believe it should ever or will ever show anything of that nature but I do think it would be easier to openly investigate this subject on a station or site that wouldn't be as concerned with censoring the delicate nature of these topics.
2. It's Entertaining
Even if you aren't interested in looking at the issues the show brings up, "The Family" is incredibly entertaining. You never know what will happen each week and it's a lot of fun to theorize about the direction the show is taking. A lot of the twists are unpredictable. It's also a show that you see something new in each time you watch. I went back and watched all the episodes from the beginning after the fifth episode aired and I saw the story in a brand new way! The writers, producers, creators and actors really know how to artfully put a story together. It's a really fun show to watch and the detail put into the story as a whole and each episode is outstanding. Trying to predict how each character will react to a new twist or what a character will do to achieve their own goals is both enjoyable and satisfying!
1. Season One Ended In A Cliffhanger!
If you haven't yet watched "The Family" or missed the final episode, you may want to stop reading now. At the end of season one, we are left knowing that Adam is indeed still alive and has escaped with Jane after shooting Doug in his private parts. He calls his home and tells Ben that he is coming to get his life back. The show ends with Claire asking Ben who called. WHAT? That's the end of this show? We will never know what happens? NO! THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE!!! I need to know what Ben does with this news. Does he give up his newfound home, the family he's wanted his whole life? Does he try to stop Adam from returning? Also, WHO KILLED BRIDEY? Was Willa involved? God, I hope she wasn't but I NEED TO KNOW! You can't end this series with a cliffhanger. It deserves resolution. At the very least, we need a television movie made that finishes the storyline!
As you can see, there are a myriad of reasons why "The Family" should be picked up by another network or streaming site. Please share this article to help this show gain some much deserved awareness and give this wonderful series a chance at coming back and making all of us FamFans incredibly happy!
