Party of Five Season 6

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1990's, 2000's, Jacob Smith, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Jeremy London, Lacey Chabert, Matthew Fox, Neve Campbell, Party of Five, Party of Five Season 6, Paula Devicq, Scott Grimes, Scott Wolf, Wilson Cruz

And here it is, my review of the final season of Party of Five. I must say its been quite an experience watching this family drama and observing the ups and downs of the Salinger Family. Here I am at the final stage, bidding farewell to the moving drama and characters I’ve come to feel for and enjoy the company of. Be warned, spoilers will follow in this take on the last season of Party of Five.

We rejoin the Salinger’s as Charlie(Matthew Fox) and Kirsten( Paula Devicq)are about to tie the knot. After numerous slip ups and hiccups, they finally marry, overcoming much adversity and obstacles that have stood in their way. Though Kirsten never thought she could have kids, with advances in research she decides it is time to start looking into IVF. It will be a trying time for them especially with young Owen(Jacob Smith) and baby Diana to look after, but they are willing to ride it out in the hopes of a positive outcome. Daphne is still around and has employed the help of nanny Victor(Wilson Cruz)to help with Diana when needed, he soon becomes a close family friend to the Salinger’s. Griffin(Jeremy London) is also very much a presence in their lives, particularly when he is involved in a motorbike accident and they cover his insurance to help him out. Bailey(Scott Wolf) is busying himself with things and not communicating with Sarah(Jennifer Love Hewitt). The strain on their relationship since she turned down his marriage proposal in Season 5 grows bigger and ultimately Sarah breaks off their romance. She decides that she wants to find herself and promptly leaves behind their relationship once and for all. As he feels he’s got no one to rely on or something to fix( plus an intense and ill advised rebound relationship), Bailey’s desire for alcohol comes back. Thankfully he is aware of it and decides to sort himself out rather than spiralling out of control like the last time. 
Julia(Neve Campbell) is offered a book deal that puts pressure on her to dig into her life and examine the painful times. She’s determined to do it, though it will prove difficult to assess all she has been through in such a short space of time. Claudia(Lacey Chabert) continues to grow into a mature young woman faced with the beckoning responsibilities and confusion of adulthood. She is nearly forced upon by a drunken classmate and it forces her to retreat into herself. It’s only with Julia’s help that she opens up again and tries to get back to her usual searching self again. In the end, the Salinger’s must decide how to move on with their lives and in what direction it is best to go in.

The main theme running through everything in this last season is moving on. Each of the Salinger’s has to contend with the possibilities of the future and what may lie ahead. More issues and moving moments ensue in this final season, rounding out the impressive arcs of the characters. There’s the peer pressure for Claudia, Bailey’s lapse into alcohol again and Julia’s journey of writing a memoir. Some story lines don’t quite add up or work(anything to really do with Daphne and Bailey’s relationship with a girl name Holly drags), but the vast majority of things compensate for that. Certain ones are hard to ignore, though we can still watch and be entertained by the various events the characters find themselves going through and their choices. What’s made the show one that I have enjoyed is the relatability. Every character is flawed and yet likeable in their own way and that’s been a consistent strength in Party of Fve during its run.

Major episodes that stand out are Griffin’s accident bringing everyone together, showing Party of Five at what it does best; emotional drama. The following episode gamely explores how the Salinger’s banding together to help Griffin in a way we are accustomed to seeing. One of the finest is titled What if and is a look at what life may have been like for the Salinger’s if their parents hadn’t died. It occurs following Bailey crashing his car and it examines the way in which lives can play out not according to plan or sometimes go another way. It’s a very strong episode that really reflects on how much they’ve all grown up in the years since their parent’s death and it’s neat seeing various ways that characters may have interacted if not for that one critical event. Season 6 may not be the best season of Party of Five( that honour goes to Season 3), but it signs off very credibly and emotionally in a way befitting of what’s come before it. What’s best about it is how it ties everything together and concludes the journeys of the Salinger’s in heartfelt fashion. The best episode is the last one that shows all of the characters letting go of the past, keeping their memories of good times and finally moving on with their lives. It’s a pleasing, emotional episode as Bailey, Julia and Claudia all accept scholarships, internships and a chance at college while Charlie, after reluctance, gives his blessing. What’s most moving is the selling of the Salinger home, which has experienced just about every event known to man. The episode finishes with the characters saying goodbye to the house and finally letting their wings fly. And if you don’t have tears in your eyes, there is seriously something wrong with you.

By this point, the main cast is completely in tune with the characters they’ve played for years and still doing a hell of a good job at. Matthew Fox is ace as the oldest Charlie, whose life has been eventful and a complete roller coaster just like his siblings. Fox has grown into the part and has shown the progression from slacker and selfish to mature and authoritative. He’s finally become someone selfless, hard-working, dependable and happy about it. Scott Wolf is fine once more, alternating between cheeky and fun loving and desperate to stay afloat. Bailey has beaten his demons before and with Wolf understanding it, that makes his recovery all the more well played and realistic. Neve Campbell’s mix of assurance and vulnerability is wisely kept intact with Julia as she matures and has to dig deep for some inspiration of what to do next in her life. In a similar vein, Lacey Chabert, with her combination of innocence and attitude, gets to the emotionally confused centre of Claudia in a time where she is confronting things she doesn’t want to, yet planning her future at the same time. Paula Devicq is supportive and caring as Charlie’s wife Kirsten, who more than anything would love a child of her own. It’s very nice seeing her and Charlie finally together for good. It’s been an extremely rough road for the pair along the way, but thankfully they have come through as they belong to each other and always have. Jeremy London appears as Griffin who is also looking to the future and grateful to the Salinger’s for everything they’ve done for him. Jennifer Love Hewitt, who appears only briefly before leaving is still effective as the conflicted Sarah, who needs some answers and assurance in her life. Scott Grimes returns again, playing Bailey’s best bud Will with a real enthusiasm and supportive nature in times of need for Bailey. Wilson Cruz is fine as the new addition of Victor, someone who is both fair and loyal to the family and little Jacob Smith is growing fast as the youngest sibling Owen.

A fine send off to a quality show that brought emotion and honesty to the issues faced by young people, Season 6 of Party of Five rounds things off in respectable and excellent fashion. I hope everyone has enjoyed my reviews of this show, as it’s been a ride of emotions for me and I’m happy I discovered Party of Five. I will definitely miss this show now that I’ve finished it, but I can bid farewell happily too.

Party of Five Season 5

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1990's, Jacob Smith, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Jeremy London, Lacey Chabert, Matthew Fox, Neve Campbell, Party of Five, Party of Five Season 5, Paula Devicq, Scott Wolf

More drama and eventfulness befalls the Salinger family in the penultimate season of Party of Five. Despite some melodrama sneaking in and muddying the water, Season 5 still has its moments to shine with honest situations and characters you can feel for. Though it is overall a mixed season after the largely successful fourth one, it’s still immensely watchable. Spoilers will most likely follow.

After the unexpected news of Daphne’s pregnancy at the end of Season 4, both Charlie(Matthew Fox) and Daphne have decided to go through with having the baby. But as its so unexpected, both struggle since their plans and personalities are clashing. Charlie is being overly sensitive about everything, while Daphne is in a complete muddle. Everything is halted however when Daphne must have emergency surgery, resulting in the baby being born premature. After much concern and a couple of unpredictable moments, the baby(a girl given the name of the Salinger’s late mother Diana) is born and Daphne is fine. After a while, it becomes that Daphne seriously can’t cope with a baby, which baffles Charlie . Kirsten(Paula Devicq) is on hand for help, but her own marriage is under strain as her husband is of the thought that she is spending too much time with the Salinger’s. Kirsten and Charlie grow closer again, especially given all their history. Owen(Jacob Smith) feels pushed out of everything with the new baby. It soon comes to light however that Owen may in fact have a learning disability. Bailey(Scott Wolf) and Sarah(Jennifer Love Hewitt) are once again a couple and living in their own apartment. While they have to iron out their respective differences, things go pretty well so far. Yet Bailey has to ultimately deal with his growing desire for some control over his direction in life, something heightened when he sees that Owen is being left out. Julia(Neve Campbell) and Griffin(Jeremy London) are in the process of splitting up and keeping distance she to their differences and problems. Julia heads to college and just wants to concentrate on studying, while Griffin ponders what to do with his life. While studying, she catches the eye of intense and brooding Ned and they begin dating. Things are going well with Ned, until his dark, angry side emerges. This results in him physically assaulting and beating Julia, causing her to be one isolated from those around her. Although a strong person, Julia feels trapped in this horrible situation. Claudia(Lacey Chabert), who is now becoming very mature and sassy, is now off to boarding school. While she asserts her independence and individuality, she still experiences lands of longing to be with her family and whether she should be there for them, as she’s done it for so long. She ultimately finds comfort with Griffin when everyone else is busy and he kindly reassures her that she’s a special girl. The situation between Bailey and Charlie gets dramatically more angry and eventually reaches them fighting for custody.

Once more, Party of Five deals with difficult issues with a mostly realistic and moving assurance . And yes some parts of this season don’t work in what it attempts to show, but the main stories are on point and filled with pathos, humour and heartfelt delivery. The prospect of a baby prompts a touch and go aspect to that story line while it unearths the difficulty and transition of being a parent. At first that is set up well, but falls into the trap of overly familiar and stretching credibility. Much more well-managed is the examination of Owen’s feeling of being left out once Diana is born. It’s something that I’m certain everyone can relate to in some way or another, and it’s explored excellently here. The domestic violence story is handled extremely well and with sensitivity, never shying away from the horror and implications of abuse. If anything, Party of Five in its fifth year starts to get a but sensational. There is a feeling of tiredness in some of the execution of episodes. Some of the organic nature in earlier seasons gets jumbled up here, resulting in Season 5 getting knocked down a few pints in my estimations. Not that it’s a disaster by any means Though the vast majority of this season is more than enough to compensate this slip into melodrama, with the fine writing and acting making Season 5 a good addition to the series. What is crucially there is the very foundation of family. We buy into the Salinger’s as a family; they’re troubled, close and flawed but you can’t help but gravitate towards them. And considering the amount of ups and downs their lives have taken, rough edges are bound to be there. Even when close to utter disaster, you hope things can resolve.

Though a more flawed season of the show, Party of Five still gives us an abundance of fine episodes. There is when Owen goes missing in the mall on Thanksgiving, leaving everyone reeling. Even though you can feel that he will be found, you are genuinely left panicking in the situation. Thankfully, Owen is found but it is just the start of him becoming more frustrated and disconnected from his family. Then there is a Christmas episode that ranks highly. Things that have been hinted at get more prominence and come into fruition more, signalling the dilemmas of everyone and doing it with customary honesty. An episode of everyone facing up to their flaws and desperate situations beautifully gets into great areas. This followed by the verdict on he custody situation of Owen, that goes in a way you wouldn’t expect. So amid the decline in some of the realism and strength of earlier incarnations, Season Five has its moments too and gets better as the season goes on.

Matthew Fox gets to Charlie’s pig-headed and selfish need to always have things his way without support, even though a lot of events have featured the whole family contributing. It’s obvious he isn’t completely selfish, but the return of some of Charlie’s earlier traits is noticeable. Scott Wolf really gives it his all in this season, showing us Bailey in a deep predicament while contemplating life. Bailey’s assertiveness grows but he even begins to feel like his compulsion for control is straddling him to a halt. Combined with likable nature that he often gives off and complimented by his self-doubt, Bailey is probably one of my favourite characters. Neve Campbell excellently hits the required mix of doubt and deep vulnerability as Julie goes through a horrible ordeal. Julia is not a stupid or weak character by any means, usually being helpful, strong and considerate while dealing with a multitude of problems. So to see her go through this is shocking but well-played. Campbell gets that feeling of entrapment just right as Ned tightens his grip and she must summon up her strength to do something. Claudia’s has to grow to up in the past very quickly, but now is doing it on her own terms which sees her more decisive and independent than ever. She still cares for her family and we witness how it takes her time to adjust, but Lacey Chabert gets across the need to spread her wings and become who she wants to be. In essence, the battle between familial support and finally being her own person is Claudia’s struggle, which is naturally observed. Jennifer Love Hewitt is given less to do this season and at times the character of Sarah grates, but she’s still pretty solid in the role. Paula Devicq nicely finds the heart of Kirsten wanting to break from her closeness to the family, but finds that she cares too much to do that. Jeremy London is given the most material he has even been given in the show and uses it well; portraying concern and the hope that Julia will come back once more. And not to be forgotten is young Jacob Smith, who splendidly plays the young Owen whose behaviour begins to worry at first but is finally supported when it comes to light the difficulties he is facing.

The wheels start to come off with Season 5 and it’s noticeable, but there are still moments of greatness to be gleaned in Party of Five. Hopefully, the last season can really step it up to the excellence of past seasons.