Being a huge fan of the original “Party Of Five” series which aired on FOX for six seasons from 1994 to 2000 we were thrilled to learn that the series was going to get a reboot on Freeform with a fresh twist.
After having a chance to check out the all-new “Party Of Five” we were thrilled to see that the reboot definitely pays proper homage to the original series, however, it manages to tackle many topics, namely immigration, that play a major part in our current political climate today.
Freeform’s “Party Of Five” stars Brandon Larracuente, Niko Guardado, Emily Tosta, and Elle Paras Legaspi as the five Acosta children who are left to fend for themselves after their parents are deported back to Mexico. This is the major difference between the new reboot and the original series in which the parent characters were killed and the children of varying ages were left to take care of themselves.
In the premiere episode, we are introduced to the entire Acosta family who owns a restaurant and their five children range in age from 24 to 1 years old. The restaurant is raided by federal agents who discover that the parents do not have their proper papers and are ultimately deported to Mexico. The eldest son Emilio (Larracuente) is then forced to give up his dreams of becoming a musician to step up and care for his younger siblings and take on the family restaurant business.
Sadly, we also learn that Emilio’s citizenship is also called into question by new political policy leading to even more fear and turmoil for the Acosta family. The family is also faced with a slew of additional issues such as brother Beto (Guardado) is failing high school while his twin sixteen-year-old sister Lucia (Tosta), while quite the brainiac is now beginning to rebel given the situation and probably the most heartbreaking is watching youngest daughter Valentina (Paris Legaspi) suffer from the sudden loss of her parents, as she watches them being physically ripped away, not to mention they are also dealing with a 1-year old baby with several health issues.
Creators Amy Lippman and Christopher Keyser are back from the original series and they have done an absolutely phenomenal job at giving this heartbreaking story of family turmoil a fresh and modern twist in a way that audiences of this generation can relate. We see news stories every day about families being torn apart at the seams due to immigration issues in this country, so if there was ever a correct way for Lippman and Keyser to bring back this series now is the time and Freeform is definitely the perfect place.
The new “Party Of Five” is more than just a reboot. It tells a whole new story, while similar in concept with five siblings trying their best to make it on their own without the help of any parents, but through fresh pairs of eyes with new and unique characters dealing with issues that are pertinent for survival in today’s world. There is also the perspective of the parent’s which we never got to see with the original series, as these two have to watch the trials and tribulations that their children are going through and are stuck with no way to provide any assistance. We couldn’t even begin to imagine the range of emotions they must be feeling.
The series has a mass appeal to a wide range of audiences and will be great for family binge-a-thons, as it leaves for plenty of discussion material and deals with many relatable issues for both adults and teens alike, which is rare to find in television series these days.
In our opinion, they have done a fantastic job with the new “Party Of Five” as they have already set up a good number of character conflicts and tensions to keep viewers tuning in week after week, as we became immediately emotionally invested in the Acota family and their story and can’t wait to see just how everything will play out. Be sure to tune into “Party Of Five” airing on Freeform beginning on Wednesday, January 8th!
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