Post — Aaron Ngo

Major Spoilers are included in this episode review. Please read with caution.

CBS’s latest sitcom, starring Nina Dobrev, is honestly nothing special. At least, FAM has everything a standard sitcom needs: unconventional family structure, cheap humor, and loads of puns involving marijuana. The last part is starting to become a standard in television lately.

The series centers around newly engaged couple, Clem (Nina Dobrev) and Nick (Tone Bell), who end up taking care of Clem’s half-sister Shannon (Odessa Adlon) after discovering how Clem’s father has been neglecting her over the years. The premise of this show reminds me of the sitcom What I Like About You starring Amanda Bynes, an old series I used to watch religiously. The major difference is the involvement of Clem’s and Nick’s parents, in addition to how the show mainly focuses on Clem’s adjustment to having her sister and father back in her life.

There’s nothing really unique about this sitcom, except when Nina Dobrev is allowed to have heart-to-hearts with Shannon about living with their dad, which screams “ELENA GILBERT” to me. The whole reason I watched the “Pilot” was solely because she was starring in it. I am not ashamed to admit this.

Rose and Walt, Nick’s parents, are really funny, but Nina and Bell cannot match them in terms of humor during the dinner scenes. It makes the interactions more awkward than they already are.

Overall, this is not a terrible show, but I wouldn’t classify it as amazing either. I’d say FAM is a solid okay to watch once in awhile. Maybe that’s just enough. If anything, I get to see Nina Dobrev on television. For me, that’s a big win.

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