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Party of Five's
major characters are youthful siblings coping with the
recent deaths of their parents in an automobile accident. Shocked into a beyond-their-years awareness of the fragility of ordinary life
and the importance of loyalty and loving bonds, the Salinger
offspring--24-year-old Charlie, high-schoolers Bailey and Julia, 11-year-old
Claudia and baby Owen
--bring a deeply felt, sometimes desperate gravitas to
lesser but still significant misfortunes in relationships, peer pressures, and
ambitions. On top of that, each has to take on responsibilities beyond their
experience--hiring nannies, raising money for mortgage payments, etc.--and make
sacrifices robbing them of formative experiences. Charlie, accustomed to adult
freedom, has to rejigger his plans and move back home as a surrogate and, often
resented, parent. (If he doesn't do this, his brothers and sisters could be
separated and sent to foster homes.) Ultra-responsible Bailey, with little time
for homework, buddies or girls, loses perspective and gets hung up on an older,
appealing nanny. Top student Julia's academic career fades as she
seeks a second family among undeserving thrill-seekers. Claudia, a gifted
musician, pawns her violin. Additional season to be available soon. |
