Party of Five follows the five Acosta children -- Emilio, Lucia, Beto, Valentina and baby Rafael -- as they navigate daily life struggles to survive as a family unit after their parents are suddenly deported to Mexico.
The stories can be predictable, and the family too often comes off as perpetual victims... At a time when the immigration debate still involves kids kept in cages, there is no better moment for America to see a series like this.
It's a unique situation to explore on TV, but it's a reality for thousands of families across the country. Overall, it's a promising start to the series.
The series could stand to be more consistent in how the parents are depicted after the pilot... but I like the variation on the dynamic in which there's a gaping hole in the family's life, without a loss of hope.
This remake of Party of Five proves that old stories cannot only be told anew but they can be retooled to better mirror what it means to live in a Latino family in the 21st century.
There is potential for "Party" to deepen and grow in subsequent episodes, but the series might not have enough material to sustain itself. "Party" might have a reason to exist, but it needs a reason to keep going, too.
