Grounded For Life – Season 2

 

Picture: C     Sound: C+     Extras: C-     Episodes: C-

 

 

Now that Grounded For Life was a moderate hit, could a show so bad become somewhat better now that it had a chance to stay on the air?  No.  Once again, yet another situation comedy meant for families, but what families?  It is supposed to be “safe” but how safe?  The epitome of this commodification and plasticization of the “ideal” family can be found again in Season 2 of this extremely flat, dull, tired, predictable, pseudo-hip and wall-to-wall dysfunctional show.  Even worse, it is so comfortable in that state of infantilism that the parents and children blur.

 

Part of this comes from the parents starting at 18 with children that have now grown out of their control to some extent while they have only grown so much arriving in their 30s.  Donal Logue is the father some people will remember from the first Blade film, leaving the others as newcomers for the most part, give or take a veteran here or there.  The show is very trivial and forgettable, with later episodes making no headway in developing anything worth another season.  All in all, the animated family shows get smarter and bolder, while the live-action ones are like unfunny mannequins trying for laughs.  Too bad, because family shows used to have heart.  This one stays awful and start with the previous set reviewed elsewhere on this site, or skip it big time.

 

The 1.33 X 1 image is the usual videotaped-looking show, with the usual flat lighting, but this set looks worse!  The Dolby Digital 2.0 is pretty much stereo-only as any attempt to create surrounds hollows out the sound and exposes its limits.  Extras include select audio commentary on some of the shows, three interviews, a highlights featurette and a bloopers reel.  Even the added value materials add little value and feel the same as before.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo