dzaglin

Season 1 of 13 reasons why was very graphic and tough to sit through at points. It showed a side of high school not typically dramatized for television. By the conclusion of the first season I was shocked and had a lot to think about. The acting was top notch and storylines were believable enough.

It should have ended there....

Season 2 was basically a cash grab for Netflix. The story is insane and is in no way realistic. Instead of a strong narrative structure, the show takes a ton of cliche and easy ways out to continue the harrowing story. The performances are decent but, the material the actors are given is just plain stupid. In what world would any of this happen, and why would the parents feel these kids should keep going to this school.

Watch season 1 and just forget that anyone at Netflix decided to be greedy and want more from a dead premise

This show has a very graphic take on the current high school generation. As much as we know these kids are doing drugs and having sex this show pushes the envelope way too much. 45 minutes into the Pilot I was so turned off I wondered who the target audience is. No teens should see this show, and most adults would be turned off by the content which is way too graphic. In terms of the story and characters it's not too interesting and just pushes the envelope scene after scene and for no real reason.

Director Sean Anders has been known to make some very raunchy comedies so when hearing about his latest project I was wondering how this would play out. I have to say I had high expectations for this movie as it dealt with a heavier subject matter than any of his previous films. The best part about Instant Family is that it is inspired by Anders' real life family, and they always say "write what you know".

He definitely knows what he's writing here, and doesn't shy away from making audiences both laugh and cry while watching this family come together through some not so easy circumstances.

As always Mark Wahlberg is the macho man father we all know and love, but here we are able to see a different side of him. We are able to see some real emotion come from Wahlberg and it doesn't feel forced. I'm sure having a few children of his own helped with that while prepping his performance.

The real surprise in "Instant Family" is how funny the film is, and for the families watching it's no where near as rude or raunchy as Anders' previous work. There are a few risqué scenes here and there, but that's to be expected when dealing with teenagers. However these scenes are ultimately believable and aren't that over the top to bring down the feel good nature of the film.

Overall Instant Family was a real surprise, a light hearted comedy which shows the struggles some families go through in order to become one. The supporting cast of Tig Notaro, Octavia Spencer, and the always perfect Margo Martendale make Instant Family a true family treat. Hopefully director Sean Anders continues along the line of light hearted comedies as this may be his best film yet