Full House: The Complete Seventh Season

It takes an almost superhuman level of concentration to watch and review this series objectively; that said, the 24 episodes from Full House's 1993-94 penultimate season—presented on an extra-less four-disc set—are decidedly lamer than in previous seasons. As always, the action is centered on the household run by talk-show host Danny Tanner (Bob Saget)—the single parent of daughters D.J. (Candace Cameron), Stephanie (Jodie Sweetin), and Michelle (Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen)—who still gets dubious assistance from uncle Jesse (John Stamos) and pal Joey (Dave Coulier). Seven years into the series, Danny finds himself dealing with a new set of problems: D.J. is spending way too much time at her boyfriend's apartment; Stephanie is struggling to make friends at her new school; and Michelle, no longer the adorable little scene-stealer of yore, is becoming a precocious brat. Last year's cast additions, hyperkinetic twins Alex and Nicky (Blake and Dylan Tuomy-Wilhoit), have become full-fledged hellions in their own rights, forcing Danny to lay down the law, while Jesse works feverishly to renovate the rundown Smash Club. The season finale—the best of a generally uninteresting lot—finds Danny wondering if he should sell the house to its former owner, who offers him twice what it's worth. Does the gang break up? We should only have been so lucky: there was an eighth season. Optional. (E. Hulse)