'Party of Five' Episode 1 sees the Acostas form a bond stronger than ever as Gloria and Javier avoid deportation
It is said that the family is the first essential cell of human society. But what happens when the same society acts against the humane values leading to the disintegration of such families?
The reboot of Fox's classic family drama 'Party of Five' premiered on Freeform today. Similar to the original, the latest series also premises on the lives of the members of the Acosta family, who go to hell and back to acquire citizenship in the US, fighting against the laws of the government.
The pilot episode of 'Party of Five' opens to the introduction of each of the Acosta family members. Gloria (Fernanda Urrejola) and Javier (Bruno Bichir) are immigrants from Mexico, who illegally crossed the border years ago, carrying their eldest child Emilio Acosta, who was only an infant at the time.
Emilio (Brandon Larracuente), the eldest of the Acosta children is now an aspiring musician, who makes a living by performing gigs at local pubs. The first scene of the episode establishes him as a womanizer, who is least bothered to even remember the name of the women in his life.
Gloria and Javier's second child Lucia (Emily Tosta) is a straight-A student, who is too driven by the headstrong impulsiveness of youth. Meanwhile, her twin brother Beto (Niko Guardado) is a carefree teenager, who mostly chooses to be deliberately obtuse.
And, Valentina is the youngest sister, who comes across as mature for her age, is defined by over smartness, but in a resourceful way. Meanwhile, Rafael is Gloria and Javier's fifth child, still an infant.
The family is leading a near-perfect life until one day when the Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers decide to take Gloria and Javier into custody on account of failing to produce adequate documents to prove their citizenship.
As tragedy befalls the family, the siblings go great lengths to free their parents who are close to being deported to Mexico. In their parents' absence, the Acosta siblings see themselves putting in extra effort to stick together as a family, clearly lacking an adult’s guidance.
While Emilio thinks he can run the family by seeking help from his flings to babysit Rafael while he's out earning some money through his gigs, Lucia thinks she can live life by her will as there are no more curfews or rules to tell her what to do.
However, their lives take an unexpected turn when the judge declares that their family situation isn’t "truly exceptional" to be considered for overturning Gloria and Javier's deportation.
It remains to be seen in the next episode, how the Acosta siblings are going to navigate through their while remaining intact as a family.