‘Party of Five’ Episode 1: Emilio is burdened with responsibilities he can barely cope with

Episode 1 of ‘Party of Five’ offered everything we expected from the reboot series of the 90s hit show. Coherently showcasing the nuances of a family drama, the Freeform series seems to have struck the right chord with the viewers. 

In the pilot episode, we see Gloria (Fernanda Urrejola) and Javier (Bruno Bichir) lose their battle against the law to overturn their deportation despite hiring one of the best lawyers, whose paycheck consumed every bit of the Acostas’ savings from their family business. 

Gloria and Javier had no choice but to go back to Mexico, leaving their children on their own. Although they believe the Acosta siblings are big enough to take care of themselves, Emilio (Brandon Larracuente) is the one on whom the responsibilities are passed on to by default. 
 
Throughout the episode we see how Emilio tries to play the patriarch of the family in the absence of their parents, only to be disrespected by his brothers and sisters. He may scream at the top of his lungs to establish authority, but his siblings have gone through a lot to be intimidated by their brother’s occasional yelling. Even when Emilio tries to help their parents by paying a whopping sum to the lawyer, his siblings shun him for using up all the savings. When the eldest son’s efforts don’t turn out to be fruitful, he’s struck by harsh reality, realizing it’s about time he stood up for his family. 

From the start, Emilio makes it clear to his siblings that he isn’t interested in doing what his parents did, which is to run the restaurant. But, Gloria and Javier’s deportation forces him into doing something he thoroughly dislikes. 

With his leaning towards music and the new responsibilities burdened on him, we wonder how Emilio is going to cope with the hardship he is totally unprepared for. 

Episode 2 of ‘Party of Five’ will premiere on Freeform on January 15.