Spoiler alert for anyone who hasn't watched up to and through the sixth episode of Fuller House Season 2. If you still haven't gotten there and want to keep this awkwardness a surprise, check out another one of our articles.
The second season of Netflix's Fuller House has finally hit the web. Unfortunately for those who were hoping that Michelle Tanner would turn up at some point in Season 2, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen declined to appear on the series. The latest batch of episodes didn't shy away from pointing out Michelle's absence, and one particularly glaring example came when D.J. took the time during Thanksgiving dinner to wish that Michelle could be with them next year. It was very sweet and not at all awkward or funny...until John Stamos looked directly at the camera and said this:
In case any of us thought that the twins saying "no" to Fuller House for two seasons in a row would mean that they would no longer be welcome, the Michelle shout-out in "Fuller Thanksgiving" makes it pretty clear that there's still a place for their character in the revival series. Jodie Sweetin had previously admitted that they were on the verge of giving up on recruiting the Olsen sisters to bring back Michelle, but John Stamos didn't seem quite so discouraged.
In fact, he seemed to still actively want them to appear in Season 2, even posting an adorable video from behind the scenes of Full House back in 1989 of the toddler twins trying to say his name. The clip was such an overload of cuteness that I was a few re-watches away from volunteering to play Michelle myself if it meant bringing her back to the family.
The reference to Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen is just about as awkward as it is funny, which really works well for the Thanksgiving episode. The time was right for somebody to point out the fact that Michelle was MIA, and the breaking of the fourth wall seemed much less spiteful this time around than it did back in Season 1. The series premiere of Fuller House stopped the action long enough for most of the original actors to glare straight into the camera after Danny mentioned that Michelle is too busy in New York to make it to the family reunion. The excuse of Michelle's fashion empire keeping her in New York is a nod to why the Olsen twins decided not to appear in Fuller House, but the glare at the camera didn't exactly scream "We love you and miss you!"
Another Season 1 reference to Michelle came when Kimmy bought her daughter Ramona an incredibly expensive dress designed by Michelle. Kimmy joked that the high price must be why Michelle doesn't need to come home anymore. A third shout-out to the Olsens refusing to appear on Fuller House was actually cut before it could even air. Apparently, Uncle Jesse was going to be talking on the phone while everybody was chatting around him. He would have said something about "One episode!" and then mentioned the "twins' lawyer." It's always best not to mention lawyers.
Netflix only just released Fuller House Season 2, so we can't say just yet if a Season 3 could happen. If so, though, my fingers are crossed that Mary-Kate and/or Ashley appears in an episode, even if only for a brief scene or cameo; even a selfie faxed to the producers from a decade-old phone. At the very least, it would be fun to see how meta Fuller House would get if the Olsen twins actually did return. For now, you can check out all 13 episodes of Fuller House Season 2 on Netflix.
