Full House finale. Played alternately by Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, Michelle Tanner was one of the fan-favorite characters from the late '80s/early '90s family sitcom. So, many were understandably disappointed when she didn't show up in Fuller House.
Refusing to recast Michelle, Fuller House was forced to come up with an excuse to explain her absence. Since the Full House franchise put a lot of emphasis on the importance of family, the sequel had to find a justifiable excuse for Michelle not coming back home while all of this was happening. The producer mined inspiration from the Olsen Twins' real-life job, revealing that their sitcom character is now based in New York where she runs her fashion empire.
10 Harsh Realities Of Watching Full House Today, 36 Years Later
Full House is primarily ed as a feel-good family sitcom, but some aspects of the show make it difficult to rewatch it almost 40 years later.
How Fuller House Handled Michelle's Absence
The Missing Daughter Was A Big Problem
During its first few seasons, Fuller House referenced Michelle Tanner from time to time. But, as the show went on, and it became clear that Mary-Kate and Ashley were set on not revisiting the role, the show also gradually stopped mentioning her.
The most interesting reference to the character, however, was an indirect one. In Fuller House season 5, episode 1 Danny (Bob Saget) made a statement saying: “it’s so nice to have three daughters again” while talking to DJ, Stephanie, and Kimmy, implying that Kimmy had taken Michelle's spot in the family. There was never any clarification about this, but a separate theory builds on the idea.
Fuller House's Dark Theory Reveals Michelle Is Dead
It Changes The Entire Outlook Of The Show
...the Tanners still liked to pretend that Michelle was still alive and that the only reason she couldn't be with them was that she relocated...
The theory claims that Michelle didn't actually get the chance to grow up because she died in the Full House finale, as opposed to just dying recently. In the original show's final arc, Michelle suffered a head injury when she fell off her horse. It resulted in her amnesia, and the rest of the series' run revolved around the Tanners trying to make her . In the end, however, she did seem to recover. The theory suggests that Michelle Tanner didn't actually get better.
The idea is that she died due to the head trauma she suffered. The rest of Full House, therefore, was the family reminiscing on their time together as a way of coping. Decades later in Fuller House, the Tanners still liked to pretend that Michelle was still alive and that the only reason she couldn't be with them was that she relocated across the country. Danny's Michelle tease in the Fuller House final season makes sense under this interpretation of events, as this would explain why Michelle wasn't considered in the "three daughters" statement.
ittedly, this is quite a dark plot line for a primarily lighthearted sitcom like Full House and Fuller House. But, it also offers a robust reason why the youngest Tanner daughter never came home despite the many family gatherings they had over the years. For someone who valued the importance of being there for family, this didn't make sense unless it was physically impossible for her to return.
Full House's Tanner Family Tree Explained
At the center of Full House's narrative is the Tanner family, which extends beyond Danny Tanner, his wife, Pam, and his three daughters.
What The Fuller House Stars Have Said About Michelle's Return
There Don't Seem To Be Hard Feelings
When Fuller House first started up, Michelle Tanner's absence was the source of some drama, but the explanation for why she didn't return is pretty simple. Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen haven't acted for years and are instead fully invested in the fashion industry, where they run multiple clothing brands.
John Stamos has said that the Olsen twins' Fuller House absence was blown way out of proportion and that it was perfectly logical that they didn't want to reprise their roles given their other obligations and accomplishments. The twins themselves have stated that they now prefer to be out of the spotlight, which is also understandable.
With Fuller House finished, there's no way to address the disturbing Full House theory that Michelle actually died — at least for now. But if anything, it demonstrates the extent of fans' disappointment about the Michelle-shaped hole in the Netflix spin-off. However, it's unlikely that this theory will ever be officially addressed either in the show or by its creators in light of its decidedly grim nature.
Other Explanations
The Most Logical Is Used In-Show
The most logical explanation for Michelle’s absence from Fuller House is the one used within the show. If Michelle is actually running her own fashion company in New York, she would have a lot of responsibility on the other side of the country and would likely not want to leave her work. It’s interesting to note that when Stephanie returns home at the start of Fuller House, it’s implied that she and DJ haven’t been around one another much in a long time either. Despite how close the family is, it’s not unusual for the sisters to be apart.
Of course, it’s also possible that there’s a rift between Michelle and her family. That could explain why she doesn’t want to come home and the tongue-in-cheek nods to Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen’s real life job being accompanied by the entire Tanner family breaking the fourth wall and looking into the camera in one scene. While there might not be any hard feelings between the cast and the Olsen sisters, who played the youngest member of the family, a fictional rift on the show would still work.
If fans really want to go the darker and sadder route for Michelle Tanner, she doesn’t have to be dead to have succumbed to her head injury in the final season of the show. Head injuries can also cause hallucinations or even a coma. Michelle could be hospitalized or in a special facility where she’s cared for, and the idea of her running a fashion empire could be a fantasy to explain her absence to those outside the family. That makes her absence even darker though.
10 Dark Full House Moments We're Amazed The Sitcom Got Away With
The Tanners went through a lot during Full House's eight-year run on ABC, and some of their experiences were really dark for a family sitcom.
Other Sitcoms With Similar Wild Theories
Many Sitcom Fans Have Dark Theories About Their Favorite Shows
A lot of these theories about sitcoms can seem ridiculous out of context, but fans have been very judicious at finding evidence...
As long as television has existed as a medium, fans have been theorizing about their favorite characters and stories. Modern sitcoms have some of the wildest fan theories though - and often ones that are very different from the tone of the show.
Some theories about beloved sitcoms are just as dark as the one that concerns Michelle dying at the end of Full House. Some fans, for example, think that the events of Friends never happened the way they were shown. The idea is that Phoebe hallucinated the entire story of the show while still unhoused and seeing a group of friends enjoying themselves in Central Perk. She simply imagined herself as part of their friend group.
The Office fans have an equally dark theory about Toby, the human relations representative for the Scranton branch of Dunder Mifflin. Toby, some fans believe, is the Scranton Strangler (via AV Club). The Scranton Strangler is a serial killer mentioned in the show multiple times, and when events concerning the fictional character are mentioned, Toby is often absent. His most conspicuous absence occurs when the police are actually involved in a car chase with the criminal. Fans recognize Toby’s unhappiness in his personal life and his job as possible trigger points for him to become the Scranton Strangler.
How I Met Your Mother fans have many theories regarding whether or not Ted is actually a reliable narrator for the show. The series is framed around him recounting events of his younger days to his children, all leading up to him meeting their mother. There are, however, continuity issues and conflicting incidents in the narrative. While some fans have theorized that Ted is simply wanting to make himself look better for his children, others think it’s possible Ted has Alzheimer’s, which would for his story taking longer to tell and the gaps in it.
Those who appreciate the Full House theory that Michelle actually succumbed to her head injury will appreciate a similar idea about Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. In that series, Will is sent to live with relatives after a fight. Some fans believe that fight might have actually been lethal. The reason the theme song mentions a “rare” cab is because the taxi actually traveled to the afterlife. The theory postulates that every time Will got a visit from his mom in California, she was actually visiting his grave, and his new life is a heavenly fantasy.
When it comes to a lighter theory concerning a sitcom, Big Bang Theory fans might have one of the most interesting ones. There is a theory that has been heavily discussed on Reddit: Penny is actually a spy.
Penny, whose last name is never revealed in the show, gets close to four scientists who have worked for or with various government agencies and, though she seems to not understand anything about their work, is often present when they’re discussing it. It might seem far-fetched to some fans since she ends up married to Leonard at the end of the series, but it would have been very easy for her to gather information and provide it to someone.
A lot of these theories about sitcoms can seem ridiculous out of context, but fans have been very judicious at finding evidence within each of the shows to the idea, just as they have with Michelle’s absence in Fuller House.
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Full House (US)
- Release Date
- 1987 - 1995-00-00
Cast
Bob Saget
John Stamos
WHERE TO WATCH
StreamingBUYFull House (1987) is a family sitcom centered on Danny Tanner, a widowed father, who enlists his brother-in-law Jesse and best friend Joey to help raise his three young daughters in San Francisco. The series features themes of family, friendship, and humor, showcasing the everyday challenges and heartwarming moments as they navigate life together. Full House starred Bob Saget, John Stamos, and Dave Coulier.
- Seasons
- 8
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Fuller House
- Release Date
- 2016 - 2020-00-00
- Showrunner
- Jeff Franklin
- Writers
- Jeff Franklin
Cast
Jodie Sweetin-
Juan Pablo Di Pace
WHERE TO WATCH
StreamingBUYSet years after the events of the original television series, Fuller House returns to the Tanner home where it all started, now following a grown-up D.J. Tanner-Fuller. Along with her three daughters, sister, and best friend, the group lives together in their childhood home in San Francisco, California with D.J. and Stephanie's father, Danny. The makeshift family works together to raise their family and explores similar themes present in the first series.
- Seasons
- 5
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