The Rapaport Report

Sorry this edition of The Report is late, folks, but I'm still recovering from the season finale of The War At Home. Now the biggest news of the weekend might have come from this Stephen Colbert guy, who apparently has his own "Report" somewhere, and The 'Port is a big enough man to give him that. But a close second has to be the season finale of this year's breakout series. And needless to say, it wasn't just business as usual. Not that the episode eschewed its usual guffaw-enducing writing, but it remained funny while ramping up the gravity. The show never shied away from serious subjects before, but the season finale dealt with the core of the family relationship. Father/daughter moments, father/son moments, even mother/son moments (it did not stray into the realm of fiction with mother/daughter moments, thankfully). The primary story line involved Dave teaching Hillary to drive, and then taking responsibility with the cops when she does something irresponsible. Cue flashback scenes of Dave helping little Hillary with her first bicycle. In this cynical age, what show--what man--has the guts to portray outright sentimentality like this? Not Jim Belushi, that's for sure. And then young son Mike defrauds a credit card company in order to pay for his online gambling. Does Dave fly off the handle? Not at all. He turns it into a father/son bonding experience that brings them closer together, in the healthy venue of compulsive gambling. Rapaport knows how to be pro-family without the rote moralising you'd get from, say, Full House. The third story arc involves older son Larry's dream of going to Shakespeare Camp, and the disappointment that comes when Vicky forgets to send in his application. She attempts to reverse her mistake to no avail, and Larry is crushed. Young thespian Kyle Sullivan gives one of his finest performances in this episode, and his grief is heartwrenching. These two stories with the sons give some very important family lessons. The former: a parent may occasionally seem like a hypocrite, but Young Sir or Miss, you must listen to them nevertheless, for from their past mistakes comes wisdom. The latter: a parent may still make mistakes, even to your detriment, but they are human too and need your sympathy as you would have when your imperfections show. Teens in the audience were presented with a double whammy of in your face Enlightenment. You are not going to find this stuff covered on police or medical dramas, folks.

You see, what Rapaport brings to the table is not your run of the mill genius sit-com. It's also in many ways a guide to parenting, and a guide to life. Those who haven't seen the show may find that a bit grandiose, but those who watch The War At Home understand: the war on the outside reflects the turmoil of the love on the inside. It's only because he loves you that a son gets a credit card in your name. It's only because she loves you that your daughter welcomes your protection by getting your license suspended. I mean, these are simple lessons that should reverberate with everyone in a family. If you didn't understand what I was just talking about with the license, then it's not a matter of me as a writer providing enough context, it's a matter of you not having a complete soul. Fear not: reruns of this season begin June 4 (not sure if a whole month of waiting is necessary, FOX, but you're not exactly known for your benevolence with quality programming). Those of you who missed the first time around would do well to take this second chance. Life doesn't offer you redemption often, so be grateful. Or thankful. Either one is fine.