With its first season released in 2015, Netflix Original, F is For Family, showed the story of the Murphy family growing up in Pennsylvania in the 1970s. Now in 2021, it has released its fifth and final season for all to see. Viewers of the show have seen a lot from each family member, from the father, Frank (voiced by Bill Burr), struggling with his job and home life to his wife, Sue (Laura Dern), trying to be more independent and supportive, to each of the three (eventually four) children beginning to grow up in their own ways. The final season is no different, shifting focus primarily towards Frank as he struggles to accept and move on from the death of his abusive father.
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With only eight episodes as opposed to the series' usual ten, there seems to be a bigger finality towards this season. Normally, the last two episodes would begin to sow the seeds for the season that comes after it, and not having those last two episodes gives viewers a better feeling that this really is the end of the series. The season starts with the funeral of Frank's father, a man who took up a lot of screen-time in the fourth season. Just as the previous season's finale showed the two about to reconnect, "Big Bill" Murphy passes away, leaving Frank with his last words; "Box 16". Frank spends a majority of the season trying to realize what his father meant by that, and he ultimately finds out that what his father actually said was most likely "Bach 16".
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This was a song that he always thought would be funny to play at his funeral. Upset and defeated, Frank returns home on Christmas day to Sue with the explanation of what "box 16" means, saying that "It means my parents were two messed-up people who f**ked and made me. And nothing more. That's something to build on." From there, we get to see him put his family first for a change, and when the phone rings during Christmas dinner he decides to hang it up. When Sue says that it might be important, he simply says "Nah. [Being with the family] is important." Banter is tossed around, the family laughs, and we see the shot pan out into the neighborhood one last time.
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The theme of family is also accentuated within Sue's arc for the season. Her story entails her attempts to reunite with her father and her gay brother at Thanksgiving. A flashback reveals that Sue is the one who told her father that her brother is gay, and that led to him being more or less exiled from the family. While the act of bringing them back together involves a lot of shenanigans that the show is known for, Sue's brother eventually decides to let her back into his life for the time being. As a result, Sue ends up teaching a class at his Karate dojo how to properly raise babies, an idea given by their neighbor, Vic (voiced by Sam Rockwell), after he finds himself with a newborn son of his own.
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The oldest of the four siblings in the Murphy family, Kevin (Justin Long) tries to maintain his relationship with his girlfriend, Alice, but ultimately becomes too clingy. After they break up, he becomes distressed and even more anxious, worrying about her all the time. After a heart-to-heart with Frank, however, he learns to try and let things go and if it is meant to be, then it'll be. More importantly, Frank adds that "And if you're not, you won't. And you'll be okay. So try not to worry." This conversation happens in the season's sixth episode, and it is perhaps one of the more touching moments in the entire series.
The advice Frank gives to Kevin is surprisingly wholesome, and it shows that, deep down, he really does care about his family and the relationship he has with them. Kevin ends the series by getting back together with his girlfriend after she sees him playing his music in Sue's class. There is a tease at Kevin getting her pregnant, but it is mostly played for laughs instead of being taken as foreshadowing for his future. Kevin is also shown to be surprisingly sweet to his youngest sister, playing music for her and showing her around the neighborhood.
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As for the younger two siblings that have been around for the entirety of the series, they both have less important roles in the final season, instead of being utilized to continue their own mischievous plots. Bill (Haley Reinhart) finds himself involved in police work after being caught vandalizing a historical site. While he initially enjoys the fun it brings, he eventually sees just how much suffering the actions of the officers cause and decides to give it up. Maureen, on the other hand (Debi Derryberry), starts getting into the occult as a way to get back at one of her bullies, but like Bill being a junior officer, she soon gives it up.
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Both of these story arcs are resolved before the final episode, and it is as far as the show goes towards developing the two kids throughout this season. That is not to say that it was a bad choice to not focus on these characters, as they have both had time to develop throughout the previous four seasons, and leaving their parts to primarily be that of comedy relief really helps in keeping the focus on the other family members and their development arcs.
Many side characters get conclusions as well in one way or another. Rosie (voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson) finally finds a way to expose the mayor as the corrupt person he is, but when the plan goes south his life is saved by Bob Pogo (David Koechner). The mayor is exposed for his corruption despite the original plan falling through but Pogo is told that he is paralyzed from his injuries and will spend the rest of his life in a chair. Luckily for the man with a terrible eating addiction, he actually likes the news that he will never have to be burdened with walking again.
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As mentioned previously, the Murphy's neighbor, Vic, finds peace with raising his son, as it fills a void that he found when he was pushed out of his job at the radio station for being too old and out of touch. Ginny, a recurring character in the series voiced by Mo Collins ends up together with Frank's sister, where she comes to terms with her sexuality. Goomer and his wife rekindle their love for one another at the Christmas party, and Frank's two other coworkers take their buyout of the company to make their latest porn video idea a reality. While not all of the side characters get a flashy ending, the show does a good job at letting the audience know what the future of these characters might look like, and it makes the world feel more alive and dynamic as a result.
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With five seasons paced along six years, F is for Family was the kind of show that you would binge-watch whenever it was released each year. The humor was fantastic for the most part, and what started as a silly show to pass the time on Netflix ended up molding a family that viewers really cared about. It is nice to see the family more unified at the end of everything, acknowledging and accepting their differences and loving one another all the same. While the show does have the potential to be picked up for a sixth season, there is no news about that happening, and it would genuinely sour the feeling the final episode puts in viewers' hearts as the camera slowly moves away from the Murphy house for the last time.