Fuller House ends with one last joke at the Olsen twins expense after they refused to return for Netflix’s reboot
The fifth season of Netflix’s Fuller House has drawn to a close without the one thing die-hard fans had hoped for – a cameo by Ashley and Mary-Kate Olsen as Michelle Tanner.
But the crew of the streaming reboot wasn’t about to let the series end without a final ‘dig’ at the Olsen twins’ decision not to return to the role that launched them into the financial stratosphere as children.
In a scene in the penultimate episode, Kimmy, DJ and Stephanie are rummaging through stuff in the attic and come across Michelle’s old bike.
‘How long are you going to keep Michelle’s bike?’ Kimmy asks DJ and Stephanie, before adding pointedly: ‘If she hasn’t come for it by now… she’s not coming.’
Dig: Kimmy, DJ and Stephanie get the last laugh about Michelle on the penultimate episode of Fuller House season 5 as they joke about the Olsen twins refusing to take part in the reboot
Andrea Barber, who plays Kimmy, explained to TVLine: ‘Michelle gets at least one little poke per season, so we had to do it one last time.’
‘It’s not meant to be mean, obviously,’ Barber added. ‘It’s all good-natured, in good spirits. We poke fun at everybody.’
Mary-Kate and Ashley made it pretty clear from the start that they had no interesting in being part of the revived sitcom.
At first, series creator Jeff Franklin kept the door open in case they changed their minds.
But after the third season, Franklin told TVLine that the twins clearly ‘don’t seem interested in coming.’
Sitcom stars: Mary-Kate and Ashley became household names after being cast at a year old to share the role of Michelle Tanner on Full House which premiered on ABC in 1987
Joke: ‘Michelle gets at least one little poke per season, so we had to do it one last time,’ Andrea Barber, who plays Kimmy, explained to TVLine. ‘It’s not meant to be mean, obviously’
The Olsen twins were a year old when they were cast to share the role of baby Michelle on Full House when it premiered on ABC in 1987.
Eight seasons later, the sisters were among the most famous celebrities in America, something they turned into a multi-million dollar business, marketing a string of products using their names and likeness including dolls, perfume, clothes and books.
In 2007, Forbes ranked Mary-Kate and Ashley jointly as the 11th-richest women in entertainment, with an estimated combined net worth of $100 million.
In 2012, they announced their retirement from acting to focus on fashion and now run the successful brands The Row and Elizabeth And James.
Absent: There was a standing invitation for the twins to make a cameo in the series but they weren’t interested. They translated their childhood fame into a multi-million dollar business
Dropped: Fuller House also had to explain the absence of Aunt Becky after Lori Loughlin was charged as part of the college admissions scandal (pictured outside court in April 2019 with husband Mossimo Gianulli)
It’s not just the Olsens who have had to have their absence explained in the fifth season.
Aunt Becky was also cut from the show after Lori Loughlin was charged as part of the college admissions scandal.
The actress and her designer husband Mossimo Gianulli are facing prison terms and fines after agreeing to plead guilty to charges relating to attempts to get daughters Olivia and Bella fraudulently accepted into the prestigious University of Southern California.
In the final episodes released on Netflix on June 2, Jesse, played by John Stamos, revealed: ‘Aunt Becky is in Nebraska helping out her mother.’
Final farewell: In the final episodes released on Netflix on June 2, Jesse, played by John Stamos, revealed: ‘Aunt Becky is in Nebraska helping out her mother’