c/found-family-fiction

Just ran across a stat that 70% of the 'Magnificent Seven' crew stayed in touch for decades after filming

Found it in a random documentary on Prime last night. Made me think about how rare that is with real work friends after you leave a job. Anyone else have a group from a past job that actually stuck together?

Shoutout to how I used to binge watch shows alone vs now with my discord crew

Back in 2021 I used to marathon entire seasons of anime by myself in my room, no talking to anyone about it. Then I joined a small discord server of like 12 people who love the same weird sci-fi shows. Now we sync up our watches every Friday night and spam reactions in the chat. It got real funny when we watched this one show where the main character adopts a whole squad of misfits and we all started calling ourselves a found family too. Has anyone else had a big shift from solo watching to group watching like this?

Unpopular take: letting characters have separate hobbies actually strengthens the found family bond

Everyone always wants groups like the one in Ted Lasso to do everything together... but I tried a different thing with my own friend circle. We each picked one solo thing to get good at, like how Beard has his chess or Roy has his books. After 3 months of that, when we came back to hang out, we had so much more to talk about and share with each other. Has anyone else found that giving characters space apart makes the together moments hit harder?

My old copy of 'The Raven Boys' finally fell apart last week

I mean, I've had that paperback since high school, maybe 2012? The cover was held on with tape for years, but the spine finally split in half when I picked it up. It felt weirdly sad, like losing a piece of my own history. That book was my first real intro to a found family story, with Blue and the boys at 300 Fox Way. I tried to fix it with more tape, but it's just a mess of pages now. I guess I could buy a new copy, but it won't have all my old notes in the margins. Has anyone else had a favorite book from this genre just give out on them?

My sister told me to skip the first season of 'The Expanse' because it was slow

I mean, she was totally wrong, idk, because that's where the whole crew on the Rocinante really starts to become a family. Has anyone else had advice that made you miss the start of a great found family story?

The cafe on 3rd street near my place has this 'family style' seating and I swear everyone there becomes friends by the end of their coffee

My whole plan for a One Piece watch party fell apart because of a power surge

I invited my crew over to finally start the Water 7 arc, but a storm in Tampa knocked out the power for three hours right as we were settling in. We ended up just sitting in the dark telling stories, and honestly, it felt more like the Going Merry crew than our actual viewing ever does. Anyone else have a movie night that got totally derailed but ended up being weirdly perfect?

I mean, our whole D&D group showed up at my place last Tuesday when my car died before the session

Appreciation post: The found family in 'The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet' caught me off guard

I picked it up expecting a simple space adventure, but the crew's slow build into a real family unit hit me hard. The moment where the pilot, Sissix, just quietly fixes another character's broken mug without being asked really stuck with me. What other books have that kind of quiet, earned family moment?

I just finished my 12th rewatch of 'The Good Place' and the number hit me

I put it on as background noise again last week, but I stopped when Eleanor said, 'We're all each other has.' I realized I've watched the whole series once a year since it ended. It matters because my own friend group formed during a rough patch in 2020, and seeing that show's weird family find each other always reminds me of us. Has anyone else had a comfort show they keep coming back to that mirrors their own found family?

Spent way too much on a fancy box set of a show I already stream

Bought the complete series of 'Community' on Blu-ray for $150 last year. Thought I needed the physical copies for the extras. Thing is, I already watch it on Netflix. The box just sits on my shelf. Felt like I was buying the idea of the study group, not the actual show. Should have just stuck with streaming. Anyone else get caught up buying merch for a found family show you already own?

A line from a book about a found family that hit me hard

I was reading 'The House in the Cerulean Sea' last month, and there's this part where the main character, Linus, is talking to one of the kids. The kid asks him, 'Do you think we're a family?' and Linus, who's spent his whole life alone, just says, 'I think we're something better. We chose each other.' I read that line on my lunch break at the park and just sat there for a minute. It wasn't in some big, dramatic scene. It was quiet, on a page about making tea and setting the table. But it stuck with me because it put into words that feeling you get when your friends are your real home, you know? It's not about blood, it's about who shows up. Has a small moment in a book or show ever hit you like that?

Showerthought: I used to skip the first season of 'The Expanse'

I always told people to start with season 2 because the plot was faster, but I rewatched the first four episodes last week. Seeing the crew of the Rocinante, especially Naomi and Amos, start to trust each other on that ice hauler made me realize I was missing the whole 'found' part of their family. It's all in those early, slow moments on the Canterbury. Anyone else have a show where the setup is actually the most important bit?

My coworker said he only watches shows where the friend group saves the day

We were grabbing coffee yesterday and he mentioned he skips any plot where the main character has to fix everything alone. He said, 'If the squad isn't solving it together, I'm out.' It made me realize I've been overlooking how much I actually crave that team dynamic in stories. What's a book or movie where the group's bond is the actual solution to the big problem?

Watched a show about a crew on a spaceship and it hit way too close to home

I finally got around to watching 'The Bear' and the found family thing hit different

My old laptop's hinge gave out last week, so I was stuck on the couch with my tablet, binging the whole first season. The way that kitchen crew slowly becomes each other's real support system, especially after the funeral episode, felt more genuine than a lot of other shows. What's a show where the found family dynamic actually made you feel something?

My reading habits shifted after I binged 'The Expanse' last winter

I used to only pick books about solo heroes on big quests. After watching the crew of the Rocinante become a real family over nine seasons, I started looking for that group bond. Now, I actively search for stories where the team is the heart of it, like 'The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet' or 'Six of Crows'. The change happened because I realized I cared more about how the characters connected than the big plot twists. It's made finding new stuff to read way more fun. What's a show or book where the found family aspect totally hooked you?

Question about a bookstore display in Boise

I was at the big used bookstore on State Street last weekend and they had a whole shelf labeled 'Found Family' with books like The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet and The House in the Cerulean Sea. I always thought that theme was just for kids' shows, but seeing it all laid out like that made me want to give one a try. Which book from that kind of shelf would be a good first pick for someone new to the idea?

Finished my 50th rewatch of 'The West Wing' and the found family hit different this time

I've been putting it on as background noise for years, but I actually sat down and counted the episodes this month. The way the senior staff in the Oval Office covers for each other, argues like siblings, and shows up in personal crises feels more real than some blood families I know. Does the found family dynamic work better in shows about high-stakes jobs, or in stories about regular people thrown together?

My wife convinced me to watch 'The Bear' and I was sure the kitchen crew drama would be annoying, but the way they became a real unit by season 2, especially after the Christmas episode, completely won me over.

Has anyone else had a show they resisted that ended up being a perfect found family story?

Everyone says the found family in 'The Raven Cycle' is perfect, but I think they're wrong

I kept hearing how the friend group in those books is the best example of found family. After reading them twice, I felt like they were just a bunch of rich kids being dramatic. So last month, I forced my book club to read 'The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet' by Becky Chambers instead. The crew on the Wayfarer actually has to work together and earn their bonds through shared hardship, not just shared trauma. It completely changed the discussion. Has anyone else found a sci-fi crew that works better as a found family than a typical fantasy group?

My book club's attempt at a themed night for 'The House in the Cerulean Sea' went a bit off the rails

We decided to make the 'sparkling cider' the book mentions, but my friend mixed up the bottles and used the kind that's meant for cooking, not drinking. It happened right before our meeting last Tuesday. We all took a sip and it tasted like sweet vinegar, which led to a lot of coughing and laughing. Has anyone else had a group activity for a found family story go hilariously wrong?

I was at the library in my old neighborhood and saw a whole new shelf for 'found family' stories.

It made me think about how we used to just call them good books about friends. Has anyone read a good one lately that really got that feeling right?

Rant: I gave up on finding a new show to watch and just rewatched Leverage for the third time

I was feeling pretty down last week and nothing new on the streaming services was clicking. So I went back to the old crew of grifters on Leverage. The way they all start as a job and end up a family, arguing over takeout in the bar, gets me every single time. It's a comfort watch that always works. What's your go-to found family show when you need a pick-me-up?

Watching the 'found family' in 'The Expanse' fall apart in season 3 hit me hard

I was on my couch last week when the Rocinante crew had that huge fight after the Behemoth incident, with Amos nearly walking away for good. It felt so real because they'd been through so much together, and seeing them split up over different goals was rough. What's a moment in a show where the found family almost broke that really got to you?