Welcome home.

ABC brings viewers a feeling of reunion and heartbreak with the premiere of its new show “The Family.” Episode one had almost six million views, yet after this strong start, they took a fall the following week. Unfortunately, “The Family” doesn’t seem to have the strongest bond, or be strong enough to stand.

“The Family” is the story about the reappearance of a missing child. When he is reconnected with his family, they are forced to face the reality of what has become of themselves and their son as they fight to find the truth and move forward with their lives.

A viewer can typically tell how good a show is going to be within the first 15 minutes. Viewers of “The Family” can tell from the first scene that it is going to be a shaky ride. The show begins with Margot Bingham (“Boardwalk Empire”) talking about the case. That line is the most cliché and forced line of the entire episode. On top of that, the scene itself is directed in a very basic manor. The show doesn’t try to do anything daring in the first few minutes, it’s nothing new.

The show continues with the appearance of Liam James (“The Way Way Back”) who plays Adam Waren, the missing child who returns to the town. James provides a unique performance as the character. Viewers can easily be drawn to his portrayal and want to know more about his story.

A few other strong members of the cast include Joan Allen (“Room”) and Rupert Graves (“Sherlock”) who play Adam’s parents. Allen is confident and strong as the mother who has pushed herself forward as a politician after cooping with the loss of her child. Graves is a loving father, but one who left after not being able to be with Allen after the incident and begins to tour to promote his book. The two both embody their characters, and play off each other well. Whether fighting or trying to reconnect, their chemistry comes off great.

The only member of the family that doesn’t give a good performance is Zack Gilford (“The Purge: Anarchy”). Gilford plays the eldest son, who, after blaming himself for the loss of his brother, becomes an alcoholic who lives in a hotel. The skeptical nature of the character and his self destruction isn’t portrayed properly in the show. It could be the script for the pilot or the skill of the actor, but in terms of the program, more could have been done.

Going off of the script, it has various moments of cliché events and some shines of actual potential. The processing of the reappearance and the reunion in the hospital are two moments that could be stronger. There are nothing strong about them. They don’t leave the audience wanting anything more out of the script. It’s just space filling. However, in the middle of the episode, Graves’ character runs into Andrew McCarthy (“White Collar”) who plays the man that was imprisoned for the death of the son. McCarthy’s monologue is a moment that will bring back the viewers’ attention, gasp and think the show actually has promise.

“The Family” could be a lot more than it is. It has good promise and a strong cast, yet it doesn’t try to be anything more than what it is right now. If it pushed itself, great things could happen. As of right now, it is just standing still.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5