Jodie Sweetin, ‘Fuller House’ Star, Reveals First Season 5 Set Photo

With or without Aunt Becky (hint: without), it’s time to get started on season 5 of Fuller House. The cast of the Netflix show — sans Lori Loughlin, of course — is hard at work on the final season of the heartwarming comedy series.

“We’re baaaaaack!” Jodie Sweetin, who plays Stephanie Tanner, announced via Instagram on Wednesday. “Season 5 table read today and back to rehearsal next week! Woo hoo!!”

In the photo, the 37-year-old actress held up the script for the first episode of season 5, named “Welcome Home, Baby To Be Named Later.”

Candace Cameron Bure, who plays D.J. Tanner, posted about her own return to set as well. “First drive back on the [Warner Bros.] lot!” she captioned an Instagram Story on Tuesday. “Fuller House season 5 is starting.””

Andrea Barber and Bob Saget, who star as Kimmy Gibbler and Danny Tanner, respectively, also appeared to be on location.

Glaringly missing from the cast reunion is Lori Loughlin, who’s embroiled in a legal battle over her alleged involvement in a nationwide college admissions scandal. She and husband Mossimo Giannulli pleaded not guilty in April after being accused of paying $500,000 to gain her daughters entry into the University of Southern California and lying about their involvement on the crew team. They are parents of Olivia Jade, 19, and Bella, 20.

Although Netflix did not make an official statement about Loughlin’s future with the show and/or streaming service, sources told The Hollywood Reporter that she will not return to Fuller House.

A source told PEOPLE that those on the set of Fuller House are trying to shield the child actors from the drama of Loughlin’s federal indictments.

“There is a concerted effort to protect the kids on the show from all this news,” the source said. “Lori isn’t on every episode, but there is a lot of affection on the set. She is great with the kids, and they all love her. So almost every other adult, both cast and crew, I have reached out to [the kids] to make sure that they are okay. There’s a group text, and everyone is calling each other. It’s not really gossip, it’s more trying to come to terms with it. No one saw this coming with her.”

Following the news of Loughlin’s arrest, the Hallmark Channel also severed ties with the actress.

“We are saddened by the recent news surrounding the college admissions allegations,” Hallmark parent Crown Media said in a statement. “We are no longer working with Lori Loughlin and have stopped development of all productions that air on the Crown Media Family Network channels involving Lori Loughlin, including Garage Sale Mysteries, an independent third-party production.”

Photo credit: David Livingston / Contributor / Getty