9021-NO (as I will from here on refer to the show) just feels very different from the original to me so far (caveat: I was 14 when the original show ended, so I'm going on somewhat fuzzy memories here). Case-in-point: in the first 5 minutes we have car fellatio (you can fill in the slang term), prescription pill drug deals, and Spring Awakening as the school musical. Yeah. I think Brandon and Brenda would have ended their first day in tears if they were students at the current West Beverly High, but then again so would Donna, David, Kelly, and Steve. (Dylan would never cry, he'd probably just be in a band now). I think the differences will be an asset though, but I cant be sure. Let's break it down:
Stuff I Like:
- The bitchtastic-ness: Naomi reminds me of a nicer version of Regina from Mean Girls, and Silver is just HOT (plus you've got to love a blogger). That pil-popping girl stealing Naomi's purse was priceless. They need to dial up the bitchy a bit more to make this better (although I think GG already has that covered, so maybe not).
- The throwbacks to the original: I like seeing Kelly and Brenda and seeing Kelly's sister Silver grown up. Along the same lines, who is Kelly's baby-daddy?! I want to KNOW.
- Grandma: If you've been reading my blog, you know I like Jessica Walter (my two Arrested Development clips of the day were of her), and I think she's doing an AMAZING job of channeling Lucille here. See the end of this post for some of her priceless quotes.
- The pretty people: I think this one explains itself.
- Annie: Girl needs to drop the sweet act. It's annoying. And forgettable. (Case-in-point: a good friend who was watching tonight couldn't seem to remember her name. Not a good start for Miss Grimes).
- Too much music during the first hour: If I wanted to listen to my iPod, I would have. Also, I counted at least two songs that I had heard last season on GG. (Although they do say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery).
- The parents: Don't get me wrong. I like Lori Laughlin as much as the next guy (she will here on be referred to as Aunt Becky in recognition of her best known role on Full House) and the dad seems ok too, but in the original Mr. and Mrs. Walsh were more background characters and here the creators seem to be trying to integrate them more into the plot. Which leads me to my next point:
- The number of characters: between old and new, there are A LOT of people to account and for and A LOT of backstory. I love shows that require you to pay attention and remember, but this could prove to be too much for some people.
- The identity of the mystery son: ok so this one isn't as much a concern about the show as it is something I'm curious about. My fearless prediction: the son is Mr. Matthews, the English teacher. He coaches lacrosse and the Dad played lacrosse. Plus they kind of look alike. If this winds up being true I expect you to give me credit.
"Are you breaking up with me?"--Naomi
"I'm breaking up with us."--Ethan (And that sound you hear is me gagging. Ughh.)
"Never worry about being fair. Just grab on to those jewels and twist them like a garbage bag." -- Grandma
"Or even better I could drive you home and we could swap stories about Harry's penis." -- Aunt Becky
"Look at her ass. You could crack an egg on it. And I say that because when I was her age, Ricardo Montalban literally cracked one on mine. I won't tell the rest of the story, because I don't remember it." -- Grandma
"I need to finish my memoirs before my friend Virginia does. We slept with all the same people." -- Grandma (I have a feeling I will be quoting Grandma a lot).
So what do you think? Is 9021-NO worth another look? I think so, but I don't know if it will become a must see show for me.
