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Post by Brian Melanson on May 26, 2015 18:59:33 GMT -6
Discuss spoilers, the show, the characters, and leave reviews.
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Post by Brian Melanson on Jun 25, 2015 17:47:42 GMT -6
ONE MORE WEEK
who's ready?? (cause I'm not) |
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Post by Jack Malone on Jun 25, 2015 18:04:47 GMT -6
I'm so excited for this show, man. Definitely going straight to my "must read as it airs" list  |
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Post by Florian Ques on Jun 26, 2015 8:51:13 GMT -6
I very rarely (OK, never) post on the VPN but I'm a sucker for high school drama, so I've got to say, I'm pretty excited about this show. July 2nd couldn't come any sooner! |
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Post by Brian Melanson on Jun 26, 2015 21:02:54 GMT -6
I'm really excited to bring my sense of humor to theVPN, it's nice to be fully back. But I can't wait to show y'all what I've got coming!!
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Post by Jack Malone on Jun 26, 2015 21:12:48 GMT -6
I'm really excited to bring my sense of humor to theVPN, it's nice to be fully back. But I can't wait to show y'all what I've got coming!! We've missed you and your humour, buddy. It's nice to have both back, along with a new virtual series to devour weekly! |
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Post by Brian Melanson on Jun 26, 2015 21:20:16 GMT -6
We've missed you and your humour, buddy. It's nice to have both back, along with a new virtual series to devour weekly! You should've missed me. And you get my humor more than anyone really. But seriously I want this show to be along the lines of Parks and Rec. Funny, Thoughtful, and full of Running Gags. |
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Post by Florian Ques on Jul 2, 2015 11:39:25 GMT -6
I read the pilot during my lunch time, and I loved it as much as the first time, when it was still under development. Fiona is an incredibly funny and fresh character, she's the one I have the easiest time picturing thanks to your casting of Rebel Wilson. She somewhat reminds me of Fat Amy, I don't know if it's intentional or not but it works anyway. I don't have a particular interest to the MC yet, but I'm sure Hayley will grow on me episode after episode. The running gags are great, my kind of humor so it's spot on. All around, there are lots of clichés and stereotypes but it never bothered me. They all serve a comic purpose so that's fine. Overall, I'm excited for the next episode!  (this wasn't a thorough review, I apologize for that haha) |
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Post by Brian Melanson on Jul 2, 2015 13:02:36 GMT -6
I read the pilot during my lunch time, and I loved it as much as the first time, when it was still under development. Fiona is an incredibly funny and fresh character, she's the one I have the easiest time picturing thanks to your casting of Rebel Wilson. She somewhat reminds me of Fat Amy, I don't know if it's intentional or not but it works anyway. I don't have a particular interest to the MC yet, but I'm sure Hayley will grow on me episode after episode. The running gags are great, my kind of humor so it's spot on. All around, there are lots of clichés and stereotypes but it never bothered me. They all serve a comic purpose so that's fine. Overall, I'm excited for the next episode! (this wasn't a thorough review, I apologize for that haha) Thanks Florin! I love to hear that you liked it! Fiona and Maureen are the fan-favorties I guess! But as for Hayley, she will grow. I'm currently on 1x10 and just writing her know, she's grown beyond video and is starting to find her footing. Fiona really kinda is a cross between Fat Amy and a bit originality. I would be lying if I was not inspired by Fat Amy for this, but Fiona as a character, right now maybe the butt of the jokes, that will change later on in the series. As for the stereotypes and cliches, the reason for that is, is that everyone starts off with a singular title, and what I am doing is building beyond them and layering these characters. It might take a while but everyone is growing beyond those titles. And in all honesty, the show is a bit of a Satire of High School, hence the stupid cliches, but in a sense for me, they work. But I appreciate the review and I hope you'll stick around for episode two. |
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Post by Jack Malone on Jul 2, 2015 17:45:27 GMT -6
"It's Not The End of the World, It's High School" Review
Brian is back, baby! 101 Ways to Survive High School, on the surface, parallels the story of students, and teachers, who are all -- in a way -- trying to survive high school. At one end of the spectrum, we have the main character, Hayley, who has had her online diary leaked to the world and become somewhat of a hot topic at her school in all the worst ways, and at the other, we have Maureen, who has resurfaced at the school after dropping thirty pounds, and getting in touch with her true self to launch something to help her students as much as it helped her when she was their age. Through this, we're able to explore the many different types of characters you'd see in a school environment, as well as see the just-as-human teachers that are employed to give these students a better shot at life. From this, we have a coming of age story that isn't afraid to explore stereotypes, and pop culture in a way that I think creates a rather interesting picture of high school, but beyond that, explores life in general with all its quirks, downfalls, beauty and hilarity.
Firstly, I wanted to talk about the viral video, and its role as the antagonist of this episode. I remember during the pitching process, there seemed to be a lot of talk about how there wasn't much of a plot, and instead, it was just a lot of introductory scenes to give us insight into the characters. However, this new pilot really emphasises the role of the video in a way that first tells us that Hayley is so much more than that, and this show is more about her finding her place, and finding a purpose beyond the one given to her, and secondly, how this video served to give Hayley an identity she didn't want and how that slowly ate and ate at her as the episode goes on up until she meets someone in a similar situation with a similar goal -- to break free from what was, and to find a place where they can simply be themselves and not be judged or hated for it. I think it's not only a nice message, but a great way to start the show -- she's lost, and hopefully over the course of the season, and eventually series, she achieves this goal.
Speaking of the antagonistic role this video plays within the episode, we're introduced to Maureen in a way that paints her as the solution to this problem. She has honestly got to be my most favourite character on the show. The way that she kind of cuts through all the bullshit, and gets to the meat of the issue is a quality I admire about her. The best scene takes place in that hallway where we see how paralleled these characters truly are and it adds a certain element of the show that I'm excited about going forward. Maureen managed to escape her old image, and is thriving in this new environment, trying to do something where she can be herself. Hayley isn't as far along as Maureen has gotten, but with the introduction of a drama club, she could get the detour there. Either way, I just loved how Maureen was introduced as the light at the end of the tunnel, and it made her introduction more profound, and more special.
One of the greatest aspects of this show so far is how well you distinguish all your characters, and how they get an equal amount of attention alongside the main character. I personally love the introduction of Fiona as she's kind of this bull in a china shop, crashing the fabric of a more introverted main character and shaking the show up as early as the first act. There is a certain doubt I have about her stories, questioning the reality of certain situations, such as losing her virginity. I feel like there might be an emotional depth to her character that will be mined at as the series progresses, because it's like she's trying to cover up a level of sadness or insecurity with all these grand, hilarious stories. It's not that I don't believe they happened, there's just an overdramatic element to them that makes me wonder if she's altering certain things, or at least explaining things in a way to compensate for certain insecurities she may or may not have. It just makes me eager to delve into her mindset going forward.
Moving on, The "BARBIE DOLLS" were also a nice addition that was introduced extremely well -- you could totally just call them that and I'd instantly know you were introducing Katerina, Nellie and Izzy into a scene. As for Tatum, he is just this giant nerd who adores comics and is one hundred percent comfortable in his skin which automatically makes me adore him. But I think my favourite character in Hayley's little world has to be Danny. He's honestly just the nicest person, and the thing that I love about him is that whenever Hayley has a down moment, Danny kind of surfaces immediately to bring her back up on her feet. I'm really invested in their friendship, and I hope they remain a constant throughout the series in that no matter what happens they can always be there for each other. They seem to have a strong enough bond to keep that happening, and I kind of love that about them from the second we're introduced to this dynamic. I definitely ship them, but for a down the road kind of thing. I'm perfectly content in their friendship and the slight undertones just add something more to that dynamic.
Lastly, I just wanted to praise certain scenes that I found hilarious. I always crack up at the scene between Charlie, and Mr Parkwizer. I can just picture it so ridiculously well that it makes me laugh. Mr Parkwizer doesn't really have a description other than "old" which leaves even more to the imagination of what he could look like that adds to it. I love the scene in the Auditorium where all the characters introduce themselves, and we get the "I'm better than all of you, god bless" comment from Katerina, but I especially love Tatum's introduction where you have Fiona screaming "Nerd / Double Nerd" in the background. And of course, the end credit scene with the boomerang was such a great scene. I hope all end credit scenes have a level of humor to them that leaves the episode on a good note, because this one certainly did.
To recap: loved the antagonistic role of the video, Maureen is BAE, Danny/Hayley all the way, characters were established perfectly across the board, and I'm excited about what's to come. Overall, it was a great start to a series that I'm really excited about.
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Post by Brian Melanson on Jul 2, 2015 19:20:02 GMT -6
Well Jack, I am back. But I know without your out pouring support, this series wouldn't be what it is today! So lets get into what you said. The Viral Video was always the way to kick off the series and use it as that driving force behind Hayley. I knew early on that I would never show the video, I would never really answer much about it. But with these recent developments, I see the video kinda being it's own running gag. Like it might not be the MAIN plot of the show, it will haunt Hayley for the season. And this is what this season is about. The main theme for the whole season is "Make Sure to Find Your Place". When in High School, everyone expects so much from you and Hayley, coming from this Summer from hell, is lost. So enter Maureen which you commented on --- Going forward with Maureen, she's that teacher, I think everyone had, that you can lean on and trust. I wanted Maureen to be that. While also fighting her own battles of people thinking she's not good enough. Where she is right now is a Sub who wants to bring back one of things that made her happy in High School. And she went to Serenity, so she feels like she never left. But now she feels like theres a chance. With Hayley, she sees this lost girl, so she remembers when she was in High School, Drama Club helped her find her place. And hence why this Drama Club is a huge factor in this show. Personally for me, it's how I found myself. And that scene in the hallway was one of the only scenes from the Original draft that did not change, maybe a few line tweeks here and there, but that scene was always the idea of Hayley admitting outloud that she needs a place to feel safe. Yeah, that was one thing I was super proud of myself. Being able to go in and distinguish all my characters and their personalities was something I loved being able to do. So it felt kinda good to see how each character bounces off each other, and now writing future episodes, it's just so much easier. All I can say to this is, Season Two?? (But Fiona is seriously an amazing character. I can't wait to delve into her story) The End Credit Scenes are something I threw in last minute. Mainly I have used them to sometimes introduce a new plot, but in a small way to keep people hanging. But also just to have some fun with the characters and wrap up some stuff from the episodes. It's a nice mechanic I love to add to the script. AH JACK! Thank you so much for being an adorable little positive cupcake! I can't wait for the rest of the show to unfold. And I hope you enjoy ever page of it. (get it instead of seconds? It's pages. Cause it's a script. I'll see myself out the door...but there isn't a door on this forum...okay but bye. You rock) |
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Post by Hayden English on Jul 3, 2015 4:04:36 GMT -6
Okay, I am in LOVE with this. It's the kind of comedy that is sorely lacking these days. It's not a clone of Friends trying to replicate the success, it's not ripping off jokes from another shows previous season and it's FUNNY. If it were on TV it'd be up there with Doctor Who, Supernatural and PLL as a show I would watch religiously and never miss. Can't wait for episode two (Also, I will never be able to watch Finding Nemo the same way)
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Post by Brian Melanson on Jul 3, 2015 8:35:20 GMT -6
Okay, I am in LOVE with this. It's the kind of comedy that is sorely lacking these days. It's not a clone of Friends trying to replicate the success, it's not ripping off jokes from another shows previous season and it's FUNNY. If it were on TV it'd be up there with Doctor Who, Supernatural and PLL as a show I would watch religiously and never miss. Can't wait for episode two (Also, I will never be able to watch Finding Nemo the same way) Thank you very much Hayden. I'm really happy that you enjoyed this episode. Episode two, I hope is just as funny, I can't wait for everyone to see it. |
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Post by Brady Brown on Jul 9, 2015 12:31:38 GMT -6
REVIEW: 1.02 "Make Sure to Find Your Place"One of the main things I really liked about this episode was that we had a focus on a lot of side characters, who I felt were pushed to the background of the pilot for obvious reasons of introducing the main ones. I really liked how we saw glimpses of Maureen's everyday school life with her best friends, Carrie and Vicki, and a possible romantic subplot between her and Charlie. I liked the dynamic of having scenes with the teachers and then with the students, because most high school shows tend to only focus on the latter, so showcasing the adults as regular individuals was something I thought worked really well. Speaking of side characters, we got a little more focus on Nellie, and it was nice to see her away from Katerina to show that she's not 100% dependent on her to function as a character. I hope we see that with Izzy soon. We also got a glimpse of Hayley's sister, which could turn out to be a nice, interesting relationship. I really liked how different, yet similar Maureen and Riley approached Hayley about joining the drama club. You have one who's genuinely passionate about wanting to start this group so that kids can feel safe and be able to discover things about themselves, and then the other who wants people to join so that they can simply be her supporting cast; however, both of their reasonings for Hayley were to be able to find herself and break away from the "YouTube girl" label. It was a little weird coming from Riley, because we didn't see her and Hayley interact in the pilot from what I remember, and having her approach her in such a preachy manner about wanting to break away from what everyone is doing to her was a bit strange for me. The one thing that really read weird was the sudden "crush" that Hayley felt for Will. I think if it was hinted more at in the pilot, because from what I remember Hayley just made a disgusted look at him and Katerina. It just caught me off guard because there was no real build up to her having these feelings and her confessing them so soon. I thought their interaction was nice though, because it was interesting to see Hayley recognized for someone just being in English class and not her video, and to see her react so quickly and assuming that her video was the reason really showcased that it's still taking a toll on her. Other than that, it was a pretty good episode. Like I said, I really enjoyed the focus on more of the side characters, not that I didn't like the ones on the main ones, because I did, but it was nice to get a little more insight on the rest of the students and teachers. I look forward to the many drama club misadventures now that it's officially up and running, and to the obstacles they're going to have to overcome.
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Post by Brian Melanson on Jul 9, 2015 12:52:58 GMT -6
Thank you so much Brady! I'm happy that you enjoyed this episode! It's really the one I was most nervous about in terms of what I have coming. But I am happy you did enjoy it Yeah, I knew this show would just be boring with just the kids, in class, and then oh look Drama. I wanted to also showcase Maureen and show that she has a life besides being the goofy Drama Club Director. Carrie and Vicki are one of the characters I like to write for in terms of teachers, we get a little more insight on Carrie and her past in 1x05. Vicki I do have plans for but won't happen this season. As for Maureen and Charlie, who knows where they will go. Nellie is what I like to call "Katerina 2" she practically worships Katerina. But I also wanted to showcase that she is a know it all and one of the smartest girls in school. So I think that small scene where she finishes her test early was kinda a funny way to show that off. Izzy will have some moments, I can guarantee that much. And Hayley's sister is seriously such a fun character to write, she's so basic. Maureen got the idea from Hayley to start the Drama Club, so she was on a mission to get kids to join and honestly hoped that Hayley would. But when Hayley was afraid about doing it in terms of being made fun of even more, I felt that Riley coming in, with her aggressive but passionate tone would convince Hayley to join, which it did. I do admit, it was a bit weird for Riley approach Hayley in that manner, but at the same time I did feel it worked. They did not interact in the pilot, so I can see where it is coming off a bit weird. The Hayley/Will crush thing, was a bit hard for me, in terms of introduction. I kinda wish I did introduce it more in the pilot with a scene with Hayley talking about how since Freshman year she has had a crush on him. It's one regret in terms of introducing their relationship. But I think I was just in such a rush to get their relationship started, I just threw logic out the window. But that scene is one of my favorites, just because it's the first time someone Hayley isn't recognized by her video. But because she just happens to be in the same class as him. Next weeks episode is a BIG Hayley and Will episode in terms of kicking them off. But I'm really happy you liked it Brady! I can't wait to show all the crazy misadventures of the Drama Club (which there is a lot) and all the Drama (lol) that comes with it! |
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Post by Jamison on Jul 9, 2015 13:34:53 GMT -6
1x02 "Make Sure You Find Your Place" | REVIEWAlright, so I gave this a read on my lunch break and I really enjoyed it. I think you've really found your genre with this series. The dialogue in these scripts are my favorite part because some of the lines are genuinely funny. Turns out you do comedy very well, which isn't a surprise because you always manage to make my laugh when we talk. Going back to the episode, I liked the theme of this one. Hayley trying to find her place in high school and distance herself from being "the YouTube girl." Also loved that we got to explore a few characters that didn't get much time in the pilot. Even though the plot is moving forward, you're still establishing characters (there are quite a few), so that's really neat. On the subject of characters, I really really love Hayley as a protagonist. Fiona has some of my favorite lines, even though she's a little gimmick-y still. She's still pretty entertaining. I'd like to see Danny get a bit more; he doesn't seem to have a huge presence yet. I think I notice Tatum more than him. Riley is a character I'm not too sure about. Like, she's supposed to be the "bad girl" but i'm just not buying it. I think she's trying to be someone she's not to prove something either to herself or the people around her. I don't necessarily dislike her, I just don't know her angle yet. Interested in seeing her development though. I would like to see the relationship between Hayley and Katerina explored. We know that used to be best friends, but at some point, they decided to hate each other. I'd be cool if they were somehow forced to reconnect, and we got a little more insight into what happened with them. Maybe there's some pieces of their friendship they can salvage. While I love the focus on the students, I appreciate that the teachers in the show get their own little subplots and moments in each episode as well. Can I just say that Maureen and Charlie are the cutest! I loved their little awkward interactions, and could really visualize those scenes well. Needless to say, they are my OTP so far! Another potential pairing that came about was Hayley and Will, which did kind of come out of nowhere. Definitely could have been introduced in the pilot or hinted at. But it didn't bother me that much because high school crushes can be pretty spontaneous and random. She'll probably be over him in a week, but who knows. I'm interested in seeing how that is explored in future episodes, if at all. Anyway, I'm running out of things to say so I'll end with -- Good job, Brian! I'm really liking what I'm seeing so far, especially when it comes to dialogue. Your main and supporting characters are becoming more interesting and I'm looking forward to seeing where things go with the story. Bring on episode three!
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Post by Brian Melanson on Jul 9, 2015 14:06:30 GMT -6
Thanks Chris! I'm so happy you enjoyed it, and wasted your whole lunch break on little ol' me. Cause lets be real, I'm worth it!
Yeah, I really in my mind thought, with the pilot, I didn't introduce enough so this episode is that continuation of it in a sense of kicking off all the plots. It was awesome to bring in characters such as Carrie and Vicki to establish this show is more than just Hayley's story and more about all around surviving High School.
Hayley is an awesome character to write. At this point she's still so lost and is still trying to find where she belongs, and as I write her more and more, her journey is personally one of my favorites in the show, by far. Fiona is my little comic relief, but I can say that later on down the road (not til S2) we will learn more about her and why she is the way she is. Fiona is going to be one of those break out characters along the lines of Crazy Eyes from OITNB. Danny, I do admit early in the season is just that voice of reason. He will be getting more attention in later episodes because he gets a love interest that kind of rocks his world in a funny way. It also shocks Hayley and I think the entire Drama Club. As for Riley, I'm building her up, the way she treats people is the fact that she is hiding things from people and hiding things from herself. She's not really "the Bad Girl" anymore but along the lines of misunderstood. Riley's story this season is kinda deep. But I think the pay-off of it, is something I've been loving to write.
It's funny you bring this up, because I do have plans for Hayley and Katerina. Katerina, this season, is the force working against Hayley. We won't get as much backstory, but you will see Katerina trying to keep things the way she likes and going up against Hayley. But that doesn't mean Hayley won't fight back.
Maureen and Charlie were really the one pairing I knew that had to happen. They just had this funny and goofy chemistry between them that I loved writing. The big pay off for them is really 1x05, and that episode I kinda like to dub "Get to know the Teachers". Maureen and Charlie have a nice relationship and it's one that gives the show some form of hope. And like I said with Brady, Hayley and Will did not come out the way I intended. I do wish I did fix it but in next weeks episode, we do get more insight to their relationship and whats next for them. Hayley and Will are the MAIN love story of the season and their journey takes, I want to say, til the very end of the season to get them to a point where I know they will be ready for each other. They are a slow burn.
I can't wait for you to read episode three. It's such a crazy and goofy episode and it's going to be one of my favorites of the season. Thanks for reading Chris!
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Post by Jack Malone on Jul 9, 2015 21:36:13 GMT -6
"Make Sure You Find Your Place" Review
This was a really solid episode to follow the series premiere. I definitely agree with Chris and Brady in that it was nice to explore secondary characters, and especially dig deep into the teacher side of things. Personally, I view the two main characters as Hayley and Maureen, because they often parallel each other and doesn't seem so much to be a supporting character to Hayley's journey, so much as they're following a similar path. For example, while this episode introduced Hayley's crush on Will, it also hinted towards a romantic development between Maureen and Charlie. So those two, and how they develop in this parallel sense is one of my favourite aspects of the show, and it just goes to highlight how much this series focuses on teachers as much as the students.
In this episode, Hayley is struggling to find her place, and she's taken the advice given to her last week but strayed in her direction a little bit in her desire to join Math Club. It was definitely a comedic punchline to guide us into the main theme of the episode, and I definitely enjoyed what this desire to find herself lead to in the coming together of Maureen and Riley. It was interesting to me how their contrasting personalities managed to work in guiding Hayley in the right direction, and both scenes -- where Maureen gives the flyer over, and Riley egging Hayley on to prove how much she doesn't want to be "That Youtube Girl" -- really worked in piecing Hayley's world together, and really secured her into the position we were all expecting her to be in. So the journey getting her from A to B was a lot of fun to read, and I liked that it took a supportive teacher, and a rather selfish, "bad girl" (as Chris put it) to do that.
Moving on, the other big storyline of this episode revolved around all the students having tests on the same day. This called for examining how these students tackle school, and it was really fun to see their different perceptions on the situation, and their varying levels of dealing with exams. I mean, Hayley strikes me as the type of girl who is very passionate about getting good grades, and studying hard, and trying her best, but never quite seems to get the results she wants. Fiona is adorably oblivious to how important getting good grades is for her, specifically, which was a nice touch when she realised that she could be taken back to Australia. Danny doesn't seem to take it too seriously, and then you have Nellie who was a personal favourite within this storyline because she makes a point of being one of the prettiest girls in the school who just also happens to be one of the smartest. You don't have to be one or the other, and I liked that touch you had in there. Also, the end credits scene in regards to this storyline was my absolute favourite. I love that last line "its science." LOVED IT.
Lastly, this episode explored a romantic development between Hayley and Will. I like how their first encounter has him realise he knows her from somewhere, and she automatically assumes its from YouTube and runs away -- only for us to learn that they share a class together. It kind of adds something new to their dynamic almost immediately, and I like that purely because its new, and different to her other encounters with students in the show. I don't really see this crush as coming out of the blue. I thought that was a weird thing to take away from the episode, considering the only interaction we had with Will and Hayley in the pilot was her seeing him with Katerina. I feel like this episode cleared up why she was so disgusted at the coupling, rather than went against what the pilot established? Anyway, I think it's kind of got a cliche vibe to the pair where the hot guy is with the worst girl in the world, and then there's this awkward, lil' chick who thinks she'll never have a chance, and he's nice to her and what have you... but I'm still excited to see where it goes.
The only problem I had with this episode was the way Hayley talks about her friends. It's just something that makes me cringe a little because her friends all seem lovely to me, and instead of enjoying their quirks, she always seems to look at them funny for saying something or doing something that she perceives as "dumb." It's something you start to notice in sitcoms or comedies where friends are always digging into each other and don't seem to find the other one funny so much as annoying, and you're questioning why they're even friends in the first place. I'd like it if Hayley wasn't so *reaction shot of confusion and what the hell* in regards to her friends, and didn't say stuff like "I love them but they're dumb" in cut-away talking head shots, and seemed more like she legitimately cares about them and loves them, quirks and all. That's something I love so much about Danny/Hayley is that you can feel how close they are and how much they care about each other as friends, and it doesn't really translate to Hayley and her other friends, and so its a quality about Hayley that I hope she works on as the series progresses.
Overall, it was a solid follow up to the premiere. I feel like the show and its characters are all solidified at this point and ready for some nice development going forward. It's hard to review something I've been sitting on for a while now, editing and all that, but I hope this made some logical sense. In case I haven't told you like every day we talk: I love this show. Excited for the future of 101, man. The ball has officially started rolling (no puns please).
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(this wasn't a thorough review, I apologize for that haha)
