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Post by Brian Melanson on Jul 9, 2015 22:00:50 GMT -6
Jack I'm so happy that you edit my episodes for me and stick along for the journey, but still take the time to review them. So lets get to this mate!
Maureen is and always will be a personal favorite of mine to write.I knew when I created this teacher I wanted her to be apart of the students lives in a huge way. So having Maureen be that supportive teacher but at the same time hold her own as a character is something I love to do. As for the parallels, I never really see it as that. But It's interesting to see from someone elses POV that they are really the same in their own ways. I probably already explained this but I'll just do the condensed version of it. With Hayley, she wants to Math Club. Blah blah blah. Maureen wants her to Drama and takes the slower approach with it, but with Riley. She doesn't take shortcuts. She will hit you with the god honest truth, no matter if it hurts your feelings or not. She will go against you to bring out the best of you. And I think she sees something in Hayley that Hayley has yet to notice. So it's nice to play with that. I loved this plot. I was a bit nervous to do it so early one, seeing as how it was still so early in the season. But I thought it would be a fun way to introduce the teachers and show how these students do under pressure *cue Queen*. But I did love Nellie's little scene. I knew from the start she would be the Know It All, but I did want her to be a HUGE part of The Barbie Dolls. So I think showing that you can pretty and smart was a fun trait for Nellie. And it was still a bit of a plot hole, which I just realized, that Nellie went and asked Hayley for help. But oh well. But yeah, I think this "Same Day" test thing worked out. I got the idea from my Junior year I think, and I remember how stressed everyone was and it was just funny. Funny in a sense of "Oh god why us!!??" Hayley and Will are that story I never expected to start this early. I honestly was going to have it be a REAL long slow build that would take years. But then seeing at how this would add conflict to the story in a fun way, I changed those plans. And having Will/Katerina together is just funny because it's just so high school (lol) The Mean Girl with the Quarterback. In the next episode though, I really put Hayley and Will to the forefront and see how their relationship could be explored. Can they be friends or can they be more? And like I said before with Chris and Brady, its a nice slow burn with a pay off in true comedy. I do 100% agree that this isn't really like Hayley. When I was writing this episode, I know I still trying to find my footing with the show and see where I could go with it. So I think I tried out making Hayley kind off be a bit mean would work (I don't remember my thought process honestly) or maybe I just thought it would be funny. I can say that it does change. Hayley and her friends work together and while there are still those "what the hell" moments, it's not as crazy as the one in this episode, where she's calling them stupid. Okay, Indiana Malone....(get it?? cause Indiana Jones? But it's Indiana Malone??? he ran away from a ball???) BUT THANKS FOR THE REVIEW!!
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Post by Jack Malone on Jul 17, 2015 6:00:38 GMT -6
"Never Underestimate Regina George" ReviewThe third episode of the new hit VPN series delivered quite a left-field kind of episode, taking us out of the high school environment and into a festival where the majority of the episode takes place in a field, with several entertainingly hilarious booths to thread humour in and out of a rather dramatic episode that pitted Katerina against the Drama Club. Now, the thing I love about this show so far is that the conflict between Katerina and Hayley is always extremely interesting. I mean, this show does have a tendency to play with tropes and stereotypes and cliches, but not in a 2Dimensional kind of way -- you really feel the characters jump off the page, and you grow attached rather easily. This extends to Katerina and Hayley, because the most interesting thing about their relationship is that they used to be best friends. This provides us with a lot of interesting scenes that make me want to see, not hear, but see what they were like before they were enemies, and see the kind of friendship they had, and potentially see sparks of that friendship seep back into their rather intense dynamic. Katerina serving as the antagonist for this episode felt really organic, especially when you examine the Will/Hayley interactions, and the fact that she's a little peeved off that Hayley became famous before her, but it was Hayley taking over the festival that added fuel to the fire and really amplified the episode to its building climax (no puns please). I will say, though, I didn't like how quickly this main conflict was solved. I feel like if we saw flashbacks at the start of the episode, or examined Hayley and Katerina's friendship where she learned about her fear of clowns, the introduction of Lasso the Clown wouldn't feel like such a "deus ex machina" moment, but it was still a really fun and clever way to resolve the conflict of the episode -- it just could have been even better with a little nod towards that, or a slight build up towards it so it didn't feel as rushed. Speaking of the conclusion to the episode, I was a little bummed out for Katerina. I know it sounds like such a weird thing to say considering all the stuff she's done, but I feel like everyone was so overboard in their treatment of her in that last scene, and it made me sit back and question whether or not she deserved to be confronted like that, or deserved to be broken up in public like that. In terms of the breakup, there is an obvious push for Will and Hayley evident in these episodes, and I think Will and Katerina broke up too quickly without even really exploring why they were together in the first place -- you get the sense that Will actually cared about her, but Katerina managed to move on rather quickly and perhaps was just in it for the popularity? Either way, I think Will's realisation that he wasn't happy was nice because sometimes we don't stop and ask ourselves whether or not what we're suffering for is actually worth it, and so the lead in towards a breakup was very creative, and touching and I liked that being mixed in towards all the hilarity. Now, I can't do a review without discussing my favourite gags and hilarious moments of the episode, so I have to mention the bits in this that made me crack up the most. I love the gag with Jennifer, and her starbucks. It was funny to me that she kept wandering off to get more coffee, but it was continuously slapped out of her hands. I loved the way these problems escalated to the point where the boys were getting chased by what felt like killer ducks, lmao! And lastly, I really liked the back and forth "lets kill her" jokes made by Riley that had her at one point pick up a battle axe. There was just a really nice blend of comedy and drama to make this one of the most entertain episodes so far, and definitely has me excited for future episodes! The development with Charlie and Maureen is my favourite. I love them so much. I think they have a more seamless development into a romantic storyline compared to Will/Hayley. While I disagreed with Chris and Brady in the previous episode, claiming that the crush didn't come out of nowhere for me, I do think this episode kind of rushed into separating Will/Katerina, and rushed into giving moments between Will and Hayley that hint at potentially pairing the two up. But that said, Will was one of my favourites in this episode, and his storyline was extremely grounding, and kind of pulled you in for the emotional side of things which was a nice contrast to everything else going on. I also like how you give us little tidbits of information on these characters as it progresses, which seem like a "blink and you'll miss it" reference to what they like, don't like, what they were like in their past, etc that just organically builds character, and really solidifies these characters right in front of us as actual people. You did a good job in doing that for Will in this particular episode, and you did a good job of doing that with the Charlie/Maureen dynamic which I feel is more or less an organic progression in terms of what we've seen so far, and it was the perfect end credit scene because I shipped them the second they first interacted! Overall, I really liked the episode. It was rushed in solving the conflict of the episode, but the actual conflict -- having the drama club go up against Katerina and her barbie dolls -- was such a great storyline that I honestly didn't care about Lasso the clown coming in at the last second and fixing all their problems. I do think the Will/Katerina break up was just too much "beating down" Katerina in public, but then again, you see that she's already moved on by the end of the episode so I guess it didn't hurt her too much. Either way, another great episode of 101 Ways to Survive High School, and I like that drama club or slowly growing into a close knit family with Maureen as their ever-so-badass leader. Well done, man!
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Post by Brady Brown on Jul 17, 2015 10:32:38 GMT -6
REVIEW - 1.03 "Never Underestimate Regina George"First off, I really enjoyed the setting and conflict for this episode. I thought it was just the right amount of outrageousness and ridiculousness that it wasn't necessarily over the top like it could have been. I appreciated that. It was a really intriguing concept that had some really stand out, funny moments, and I think bringing more conflict into the Hayley/Katerina relationship was a really smart idea, especially since it was mean to further advance Hayley and Will and the brewing tension between them; however, I thought that it was rushed. I didn't see enough justification for Will to break up with Katerina so suddenly. I mean, I doubt that this was the first time she's "yelled" at him, and even if it was the breaking point for him, I didn't really see it as being accurately earned. As much as it is a somewhat toxic relationship, I feel like Will genuinely had feelings for Katerina, and even though she went and found someone new the next day, I think those feelings were reciprocated. I don't know, a lot of the relationship drama in this episode didn't necessarily work for me, and I didn't think Will explaining himself to Hayley was either, because if I'm not mistaken this is only the second time they've really talked? I don't know, it just didn't land with me the way I think it was intended to. One of the things I really enjoyed about this episode was Maureen. I feel like she always brings a layer of comedy and realness into each episode so far. The megaphone bit was probably my favorite part, and the "white republican" joke was really well delivered. Another thing I liked was chaos of the entire festival. Like I said above, I think it had just the right amount of craziness that it still delivered on the comedy forefronts without being completely ridiculous. The last thing that really stuck with me was the backstory we got with Will. I really liked that. I think his problem with overeating in stressful and sad situations in something I'm really interested to see him try and overcome, if that's where his storyline is heading. I hope so, because it didn't seem like something that would just get thrown in there for a joke, especially since Riley even commented on how it has affected him. The last thing that bugged me was the way Hayley began to treat some people when the festival went to hell. I understand she was frustrated, but I feel like she started acting really immature - threatening to punch people in the eye, telling people who willingly wanted to help to shut up. If it was done for comedy, then it didn't really land with me. If it was intentionally done to show some other aspect of her character, then I didn't really get any hinting towards it in the previous two episodes. Despite what I just mentioned, one other thing I thought was funny was Jennifer's Starbucks gag. Another thing was how Fiona never got her high five, and then at one point she simply turned away from everyone and went back to handing tickets. Those were some other standout points. Even though some things didn't really work for me, I still really enjoyed this episode. I thought it capitalized on the comedic nature of the fall festival and its various booths, and I think you handled that in a really nice way. It was, overall, a really solid episode, and I can't wait to see what's in store next for the drama club!
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Post by Jamison on Jul 17, 2015 23:34:27 GMT -6
REVIEW: 1.03 | "Never Underestimate Regina George"Jack and Brady pretty much already said what I wanted to say about this episode. I needed to put these reviews out faster. But here we go anyway. Maybe I'll be able to touch on some things they didn't (though I doubt it; This'll probably be very repetitive). I really enjoyed the setting this week. Nearly the entire episode taking place at his festival was a cool change, even though it's only been three episodes. And festivals are always great. They work really well in comedies because so much crazy shit can go down. And it's no different here. I read the episode yesterday, so I'll just open up the script and go through it and touch on things as I read them. The first thing I noticed was Riley and Hayley's relationship or whatever you can call the thing between those two haha! It's not nearly as hostile as it was in the pilot (or was it episode two? or both?). I think a friendship between those two would be interesting. I liked Riley in this episode a lot more than before, so I guess that's a good thing. Her teasing Hayley about her crush on her brother was fun. And kinda playing matchmaker showed a more playful side to her that I didn't know she had. I love that as the series progresses, we're learning more about the characters and what exactly makes this tick. Hopefully we'll get more of that in future episodes. Will and Riley are nice together, even though I do have to agree with the others in that I was hoping for a slower burn. Will and Katerina's breakup might have come too soon. I think it might have worked better if Will was going to open up to Hayley and agree with her about how awful Katerina is to be in a relationship with, that at the end of the day, Will still goes back to her because it seems like he has genuine feelings toward her. And that's intriguing in itself. Opens up a lot of possibilities for Katerina as a character. Maybe she has more layers than she's given us so far. Maybe her relationship with Will isn't always so bad. Maybe there was a deeper connection there that only Will was able to see. I would have liked to explore those things more efficiently before you set the stage for an eventual Will/Hayley romance. Him going back to Katerina after giving Hayley some hope could have created some interesting conflict and tension between all three characters as well, which could have been interesting to see. But I'll get off this subject because it's becoming rant-y! Taking all of that out of the equation, I really did like how Hayley and Will worked off one another. I can see them becoming pretty close and so far, I like the idea of them. I kinda of felt bad for Katerina in the end. I mean, I know she was being horrible and planned to sabotage the entire festival, but I didn't think she deserved to be bullied right back. I think the festival being a success was quite enough to stick it to her. But she seemed to bounce back pretty well, both on the boyfriend front and herself. I'm really eager to explore her character more. I'm just excited for more development, in general. I'm getting invested in these characters' lives, Brian! You're doing a good job there Onto some funny things that happened in the episode. And there were quite a few. I loved Maureen's "white Republican" line to Fiona. And it being shouted into a megaphone made it even more hilarious. Very well played there. Jennifer and her Starbucks. She just wanted her Starbucks. Who's gonna pay for those two cups though? Like, forreal, that ish aint cheap. The ducks! THE F-CKING DUCKS! Probably a high of the episode. I just pictured a bunch of killer ducks attacking kids. It was pretty hilarious. Oh and before I forget... I absolutely did not see a Maureen/Charlie kiss coming. AT ALL! But I'm not complaining. I'm totally here for it. Bring it on! Overall, a cool episode. Nice change of setting with some hilarious payoffs. Some things felt a little rushed, like previously mentioned, but I'm still looking forward to seeing how it all comes together.
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Post by Brian Melanson on Jul 18, 2015 12:05:30 GMT -6
Since you all basically said the exact same thing, originality guys come on, I'll just reply right here. I do see your concerns with Hayley being a little bit, crazy. I think just given the circumstances, I wrote her like that and I guess it didn't come out the way I wanted it too. But in future episodes, she does handle it better. Now with Katerina, I wanted this to be her lowest point, but all she does from this is rise up and continue to find ways to get back at the Drama Club, and when she does figure it out, I'm pretty sure EVERYONE will be shocked with what she does.
Now with Hayley and Will, I admit, I rushed it. I guess I was in a bit of a hurry to develop their story and didn't really think to put the brakes on for a second. So I can say that while next week, it's really a Hayley and Will episode, from now, it just takes a while for them to get together. The pay-off of Hayley and Will is one thing I've had planned forever and I guess I was just rushing to build it up.
But I am REALLY happy you guys did enjoy the episode! I promise more fun and adventure in the upcoming weeks! ALSO
SCREENWRITERS PARADISE, COMING SOON, LIKE NEXT WEEK, LESS THAN A WEEK, EVERYONE BETTER READ IT.
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Post by Alex Matthews on Jul 23, 2015 15:52:05 GMT -6
Brian, all I can say is: I FREAKING LOVE YOU!!!
Seriously, the way you write each and every character of the show has me in stitches - it's like none of them have any kind of filter, and the words that pour out of their mouths just keep growing funnier and funnier with every episode!
The whole show has a kind of 'hyper-reality' feel to it, because it sometimes feels like everything goes in Serenity, and that there are no boundaries that aren't willing to be crossed, especially by the kids, but also by Maureen as well. Seriously, the principal years of education would be so much funnier if every school has a Maureen-esque person on staff!
Maybe it's because I have a soft spot for Grant Gustin, but Will is becoming my fave, especially after he stood up to and broke up with Katerina, then drowned his sorrows in food, with "The Queens of Mean", Riley and Katerina coming close second.
I love how only so few episodes in, we've met so many differently written characters, and seen them deal with some very strange situations.
The talking heads moments are always enjoyable, and help not only deliver necessary information but also keep the script jumping around, so scenes don't drag or stagnate. I could also imagine 'freeze-frames' happening when only a particular character interacts with the viewer, and moves on.
All in all, great work! As for the rest of the season, LET 'ER RIP!!
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Post by Jamison on Jul 24, 2015 20:46:45 GMT -6
REVIEW: 1.04 | "Don't Bring Your Study Date Home"Okay, so far I think I've had a few problems with this show but it's remained pretty entertaining. I gotta say, I wasn't a huge fan of this time around. While there were a few good moments, like the Drama kids setting up the stage lights and sound, the bits of Tatum and Cal that we got, and the overall idea behind the episode was promising, it fell a little short this week. I'll start by saying that I really appreciated that we finally got more insight into Hayley's family and her home life. I enjoyed seeing the dynamic between her parents and that her father is overprotective, even though he ended up letting Will into the house without much warning anyway. A really overprotective dad wouldn't have let him on the front porch, but that's neither here nor there. lol I think I'd like to see this explored more. Just her relationship with her parents and her sister, who I always seem to forget about when she's not there. I'm pretty sure she's written as Hayley's older sister, but she seems like a younger sister to me. I'm not sure. It's weird. haha! But moving on. Now this is where things might get a little negative, so I apologize in advance. The way these teens are sexualized is kind of creeping me out a little bit. Sometimes I have to pretend their all in college just to feel comfortable reading it, and I don't think that's something I should need to do. There's a way to portray the sexual activity of teens in a realistic way that's still appropriate. But here, most of the sexual stuff is used for humor that ends up falling flat because of its vulgarity. I think a show that talks about teens and sex well is "The Fosters." Yes, some of the teens in that show are sexually active, but the way its written serves a purpose and hopes to open a dialogue with teens in a helpful and respectful way. On "101" it seems to be more about using sex as a punchline and it doesn't seem to be taken very seriously. I can't say I'm a fan of the way things just tend to happen on this show, without set up or warning. Like the sudden pairing of Danny and Riley. I can't remember them even talking in previous episodes, and now they're dating. One could argue that high school romances tend to spring up out of nowhere, but from a storytelling standpoint, it didn't work too well for me. The same happened with Will and Hayley, but I was able to overlook that seeing as it happened only in the second episode. And not everybody saw it as a problem, but this is just my opinion and its neither more and less wrong or right than anyone else's. While on the topic of Danny/Riley, I did enjoy them nonetheless and think that pairing can work. Them playing video games really struck me as something teenagers would do on a first date. Even the making out was fine until things got a little sexual, but I've already touched on that. I'd love for their relationship to be explored more slowly and really get a chance to be developed. We'll see how that turns out in upcoming episodes. Characters I usually love and want to root for like Maureen, Danny and even Hayley herself fell out for a me a little in this episode. Their characterization seems a bit inconsistent. In one episode, we have Maureen, who is a great teacher and cares about and respects her students. And then this week, she basically calls Will stupid by pointing out that his GPA is lower than her follower count. And then we have Hayley and Danny being mean to Christy for no apparent reason. I understand when characters like Riley and Katerina are obnoxious and hostile toward her. But it felt odd when I saw them doing it; especially Danny, because Hayley did the same thing to Misty in the last episode. But maybe that's just a flaw to their characters. If so, that's fine. Just as long as it's consistent and not solely used for misplaced humor. Like I mentioned before, I liked the little bits and pieces we got involving Tatum and Cal. It's one of the only relationships that seem to be developing organically and I appreciated how cheesy Cal is with that "Wonderful Wonder Woman" line. I think that was great because most teens aren't smooth, and while that might have been a happy accident, because later on, Cal had no reason to be nervous about Tatum because he only saw him as a friend, I choose to look at it as a teenager with a crush who said something cheesy. Another thing I liked where the moments with Maureen and Hayley. Maureen randomly bringing up the kiss that Hayley had no idea about. I can't wait to see more of Maureen/Charlie. They are the my favorite pairing so far, I think. But you already knew that. So overall, I did enjoy the first three episodes more, but this episode had a few nice moments and interesting concepts that weren't quite fully realized. I'm still a fan of the show and am confident it can only get better so I look forward to next week's episode.
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Post by Brian Melanson on Jul 24, 2015 21:26:04 GMT -6
Thanks for reading, Chris. I think I really needed more feedback on these episodes. I can admit, in the early episodes, I was little lost in what I was doing. So I'll try and explain to my best. This is a story I wanted to do all along with Hayley's Parents and kinda get into that groove of these kids DO have parents and they aren't just background characters but are characters in themselves. Hayley's Dad won't be explored as much this season, but I do have a story for him. I do see him as the overprotective Dad, but I think Casey helps him through that and kinda tells him "They're teenagers, let them live". Hence why Will was still allowed to come in. And Jennifer for now is just a fun character to have around, BUT that is not to say she won't have a plot. You don't have to apologize. I do understand that you're very concerned with this part of the show. And I admit myself, that I am using sex as the butt of the joke. I guess my process of thinking is that I just imagined what my High School life was like and I remember a lot of bad sex jokes. But I do admit, here it is not working. Hence why I am going to go through the scripts and literally change a lot around and let my natural comedy flow instead of making a penis joke. I'm really happy you're pointing this out cause it is something does need to be pointed out. I just have to find the right way to do it and hopefully with future scripts it will be a lot less toned down. But I might need some help with that, so I might be coming to you for some help as well. But again, not angry. You're just pointing out something that needs to be pointed out and I appreciate that. Again, this did need to pointed out. Riley and Danny, I admit, came out of no where. I was just like "Hmm, how could they work" and just did it. I didn't have any set up or anything. But I am currently revisiting old episodes and developing them a bit more per-say just to make it work. And the same thing with Hayley and Will, I do agree on that front. I rushed it. Which is something I did in these first few episodes and while I am proud of this work, I did kinda rush myself into these things. I can say that things will take a slower turn like in 1x05 and 1x06, Hayley and Will, hit a kinda slow down. That doesn't mean there won't be development but still at the same time, it's slower. I wanted Hayley to be questioning everything with Will. She wants to focus on her, but at the same time, she wants to be with him. She wants someone to share the High School experience. I think I haven't quite made that clear in my episodes, which is something I should. Good thing I can always go back and make adjustments. But thank you for pointing that out. Also, Riley and Danny might be one of my favorite couples to write. Maureen wasn't calling Will stupid. I didn't feel it came off like that, in a sense. I kinda want to establish that Will is a struggling student. I mean, that probably wasn't the nicest way but I felt like it was just a harmless joke, but again it is a teacher talking to a student, so I can see where your concerns lie. Now with Christy and Misty, they are those perky and uppity characters that just annoy everyone. Think Jerry from Parks and Rec. It's going to be like that. I'm not saying for the whole series everyone will be telling them to shut up and go away, these two girls will grow from the kinda punching bags to their own characters and be built up from these points. It isn't just a one off thing and used for humor, well in a sense it is, but you know what I mean. This is kinda just setting up for a future storyline I have planned. But again, maybe my execution wasn't the best. Tatum and Cal is going to be a bit, complicated. I don't want to always portray perfect couples. Everyone has their problems right? #Tease. But you have Tatum who hates to be tied down, and Cal who recently just came out to himself and is still struggling to figure out who he is. It's really a school boy crush, but they will be built up and hit a few bumps. But that doesn't mean they won't work through them. Maureen and Hayley scenes are the best. I love writing them and there will be a few more in future episodes where the tables turn on the two and Hayley gives some words of wisdom. And Maureen and Charlie? Chris, I think you'll be happy next week THANKS FOR READING! And thanks for helping me see some things I should go back and take a look at and see where I can improve. We'll talk soon buddy! And I hope this helped clear some things up. If not, you know where to find me.
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Post by Brady Brown on Jul 25, 2015 11:35:14 GMT -6
REVIEW: 1.04 “Don’t Bring Your Study Date Home”So, just by looking at Chris' review, I agreed with a lot of what he said. That being sad, if this review gets hella repetitive, then I apologize greatly. I want to start off by saying that I think the concept of this episode was actually really clever, and a good way to address Will’s academic problems. I thought pairing him up with Hayley by having a “study date” was a really fun and interesting way to develop their inevitable romance that is going to be budding this season. With that said, the episode as a whole was kind of a mixed bag for me, but that’s not to say I didn’t have parts that I enjoyed. My favorite part of the episode was when Hayley and Cal were testing out the light and sound booth, and they accidentally kept turning it up too much and causing the other students to scream in terror. That was really well done and funny, and I thought that it was the funniest part of the episode. Another funny moment was Fiona’s flappy bird line. I don’t know, that was just really stuck out to be, and I could really picture it politely asking for her phone back and then 2 seconds later getting extremely frustrated and chucking it across the room. Now, there was one type of joke that I thought was really repetitive throughout this episode, especially in the beginning, and that was people poking fun at “gay things”. I could’ve overlooked it if it was just the “RENT” one, but they just kept popping up here and there, and didn’t really connect the way I think you intended them to. I get that these are kids who make stupid jokes like that, but they still weren't really that funny. Another thing - I don’t think we need to be reminded of Tatum’s sexuality all the time, if we’re not going to be reminded of everyone else’s, if that makes any sense. Speaking of Tatum, I’m intrigued by his budding romance with Cal. I think it was started well nicely, and I look forward to it. This episode also gave us a look into Hayley, Fiona, and Jennifer’s home life. I enjoyed Casey and Aaron as characters. You can really get a good sense of their love for one another in such a short amount of time. I hope to see more of them soon because I think they can really add a nice layer and complexity to a show that mainly focuses on teachers and students, as well as give another layer to Hayley's character and story arc. With Hayley/Will, I can’t really get behind them together. I think they we're put together really fast, and I haven't really seen any true development between them. I thought the study date was a cool idea, but they didn’t even really study (or at least, I didn’t see anything indicating that they did), the almost kiss didn’t feel very organic, and their conversation about finding yourself came a little bit out of nowhere. I understand that this is about growing from stereotypes that have been set on you by society and your peers and parents, but I have to remember that these characters are only 15, and haven’t even been to a prom or been on a college tour yet. I don’t know, it’s hard to realistically imagining these two kids having that type of deep conversation so early on and without really knowing each other for that long. Speaking of pairings, Danny/Riley is a relationship that I can definitely get on board with. I wish it hadn’t have just up and happened, though. I would have loved some foreshadowing in the first couple of episodes, and I apologize if there was and I’m complete blanking. I think them playing video games is actually really cute and I love it, but it kind of fizzled away with Riley sounded like she was just blatantly hinting at sex with “I know another way you can score.” It took me out of the moment. I think their relationship could be so much more than just about sex. I would love having them grow into a couple by playing video games and having little cute moments stem from that, or going on actual dates, or actually full fledged conversations that aren't about Hayley's relationship with him. In fact, we got a small glimpse at development for Danny when he told her it was his first kiss. I really wanted a moment between him and Riley there, but maybe that’s just me being selfish haha. The last thing that read really weird for more was a deviation of characterization from several of our main cast members. I think I get that poking fun at Christy (I thought it was Misty considering the last episode, though) is supposed to be done for comical value because she's been introduce as a peppy person, but it was kind of weird when Danny just told her to shut up, especially since he’s been brought up as a dorky good guy. Another thing that stuck out to me was Maureen’s line about Will’s GPA. That came across really unprofessional and a little rude, and I think it was meant to be a joke but it just didn’t land for me. I think Will’s academic struggle was already established through the plot of the episode, so the line wasn’t really needed. The last thing I want to talk about is the progression of the Drama Club. It was small, but I thought it was a good part of the episode. I liked how they’re going to be competing in this competition. I guess I’m just confused as to why it has to be a musical? I don’t know, when I think about Drama Festival, I picture one act plays and things like that, not broadway musicals. I think that could have been stated or clarified, because there’s a difference between musical theatre and drama, and if both are accepted then I think Maureen could tell the club that or maybe one of the students could ask about it. But anyway, I think Will joining is a nice little “plot twist” of sorts. Maybe he and Tatum can talk about juggling football and drama club. It’s definitely going to create some rifts between Will and Riley, which should be interesting to read. Overall, kind of mixed. I think focusing on the actual drama club more would really be beneficial, and the sexualization of these characters could be reaaaally toned down, because it makes me read them as way older than they are. Then I get a dose of reality and remember that they’re 15 haha. That's not to say that they can't kiss and have sex, because it's obvious that teenagers do that stuff, but I think all things like that have to be done in moderation and serve a purpose. But yeah, I still liked some parts of this episode, and I look forward to next week, especially since Will has joined the club!
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Post by Brady Brown on Aug 3, 2015 13:18:45 GMT -6
REVIEW: 1.05 "Avoid Everything"I think this episode was definitely a step up from last week, because we got more organic focuses on the characters and their relationships, whether they be from the past or ones currently budding for the future. I really liked how we got that dynamic - from Carrie/Darren who have a past together, to Maureen/Charlie and Hayley/Riley who have somewhat known each other but are just now starting to connect in a romantic or mutually respectful way; however, speaking of the Carrie and Darren, I thought that their plot focus fizzled out and was resolved entirely too quickly. There wasn't really any tension or any build up. They just sort of ran into each other and before we know if they're going on a date we never even got to see. I think more dialogue and an actual bar scene would have helped that part of the episode tremendously. I thought the Maureen/Charlie aspect was a little rushed as well, but it was still fine and didn't take anything out of the episode for me. Moving on, the Riley/Hayley relationship is something I'm interested in. I think they're starting to form something based off of mutual respect and can relate to one another with not really having everyone's approval - for Riley, it's her mother; for Hayley, it's her peers. I really liked how we got a sort of throwback to the pilot with Hayley repeating what Maureen said to her to try and help Riley through her problems. I still think a lot of these conversations are a bit weird for 15 year olds, but everyone's experiences are different and it was such a nice heartwarming scene that it didn't even really bother me. We also got the introduction of a new Drama Club member in the form of Ivy. I really like her. I think her being inspired by Hayley's video to venture into the public education system foray is really cleve and pretty funny. She had some really great lines, and I like that, even though she is similar to them, she didn't immediately becomes a part of the Barbie Dolls. In fact, she shut them down. I think that was a cool way to divert from the stereotype that was inevitably thrust upon her since she came from a private school and acted in the manner that she did. One thing that felt a bit weird was the Danny/Will scene. I understand why it was there and the purpose that it served, but it didn't flow well and was just kind of placed in there to what looked like build a friendship between the two and develop the romance between Will and Hayley without having the latter involved. I think if Will especially was incorporated into the episode more it would have been a better scene, but it ended up being kind of an add-on that didn't really serve a purpose to the episode itself. I don't know, it just read as a really weird scene with Danny going on about how Hayley's been hurt before, but then Hayley talks about not knowing how relationships have worked and it left me feeling very confused. Another thing I liked was how Vicki felt trapped between her two best friends' romantic lives that she literally had to go and tell them to get their lives together. I thought that was pretty funny and a nice, relatable aspect because, whether it be just two friends, everyone's been caught between two people they genuinely care about, and I'm glad that it was done with the adults and not the kids. Not a lot of development for the actual club this week, which I was kind of bummed about. I wish there was more focus on it since it's such a driving force behind the series. Anyway, pretty solid episode which forged some new dynamics, especially in the form of Hayley and Riley. Next week is probably going to be funny because of the students having to write their own play. I look forward to it! Good job this week, though!
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Post by Ciarán Graham on Aug 16, 2015 12:41:08 GMT -6
Just dropping in to say I'm finally catching up with this! Halfway through episode three (fitting, as I just watched Mean Girls for the first time in full last week!). I'll admit that at first, Fiona was a bit irritating to me with the sheer... Australian. But she's really starting to grow on me, she's got quite the imaginative vocabulary.
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Post by Brian Melanson on Aug 16, 2015 14:03:16 GMT -6
Just dropping in to say I'm finally catching up with this! Halfway through episode three (fitting, as I just watched Mean Girls for the first time in full last week!). I'll admit that at first, Fiona was a bit irritating to me with the sheer... Australian. But she's really starting to grow on me, she's got quite the imaginative vocabulary. I'm happy you're enjoying the show! And Fiona is one of the best characters, personally, for me to write for. She's just so witty and makes no sense sometimes, but she's so rich and in Season Two she has her own episode. Spring 2016 #PlugItInPulgItIn
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Post by R.A. Picking on Sept 8, 2015 18:50:46 GMT -6
1x01: It's Not the End of the World. It's High School
Welcome to Serenity High and the life of Hayley, the YouTube girl that mistakenly posted the wrong video on her homework page. She created a video that was to her future self and no one was to really see the video, but of course to make this journey even more fun - she ended up posting that video so that everyone could see.
The beginning of the journey is a wonderful start to the series. Each characters were introduced rather well and you can't help but feel something for each of these characters. From Hayley, the main character who posted the wrong video and started this catastrophic adventure. Where exactly could this video lead us? I'm excited to see where else these students lead us.
From characters like Danny and what exactly his connection is to Hayley? Is he going to be a boyfriend or just a good friend that doesn't feel comfortable getting that close. And what about Tatum? The gay guy. The one that probably could be interested in Danny also. Maybe it'll cause a love triangle between Hayley and Danny? Lol, or maybe not. Maybe I'm just overthinking on the first episode.
Okay and we can't forget about the bumbling three b's that like to chomp on gum. Doesn't every school have three girls just like that. Those blonde bimbos - sorry to all the blondes that are out there and aren't like these b's - but I have to think that we're going to see a lot of fun stuff with them. They are truly a great add to the story.
All that to say, I think all the characters have proven to be a great at to the series and I can't wait to see where it's going.
Lastly - Maureen. I really think this was the key direction for me in the series the one that is going to focus Hayley and get her on the right path. I'll probably be wrong and I'll come back to this.
I have to really say that I like the celebrity that are portraying the characters and I think they fit.
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Post by Brian Melanson on Sept 8, 2015 22:37:26 GMT -6
Here's my official thoughts on Episode 101 -- EPISODE 101Thanks for the review, I was a bit confused at first when I didn't see the actual review. But I think I should go over a few things from your review just to clarify. Danny's connection to Hayley was introduced as he's the best friend who has been there from the start. He and Hayley have been best friends since diapers. It was written that way in the pilot that they would be pursued as a future love interest for each other, but after writing them as friends, it just seemed to work better in that way. Tatum is no way interested in Danny. Again, they are just friends. Tatum is a player and has a lot of problems settling down, but as you read on, it will become clear that both Danny and Tatum have separate love interests. So sorry if you were hoping for that, but it will not happen. I'm sure this is referring to the Barbie Dolls, Katerina, Nellie and Izzy. They are, one of the few antagonist to work against the characters coming up in future storylines. Think "Mean Girls" with Regina, Gretchen and Karen. They are very much a new take on the Plastics. But it doesn't mean that these three girls won't get their own stories that will push them further. They are more than just, blonde bimbos. They are diverse women who don't let anyone smash them. But it's going to be fun to work with their stories and see what they add to the show. Every High School has a Mean Girl. Maureen is the moral compass of the show. She's that teacher who actually wants her students to succeed. She doesn't want to see them fail and make all the mistakes she made in life. So her bringing back the Drama Club is a huge way to further these characters and allow them to make friendships that will last them a lifetime. Maureen is one of the huge driving forces of the whole series, and I think the day Maureen isn't in the show, the show won't be what it really is. But again, thanks for the review, I hope this cleared a few things up. We also don't have to worry about doing the rating systems. Just review the show, give feedback and the writer will get back to you as soon as they can. But I can't wait to see more reviews from you
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Post by R.A. Picking on Sept 9, 2015 6:28:07 GMT -6
So you don't like the off site link? You would rather it be on this site? If so I can copy and paste on to here when I write one up. Sorry for the play on ideas. I wasn't necessarily saying those things were going to happen I was just playing with ideas in my own head when I was reviewing. I will try to stick to the point of the review from now on. As I've said before I'm not a great reviewer but I'm trying.
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Post by Brian Melanson on Sept 9, 2015 10:32:29 GMT -6
So you don't like the off site link? You would rather it be on this site? If so I can copy and paste on to here when I write one up. Sorry for the play on ideas. I wasn't necessarily saying those things were going to happen I was just playing with ideas in my own head when I was reviewing. I will try to stick to the point of the review from now on. As I've said before I'm not a great reviewer but I'm trying. No it's completely fine, I'm just used to seeing the review on here. No it's fine, I just thought I would clarify so there wouldn't be any confusion. But don't worry, reviews are always hard, you'll get it down. Just takes practice.
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Post by Jamison on Nov 6, 2015 22:25:16 GMT -6
REVIEW: 1.05 | "Avoid Everything"
Alright, I'm back! And I must say, I really enjoyed this episode. Probably the most well put together so far. The pacing was nice and smooth, and your parallel storytelling with Maureen and Carrie was clever. A new character was introduced and everything and I'm looking forward to seeing what Ivy brings to the show. We get more of Hayley and Riley's dynamic, which is something I enjoyed. I'd really like to see them become friends and they seem to form a bond in this episode, so I was happy about that.
I don't know how, but I think this episode benefited a lot from Fiona's absence. I enjoy her character for the most part, but her humor sort of takes me out of the script at times, and the pacing and flow here was so good and organic, I can't help but feel that had something to do with it. A few characters take the back seat here. Like Danny and Will. We do get a short scene with them in this episode that I feel was out of place, and could have been scrapped all together. It just came out of nowhere when they hadn't been present in the script leading up to that moment. But aside from that one scene, the episode read very well. Maureen and Charlie getting together has been jumping up and down. I'm really into their relationship.
This is a pretty short review, but I'm gonna be reading the next episode after this and hopefully will be responding shortly after. Good job on this one, Brian! It's definitely one of my favorites so far.
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Post by Brady Brown on Nov 7, 2015 11:47:08 GMT -6
REVIEW: 1.06 "Whatever You Do, Don't Screw Up"
This episode of 101 we saw a conflict ensue because of the PTA banning the production of "Into The Woods". This episode, I think, would have benefitted a lot more if it actually focused on the drama club itself attempting to brainstorm ideas for either a new play or actually creating one altogether. Instead, we went to a party where a lot of things happened that I wasn't a really big fan of.
The main thing that bugged me was the Will/Hayley drama. I thought their interactions up until the end were nice and fun, but I really didn't like how that entire development was resorted to Katerina thrusting herself onto Will and kissing him and Hayley sees this and doesn't even bother to hear Will's side of the story and just flees. Then, Riley jumps on Will's case and none of it made any real sense, because they were, in a sense, taking Katerina's side. I'm also not a fan of Will blaming himself for what happened, because he didn't do anything wrong and it's actually Hayley jumping to conclusions. Now, if Will actually leaned into the kiss for a moment, maybe even indulged it, I could understand this a bit more. I get that this is high school and that kids jump to judgements and do stupid things, but these kids do adult things and have adult conversations so I guess I just expect more mature behavior from them with how they're being presented.
Another thing that was weird was Riley. She's so hellbent on getting her brother with Hayley even when she and Will would rather remain friends for the time being and it's a little creepy haha. Just let them move at their own pace, girl! Riley did have a big development though in the form of writing the play Faithfully, but I gotta say that it was rushed. She wrote a play, what, overnight? Over the weekend? I don't know anyone who can do that, personally haha. I just wish there had been more time spent on that and more time spent on the drama club trying to come up with ideas. I will say, though, Riley had the funniest moment of the episode when she scratched her nails on the board. That actually had me laughing out loud haha.
Maureen had some funny moments in this episode, too. I really liked her scene with Rose, despite the stereotypical teenage pregnancy comments lol I would have liked to have seen her try and work harder to find a substitute play, though. Cal and Tatum shared a kiss, which was nice. I would have liked to have seen a scene with them before that moment though. Would have made things a little smoother.
I think my main problem with the series so far is that the characters are somewhat inconsistent a lot of the time, particularly Hayley, and that I wish there was more focus on the drama club itself. Like, I think brainstorming scenes would have been a lot more beneficial than a party. Maybe they had their own party, maybe they had a brainstorming sleepover. I don't know haha I just think something like that would have worked better, and it would have eliminated the unnecessary drama that seems to be unfolding between Will and Hayley.
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