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Post by Brian Melanson on Nov 8, 2015 18:16:50 GMT -6
Review and discuss episodes of the second season of "101 Ways To Survive High School" as they air.
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Post by Brian Melanson on May 3, 2016 0:14:14 GMT -6
Hey everyone, just coming in here to let you all know that the Season Two premiere will be delayed a week. But to make up for that, I will be dedicating all next week to releasing something new every day ahead of the Season Two premiere. So that means, script teasers, character bios, episode descriptions, episode titles and more! So, I hope that makes up for the delayed release, hope you all understand and be ready for next week! See you all then!
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Post by Jack Malone on May 16, 2016 7:30:21 GMT -6
"The Rules No Longer Apply" Review
It's been a while since I've reviewed, and I'm about to get some sleep so I'll try to be quick but also be coherent, haha.
One of my favourite things about this platform that is theVPN and seeing all these shows on here and all these aspiring writers is being able to watch and see how they grow and I feel like 101 Ways to Survive High School has seen a lot of growth since last season to now. Right off the gate, I can already see how much your structure has improved, and how everything seems more polished than ever before and so I wanted to congratulate you on that progress and tell you how happy it is to see as I genuinely feel everyone on here just gets better and better with the more they release, and the further into the story they get so well done!
So essentially this episode focused on the return to Serenity High after their break and catching us up on what's happened with all these characters since and getting a taste of where they are now and where they're headed. You utilised the 'talking heads' in a really great way and I especially liked it at times like Cal's speech because it offers us development and offers us an idea of where things were and where they are now. I think you've found your groove with this tool because it never felt over done or unnecessary and also gave us insight into the characters as opposed to just offered a funny anecdote for the sake of jokes. So right off the bat, you've found a way to use the DNA of the show to bring us back into the second season and done a good job of catching us up with each individual character in a way that felt fitting to where they were last season to where they are now.
This episode also re-positioned Hayley as the central character in a way that 101 often fails to do because of how many characters there are in the story. That entire opening scene was just a really great way to remind us of whose eyes are helping us navigate the story, and the way the conflict bubbled up to primarily affect her made me even happier. While her presence did sometimes get lost throughout the episode, it very much began on a promising future and then ended with the complete opposite, and that just made me really excited to see where this journey outside of Drama Club takes her, and get back to basics with Hayley vs Katerina.
Speaking of Katerina, the story didn't really start until she showed up to be honest. I felt the entire first half of the episode was lacking because of reasons I'll get into in a second, but damn... in my notes while reading I said "Katerina brought a lot of refreshing energy to the episode," and by that I simply mean the second she showed up the story was just elevated, it suddenly had purpose and direction and everything just became really exciting. You introduced this concept of the Queen Bees and that added some foreshadowing that makes me eager to see what would happen if Katerina messed up and they returned to the school and reclaimed their power. You had Katerina in charge of Drama Club and abuse that power to kick Hayley/Riley out -- which, while probably predictable, was still a huge "oh my god" moment because shit was going down and it sets up a really interesting story going forward. But the most important thing was how Katerina offered conflict for the story and I just wish you'd introduced her sooner because up until that moment it was a lot of characters all just talking at each other and making jokes/references.
This brings me to my main problem with the episode and that is a lack of structure for the story and/or an understanding of each scene moving the story forward. While the show is rich in pop culture references, and is genuinely funny to read, I feel like there's a lot of stuff that could be cut to turn 47 pages into 30. There's a lot of moments where it's just characters talking and it doesn't add to the story being told, and their conversations aren't reflecting any plot points for the episode to really chew on. I think the best thing for you to do in order to tighten the episode and make everything feel and read important is understanding what the main conflict is for the episode, who/what that conflict affects, and the steps in order to solve it. For example, the second you have Will/Hayley and Danny/Riley reunited in a way that offers us that hope that this year will be different... that's when you bring in Katerina and the Barbie Dolls and hone in on that conflict. A lot of shows have a B and a C story that you can incorporate with your other characters -- which you do -- but there's a lot of disjointedness that could be fixed by honing in on the main conflict, addressing it as the most important thing of the episode, and then jump around to other areas here and there. So that's probably the biggest critique I have of this episode, but I think it's something that might help and I hope it does!
Some other really quick notes:
- Hayley and Danny continue to have the most organic chemistry on the show. - On the other side of that, I feel like the Hayley/Will dynamic is written much better in this episode than it was last season. I feel like with some history under its belt, and a bit of a fresh start, they can move away from the issues that surrounded this particular ship. So well done! - Maureen's facetime/skype-chat/video message inclusion was a nice addition. I think her absence made me realise how much the show should be focusing on Hayley on one end and Katerina at the other, and everyone else should -- still have their moments -- but be the supporting characters and not receive more focus than Hayley. - Speaking of which, Fiona has become a bit of a stale character. I know I joked earlier about those criticisms -- as I am from Australia -- but her inclusion in this episode was to pretty much throw some Australia jokes at us and then have a run-in with a potential love interest that didn't really go anywhere or have some pay-off. I'm interested to see if this is something that continues this season or was just a one-episode idea. - The slo-mo Barbie Dolls joke was hilarious. - The Willow/Erick twist at the end was a very powerful moment for the story and added more layers in a way that made me even more excited to see where this season is going. - Again, I'm most excited for Hayley and Katerina's stories going forward and there's just something great about a season premiere of a show throwing two of its main characters into completely new (and opposite) positions.
All in all, while 101 Ways to Survive High School still suffers from the overcrowded cast of characters that only continues to grow and create a lack of balance/focus for the story, the Season 2 Premiere offered game-changing moments that arose from Katerina being in charge of Drama Club. I can't tell if I'm more excited to see Katerina fulfil her plan for revenge or to see Hayley and Riley fight their way back into the Drama Club and kick Katerina out for good, but I do know that the episode's end offered an even bigger twist that only seems to heighten the drama and allow for the comedy series to propel forward in a way that is sure to make Season 2 an impressive one. Well done, Brian!
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Post by Brian Melanson on May 16, 2016 19:58:23 GMT -6
"The Rules No Longer Apply" Review It's been a while since I've reviewed, and I'm about to get some sleep so I'll try to be quick but also be coherent, haha. One of my favourite things about this platform that is theVPN and seeing all these shows on here and all these aspiring writers is being able to watch and see how they grow and I feel like 101 Ways to Survive High School has seen a lot of growth since last season to now. Right off the gate, I can already see how much your structure has improved, and how everything seems more polished than ever before and so I wanted to congratulate you on that progress and tell you how happy it is to see as I genuinely feel everyone on here just gets better and better with the more they release, and the further into the story they get so well done! So essentially this episode focused on the return to Serenity High after their break and catching us up on what's happened with all these characters since and getting a taste of where they are now and where they're headed. You utilised the 'talking heads' in a really great way and I especially liked it at times like Cal's speech because it offers us development and offers us an idea of where things were and where they are now. I think you've found your groove with this tool because it never felt over done or unnecessary and also gave us insight into the characters as opposed to just offered a funny anecdote for the sake of jokes. So right off the bat, you've found a way to use the DNA of the show to bring us back into the second season and done a good job of catching us up with each individual character in a way that felt fitting to where they were last season to where they are now. This episode also re-positioned Hayley as the central character in a way that 101 often fails to do because of how many characters there are in the story. That entire opening scene was just a really great way to remind us of whose eyes are helping us navigate the story, and the way the conflict bubbled up to primarily affect her made me even happier. While her presence did sometimes get lost throughout the episode, it very much began on a promising future and then ended with the complete opposite, and that just made me really excited to see where this journey outside of Drama Club takes her, and get back to basics with Hayley vs Katerina. Speaking of Katerina, the story didn't really start until she showed up to be honest. I felt the entire first half of the episode was lacking because of reasons I'll get into in a second, but damn... in my notes while reading I said "Katerina brought a lot of refreshing energy to the episode," and by that I simply mean the second she showed up the story was just elevated, it suddenly had purpose and direction and everything just became really exciting. You introduced this concept of the Queen Bees and that added some foreshadowing that makes me eager to see what would happen if Katerina messed up and they returned to the school and reclaimed their power. You had Katerina in charge of Drama Club and abuse that power to kick Hayley/Riley out -- which, while probably predictable, was still a huge "oh my god" moment because shit was going down and it sets up a really interesting story going forward. But the most important thing was how Katerina offered conflict for the story and I just wish you'd introduced her sooner because up until that moment it was a lot of characters all just talking at each other and making jokes/references. This brings me to my main problem with the episode and that is a lack of structure for the story and/or an understanding of each scene moving the story forward. While the show is rich in pop culture references, and is genuinely funny to read, I feel like there's a lot of stuff that could be cut to turn 47 pages into 30. There's a lot of moments where it's just characters talking and it doesn't add to the story being told, and their conversations aren't reflecting any plot points for the episode to really chew on. I think the best thing for you to do in order to tighten the episode and make everything feel and read important is understanding what the main conflict is for the episode, who/what that conflict affects, and the steps in order to solve it. For example, the second you have Will/Hayley and Danny/Riley reunited in a way that offers us that hope that this year will be different... that's when you bring in Katerina and the Barbie Dolls and hone in on that conflict. A lot of shows have a B and a C story that you can incorporate with your other characters -- which you do -- but there's a lot of disjointedness that could be fixed by honing in on the main conflict, addressing it as the most important thing of the episode, and then jump around to other areas here and there. So that's probably the biggest critique I have of this episode, but I think it's something that might help and I hope it does! Some other really quick notes: - Hayley and Danny continue to have the most organic chemistry on the show. - On the other side of that, I feel like the Hayley/Will dynamic is written much better in this episode than it was last season. I feel like with some history under its belt, and a bit of a fresh start, they can move away from the issues that surrounded this particular ship. So well done! - Maureen's facetime/skype-chat/video message inclusion was a nice addition. I think her absence made me realise how much the show should be focusing on Hayley on one end and Katerina at the other, and everyone else should -- still have their moments -- but be the supporting characters and not receive more focus than Hayley. - Speaking of which, Fiona has become a bit of a stale character. I know I joked earlier about those criticisms -- as I am from Australia -- but her inclusion in this episode was to pretty much throw some Australia jokes at us and then have a run-in with a potential love interest that didn't really go anywhere or have some pay-off. I'm interested to see if this is something that continues this season or was just a one-episode idea. - The slo-mo Barbie Dolls joke was hilarious. - The Willow/Erick twist at the end was a very powerful moment for the story and added more layers in a way that made me even more excited to see where this season is going. - Again, I'm most excited for Hayley and Katerina's stories going forward and there's just something great about a season premiere of a show throwing two of its main characters into completely new (and opposite) positions. All in all, while 101 Ways to Survive High School still suffers from the overcrowded cast of characters that only continues to grow and create a lack of balance/focus for the story, the Season 2 Premiere offered game-changing moments that arose from Katerina being in charge of Drama Club. I can't tell if I'm more excited to see Katerina fulfil her plan for revenge or to see Hayley and Riley fight their way back into the Drama Club and kick Katerina out for good, but I do know that the episode's end offered an even bigger twist that only seems to heighten the drama and allow for the comedy series to propel forward in a way that is sure to make Season 2 an impressive one. Well done, Brian! Hey Jack! Thanks for leaving a review! I'm really happy you took the time out of your busy day to read this and leave a review, it means a lot. But I'm really happy you enjoyed the episode, you have seen 101 grow from the beginning and even helped me with formatting my scripts and everything, and now I'm stuck with that philosophy in mind every time I write 101. Now, onto the actual review!!!! The Katerina stuff in the first half of Season Two is seriously the best, and this episode was really what I liked to call "Katerina's Revenge", it really takes into account what happened in 1x03 and how Katerina was humiliated in front of the ENTIRE school. I knew the season would always end with Katerina taking over the Drama Club and kicking Hayley out, just for sheer pettiness, kicking out Riley added that extra incentive that this meant war. The Hayley/Will Drama is finally taking a back seat and now they are just in a good plain ole High School relationship, so that's a lot of fun to write. And I'm happy you are finding them enjoyable now, and they no longer have to deal with Katerina getting in the way. I do 100% agree that 101 is a bit, over-crowded. I promise that this is all apart of the grand scheme of things, that's why there were a lot of scenes where we see a character do A and B and then we never hear from them again, I was planting seeds and thinking I was smart. But you did give me some great advice that I'm going to be using going forward with the rest of the season. As for the rest of the season, expect it really to be the road to Drama Fest, and Willow/Erick and the Queen Bees play a pivotal role in all of the craziness that comes with it. Katerina plays a big role in Hayley's story this season, it's kind of like, they have reached the boiling point with 2x01 and everything after this is the boil down period and we really see what happens when Katerina is faced with the return of everything. As for Fiona, I agree, those jokes are running a bit stale (I saw as I edit a Fiona episode with an Aussie Day of Fun) but really in 2x04, Fiona grows as a girl and emerges from that stereotype of "Oi mate" and stuff like that and holds her own. So, she'll really break out of that bubble, but will stay the Fiona we know and love that wears Crocs and doesn't care what anyone says. This whole episode was really to softly reboot the show after the un-paced craziness that was Season One, I wanted to be able to look at this show with a blank canvas, fix the mistakes that I wanted to fix, and it will take some time to get there, but really this is a whole new show as it continues on and it's all for the better. I cannot wait for you to read the rest because I honestly can say, the best is yet to come. Thanks for the review, Jack !!!
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Post by Jack Malone on May 22, 2016 1:44:21 GMT -6
"What Doesn't Kill You, Makes You Stronger" Review
I felt very mixed about this episode. There was a lot of stuff that just didn't really work, especially in terms of how the episode began and resolved, and a lot of nonsensical logic that occurs throughout that kind of pulls me out of it because of how ridiculous it can be at times. So I'm sorry this review won't be as positive as it was for the premiere, but that's just what I took away from the episode.
First up, I had a big problem with the TEASER. I feel like a lot of the time, the teasers for this show lack a purpose and don't do the job of setting the episode up in the way it should which makes heading into ACT ONE difficult because you feel lost, and disconnected and are waiting for the episode to tell you what this episode is actually about. Whilst reading, I discovered that there were two main plots of the episode. One was about Hayley trying to get Katerina out of the Drama Club, and the other was Fiona's growing love story with Allen. The teaser didn't do anything to tackle those two things, and so when we finally get to aspects spelling out these stories, I'm a little confused if it's something that is going to stick and be what the episode explores or if it's going to be like the teaser and be somewhat random. So I think you should definitely look into structuring the episodes in a way that certain things don't feel redundant, and so things flow better, and part of that is having the TEASER tell us as an audience what this episode could be about -- in the same way that SVU starts with a crime, or Smallville had someone get into a meteor rock accident that gives them powers, you know what I mean?
One of the main storylines was about Fiona, and I really appreciated what this episode did for her. We were shown a more vulnerable, and a more realistic side to the character that pulled her out of this walking Australia stereotype and while she fell back into that here and there, there was more to her that shone through. I do think this Fiona/Allen love story is incredibly rushed but in terms of Fiona as a character, it's adding a lot for her and developing her in a way that shows progress. So well done on that front!
The other main storyline was Katerina/Hayley. In this episode, I really liked how there was a clear sequence of events and the incorporation of Rose in Hayley trying to get Katerina "caught in the act" of being a dick. Unfortunately, the way things resolved, and the way things were portrayed, were a little disappointing. Somehow Hayley always ends up looking like the bad one in my eyes and I want to defend Katerina. In this episode, Katerina went to kiss Will whilst they were in character and auditioning, and Hayley had a huge uproar about it and started a fight. She had been plotting -- just like Katerina was -- but is somehow better because she's righting a wrong... but the fact is that they did horrible shit to Katerina too last season and this is her revenge scheme too, but we're positioned to be Team!Hayley when she stoops to the same level anyway? It's just a very tough conflict to be invested in sometimes when the protagonist is doing the same shit the antagonist is doing, and then gets rewarded for it whilst the antagonist is meant to suffer?
Honestly, if Katerina had kissed Will, that would have felt like a better conflict because Hayley couldn't dispute it as it was in the script, as it was part of the audition. And it would have been more interesting to see Katerina do these things that really hit and hurt Hayley but it's somehow clouded in a "no one else seems to notice" kind of way that adds friction and tension as the season progressed. Instead, we got both of them in front of Rose who FORCES Katerina to stay in a club -- that made zero sense to me -- and then told Hayley, the person who started all this mess in the first place and deserved worse than Katerina, to take a day off??? I'm so irritated by this purely because 1) it feels like all logic has left the building in an attempt to resolve a conflict, and 2) it feels unjust. I'm not saying Katerina is innocent, but Hayley is far from innocent herself and just because she's the main character... it doesn't mean she should get a free pass and be given special treatment by other characters for pulling the same hypocritical stunts every week. I'm very team Katerina so far during the series. Hayley is probably my least favourite character on the show right now and I'd like to see her evolve into a place where I can root for her instead of take the side of the opposition. I mean, I'm not saying this is necessarily bad. It could be intentional in stopping Hayley to Katerina's level, and you could be wanting to strike up this feeling from the audience, and bring these two characters to an even playing field, but Rose's "consequences" were total bullshit, haha. Jack demands justice!
Onto some quick notes:
- I loved the "it's like we lost our family" scene. It added some emotional aspect to Riley/Hayley's departure from the Drama Club that was much needed, and I really do love 'team,' 'family' dynamics so seeing it affect people in the Club was a nice touch and good motivation for Hayley and Riley to try and get back to the Drama Club. It was kind of about reuniting family, and I really felt that. - "Legally Katerina" was genuinely hilarious to me, especially the "written, starring, directed, produced by Katerina and others." - You used a lot of exposition in establishing the legendary pranks. I would have preferred you show us rather than tell us in the future. - I was happy to see Maureen back and supported her saying that the club should be equal, but when she immediately whispered an assurance that the part is Hayley's anyway, it made me very disappointed in her. She doesn't have to be on Hayley's side to be likeable. She's a teacher, and her own personality is appealing. I'd rather Maureen stick to her talk of equality in the club than to assure an entitled Hayley of her "lead" role in a play.
Anyway, those are my thoughts on this episode. I'm still really excited for Katerina's journey this season. Fiona seems to be growing as a character, which is nice. There were still a lot of funny moments to enjoy. I just think paying attention to your structure -- especially for beginning and ending an episode -- will really help future episodes, and maybe be more aware of whether or not something feels natural or realistic within the realm of a school environment. This talk of year long detention, being forced to participate in a club, and "take a day off" as legitimate consequences to two girls fighting each other was not a satisfying resolution.
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Post by Brian Melanson on May 22, 2016 19:14:46 GMT -6
"What Doesn't Kill You, Makes You Stronger" Review I felt very mixed about this episode. There was a lot of stuff that just didn't really work, especially in terms of how the episode began and resolved, and a lot of nonsensical logic that occurs throughout that kind of pulls me out of it because of how ridiculous it can be at times. So I'm sorry this review won't be as positive as it was for the premiere, but that's just what I took away from the episode. Hi Jack! Thanks for leaving a review. I'm just gonna touch on a lot of the things you said, so...lets get to it. With the teasers, I really am a mixed ball on them. Sometimes they will relate to the main story, like a drama would. Or would be just some random scene like any kind of comedy would do, occasionally. With "101", I'm really going to be a bit mixed on that. It's kind of changing as the season progresses and really will, for a good majority of the time, follow up with the story. Fiona is def one of those characters I wanted to fix in this "reboot" of the show. All throughout Season One, she was that running stereotype that every show had. And looking at Season Two, I wanted to push these characters and throw them in situations that they normally wouldn't be in. Fiona's story was tricky because originally, she was just going to be the token Aussie and thats it. But I knew I wanted to give her a love interest and while it is being rushed, it's working because Fiona is changing as well. So, I'm happy you're picking up one that . Also, 2x04, we kinda get some insight as to why Fiona was that stereotypical Aussie and why she did it all and it's where all the stereotyping just ends and it's perfect. Well, this is something I do disagree with. Hayley stooped to Katerina's level. I'm kind of role reversing them. Last season Hayley was torn down by everyone and this season, it's Katerina's turn. It's kind of like she is paying for her sins. I did originally have Katerina/Will kiss and Hayley punches Katerina in the face. But I second guessed myself and went with what I had. I personally think Hayley didn't expect Katerina to kiss Will and just expected Katerina to start something and be a complete diva, or say something completely wrong. So, she was kind of thrown for a loop. Like she finally got Will and in the back of her head, I believe Hayley is thinking, Will might go back to Katerina. It's something I'm willing to play with, but right now the story doesn't call for it. Rose forcing Katerina to stay in the club originally was not there. Katerina got off with no punishment. But I wanted to keep Katerina in the club because a lot of things come crashing down around her later on. Hayley on the other hand, she's not innocent. Hayley is being the Anti version of herself. She got so set in the way that things were going her way and now Katerina comes in and tries to take it away, she has turned into someone she isn't. But yeah, it was rushed, and the punishments don't really fit the crime. Hayley was originally suspended so that her role in the next episode would be very limited. But I can promise you this, Katerina gets her big episode in the next one, and it brings in the story of her new love interest and really is a good story for Katerina and changes who she is for the better and then it's just crazy from there. But Katerina really changes for the better and Hayley will be facing a whole new challenge and it honestly is a great way for her and Katerina to finally speak about what happened in Freshman year and how it could possibly fix their friendship. I know not every review will be postivie and as a writer you gotta take it on the chin and use all feedback to fix what can be fixed, and believe me, I'm editing 2x03 right now, and making some changes as we speak just because some feedback you gave really helped. But I'm still gonna give you hell for giving me a bad review. Some friend you are for being completely honest and wanting to help improve my writing for the better! I promise, the next episode will be all Katerina and will be her biggest episode....until later in the season. You'll find out why because one of my favorite scenes is coming up in the next few episodes and I'm so excited for everyone to read it.
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Post by Brady Brown on May 23, 2016 20:19:32 GMT -6
REVIEW: 2.01 "The Rules No Longer Apply"
The season premiere of 101 Ways to Survive High School brought us back after winter break and managed to maintain its established, witty humor throughout the entire episode, as well as managed to introduce a new story arc that revolves around forcing Katerina out of the drama club. Right off the bat, I love that there's already an established seasonal/multi-episode arc that's been established around the drama club. Last season I felt suffered from a lack of direction, so it's awesome to see that it looks like we're going to get more stories dealing with the club itself rather than relationship drama stemming from outside forces.
There were a ton of character beats in this episode, and that's what it seemed to focus on rather than story, which I was disappointed about there not really being one. With that being said, a lot of those beats didn't feel needed and just planted seeds for future moments that didn't really serve any purpose in the episode. For example, the scene between Emmy and Billy, while offering grounded characterizations and backstory for the both of them, didn't add anything to the episode besides two extra faces. Same goes for the Fiona subplot—it should have been saved for a future episode, where it could have had a stronger focus than just a simple bumping-into-one-another scene. Another scene focused on the relationship between Danny and Will, which, if I recall, was almost a rehash of a scene back in season 1. I'm all for a relationship between them, as I think they can have a cool, interesting "bro bond," but their scene here I found to be somewhat forced and unimportant to what was going on.
Despite my problems with those, the rest of the character beats I think worked extremely well with reintroducing us to these characters. Katerina's scenes were a real standout, because she brought a much needed contrast to the Hayley/Will/Danny/Riley plot. I love the idea of Katerina being the head of the drama club. It really changes the show and throws it into a completely new direction. Same goes for Hayley and Riley being kicked out. While it was obvious that it was going to happen, it's still a great plot point that can propel the storyline for the next episode(s).
Another thing that kind of bothered me were that some of these characters are still playing into their stereotypes. This show works the best when it makes fun of those stereotypes and/or attempts to diverge from them, but with the constant Australian comments from Fiona and Izzy's dumbness among some others just really take away from the episode.
Some other moments that were fun to read was the Ivy/Liv/Connie subplot. While I thought it was a nice little arc, I didn't think it was essential to the episode. The budding trio of a friendship does offer some new, interesting dynamics for the show moving forward, and I really appreciated that. With so many members in the drama club, I think it's important to constantly mix it up to offer new relationships and partnerships that can form within. Similarly, I liked the Cal/Tatum scene, but again it wasn't needed. Their relationship still seems to only be based upon sex and Tatum's sexual nature so I hope we get more from them moving forward
Overall, I think this was a solid way to kick off the second season of 101. It managed to maintain its humor throughout the episode, but several of the character beats didn't add to the episode as a whole, even if it did end with a shocking revelation involving Willow and Erick. And while the episode suffered from lack of concrete plot, the seeds planted for future episodes and storylines are incredible intruiging. Season 2 is already shaping up to be much better than the first, which is always great, so I can't wait to see what's next!
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Post by Brady Brown on May 25, 2016 22:50:58 GMT -6
REVIEW: 2.03 "The Predicament of Katerina Cove"
This was definitely the strongest installment of the season so far, and a definite step up from the previous episode. I love that Hayley took a backseat and Katerina was able to be the star of the episode, as we really got a look into her life and how she seems to operate and view certain things around her. From the opening scene, I almost got a sense of Katerina being forced or feeling as thought she has to be a Queen Bee because her mother was one in high school. I don't know, that might have been just mean. Anyway, she really took a step back and needed to analyze her relationships with her friends and how she treats them, which lead to some pretty great scenes between not only Katerina, Nellie, and Izzy, but the latter two as well. So, Katerina was definitely the standout of this episode, and I hope this sort of focus is a semi-regular occurrence for this season, because with such a grand cast of characters it's really refreshing to get a main POV other than Hayley's.
While Katerina's story really shined in this episode, I felt her new budding romance with Billy was really random and disjointed to everything going on. I mean, we've met Billy once in a scene with his foster sister, and that was about it. We know nothing else about him and have seen him interact with no one else, so there wasn't really a strong connection when Katerina randomly had a study date with him. If he somehow had a different purpose in this episode or the last, I think that scene would have had a stronger impact and wouldn't have felt so forced. I will say that their final scene of the episode was nice, and I'm interested to see where their relationship goes in the future.
I also genuinely loved how stripped back Nellie and Izzy were without Katerina. They were practically lost and only had one another to depend on. My favorite scene of the episode was actually their talk by the lockers. It was so raw and blew out any stereotypes these two characters had and showed that they're human and more than the smart and dumb girl. And while I'm interested in seeing the Barbie Doll's relationship moving forward, I hope there are more scenes with Nellie and Izzy like the one we got in this episode.
Fiona had the other largest plot of the episode that involved her preparing for a date that we didn't get to see, which I was disappointed about. It didn't seem like it was setting it up for the next episode, so I feel a bit cheated with how it was resolved in this episode. Regardless of whether this is directly continued in the next episode, I feel like it was drawn out for the sake of comedy. I would have liked some emotion from Fiona, maybe a little scene by herself where she stands in front of a mirror before Misty and Christy come running back in, I don't know. I would have just liked more than some makeover scenes from this plot.
I almost wish you had left Hayley, Will, Danny, and Riley out of this episode. They didn't really do anything, but I could see why Hayley and Will could have stayed in the episode.
Overall, the third episode of the second season definitely delivered. By stripping not only Katerina down, but Nellie and Izzy, we were able to get a deeper understanding for these characters that I hope continues in the future. Even though I had some problems, this was a standout installment for the series that really had me captivated with its new and refreshing point of view. The seeds planted for storylines have me genuinely intrigued, and I can't wait for the rest of the season!
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Post by Jack Malone on May 25, 2016 23:15:39 GMT -6
'The Predicament of Katerina Cove' Review
This was probably one of my favourite episodes of the show so far. The last episode really struggled to prioritise its stories, its focus, and lacked a structure that would have allowed the stories it was telling to hit in all the right ways. This episode was the complete opposite. I really appreciated the way you told and delivered the story this week because the TEASER introduced us to this being a Katerina story, and then ACT ONE introduced certain subplots, and we saw them both develop in a way that felt so pieced together and so well-thought out that it obviously had to be the first thing I commented on in this review because it was such a huge improvement in comparison to last week. I hope there are more episodes written in this format that appreciates and understands the structure of a TV episode!
Speaking of Katerina, this was a huge episode for her that showed some real progress. She had a really great interaction with her mother at the beginning of the episode -- Pauline -- who walked that fine line of being a logical mother figure and offering logical advice whilst having moments of comedy that were allowed to be ridiculous and out there (eg. the phone case). And after the events of the last episode, and I guess what the past season had built up for her, we have a very introspective Katerina who is starting to question if she is a horrible person and if there is more to her than just "being a bitch." The character of Billy was such a great way to tackle that story for her and that realisation and the contrast you had between them of him having no friends... it just hit in a really powerful way that I really appreciated. The fact that we're three episodes into the new season, and you're developing these characters beyond the versions of them we've seen in the first season is an incredible thing. I hope you continue to develop them and don't get caught in this bubble of fear that you'll lose the essence of them if they're not what they were in Season 1.
Stemming from this arc was conflict between the Barbie Dolls. Nellie kind of realised how badly she and Izzy were being treated and split from the group and it really opened up the doors to exploring Katerina in a more isolated way, but also rounded out Nellie, too. Izzy, on the other hand, does absolutely nothing for me. She feels like a caricature or a cartoon. 2D. She throws dumb lines out that are perceived to be funny but dumb isn't funny to me. I think "dumb" is funny when it's children and you're like "that's adorable." When you're in high school and you're at Izzy's level of dumb, it's not funny. It's sad. It's that whole "not laughing with you, we're laughing at you" thing and I think you are so much funnier and smarter than relying on a character to throw out a really dumb comment to pass off as humour. But I digress. Their split from Katerina really helped show Katerina the error of her ways, and the reunion at the end felt earned to me. While I would appreciate certain storylines extending beyond an episode, I appreciate a beginning, middle and an end to an episode.
In saying that, this brings me to Fiona's arc. First and foremost, I just want to say that the amount of development and the amount of focus you've given her that is outside of the Australian stereotypes this season just makes me very proud. You've done a great job with her so far this season. And even though I would have removed her from the first episode as she was only really in one scene that didn't really fit in with the rest of the events, I still think she's been a highlight of Season 2 so far. I don't really agree with Misty/Christy turning her into someone she's not and implying that Fiona going to a date as herself is something Allen wouldn't enjoy, but it was still an enjoyable subplot to me. Fiona is blunt and hilarious. And I think that's an Australian trait to be honest. Australians can be quite brutal and honest and upfront and to have that reflected in Fiona's dialogue is so much funnier to me than a Kangaroo joke and is a stereotype explored in a way that isn't too in your face. So all in all, the progress with her is fantastic. I wish we got to see the date because it felt like the episode needed that scene (even as part of a montage and them just sitting together at a restaurant or something). But it didn't fail as a subplot without it.
Anyway, I think this was a really strong episode of 101. It felt very connected and well thought out. You're developing characters into new territory, and I hope you manage to do the same for all the characters. If you do what you're doing with Katerina and Fiona and apply it to the rest of your cast, then this will be a really powerful season and one that proves the "Season 2 is always a good season of a show" argument that many TV critics talk about all the time. Well done, buddy!
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Post by Brian Melanson on May 25, 2016 23:37:57 GMT -6
REVIEW: 2.03 "The Predicament of Katerina Cove"This was definitely the strongest installment of the season so far, and a definite step up from the previous episode. I love that Hayley took a backseat and Katerina was able to be the star of the episode, as we really got a look into her life and how she seems to operate and view certain things around her. From the opening scene, I almost got a sense of Katerina being forced or feeling as thought she has to be a Queen Bee because her mother was one in high school. I don't know, that might have been just mean. Anyway, she really took a step back and needed to analyze her relationships with her friends and how she treats them, which lead to some pretty great scenes between not only Katerina, Nellie, and Izzy, but the latter two as well. So, Katerina was definitely the standout of this episode, and I hope this sort of focus is a semi-regular occurrence for this season, because with such a grand cast of characters it's really refreshing to get a main POV other than Hayley's. With Katerina's story, I wanted to bring her to rock bottom. This is something that was originally going to happen in S3, but as I started to break the season down, I really felt that this would be the season of new beginnings. I knew from the start Katerina would be going on a journey, and this episode really is the kick off of it all. As we've seen, Willow and Erick are plotting something and they are involving the Queen Bees. Katerina's Mom being a Queen Bee was really just to give Katerina the drive to be something more, but as we learn, Pauline didn't continue after that. The Nellie/Izzy thing was something that was changed, originally 2x03 was Connie/Ivy bringing down the Barbie Dolls from the inside out, but as I went through major S2 changes, it fell flat. So, I'm happy you liked that part of the episode, it was something I really loved writing. Katerina and Billy is slowly something that starts off as a friend thing, but will slowly develop to the end of the season. I tried not to rush it, but I think in the end, it came out as that. There was a scene involving Billy/Katerina in the premiere where she did get told, she needed tutoring and Billy was assigned to that, but I cut it for script length (which is stupid because of how long the premiere ended up being). But the final scene was something I needed, I needed Katerina to have that person on the outside looking in, be brutally honest. Katerina did come to grip earlier in the episode with "Oh my god, I'm really a bitch", but I think that Billy telling her was the nail in the coffin that she needed to start to fix her attitude towards other people. Fiona's arc for this episode was a very tricky one. It went from Tatum handing her off to Misty and Christy for a makeover that turned into Misty and Christy singing "Popular" from Wicked (I can already hear Jack cringing). Which then evolved into them having a "fantasy" drama scene of them acting out a salon scene from "Steel Magnolias". But ultimately it came down to this and after seeing what you have said, it did fall a bit, flat. It didn't really have a conclusion but my thought process was that it would pick up in the next episode and continue on there. But I think with this, it was really to just have Fiona have a moment and be excited for her date, but I think more could have been done. I was so nervous this episode would've been mixed, but it was actually one of the first episodes that went under a complete re-write with an outline (not storyboard ) and it really helped big time. Katerina's story is really the forefront up until 2x09 where it really all comes to a conclusion. This is all about Katerina fixing her past mistakes and trying to make up for them. The rest of the season really is seeing where these characters can go when pushed beyond their crazy personalities. Nellie and Izzy will be getting their own episodes towards the end of the season and Katerina will fall further to rock bottom, and it's honestly one of the best plots I have come up with for this show and I am very proud of it.
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Post by Brian Melanson on May 25, 2016 23:53:39 GMT -6
'The Predicament of Katerina Cove' ReviewThis was probably one of my favourite episodes of the show so far. The last episode really struggled to prioritise its stories, its focus, and lacked a structure that would have allowed the stories it was telling to hit in all the right ways. This episode was the complete opposite. I really appreciated the way you told and delivered the story this week because the TEASER introduced us to this being a Katerina story, and then ACT ONE introduced certain subplots, and we saw them both develop in a way that felt so pieced together and so well-thought out that it obviously had to be the first thing I commented on in this review because it was such a huge improvement in comparison to last week. I hope there are more episodes written in this format that appreciates and understands the structure of a TV episode! I'm very happy you liked this episode, Jack! I guess all that script doctor-ing and constant telling me to stop writing paragraphs for ACTION finally paid off. Only took a season and a bit. BUT, yes this was one of the episodes I was very excited to write, and as I said in my reply to Brady, went under MANY re-writes. And I'm happy you enjoyed the TEASER. Katerina's story was one I was very excited to finally tell. I wanted to evolve her from the "EVIL POPULAR GIRL" to the "INNOCENT GIRL" and I'm happy it's working. She'll evolve more as the season goes on and hopefully this could fix her friendship with Hayley?? Possibly? And the Billy/Katerina love story is one I'm excited to tell, I mean, Katerina doesn't need a love interest, but I think in the long run, this is a new Katerina. Billy is like that prize at the end, I mean not really a prize, but you get what I mean. And I will be continuously breaking the characters out of what they were in Season One, I mean it's hard, but we're slowly but surely getting there. Izzy is a character I'm kinda biased on. Yes, she's dumb and says those one liners. But she is quite honestly one of my favorite characters to write. But I think with what you're saying, Izzy needs to evolve, and I actually have a plan for that. As for the Barbie Doll Reunion, it was great to actually bring these girls together and actually be able to call them friends. It was nice for Katerina to apologize for her errors and will help her go forward and be a much better friend. But the Barbie Doll drama is only beginning *Hint hint* 2x05 *Hint hint* Fiona was the one character I knew I needed to fix. She needed to go from the "Sassy Aussie" to actually being a character that has more layers. She's seriously another one of my favorite characters to write, and I am a sucker for the Aussie jokes, but like, it does get old. But the arc in this episode was one that really just carried over into the next one and the Misty/Christy stuff was really just to generate comedy. While sometimes this can be a good thing, it didn't really work out. I should've put more thought into it and mapped it out more, but what can you do. But I'm really happy you're loving the development for Fiona, it's something I love that you're loving. Again, THANKS FOR READING! I'm really happy you enjoyed this episode. I hope I can prove that S2 is always the good season, because this is my absolute favorite season to write and I guess it's really showing. I can't wait to show y'all the rest!
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Post by Jack Malone on Jun 2, 2016 19:54:39 GMT -6
"Fiona Doesn't Play Around" Review So, this episode was a pretty big one for the character of Fiona, who finally offered some pretty groundbreaking truth that very much redeemed the stereotypical version that had grown quite stale. To be honest, I saw the whole thing with her not really having all these boyfriends being quite predictable but the twist about her Australian origins was surprising and I like that there was more to it than just lying about how confident she is with boys. It shifted everything we've known about the character and offered quite a tragic layer that makes her feel more real and I really appreciate how you've been developing the characters this season. Speaking of developing characters, you could really see the shift in Katerina's portrayal this episode when she was offering Riley advice. Her scene with Riley felt quite genuine and it was only when she was met with Riley's horrid attitude and behaviour that Katerina's darker side bled out. I am a little intrigued about where Katerina is headed at the end of the episode. I hope she doesn't descend into old habits in regards to Hayley and Will. I think the biggest problem with the episode was probably Riley and how she embodied the more immature sense of humour and tool for "laughs" that only translated into shitty behaviour. Stealing the popcorn, pushing Will/Hayley off the couch, telling Katerina that just because she's being nice now doesn't mean she has to be nice back to her... I had a huge problem with her character this week. I think you've always had Riley walk this line where she can become too brash and harsh and flat-out rude, and she tipped over the line in this episode to a point where I really didn't care for anything she did. I think if you want to justify it as being part of her character then you need to offer consequences for it, or not position her to be in the right. I think that's the same thing that happens to Hayley, especially when she's around Riley, and you pit them against Katerina. It's written as though Katerina is the "bitch" in the situation and deserves everything thrown at her, but it just makes Riley/Hayley look like the enemy and the unlikable one to me. But yeah, those are my continuing thoughts on the characterisations of Riley and Hayley. I do think - on a more positive note - that Hayley was a lot nicer in this episode. Funnily enough she didn't have much to do with Riley, and her investing more in the friendship she shares with Fiona worked to shed a light on the nicer aspects of this character. The resolution with Allen was a nice touch, too. I think it was required he stand Fiona up because it allowed for a character study that wouldn't have otherwise been offered and to see Fiona lack that confidence, and have those doubts, and bring up things such as her weight and her identity... it was a great creative tool to allow the audience into this character's mindset and understand her a lot better. I think the reveal at the end with Allen being a genuinely nice guy and just being worried about screwing things up was a great way to resolve the conflict because this episode's tone was all about getting out of the negative and into the positive. So it's nice to see a happier ending on 101 Ways to Survive High School. Overall, a pretty strong episode. I think if you spent more time carefully editing the episode, it would have been a much easier read and less distracting. I think there was an error on almost every page that became quite obvious as I continued reading, but I don't like to critique too much on that stuff. The story is what counts and this story was a nice one. Well done, buddy
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Post by Brian Melanson on Jun 4, 2016 21:57:32 GMT -6
"Fiona Doesn't Play Around" Review So, this episode was a pretty big one for the character of Fiona, who finally offered some pretty groundbreaking truth that very much redeemed the stereotypical version that had grown quite stale. To be honest, I saw the whole thing with her not really having all these boyfriends being quite predictable but the twist about her Australian origins was surprising and I like that there was more to it than just lying about how confident she is with boys. It shifted everything we've known about the character and offered quite a tragic layer that makes her feel more real and I really appreciate how you've been developing the characters this season. Thanks for reading, Jack! And yes, this was the episode I've been waiting since the pilot to. I knew from the start that Fiona wasn't telling the truth about everything her life and that I knew I wanted it all to play out eventually. But seeing how everyone reacted to Fiona and how she did grow quite stale, I decided, Season Two was the time to fix Fiona. It was originally just going to happen, Fiona would come right out with it, but I did want to kinda end the Aussie jokes with a bang, hence, Aussie appreciation day. But I can promise from this day forth, Fiona won't be seen as the Aussie. She'll be seen as Fiona. Katerina originally had her own arc in this episode, but that arc will be show in next weeks episode after careful editing (Sort of, I forgot spelling in this one, please respect me in this difficult time) so I don't want to give too much away on that, since it will play out next week. Katerina did turn over a new leaf last week and how I'm looking at it, she's trying and that's the best she can do at this point. I knew Katerina needed to be redeemed for everything she has done and I'm very excited for next week because it's really a big one for her. Katerina is about to hit rock bottom. But where can you go from there? Only up. With the Riley/Hayley bitch-y stuff. I actually never intended it to be like that. Riley for the longest time has been a bitch and to me, she doesn't care. But that doesn't mean changes cannot be made. I hear what you are saying, and maybe seeing it from a different perspective, such as yours, is really good and I will def be making changes going forward and adjusting because this is all great feedback and I needed it, believe me. But with Riley being a bitch to Katerina, I think it's because these two don't like each other and Riley just came out on the worst side. But Katerina has been changing on her own and this is kinda the start of something that will happen down the road with Riley/Katerina which will eventually lead into something with the big main five and really it shifts the show. Let me tell you what originally was. Allen was originally going to be dared to have gone out with Fiona and that would've been it. But I felt that would be such a slap in the face to Fiona. Like she's finally being honest with herself, why wouldn't get a nice reward out of it? Allen/Fiona is really going to take a back seat after this episode, but I knew I needed to give them this happy ending and I feel really good having done it.
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Post by Jack Malone on Jun 17, 2016 8:23:18 GMT -6
101 Ways to Survive High School Season 2, Episode 5 | Never Underestimate Regina George Vol 2 [REVIEW] So, last week I was bad because I told you all my thoughts whilst I was reading it rather than leaving a review in here, so this one is going to be really, really short one. This season has thrived on plots that result in character development, and plot progression. The Queen Bee storyline has done so much for the show in such a short amount of time and I love it. The inclusion of them and Willow/Erick just adds a lot of intrigue and a provides me with reasons to be excited for future episodes as their story slowly unravels week to week. Alongside these developments, you've really taken the time to evolve the characters. Katerina is on a journey that feels very important and I'm glad you haven't taken a "one step forward, two step back" approach. When things become formulaic - something I felt the first season had become - is when things become a problem for me, so seeing Katerina join Drama club, seeing her interact with Maureen and learn and grow and even now seeing her with Billy is just doing so much justice for the show and you deserve a lot of praise for it. I believe the only negatives I had for this episode was that Izzy continued to be used for dumb humour. Running into walls and falling down is on par with her illogical one-liners. And Riley just rubbed me the wrong way due to her aggressive nature and characterisation. That's always been my least favourite thing about the character, but I certainly don't dislike her on the same level of Izzy. Riley can be a great character. Sometimes I think you have a tendency of going 100% on what distinguishes a character from the other rather than it just being an aspect of their personality (ie. Izzy always making dumb comments, Riley always being aggressive). I think adding more layers to the characters that I can relate to and find endearing might help broaden those characters in the way that you've done for Katerina and Fiona so far this season. Overall, though, it was a great episode. 101 Ways to Survive High School Season 2, Episode 6 | Love is a Funny Thing [REVIEW] This episode was a little mixed for me in that there were a number of things I was quite nit-picky about but overall it still felt and ran like a solid episode for the series. So let's break it down! First up, I have to talk about Charlie and Maureen. This episode was essentially about Charlie coming to the realisation on Valentine's Day that he wants to propose to Maureen, and seeks help in order to do it. For me, I wasn't a huge fan of him approaching Hayley - a student - for help in proposing to his girlfriend - Hayley's teacher - and yet I absolutely loved every scene where the Drama Club was keeping Maureen distracted and occupied so that Charlie could prepare to propose by episode's end. While this show does suspend belief in the name of comedy, and heighten a lot of things, I would appreciate more reality and logic and thought applied to certain situations because the set up for this arc rubbed me the wrong way but I still loved the meat of the story, if that makes sense. As the episode progresses, Charlie remembers Maureen mentioning how she'd like to be proposed to and I love how the flashbacks that followed that revelation. It also lead to a pretty sweet proposal by episode's end that felt like a powerful moment for the show and the Drama club. I will say, however, that this show does suffer from a lack of build up when it comes to certain relationships. It goes from 0 to 100 real fast in the love department but I appreciate you acknowledging that it's only been five months for them before going into it. Part of me feels like they're doomed because of how fast they're moving but I wish the best for them. Maureen is a favourite of mine, and she was on fire this whole damn episode. So for this arc, I give you props. One relationship I had a problem with in this episode was Danny/Riley. I think the whole "promise ring" development feels so ridiculous to me because Danny is talking about wanting her around in his life no matter what and mentions the next twenty years, and then Riley talks about how she'll only ever speak the words "I love you" to him and I just think it's a bit much. That's probably just me, though. But nothing has really screamed that these two characters belong together. In fact, I'm constantly questioning how anyone can date Riley with the attitude she has the majority of the time. While it was a touching moment for her - not necessarily Danny because he's not the aggressive one on the show - I think the concept of a Valentine's Day episode propelled relationships into developments that didn't feel quite earned. My only hope is that this a development that means something going forward for Danny/Riley and doesn't get lost among the concept of a Valentine's Day episode, you know? Will the promise ring factor into the future of their relationship? Will it be brought up again? If it's part of a storyline going forward for them then I'm for it but if it's meant to be something that suggests these two characters have been portrayed as an "endgame" high school relationship, then I don't feel it was earned. Speaking of high school relationships, I have to be honest here. The relationship between Will and Katerina never seemed like a serious thing at all. It always felt like a forced pairing to create conflict for the main character who had a crush on Will in Season 1. The fact that it's brought up again and again makes little sense to me and feels very forced. Hayley being insecure about their relationship as if Will didn't talk about how trapped and how much he hated being in that relationship with Katerina back in Season 1 just irks me. I just feel like there's no substance to maintain this fear Hayley has of Katerina/Will. The show definitely has done nothing to suggest it could ever realistically happen, and I think short of Hayley catching Katerina jumping Will and forcing a kiss, this drama couldn't be more forced/ridiculous to me. I really hope it stops being a thing because it never felt serious. It still doesn't feel serious. And so Hayley mentioning things like "did Will ever get Katerina presents like this" just makes me roll my eyes. If you spent a full season on Will/Katerina, and had it be more than something for Katerina's image, and something for Katerina to have that Hayley wants, and had it be something that Will actually cared about then maybe I'd be able to understand Hayley's insecurities over it and connect but because no such dynamic existed for Will/Katerina, I'm left feeling nothing over it. On a better note, Will was a stand out in this episode for me. FINALLY someone spoke the truth about Hayley and her treatment of Katerina. "Well, I just want you to see that I'm trying." This broke my heart. It's no lie that I've never connected with Hayley on her side of things because to fight fire with fire only creates more fire, and Hayley always comes out as the one hating the most. I think you've always tried to create an equal playing field but when the protagonist sinks to the same level of someone being portrayed as the antagonist, it loses that dynamic and opens the doors to portraying Hayley (the protagonist) in a bad light. And that's always happened during their conflict. I'm just glad that now you're holding her accountable to her actions and you did that with this scene between Hayley and Will. I love that he called her on her bullshit, and I understand what you were doing with Hayley being that stand offish, but again, I think you need to pay more attention to how she is being portrayed because you run the risk of her looking like the bad guy. This made me want Katerina to go off the rails and just ruin Hayley's life, so I'm glad Will stepped in and said something and was very mature about it. He was the real MVP of this episode. Speaking of Will, I feel like there's huge potential in Danny/Will interactions but they always keep falling short by sinking into areas that I would say "ruin the moment." The dynamic shared between them is that they both care about this girl - one, in a platonic way, the other in a romantic way - and benefit from coming together to do what's best for this girl -- for Hayley. So to have Danny say "She's YOUR girlfriend" and then Will is like "But she's YOUR best friend" and then Danny reiterates it again by saying "AND your girlfriend," it feels like a rift that wedges what makes a scene between them important suddenly redundant. Their relationship with Hayley is what binds them into sharing scenes that one, create a dynamic that is new for the show and one I'd be hella invested in, and two, is important because Hayley is the main character and these are arguably her two most important relationships on the show. I wish you'd use that more as an advantage and a strength to really build this bromance up, and then see Will/Danny become friends outside of their relationship with Hayley, because there is so much potential there and I always love their scenes until something happens towards the end that takes me out of it. So definitely use this "I'm her boyfriend" and "I'm her best friend" as a way for them to come together rather than as a way to be like "not my problem" and I think their scenes will work better. Finally, this episode had one of my all time favourite endings. While I'm a not a huge Riley fan, I loved how she declared that she won Valentine's Day, and spoke the words "Screw Parkerton." Classic. Overall, this was a solid episode. It had a lot of potential but some of the execution and/or set-up was a little iffy for me. The show continues to develop its relationships and characters in a meaningful way that separates this season from the last and continues to build excitement for each new episode. I'm enjoying this season so much and can't wait for next week. Well done, buddy!
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Post by Brady Brown on Jun 17, 2016 20:08:12 GMT -6
REVIEW: 2.05 "Never Underestimate Regina George Vol. 2"
I'm just going to do a quick, bullet-point review so that I can at least let you know my thoughts on the episode!
- I really like the inclusion of the Queen Bees. We haven't seen a lot of them, but I hope they don't become almost copies of the Barbie Dolls. - I didn't really understand the whole Hayley forgetting her lines subplot. There wasn't really a proper, button ending to it in this episode, and it was just kind of there and didn't add anything to the episode. If it would have ended with some realization for her on how to memorize them, or getting advice from someone, it would have been stronger. - Katerina continues to be the MVP of the season. I loved her talk with Maureen, but I do think it came completely out of nowhere in terms of the episode, because I don't think we've ever even seen them have a proper interaction, and also Maureen was barely in the episode. - Speaking of Katerina, I'm excited to see where she goes with Billy. I think this relationship is having moments/dialogue that is extremely fast for their development. I mean, it's the second ep of them interacting and she's already putting her hand on his thigh and doing the whole cliche "not a date date" dialogue. I would love a new, slower approach to this romance. - The Obstacle Course was a really fun little addition to the episode as well.
Overall, pretty solid episode for the season. Love how much more grounded and character driven this season seems to be, and I'm looking forward to the next one!
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Post by Brian Melanson on Jun 17, 2016 21:07:54 GMT -6
101 Ways to Survive High School Season 2, Episode 5 | Never Underestimate Regina George Vol 2 [REVIEW] So, last week I was bad because I told you all my thoughts whilst I was reading it rather than leaving a review in here, so this one is going to be really, really short one. This season has thrived on plots that result in character development, and plot progression. The Queen Bee storyline has done so much for the show in such a short amount of time and I love it. The inclusion of them and Willow/Erick just adds a lot of intrigue and a provides me with reasons to be excited for future episodes as their story slowly unravels week to week. Alongside these developments, you've really taken the time to evolve the characters. Katerina is on a journey that feels very important and I'm glad you haven't taken a "one step forward, two step back" approach. When things become formulaic - something I felt the first season had become - is when things become a problem for me, so seeing Katerina join Drama club, seeing her interact with Maureen and learn and grow and even now seeing her with Billy is just doing so much justice for the show and you deserve a lot of praise for it. I believe the only negatives I had for this episode was that Izzy continued to be used for dumb humour. Running into walls and falling down is on par with her illogical one-liners. And Riley just rubbed me the wrong way due to her aggressive nature and characterisation. That's always been my least favourite thing about the character, but I certainly don't dislike her on the same level of Izzy. Riley can be a great character. Sometimes I think you have a tendency of going 100% on what distinguishes a character from the other rather than it just being an aspect of their personality (ie. Izzy always making dumb comments, Riley always being aggressive). I think adding more layers to the characters that I can relate to and find endearing might help broaden those characters in the way that you've done for Katerina and Fiona so far this season. Overall, though, it was a great episode. Yeah we talked about this all already so I'm just gonna forget this review. JK, I'm gonna respond because, I'm a nice person. Kind of. Anyway! This was the episode I was most excited about because it felt like the end of Katerina being considered a Barbie Doll and her expanding into her new world of being in the Drama Club. As for Riley and Izzy, Izzy is always going to be considered the "dumb one". But I assure you, as of recently have just made plans for her episode that will actually change her for the better, but that doesn't mean there will be some comedy ensued and such. Izzy really gets that redemption similar to Fiona getting out of that stereotype. It won't happen in this round of episodes but it will in the next one. As for Riley, she has been aggressive, but I feel like that's who she is, and I think with what's happening coming up, it will really make her notice that she's been a bit of a bitch. And I've really looked at it, after seeing all the feedback, and it was all good. NOW ONTO THE NEXT EPISODE!!!! I think the thing with Hayley was just so that it could really involve the Drama Club. I wanted to just have them be involved with their favorite teacher being proposed too and stuff like that. As for the romance stuff. It did move too fast, not just Charlie and Maureen, but with a good majority of the characters as well. I know that's one of my biggest regrets was just moving too fast with that. But the Charlie/Maureen thing doesn't just mean they will live happily ever after. It does have a few bumps and bruises along the way. Danny and Riley really did have a lot more scenes, but they were cut because of page count and really didn't fit into the episode. Going in I completely forgot that this was happening (Don't ask I'm only human) but there was a scene where they were doing re-writes with Maureen and Riley talked about how Danny was her inspiration, hence the engraving. But this isn't, it for them per say. I do have plans for Danny and Riley and it really isn't just "Oh it's Valentine's day, lets just do this then they are back to being them". This does play out in the future really, weather it be this season or not. So yeah. That Hayley and Will scene was a last minute addition that I think was well needed. Katerina has really proven herself to others and not to Hayley. And Hayley has been quite cold towards her and acting like a Katerina back towards her, so it really was supposed to be a mirror effect, if that makes sense. But with that scene, it introduces the start of the Hayley/Katerina reconnecting plot, which will all come together in 2x09. Will keeps Hayley grounded, and him seeing that she really has been treating Katerina like crap makes him go that "hey Hayley, chill". As for Danny and Will, I can see where that goes and where you are coming from it. So, I really don't have much to say on that. I'm very excited for the rest of the season, I'm doing a lot of re-writes and edits and mixing things around and it's going to get crazy next week! I can't wait for you to read it.
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Post by Brian Melanson on Jun 17, 2016 21:16:38 GMT -6
REVIEW: 2.05 "Never Underestimate Regina George Vol. 2"I'm just going to do a quick, bullet-point review so that I can at least let you know my thoughts on the episode! - I really like the inclusion of the Queen Bees. We haven't seen a lot of them, but I hope they don't become almost copies of the Barbie Dolls. - I didn't really understand the whole Hayley forgetting her lines subplot. There wasn't really a proper, button ending to it in this episode, and it was just kind of there and didn't add anything to the episode. If it would have ended with some realization for her on how to memorize them, or getting advice from someone, it would have been stronger. - Katerina continues to be the MVP of the season. I loved her talk with Maureen, but I do think it came completely out of nowhere in terms of the episode, because I don't think we've ever even seen them have a proper interaction, and also Maureen was barely in the episode. - Speaking of Katerina, I'm excited to see where she goes with Billy. I think this relationship is having moments/dialogue that is extremely fast for their development. I mean, it's the second ep of them interacting and she's already putting her hand on his thigh and doing the whole cliche "not a date date" dialogue. I would love a new, slower approach to this romance. - The Obstacle Course was a really fun little addition to the episode as well. Overall, pretty solid episode for the season. Love how much more grounded and character driven this season seems to be, and I'm looking forward to the next one! YAY A LIST! I love lists. Okay, lets get too it. 1. The Queen Bees are different characters in their own, but really have the traits of the Barbie Dolls. But they really won't become exact carbon copies. 2. That was really more or like a cut away thing, and just to kinda relieve the show with comedy stuff. That's what I was thinking in my opinion, but I just wanted to show that you do forget lines and this is just a little bit of a calm before the storm. The storm is coming I promise. Like Winter on Game of Thrones....it's coming. Eventually. Maybe. 3. Katerina's story this season is absolutely the best thing I have done this season, and I am very proud of it. The Maureen/Katerina scene was something I knew I needed to end Katerina's big redmeption arc. Maureen did this with Hayley in the pilot and it was something I wanted to do for a long time. 4. Katerina and Billy are REALLY on the slow path. This was just a small, "Oh hey, there is something there". But really, Billy and Katerina are on a very slow path and I don't even know when they will make it official yet, but as of right now, it's friends with cute little flirty moments. 5. Yeah, that was a lot of fun to write. Thanks for reading Brady! I can't wait to see what you think of the rest of the season!
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Post by Jack Malone on Jul 6, 2016 4:53:11 GMT -6
"The Cool Kids Aren't That Cool" Review
I'm feeling quite mixed about this episode. On one hand, it developed a plot that has been building for the whole season so far, but on another it just didn't seem to work as well as I had hoped it would. The aspects that I did enjoy also had a bit of a negative side to them too, so this review is going to be all over the place and I apologise for that BUT LETS DO THIS SHIZ.
First and foremost, let's talk about the main plot. The kids - and teacher - from the Drama Club at Preston High infiltrate the school and try to sabotage them which is something that has been developing since the premiere. The most damage they seemed to do was break up Cal and Tatum with Erick coming onto Tatum and expressing his "interest" in him. While this was an interesting developing, I think the execution of it was a little rushed. I kind of wish this show would spend more time developing storylines that are ongoing rather than introducing something and wrapping it up in a single episode. It happened earlier in the season with Hayley being booted from Drama Club. I just think seeing a storyline play out in a couple of episodes is far more rewarding and seeing Erick slowly infiltrate Tatum and Cal's relationship would have been nice to see, especially when you can play on these questions of whether or not Tatum actually has an attraction towards Erick, and prey on the "changed man" aspect of the story. It all just felt really rushed and incredibly forced with having Cal see it, and then lure him in to see a forced kiss, and then a break up immediately after. It was a bit too much too quick. I think maybe in future you could create a map of these characters and their relationships and their storylines and then plot it out to make sure things develop in a strong way and the pay off hits at the perfect time.
One thing I really did enjoy was a returned focus on Hayley. It's nice to see her sort of realising the errors of her ways and to see how she leans on Will to guide her. I think it offered a promising future and direction for her character who hopefully changes and maintains that change as character growth. With that said, it felt very on the nose in the way certain things were written. I didn't like that Will said something along the lines of Hayley not being the same Hayley he used to like or something. And while I think taking constructive criticism on board is something I admire about you and anyone who doesn't just close their eyes and block their ears, this scene felt a little too much like it was taking what's been said about Hayley this season and tried to offer a "quick fix." The lines where Hayley is like "I'm acting like a bitch," and "Have I really been mean lately" just felt a little forced in trying to recover from her not-so-nice behaviour this season. Again, while I appreciate the plot point and how promising it is for the future, I think the execution was a little off.
On a more positive note, I genuinely liked the inclusion of Veronica. I missed her episodes in Season 1, so this is my first introduction to her, and I really enjoyed the rivalry between her and Maureen and the way she sung certain lines. I think there were times where they came off more natural and other times where it felt like a "she hasn't sung a line in a while so lets just make her sing this." I think finding a balance and making sure - with all your characters really - they don't become formulaic and caricature-ish, you know? But I would love to see more of her and I'm looking forward to the storyline with Preston vs Serenity.
One thing I really wanted to talk about was the scene where the Drama Club was rehearsing. I know it's been kind of hounded on you to do more monologues and acting and scenes than musical numbers, but I think it needs to be more than just like 2-3 pages of the characters running through the play. It didn't really seem to do much for the story at all. Maybe having elements of the play coincide with what's happening within the main conflict of the episode, or with these character's journeys would be more beneficial (similarly to Katerina kissing Will on stage). Saying "its Drama Club" just isn't enough for me. If it's not moving the story forward then it doesn't need 2 to 3 pages dedicated to it, you know?
Lastly, I think the show needs to maintain it's focus on the core characters -- who I consider to be Hayley, Danny, Riley, Will, Katerina, Fiona and Maureen -- because it kind of loses its magic when it goes to the teachers, or focused on an entire subplot with "Emmy, Mellie, Kellie," etc. I understand you've got a large catalogue of supporting characters but I think the episodes that do best are ones that involve your main characters and aren't devoting huge chunks of time to the smaller characters. I wasn't a huge fan of the Emmy, Mellie, Kellie and Becki subplot despite understanding how it was adding to this A Plot of sabotaging Serenity High.
Anyway, I know this wasn't the greatest review. As I said, I was just feeling quite mixed about this one. It was a genuine mix of things that I liked paired with some negativity that fed into those aspects as well. This episode reminded me most of Season 1 with certain things being really enjoyable but the execution of them lacking a little. This first half has been incredible so far and I hope this was just a slight bump in the road. I look forward to reading the next episode you released soon!
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