My Generation S1E1

Top L to R: Kenneth, Steven, Caroline, Jackie, Brenda, Anders, Rolly
Bottom L to R: Falcon, Dawn

this show is meant to be relatable. i get it ironically. i'll tell you why. i know, i wasn't in high school in the year 2000. i was only in 5th grade. that's a long way off from 12th grade. i realize this. but this particular group of kids was from a high school in austin. hello, i grew up just like 45 minutes from here. every place, every road, every building shown in the show--i've seen it all. i also do remember every event or occurrence the show alludes to: 9/11, katrina, enron, britney spears. you know, all the worst things about the past ten years.

i had high, high hopes for this show. i wouldn't say it let me down because it didn't. that being said, it also didn't quite possess as strong of a 'wow' factor as i would have liked. that only means there's room for improvement. and i do have even higher hopes that it will progressively improve down the road.

for those of you who don't know, this show is a fiction documentary type. think the office minus all the humor plus thirty minutes and lots of dramatic intertwining relationships. might be unpleasant for some, but for someone who loves drama, it's just the show. hence my liking to it.



the beginning was interesting. they had to have a way to quickly introduce the audience to the premise of the show. the producers decided to take the ever-so-familiar flashback route. this can be tricky. you see, it's not too deceiving when they use the same actors and try to make them look ten years younger. in this case, all it took were some wigs (or hair extensions in one case), 'mom' jeans (it was 2000 after all), and a letter jacket here and there. BAM! it's like a time machine took us back to year 2000. i use sarcasm because it didn't work. i was in high school a few years ago. i did not look like i was 28, nor did any of my classmates. this is something i find annoying about most television shows and movies that expect 25+ year old actors to pass as high schoolers. degrassi has been the only show who has done this successfully, but it's canadian.

the narrator's voice here tends to annoy me. she makes it sound like something epic is always about to happen. this bothers me as well. it's a false sense of anxiety. while we're talking about all the things that bother me about the show, i'm gonna add the most troubling bother. EVERYONE in the show is so strangely related somehow. i don't me by blood or marriage. i just mean everyone is connected to everyone else in the most random ways. i feel that ABC tried too hard to mush everyone together. now before you go rolling your eyes, yes i know, it's a show about these people. of course they're gonna be intertwined. but no, not this much. am i supposed to believe that the specific nine students who were 'top dogs' in high school just so happen to all stay in touch and get married despite their very diverse social groups? i understand the sixth degree of separation theory; this show, however,  demonstrates a first degree of separation- one-half in some cases.

don't worry, there are aspects of this show that i do very much enjoy:

1. i enjoy the background of each character. it's all so familiar. i can identify wonderfully. for example, steven's dad was involved in the collapse and public failure of enron. i remember the week that happened. it was on the news every night. this show has a lot of 'oooohhhh yeah' moments for me. i thoroughly enjoy this. 
2. kenneth finley. yes, he's a huge dork. i love that. his personality reminds me of my own boyfriend's personality. he's awkward, but oh so lovable. the whole story behind kenneth's character does break my heart though. if you're reading this, you must not be afraid of spoilers, but kenneth is infertile. random, but he's been dreaming of a family since high school. his character wants that desperately. he's already lacking a wife, and now he finds out he can't ever have his own child. it makes my heart sad for his character. my heartstrings are easily manipulated, so kenneth is quickly my favorite character. 
3. the music is good. enough said. 

i will be watching this show all season. i have a feeling i'll have a lot to say about it. for example:

• i want kenneth to get a girl. the producers want that girl to be dawn. this is not my choice though. one: she's married and expecting rolly's baby. two: she's dense and he's been hung up on her since high school. this is not healthy. this would be a good time to somehow introduce a character from outside of their high school class. the producers need to branch out a little bit.
• anders + brenda = true love, so why does anders + jakie = marriage? the equations don't balance correctly. i need this to change. it will happen. the producers gave brenda's mom a stroke, so that she could return to austin from her serious job in d.c. 
• steven has a kid with the typical 'wall flower' of the class. somehow the girl who is known as not saying one word in high school scored with the smartest guy in high school on prom night. and what came out of that? a secret child whom steven didn't know about until ten years later. see what i mean about the ties being a little too random to be convincing?
• speaking of steven and kenneth. i like their friendship. it seems special. i hope they work it out. i'm rooting for you in every way, kenneth. 

END.

housekeeping: i know i said i'd be posting monday-friday, but really i meant any day. any day i have time to watch a show online after it's aired (i.e. sat. & sun. are perfect for this because i don't have class), i'll write a blog for it. so check back often, my fellow enthusiasts, especially at the beginning. i won't let you down. and TELL YOUR FRIENDS!

ps. i'm gonna think of a characteristic sign off. any suggestions?