Life Sentence: Season 1, Episode 2 “Re-Inventing the Abbotts” (B)
In its second outing, this show demonstrated some of its staying power while painting a decent picture of how it’s going to work now that the initial shock value of Stella’s cancer being gone has passed. Some of what’s going on is considerably more dramatic than the rest, like Wes finding out that he might be deported since the authorities believed that his marriage to Stella was just to be able to maintain his green card. It’s very true that the couple doesn’t seem to know each other at all, and the way that they answered the questions cast plenty of suspicion on their status, but they managed to make a great case for it that got them approved. What this show is doing well is showing how everything that Stella experienced may have been different for those around her, like all the positive memories she has from the house were actually devastating developments from her mother’s perspective, inspiring her to try to sell the house and move on as quickly as possible, something that her father wasn’t ready to do. After airing lots of awkward sentiments, things seem to be better in the family, with Elizabeth headed off to a writer’s retreat, much to the chagrin of her husband, and Aiden confronting the consequences of his actions, which may mean spilling the beans to the husband of the woman he’s impregnated. Stella isn’t doing great with her newfound job, earning one lucky customer a month of free coffee because he confirmed her overshare, though I think she’s charming enough that she can make it work.
Showing posts with label Life Sentence. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Life Sentence. Show all posts
Friday, March 23, 2018
Sunday, March 11, 2018
Pilot Review: Life Sentence
Life Sentence (CW)
Premiered March 7 at 8pm
The CW has done well for itself, producing a number of series that make it a top destination for great television. Much of what it does these days involves superheroes, but there are also another hits which appeal to younger audiences while still maintaining a level of quality. This show immediately reminded me of one of the CW’s less successful series from last season, “No Tomorrow,” which followed a woman and a new man in her life who try to live every day as if it could be their last because the world will soon end. This is pretty much the opposite, since protagonist Stella has to contend with her new clean bill of health which leads to everything she thought was stable falling apart. As is often the case with shows like this, it’s bolstered most by its charming lead actress, Lucy Hale, fresh off a long run as the star of “Pretty Little Liars,” though I remember her from her supporting role on “Bionic Woman” before that. Hale is a wonderful fit for Stella, embracing all the things about life that she didn’t realize were happening and trying to have a new experience undefined by her impending death. The two most notable members of the cast aside from her are those who portray her parents. I first knew Gillian Vigman as a fantastic contributor to the underappreciated predecessor to “Modern Family,” ABC’s “Sons and Daughters,” who has since appeared on “Divorce” and “New Girl,” and I think she’ll make a great mother to Stella, experiencing her own self-discovery after years of repression. Dylan Walsh was one of the stars of “Nip/Tuck” and recently recurred on “Longmire,” and it’s good to see him in a more comic role. Part of what will define this show is how well its novelty works, and as long as Stella, who reminds me of Vanessa Hudgens’ character on last year’s cancelled “Powerless,” remains positive and ready to face life head-on, I think this show can work well.
How will it work as a series? Presumably, there’s much that Stella has missed because everyone was shielding her from what was actually going on around her, and the real hook here is the discovery process which helps Stella become a contributing member of society. I think that should remain fresh enough because of her attitude, and I’m all for seeing where it leads.
How long will it last? The reviews aren’t all that positive, much more mixed than good, and the ratings report isn’t great no matter how you spin off. Hale’s status as the anchor of a show whose audience might want to see her again on television doesn’t seem to have panned out, so at this point Stella’s future is looking much brighter than her show’s. I won’t give up hope just yet, but there’s no real reason that the CW would want to invest in a show that isn’t delivering in the way its other series are.
Pilot grade: B+
Premiered March 7 at 8pm
The CW has done well for itself, producing a number of series that make it a top destination for great television. Much of what it does these days involves superheroes, but there are also another hits which appeal to younger audiences while still maintaining a level of quality. This show immediately reminded me of one of the CW’s less successful series from last season, “No Tomorrow,” which followed a woman and a new man in her life who try to live every day as if it could be their last because the world will soon end. This is pretty much the opposite, since protagonist Stella has to contend with her new clean bill of health which leads to everything she thought was stable falling apart. As is often the case with shows like this, it’s bolstered most by its charming lead actress, Lucy Hale, fresh off a long run as the star of “Pretty Little Liars,” though I remember her from her supporting role on “Bionic Woman” before that. Hale is a wonderful fit for Stella, embracing all the things about life that she didn’t realize were happening and trying to have a new experience undefined by her impending death. The two most notable members of the cast aside from her are those who portray her parents. I first knew Gillian Vigman as a fantastic contributor to the underappreciated predecessor to “Modern Family,” ABC’s “Sons and Daughters,” who has since appeared on “Divorce” and “New Girl,” and I think she’ll make a great mother to Stella, experiencing her own self-discovery after years of repression. Dylan Walsh was one of the stars of “Nip/Tuck” and recently recurred on “Longmire,” and it’s good to see him in a more comic role. Part of what will define this show is how well its novelty works, and as long as Stella, who reminds me of Vanessa Hudgens’ character on last year’s cancelled “Powerless,” remains positive and ready to face life head-on, I think this show can work well.
How will it work as a series? Presumably, there’s much that Stella has missed because everyone was shielding her from what was actually going on around her, and the real hook here is the discovery process which helps Stella become a contributing member of society. I think that should remain fresh enough because of her attitude, and I’m all for seeing where it leads.
How long will it last? The reviews aren’t all that positive, much more mixed than good, and the ratings report isn’t great no matter how you spin off. Hale’s status as the anchor of a show whose audience might want to see her again on television doesn’t seem to have panned out, so at this point Stella’s future is looking much brighter than her show’s. I won’t give up hope just yet, but there’s no real reason that the CW would want to invest in a show that isn’t delivering in the way its other series are.
Pilot grade: B+
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
