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impyI have avoided spoilers (barely) numerous times, so I'm going to just be kind and say I took my first day of staycation and watched the new BSC show on Netflix. I think it's worth a watch if you're a fan.
It's adorable and I've been up for hours, so this is going to be just random thoughts that I remember with a more thought out kind of thing later, maybe.
First up, I think they cast it pretty much perfectly for the club members. I can't really speak too much for Mal and Jessi as we don't really get to see them do much, but the other five? Pretty perfect.
I'm not going to say that new Kristy will topple original!Tv Kristy as seemingly like they just conjured Kristy up to do her own acting, but since most of the new show isn't ~ACTING~ as much (overacting, ok), I'm willing to call it a draw on them. Miles better than movie!Kristy in any case (which isn't a thing against the actress as she was loverly in other roles.) and she was the perfect mix of what makes Kristy... Kristy. While somehow not being all that overtly sporty. Weird. I love that Kristy was just as bossy as you'd expect her to be but they didn't try and make it either the best thing ever or the worst thing ever. She was shown to be in the wrong, A LOT, but I cried like a friggin' baby when she had her meltdown over the way her father treats her. I cheered when they didn't try and pretend Kristy did not absolutely love the bridesmaid dress she wore to the wedding.
I had some reservations about Alicia Silverstone being Kristy's mom, but they were lovely together and my only real complaint is Liz telling Kristy that she's her favorite kid. But if I tell myself it's one of those things some parents tell all their kids, it's not as yeesh inducing. However, given the weird preferential treatment Kristy the character has with her father when he does come out of hiding, it did make me pause. Otherwise, yeah, her "call me of Watson" killed me and I loved her bonding with Sharon and trying to bond with Richard, only to realize kids really do talk... a lot.
I'm going to just say that Claudia is adorable. I'm a little less sold on the show kind of leaning into making Janine kind of...meaner than she actually was in the books, but I also know that when I read them as a kid, I did think Janine was the worst so it stays true to the spirit, even if reading the books when you're older proves that Janine was just different from everyone. This version is less likely to get that pass.
Stacey is perfection, though her makeover with Richard was just...odd. But her teamup with Claudia and the Queer Eye mention made me giggle (Richard's reaction) and I like how they updated the diabetes storyline. The specifics may have changed but it still feels the same. Which is basically true of the show in general. I cringed pretty hardcore at the Sea City antics involving her, but that was the point so...
I think Mary Anne is lovely, but there's no way in hell I buy her camp persona. Like no. Even if I pretend she's channeling Kristy like she sort of alludes to when talking to Logan, it still doesn't work. She did have some fabulous moments and basically any time you thought something, Mary Anne was likely to say it, like her comment to her new bunkmate about possibly knowing Stacey back in NYC. Which of course meant said bunk mate was going to be Laine and she was also perfect.
My other cringe moment was probably the changes made to MA saves the day. The big fight isn't really a club wide thing, which I guess makes sense since you spend more time with the characters in the books by this point (or feel like you do, anyway) and having the show immediately break them apart would feel weirder. But to have them gang up on Mary Anne, have her realistically tell her father who absolutely would call the other parents, only to have the other three be mad about that? Annnnnnnnnd then come crawling back when Richard tells the world about how brave and awesome MA when she saves the day? Nnn.
It's a little cringe that the club's least favorite charge, Jenny, has been swapped out for Bailey, a trans kid whose mother prompts the club fight when requesting MA specifically. Which makes sense given that she heard about the club from MA's father. With a trans kid, you're probably going to be more selective about who you invite into your kid's life and home. This is a place where I wondered whether the narration was meant to be the club notebook, and if so, why wouldn't the other members know about Bailey and why the family would want to stick with MA, at least initially. MA was not in the wrong really for taking the job and shouldn't have been called out so harshly.
Dawn is adorable and I'm glad they found a way to work her activism so that it wasn't later books!Dawn. I may never get over the fact that in this version Dawn is essentially Druscilla (Morbidda Destiny's niece). Dawn is meant to have a heart and this version definitely does. ♥
And I could forgive the show any and all sins by making Karen Freakin' Brewer the delight AMM always claimed she was but fandom never saw. Her spooky phase? LOVE. Her sass about the tiara being insured? Bratty but hilarious. The outrage at Vanessa Pike stealing her part? Fab. And the look on her face when DM says she's just his stepsister broke my little heart.
Seriously, this show is adorable and I need a second season ASAP.
It's adorable and I've been up for hours, so this is going to be just random thoughts that I remember with a more thought out kind of thing later, maybe.
First up, I think they cast it pretty much perfectly for the club members. I can't really speak too much for Mal and Jessi as we don't really get to see them do much, but the other five? Pretty perfect.
I'm not going to say that new Kristy will topple original!Tv Kristy as seemingly like they just conjured Kristy up to do her own acting, but since most of the new show isn't ~ACTING~ as much (overacting, ok), I'm willing to call it a draw on them. Miles better than movie!Kristy in any case (which isn't a thing against the actress as she was loverly in other roles.) and she was the perfect mix of what makes Kristy... Kristy. While somehow not being all that overtly sporty. Weird. I love that Kristy was just as bossy as you'd expect her to be but they didn't try and make it either the best thing ever or the worst thing ever. She was shown to be in the wrong, A LOT, but I cried like a friggin' baby when she had her meltdown over the way her father treats her. I cheered when they didn't try and pretend Kristy did not absolutely love the bridesmaid dress she wore to the wedding.
I had some reservations about Alicia Silverstone being Kristy's mom, but they were lovely together and my only real complaint is Liz telling Kristy that she's her favorite kid. But if I tell myself it's one of those things some parents tell all their kids, it's not as yeesh inducing. However, given the weird preferential treatment Kristy the character has with her father when he does come out of hiding, it did make me pause. Otherwise, yeah, her "call me of Watson" killed me and I loved her bonding with Sharon and trying to bond with Richard, only to realize kids really do talk... a lot.
I'm going to just say that Claudia is adorable. I'm a little less sold on the show kind of leaning into making Janine kind of...meaner than she actually was in the books, but I also know that when I read them as a kid, I did think Janine was the worst so it stays true to the spirit, even if reading the books when you're older proves that Janine was just different from everyone. This version is less likely to get that pass.
Stacey is perfection, though her makeover with Richard was just...odd. But her teamup with Claudia and the Queer Eye mention made me giggle (Richard's reaction) and I like how they updated the diabetes storyline. The specifics may have changed but it still feels the same. Which is basically true of the show in general. I cringed pretty hardcore at the Sea City antics involving her, but that was the point so...
I think Mary Anne is lovely, but there's no way in hell I buy her camp persona. Like no. Even if I pretend she's channeling Kristy like she sort of alludes to when talking to Logan, it still doesn't work. She did have some fabulous moments and basically any time you thought something, Mary Anne was likely to say it, like her comment to her new bunkmate about possibly knowing Stacey back in NYC. Which of course meant said bunk mate was going to be Laine and she was also perfect.
My other cringe moment was probably the changes made to MA saves the day. The big fight isn't really a club wide thing, which I guess makes sense since you spend more time with the characters in the books by this point (or feel like you do, anyway) and having the show immediately break them apart would feel weirder. But to have them gang up on Mary Anne, have her realistically tell her father who absolutely would call the other parents, only to have the other three be mad about that? Annnnnnnnnd then come crawling back when Richard tells the world about how brave and awesome MA when she saves the day? Nnn.
It's a little cringe that the club's least favorite charge, Jenny, has been swapped out for Bailey, a trans kid whose mother prompts the club fight when requesting MA specifically. Which makes sense given that she heard about the club from MA's father. With a trans kid, you're probably going to be more selective about who you invite into your kid's life and home. This is a place where I wondered whether the narration was meant to be the club notebook, and if so, why wouldn't the other members know about Bailey and why the family would want to stick with MA, at least initially. MA was not in the wrong really for taking the job and shouldn't have been called out so harshly.
Dawn is adorable and I'm glad they found a way to work her activism so that it wasn't later books!Dawn. I may never get over the fact that in this version Dawn is essentially Druscilla (Morbidda Destiny's niece). Dawn is meant to have a heart and this version definitely does. ♥
And I could forgive the show any and all sins by making Karen Freakin' Brewer the delight AMM always claimed she was but fandom never saw. Her spooky phase? LOVE. Her sass about the tiara being insured? Bratty but hilarious. The outrage at Vanessa Pike stealing her part? Fab. And the look on her face when DM says she's just his stepsister broke my little heart.
Seriously, this show is adorable and I need a second season ASAP.
(no subject)
Date: 2020-07-07 05:03 am (UTC)