Welcome back to our series on midseason TV (a continuation of our fall TV series). We’re here to help you determine what you should watch a.s.a.p., what you can save for a three-day weekend marathon sesh, or what you don’t even need to bother with.
(Warning! Possible spoilers ahead.)
Premiered: Feb. 17 on The CW (Watch online.)
Elevator Pitch
Three writers have been tasked with coming up with the next big show. They sit around a meeting room, tossing pencils toward the ceiling and seeing who can get the most stuck in the acoustic tiles.
Writer One: “We could do another show about high school kids?”
Write Two: “Ugh. Another one?”
Writer One: “Yes, another one. That’s our target demographic.”
Writer Three: “But what would the hook be? No one wants to watch a show about normal high school kids. That’s boring.”
Writer One: “Is there a paranormal creature left that we haven’t sucked the life out of?”
Writer Two: “Uh … faeries?”
Writer Three snorts. “Faeries? I think that’s Disney’s territory.”
The room goes silent for a moment as they continue to think … and toss pencils at the ceiling tiles.
Writer Three’s phone beeps.
Writer One: “What’s that tone? It sounds familiar.”
Writer Three: “It’s from Star Trek.”
Writer Two shoots upright in his chair. “That’s it! A new Star Trek, but with teenagers.”
Writer Three scoffs. Writer One rolls his eyes, but under the table his fingers are furiously texting his boss one little word: ALIENS.
Familiar Faces
Jay Huguely as Ray Whitehill
Aimee Teegarden as Emery
Malese Jow as Julia
Matt Lanter as Roman
Brina Palencia as Laliari Sophia
Greg Finley as Drake
Victoria Platt as Gloria Valdez
Grey Damon as Grayson
Natalie Hall as Taylor
Jesse Luken as Eric
Susan Walters as Maia
Faces That Might Become Familiar (If You Keep Watching)
Andrea Frankle as Michelle Whitehill
Titus Makin Jr. as Lukas
Chelsea Gilligan as Teri
Redeeming Qualities
Emily: Um, can we just start with the double dose of Friday Night Lights action!? Julie Taylor and "the hot basketball player turned star wide receiver that you don't really remember because he's not Tim Riggins, but is still part of all the goodness that is FNL." I'm also a fan of the girl that plays Julia from her arc as Anna on The Vampire Diaries. And honestly, besides Matt Lanter (who isn't bad to look at) we didn't really get to know anyone else … and do we care to? Pilots are rough around the edges, so while there are definitely some not-so-finessed moments, I'm into the world that's being created. I love how the human students are being talked to through videos/projected images, and the aliens are being lectured by an actual person. Also, we only got a glimpse at how the aliens are different than the "normal folk" so there has to be more to be revealed there … the healing trick that saved Julia was super cool.
Mandy: Regardless of how bad a CW show sounds, you can pretty much count on the fact that if it’s even a little bit sci-fi or fantasy, I’m going to check it out. Star-Crossed definitely called my name, and loudly. I certainly enjoyed the pilot; it was just the right mix of angst and intrigue (a.k.a. the CW’s patented ridiculousness). I especially enjoyed the sassy dialogue, particularly from Roman. Plus: How ridiculously adorable was Little Roman?!
It's Not Me, It's You
Emily: Did anyone else notice how super skinny Julie Taylor is? Tami Taylor would definitely have something to say about this … though I get she's supposed to be semi-sickly. However, her first scene as a teenager has her running, so she's obviously not that sick. The side characters are all pretty stereotypically mediocre, and the adults are all pretty much there to fill up space (minus the death that I did NOT see coming). I'm also left wondering, what's up with the tattoos? Are they really there just so we can tell apart the aliens vs the humans? That's a little lame.
Mandy: This really isn’t a fault of the show’s, per se, but I have a very real fear that real-world humanity, were we faced with aliens crash-landing to Earth, would act as inhumanely and as horrifyingly stupid as the majority of the fictional humans in this show act. It makes me so angry and so sad at the same time, so I spent a large majority of the show with a grumble in the back of my brain. Also: How is it that 2024 looks exactly like 2014 with a little bit of “advanced” (a.k.a. flashy) technology slapped on?
Let's Do This Again
Emily: Let's be honest, it's a dramatic teen romance where one of the characters has superpowers, of course we're going to do this again. Though it's too soon to tell if it will fill the Roswell-size hole in my life, it's got to be really bad for me not to keep watching. And now that I think about … this might be the only show I have on my DVR where the main characters are still in high school. I need some teen romance in my life! *Fingers crossed this show succeeds.*
Mandy: As a huge fan of another CW-precursor Romeo and Juliet with aliens—Roswell—I’ve been excited about the premiere of Star-Crossed for what seems like forever. While it didn’t quite live up to my hopes, and I was left wanting more, it was enjoyably entertaining. I can only hope it gets better—a.k.a. even more CW-ey—as the season progresses. You can bet I’ll be keeping up with this one.
What did you think? Would anyone be interested in a weekly recap of this show? Let us know in the comments!