*****POSSIBLE SPOILERS*****
Make no mistake. Unlike what many other reviewers are saying, this is NOT a family drama. As an elementary school teacher, I would not permit any child under the age of 15 to watch this show. This is an adult/late teen drama being labeled as a family drama when it's not.
It's ironic that most family dramas tend to mirror the family values of that time period.
The performances by the actors of this show are pretty good. The show has a strong cast with some compelling stories, even if most of them are very predictable, and the writers make sure to use nearly every cliché in the book, which unfortunately, demonstrates a lack of creativity and imagination on their part. You can predict when a third character will interrupt a "romantic" situation building between two others, or how a situation will be sabotaged by a jealous third person. The plot twists are not very sophisticated, and they show up in nearly every, single episode, making the story-telling very unrealistic.
The characters go through one upheaval and harrowing problem after another. Kids are involved in rape (not shown), blackmail, drug- dealing, premarital sex, sex between minors and adults, under-aged drinking, and etc. While some of these are certainly issues, the disturbing part is that there is little real communication between the children and the parents. It seems that in their world, a "I'm very sorry, and I promise to never do it again" is pretty much the only line needed to obtain a free pass. Parents are oblivious to what is going on in their own house. If you want a show that is realistic without trying to purport true values, then this show will work for you. However, if you're looking for a real family show that tries to help young people learn valuable life lessons, to learn that there are consequences, and to feel what true love and forgiveness are all about, and why they are essential to a healthy family environment, then you may well want to skip this show.
There is very little meaningful conversations taking place between the characters, and so it has very superficial dialogue without any true depth. And frankly, depth is what I want in a real family show.
Make no mistake. Unlike what many other reviewers are saying, this is NOT a family drama. As an elementary school teacher, I would not permit any child under the age of 15 to watch this show. This is an adult/late teen drama being labeled as a family drama when it's not.
It's ironic that most family dramas tend to mirror the family values of that time period.
The performances by the actors of this show are pretty good. The show has a strong cast with some compelling stories, even if most of them are very predictable, and the writers make sure to use nearly every cliché in the book, which unfortunately, demonstrates a lack of creativity and imagination on their part. You can predict when a third character will interrupt a "romantic" situation building between two others, or how a situation will be sabotaged by a jealous third person. The plot twists are not very sophisticated, and they show up in nearly every, single episode, making the story-telling very unrealistic.
The characters go through one upheaval and harrowing problem after another. Kids are involved in rape (not shown), blackmail, drug- dealing, premarital sex, sex between minors and adults, under-aged drinking, and etc. While some of these are certainly issues, the disturbing part is that there is little real communication between the children and the parents. It seems that in their world, a "I'm very sorry, and I promise to never do it again" is pretty much the only line needed to obtain a free pass. Parents are oblivious to what is going on in their own house. If you want a show that is realistic without trying to purport true values, then this show will work for you. However, if you're looking for a real family show that tries to help young people learn valuable life lessons, to learn that there are consequences, and to feel what true love and forgiveness are all about, and why they are essential to a healthy family environment, then you may well want to skip this show.
There is very little meaningful conversations taking place between the characters, and so it has very superficial dialogue without any true depth. And frankly, depth is what I want in a real family show.