TV: Reunion
Continuing in the tradition of 24, FOX gives us Reunion. It's the story of six high school friends and what happens to them over the course of 20 years. Every episode is a new year, starting in 1986. In the pilot episode, which aired last night and airs again tonight, the show starts in the present day where one of the friends has been murdered. "Brutally murdered in their prime by an unknown assailant," to be exact, which is the quote given in the eulogy. Right away I knew we were going to be exposed to some uber-goofy dialogue. Who says that in a eulogy? Someone setting up a premise, that's who. Couldn't the investigating detective (played by Six Feet Under's Mathew St. Patrick) have said something? But I digress. On to the show...
We start off at the high school graduation, where the six friends are introduced. They are Aaron (Dave Annable), Samantha (Alexa Davalos), Will (American Dreams' Will Estes), Craig (Sean Faris), Carla (Chyler Leigh), and Jenna (Amanda Righeti). Interestingly enough, we find out that the guy giving the eulogy was some random dude taking pictures at the graduation. I wonder if we'll hear from him again. If we don't that's kind of weird. Anyway, the six friends are introduced, relationships are established, and things begin their path toward the murder of one of them 20 years in the future. We learn what happens by way of flashback while Carla is interviewed by Detective Marjorino. I won't go into too much of the plot, because if you plan on picking up the show next week, FOX will most assuredly give you ample background for the second episode. And if they don't, check out the thoroughly detailed recap here.
The plot is intriguing, which is the main hook for the show. You don't know what led to the events in the present day, and you get to see them unfold year by year. If you can get past the soapy dialogue and background music, I think you'll enjoy the show. It's a bit much as far as melodrama goes compared to the types of shows I usually watch, but I still found myself sucked into the plot by the end of the show. Of course we get the requisite poking fun at the '80s. The characters make incorrect predictions, ("I'm telling you, Wham! is the next Beatles--Andrew Ridgley is the next John Lennon!"), there's the slutty friend who dresses hilariously, and of course there's plenty of '80s background music. If you tried hard enough, you could probably guess every song they'll play on the pilot without seeing the show.
Judging from the pilot, I'll be sticking with Reunion this season. It's something different, and it's fun. If you like a good mystery, I think you'd do well to check it out.
Final Score: 3 cents, with potential (not to rip off Shoeless Joel...I'm just sayin').
We start off at the high school graduation, where the six friends are introduced. They are Aaron (Dave Annable), Samantha (Alexa Davalos), Will (American Dreams' Will Estes), Craig (Sean Faris), Carla (Chyler Leigh), and Jenna (Amanda Righeti). Interestingly enough, we find out that the guy giving the eulogy was some random dude taking pictures at the graduation. I wonder if we'll hear from him again. If we don't that's kind of weird. Anyway, the six friends are introduced, relationships are established, and things begin their path toward the murder of one of them 20 years in the future. We learn what happens by way of flashback while Carla is interviewed by Detective Marjorino. I won't go into too much of the plot, because if you plan on picking up the show next week, FOX will most assuredly give you ample background for the second episode. And if they don't, check out the thoroughly detailed recap here.
The plot is intriguing, which is the main hook for the show. You don't know what led to the events in the present day, and you get to see them unfold year by year. If you can get past the soapy dialogue and background music, I think you'll enjoy the show. It's a bit much as far as melodrama goes compared to the types of shows I usually watch, but I still found myself sucked into the plot by the end of the show. Of course we get the requisite poking fun at the '80s. The characters make incorrect predictions, ("I'm telling you, Wham! is the next Beatles--Andrew Ridgley is the next John Lennon!"), there's the slutty friend who dresses hilariously, and of course there's plenty of '80s background music. If you tried hard enough, you could probably guess every song they'll play on the pilot without seeing the show.
Judging from the pilot, I'll be sticking with Reunion this season. It's something different, and it's fun. If you like a good mystery, I think you'd do well to check it out.
Final Score: 3 cents, with potential (not to rip off Shoeless Joel...I'm just sayin').
Tha Docta's two cents. | 12:18 AM
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