Privileged: All About Honesty
By fred | September 17, 2008
(S01E02) So while I assume many return to 90210 once again, and I’ll admit it’s sitting on my DVR, I’m not really into that show. Privileged on the other hand has a nice start, and while flawed there was a charm to the show (and to Megan/Joanna Garcia) that was enjoyable. So here I am, back for another week and ready to let the show win me over.
Last week, things ended not on a high note for Megan, as she met with a forgotten sister she didn’t seemed to be such in good terms with, while in the middle of a party where she had already plenty on her plate. This week, we started right off where we left, in the middle of said party.
So we got to see Megan and her sister fight in front on everyone, but not before Megan lied pretending she didn’t know her, leading to some trust issues. That was one element of the episode, and while the whole Megan finds Laurel inspiring and Laurel finds her (story) inspiring back doesn’t illustrate the best of the show, and we knew she would get her job, here’s to hoping that this will allow for their relationship to evolve a little. First a contract not to get fired, then she actually gets the job (yeah they do things the other way around in Palm Beach it seems…), now we’re set.
But of course the real focus of the show is on the girls, and what seems to be the key element will be the fight between Megan and Sage. Because Sage doesn’t like Megan, to say the least, and will not only try to diminish her, but she doesn’t want her to interfere in their lives. More precisely, she doesn’t want Megan to help Rose, because Rose already has a sister.
Now, I don’t know how much this will be driving the show, but I hope not that much because it’s a weak point of the show. Not because it will get old fast to see Sage trying to mess with Megan, not because we can already see how Megan cares about Rose while Sage does not, not really, but because of Sage. Sage is the weakest element of the show, I’m not sure if its due to the writing and/or the action, though Ashley Newbrough isn’t really there and I’m wondering if that might not have been a miscast in fact.
Because, as I had actually said last week, she tried to be a cold manipulative bitch, but she fails. You simply can’t take her seriously, not when she tries to pass as smart – and you need to be to manipulate people — not when she tries to appear as cold, or mean, none of it. You don’t have to be Blair Waldorf to make things work, but you need something still. When Paris was yelling at someone, everybody knew not to get in the way, because it would get messy, and she would win. Here, you feel fine ignoring Sage.
And the worst part is, even when she’s trying to help her little sister coming up with some plan, she doesn’t look like a (loving) sister, but still that blank selfish girl whom you might as well ignore. It makes it even harder to see why Rose seems so attached to her, look up to Sage and be scared to go against her, or choose Megan’s side. (Although yes, Sage does look like she could kill you in your sleep and go back to bed like nothing happened, so I guess Rose is right to be scared…)
But that’s a problem, and so is the fact that we have yet to see a connection between Megan and the girls. She’s supposed to help them, and she often reminds them to show up with their books or whatever, but I don’t think they ever do, instead they still cars. Megan and the girls are barely together, and this might become a problem. I also wish Charlie would have something better to do.
The show lacks its own tone, it doesn’t have that unique appeal that will make you come back week after week, but it’s still young and hopefully they’ll get there with time, better sooner than later though.
Posted in Reviews
Shows: Privileged
