Going into my first episode of this show, I was positive that I would be in for bad acting and a horrible script (The Secret Life of the American Teenager, anyone?). However, upon watching the first few episodes I found that the only problem with this show is that is it way too short for me to get my fill.
The show's storyline is split between that of Bianca and Kat, two completely opposite people. Kat's story consists of her efforts to make men value her more despite their sexist views, and of short, but charming, interactions between her and the school bad boy. Bianca's consists of her quest for popularity and her obliviousness of her stalker I mean admirer, Cameron.
Both story lines can be amusing, but I doubt that anyone really watches for both. Either they're a fan of Kat and Patrick, or they are rooting for Bianca to replace Chastity as a head cheerleader and steal her football-playing boyfriend . In the movie, the two story lines were linked together in some way, but in the show they only intertwine when Kat and Bianca argue at the dinner table, which is where the separation of fans comes from. I'm not so sure this is a good thing considering the half-hour show doesn't leave too much time for either of the story lines to be played out much.
Though Meaghan Martin plays a funny, bubbly teen very well, Dana Davis plays the bitchy popular girl so convincingly that I am often just tempted to smack her, and Nick Braun plays the awkward, dorky, and all-around lovable secret admirer as if that is who he has been his entire life anyhow, there are in my opinion, only three characters/actors that really deserve accolades.
Larry Miller plays the part of a psychotic father in such a charming and funny way that I can't help but adore every scene he is in. There is definitely a reason he got the part of the father in both the movie and TV show. The strong acting is great since his character is responsible for what little tie the sisters have to one another in the show and creates good family humor.
Lindsey Shaw is so convincing in her character that I can't imagine any other actress even attempting to play it. She has a natural energy that shines through in her character and she can deliver comical lines like no other. In fact, I probably laugh at her dialogue more than any other character's simply because of the way it comes out of her mouth. Kat gradually goes through a personal growth throughout the show and the audience can watch as someone so sure of herself fights to stay on track and stick to what she has preached. It's quite intriguing.
Ethan Peck, though soft-spoken and not exactly convincing as the bad boy he is supposed to play, delivers a good, unique version of Patrick Verona. While in the movie the character really seemed as if he could have lived up to the rumors everyone had heard about him, I don't get that from this version of Patrick. To me, he seems like the misunderstood kid that wants to appear scary only so that people will leave him alone and so that he can be sure anyone that does make an effort to get to know him is worthwhile. Basically, the character just seems deeper and more mysterious, which I like. However, I'd like to see more of the bad boy side of him so that we know more of him than just what Kat sees. We hear about how scary he is, but because we only see him in scenes with Kat, when he is being nice and trying to charm her, we don't view him has anything resembling scary.
Overall, this show is just downright hilarious and the characters are endearing and addictive. The sarcasm alone is funny, but the characters themselves have such strong personalities, each one with their funny little quirks. The best thing is that the characters don't seem one-dimensional like so many other TV characters are. You are really able to get an idea of who they are to the point that you feel as if you know them. The audience cares about them, and that is the sign of a good character.
The show's storyline is split between that of Bianca and Kat, two completely opposite people. Kat's story consists of her efforts to make men value her more despite their sexist views, and of short, but charming, interactions between her and the school bad boy. Bianca's consists of her quest for popularity and her obliviousness of her stalker I mean admirer, Cameron.
Both story lines can be amusing, but I doubt that anyone really watches for both. Either they're a fan of Kat and Patrick, or they are rooting for Bianca to replace Chastity as a head cheerleader and steal her football-playing boyfriend . In the movie, the two story lines were linked together in some way, but in the show they only intertwine when Kat and Bianca argue at the dinner table, which is where the separation of fans comes from. I'm not so sure this is a good thing considering the half-hour show doesn't leave too much time for either of the story lines to be played out much.
Though Meaghan Martin plays a funny, bubbly teen very well, Dana Davis plays the bitchy popular girl so convincingly that I am often just tempted to smack her, and Nick Braun plays the awkward, dorky, and all-around lovable secret admirer as if that is who he has been his entire life anyhow, there are in my opinion, only three characters/actors that really deserve accolades.
Larry Miller plays the part of a psychotic father in such a charming and funny way that I can't help but adore every scene he is in. There is definitely a reason he got the part of the father in both the movie and TV show. The strong acting is great since his character is responsible for what little tie the sisters have to one another in the show and creates good family humor.
Lindsey Shaw is so convincing in her character that I can't imagine any other actress even attempting to play it. She has a natural energy that shines through in her character and she can deliver comical lines like no other. In fact, I probably laugh at her dialogue more than any other character's simply because of the way it comes out of her mouth. Kat gradually goes through a personal growth throughout the show and the audience can watch as someone so sure of herself fights to stay on track and stick to what she has preached. It's quite intriguing.
Ethan Peck, though soft-spoken and not exactly convincing as the bad boy he is supposed to play, delivers a good, unique version of Patrick Verona. While in the movie the character really seemed as if he could have lived up to the rumors everyone had heard about him, I don't get that from this version of Patrick. To me, he seems like the misunderstood kid that wants to appear scary only so that people will leave him alone and so that he can be sure anyone that does make an effort to get to know him is worthwhile. Basically, the character just seems deeper and more mysterious, which I like. However, I'd like to see more of the bad boy side of him so that we know more of him than just what Kat sees. We hear about how scary he is, but because we only see him in scenes with Kat, when he is being nice and trying to charm her, we don't view him has anything resembling scary.
Overall, this show is just downright hilarious and the characters are endearing and addictive. The sarcasm alone is funny, but the characters themselves have such strong personalities, each one with their funny little quirks. The best thing is that the characters don't seem one-dimensional like so many other TV characters are. You are really able to get an idea of who they are to the point that you feel as if you know them. The audience cares about them, and that is the sign of a good character.