Joan Girardi (Amber Tamblyn) makes a promise to God to save her brother Kevin (Jason Ritter) after a car accident. She starts seeing God in various guises. Her parents (Joe Mantegna, Mary Steenburgen), younger brother Luke (Michael Welch), friends Grace Polk (Becky Wahlstrom) and Adam Rove (Chris Marquette) are unaware of her unique visions.
This show lasted two full seasons. It was a critical darling right from the start and even its sophomore slump did not end that. The second season does start to drift. It begins with the introduction of Judith. She's immediately the second most important character and that's a little odd. I always liked Sprague Grayden, but I do question the need to do such a big swing. The swing only gets bigger when the show kills her off in episode eight. While I get the need to deal with death in a show about God, this one is too jarring and discombobulates the show. It's also a very violent death even if it's off-screen. The killing is probably going too far.
There are also other missteps like Annie Potts. It really makes the dad look bad. The show is best when staying more with the kids. A story with the parents away from the kids is taking time away from its best parts. With two amazing veteran actors, there is a natural pull to give them juicier material. In the end, they are the parents in a high school show. Their stories should service the kids. Then the show ends with the introduction of a big bad. I don't know if that breaks any of Barbara Hall's rules about the show. I know that it's not the devil, but the show seems to be turning into something different.
Despite the few missteps, this remains a very compelling show. Amber Tamblyn is the breakout star. She has a natural genuine quality. She's cute without being a supermodel. She is the embodiment of the regular teen. I love all the accompanying cast. The most memorable episode is Joan asking out the bully. This had the potential to do more seasons. A good high school show can usually last at least four years when they graduate. I don't know what happened behind the scenes, but it's not the first time that I disagreed with the networks.
This show lasted two full seasons. It was a critical darling right from the start and even its sophomore slump did not end that. The second season does start to drift. It begins with the introduction of Judith. She's immediately the second most important character and that's a little odd. I always liked Sprague Grayden, but I do question the need to do such a big swing. The swing only gets bigger when the show kills her off in episode eight. While I get the need to deal with death in a show about God, this one is too jarring and discombobulates the show. It's also a very violent death even if it's off-screen. The killing is probably going too far.
There are also other missteps like Annie Potts. It really makes the dad look bad. The show is best when staying more with the kids. A story with the parents away from the kids is taking time away from its best parts. With two amazing veteran actors, there is a natural pull to give them juicier material. In the end, they are the parents in a high school show. Their stories should service the kids. Then the show ends with the introduction of a big bad. I don't know if that breaks any of Barbara Hall's rules about the show. I know that it's not the devil, but the show seems to be turning into something different.
Despite the few missteps, this remains a very compelling show. Amber Tamblyn is the breakout star. She has a natural genuine quality. She's cute without being a supermodel. She is the embodiment of the regular teen. I love all the accompanying cast. The most memorable episode is Joan asking out the bully. This had the potential to do more seasons. A good high school show can usually last at least four years when they graduate. I don't know what happened behind the scenes, but it's not the first time that I disagreed with the networks.