Summer Suggestion: 10 Things I Hate About You

I am trying really hard to like this show, but I am struggling.

Do you ever have that movie that seems like it was made perfectly for you? It came out at the exact right moment in your life, it appealed to your personality and tastes, it was well-made and not matter how many times you see it you still love it. For me, one of those movies is 10 Things I Hate About You. When it came out my high school classmates, who only spoke to me to insult me, kept coming up to me and telling me how much I reminded them of Kat. I took that to mean that there was a hot Australian guy in my future that would sing to me in a horribly embarrassing public display. Still waiting for that. Be that as it may, this wonderful Shakespeare-adaptation of a movie is immensely close to my heart, so I was none too thrilled to find out there was going to be a TV show.

My curiosity, and the recommendation of a good friend, got the better of me. If you are interested in watching this show through a combination of the ABC Family web page and YouTube you can find all the episodes; there have been 9 so far, and the season finale airs next Tuesday.

My main gripe with this show is that the casting is, well, kind of terrible. Kat (Lindsey Shaw) and Bianca (Meaghan Jett Martin) are pretty good, and don’t seem like they are doing caricatures of their movie-counterparts. On the other hand, Cameron (Nicholas Braun) and Michael (Kyle Kaplan) have to be two of the most miscast actors ever. There is nothing charming or sweet about either of them separately and together they just seem like boyfriends who don’t know it. I think it is supposed to be a joke that Bianca thinks Cameron is gay, but it doesn’t play as a “cute misunderstanding” because it really does seem like he and his little buddy are in a very creepy version of a romantic relationship. Chastity (Dana Davis) has a voice that could cut glass and mannerism that remind one of an evil robot; it’s too much, too over the top. I am torn as to whether Chris Zylka, who plays Joey, is giving an astounding performance or is actually an illiterate incapable of more than one facial expression. As for Patrick (Ethan Peck), this show really hasn’t done anything with him so far, so maybe he seems a little, well, blank because of the plot/writing.

But, there is always room for improvement, I guess. Limiting the show to a half-hour format was a wise choice because the brisk pace prevents endless scenes of emo-teens. The show would be well served to give a little bit of family context to all of the characters, because despite the fact that Kat and Bianca are the main characters, without rounding out the supporting/auxiliary cast, the show will always remain stunted. This first season has made all the standard-teen-pit-stops (sneaking out, fake IDs, parties, dances) so maybe the future can focus on sharper writing and character development.

Maybe I am just being a bitch.

The TV Girl