Greek s1 ep 12

“Which is why I think, in many ways, Ferris Bueller is my generation’s Gatsby.”

Heh.  This show can be hilarious sometimes.  The “authority-friendly Gatsby-themed party upstairs/secret Prohibition Speak-easy party downstairs” story was great.  Funny, clever – great. Unfortunately, the “Evil Rebecca’s near-nymphomania/extreme neediness” sub-plot was not.  This character is a complete waste of screen time and just drags Greek down - try and remember that next time, writers.

PS – Merry Christmas!

Greek s1 ep 11

Greek!  Greek’s back!

After nearly a year and a half since the mid-season finale, I idly checked the tv listings at lunchtime on Saturday and noticed Greek was on in 5 minutes.  GREEK!

I’d almost entirely given up on ever seeing the rest of the first season, but there it was, about to start and I was about to go out.  Sky+ to the rescue, and here we are.

As are the students at Cyprus-Rhodes.  Casey and Rusty are back, hearts broken by Evan (Really, Casey?  He is so not worth it.) and Jen K (She might be, Rus, sorry.) respectively; Cappie’s still adorable despite being inexplicably keen on the hateful Rebecca, and Evan’s still lurching wildly from not-as-bad-as-all-that to complete jerk.

Some things have changed though, what with the fall-out from Jen K’s expose of the Greek system.  I’m never 100% keen on the sorority politics plotlines but with former sorority president and irritant Frankie gone, things look a bit more promising on that front.  Poor Casey and the ZBZ’s trying to work their way back up the social scale after their fall from grace could be interesting if a little sad (although new enforcer-type girl Lizzie could get very annoying) and it gives Casey scope to continue to develop as a character and prove her mettle.  With a little help from Cappie and the Kappa Taus if this week is anything to go by.  (Did I mention that Cappie’s still adorable?) 

Thankfully, it’s not all angst though – plenty of great lines from Dale and a smattering of the usual good-natured comedy meant that despite a relatively understated first half, this episode was still kinda charming and funny. I love Greek all over again.

Greek ep 10

Q: What do a) the fratboys and sorority girls of Greek and b) the management at Unpopcult have in common?  Those of you who guessed youth and stunning good looks, thank you but no.  The real A: We seriously don’t like being misled. 

This week, the BBC announcer said this was “the last in the present series” of Greek.  No, actually it isn’t.  Greek season 1 has 22 episodes, not 10.  Yes, there was a 6 month break between airing the first 10 and the last 12, which I assume was due to the writers’ strike.  But still, let’s not pretend it’s the end of the season.  It’s not.  TV companies being disingenuous about scheduling really bothers me.  The BBC have made no mention of the remaining 12 episodes of Greek at all, which is slightly ironic when this whole mid-season finale was about the damage people do when they “don’t share the truth”.  

Anyway, end rant.  If this is the last we’re going to see of Greek in the UK for a while, it was a fitting episode to finish with, centring on the end of the semester, and the student newspaper exposing the fraternity/sorority system as a hotbed of drinking, partying and general naughtiness.  I’m not sure why this would be a shock to the university bosses but hey ho, adults can be wilfully clueless too.  Anyhoo, the Greeks turn out to have been betrayed by one of their own, setting off a domino effect of everyone finding out various truths about everyone else, and causing all manner of upset. 

In amongst all this upset, though, there were some genuinely moving scenes of friendship and support as some characters stepped up to show their worth in times of trouble, while others stepped up to ram the knife in.  Yet again, Cappie and the Kappa Taus proved to be the kindest bad boys on TV, while their arch-rivals, the ostensibly upmarket Omega Chis, proved the least brotherly boys in the brotherhood. 

And as for outsider Dale…..Aw, Dale.  His clumsy but heartfelt comforting of roommate Rusty made me a little teary-eyed.  Proof that the kind of fraternity that actually matters is sometimes found far outside fraternities.

This was a great episode; a timely reminder that preppy is as preppy does, and the truth may well set you free but it also has a habit of beating you up pretty darn good in the process, so best tell it straight off and save yourself the bruises.  As well as the message though, they still found time for the jokes. The funniest line of the night came from Dale walking in on Rusty and his girlfriend - “Button up your privates, the Lord’s witness coming through”.  

I’m going to miss this show.

Greek ep 9

Do I have to say it again?  Uninspiring sorority-politics main storyline, episode made fun nonetheless by sub-plots involving supporting characters Cappie and Dale.  Hold the front page.  Only this time, worryingly, while Dale had a very funny storyline involving Rusty, his roommate, who is currently just the right side of annoying, Cappie’s involved villainess Rebecca who is a long way past the wrong side of it.

Unlike the villains in Lost, Damages, or even Gossip Girl, Rebecca has shown no signs of any sort of charm or wit over the past 8 episodes; she’s just been nasty and irritating.  I cannot bear the prospect of the best character in Greek being saddled with the worst one in future scenes.  Rather than trying to use Cappie to rehabilitate her, they should use a Sharpie to write her out.  Permanently.  And as for using her to keep Cappie estranged from his ex-girlfriend/one true love Casey – Oh, writers.  Writers, writers, writers.  NO.

Greek ep 8

Dear Frat Brothers & Sorority Sisters,

Recycling is hot this season.  All the cool kids are keeping it environmental rather than just, oh, mental.  I guess your show is the same, but I’m in a generous mood so I forgive you for “recycling” the Marissa/Ryan “I love you/Thank you” storyline from The OC and the kookily-named religious rock band idea from Friday Night Lights. 

Firstly, I forgive you because, okay, Darwin Lied is not quite as great a name as Crucifictorius, but hey it’s still pretty great, and because newcomer Clark Duke continues to make Dale, lead singer of Darwin Lied, utterly hilarious.  His rockin’ rendition of the chorus “Heathens be warned, you better listen to me, or it’s fire and brimstone for eternity” while cheered on by adoring mobile-phone waving teenagers was a work of genius. 

Duke’s role may be a supporting one, but again this week, the ostensibly supporting characters were the best part of the show, given the slightly dull storylines involving main characters Rusty and his sister Casey.  Rusty had the aforementioned “I love you/Thank you” business with his girlfriend and yeah, I forgive you for it but no I didn’t like it; while Casey had some sort of fall-out with her best friend.  Being me, I’m familiar with girlie best friend fall-outs.  I’ve had plenty.  And this one was portrayed perfectly competently, but girlie best friend fall-outs are often thrilling for those who are doing the aforementioned girlie falling out, while only mildly diverting for the rest of us.  You get me?

So the girlie best friend story I could have done without, but I forgive you for that too.  Mainly because of Cappie, the other supporting character who makes Greek worth watching and who this week, having indicated that curling up “in a chair with a pint of ice cream watching Never Been Kissed and writing in your journal” was not the way to go, tried to get over his broken heart by going to a strip club.  Cappie, hon, I think you learned that didn’t help either.  Green boxer shorts and a drunken stupor are not the panacea for your problems.  But you kept me laughing, so I forgive you too.

CJ x

Greek ep 7

Moral dilemmas were the dish of the day in this week’s Greek, a typically funny and clever twist on usual teen themes. 

The issues themselves were familiar to anyone who’s ever watched tv.    Should you tell your friend her boyfriend’s a heel?  Should you cheat if you think you’re going to fail your exams?  And should you go with the guy who makes your heart sing or the one who makes your head nod approvingly?

All classic questions then, but all dealt with in a fresh, non-preachy way with plenty of jokes thrown in, making this another entertaining episode.

Do I have the definitive answers to these questions?  Well, both Greek and I answered no.2 in the negative but apart from that, no.  The characters stumble to their own conclusions and as Casey Cartwright, woman torn between two men (some of us would pay money for that particular dilemma, girlfriend, you don’t know you’re born) points out, it’s not so much making the choice that’s difficult, it’s living with it.

So while Casey continues her relationship with boring, cheating, man-with-a-plan Evan, she can’t help looking longingly – and doing a lot more than looking, let me tell you – at charismatic party boy Cappie.  As someone once said about those who choose good but long for fun, she’s got one foot in heaven and one in hell.  Except that Cappie is too charming and funny to be hell.  You hear me, Cartwright?  Ditch the dullard and date the dreamboat again.  You know you want to.

Greek ep 6

Okay, now that’s much better. 

After last week’s tiff, Greek and I are back on good terms again as this week’s show went a long way towards making up for last week’s dull-ish one.  Horror movie homage was the order of the episode, with all 3 plotlines affectionately spoofing scary tales from both screen and urban legend.  Take a little Alien parody, add a dash of girlie ghost story, and then serve with a dollop of pseudo-slasher movie on the side, all in the unique Greek platter.  Hey presto! You have a very funny episode. 

To be scrupulously fair and reviewer-like, none of it was at all original, but it was done in such a good-natured and witty way, I didn’t care.  Yet again, Greek, you win me over.  I’m such a soft touch….

As if comedy and parody weren’t enough, we had a bit of melody as well with the added treat of the Plain White T’s appearing as the Kappa Tau fraternity house band.  And very good they were too, but sadly I wouldn’t recognise the Plain White T’s if I fell over them,  and so I didn’t register who they were, just that they were a proper band as opposed to a random gathering of musicians.  I only found out later that they were the same “proper band” responsible for one of my favourite songs of last year.  Next time boys, could you play “Hey There Delilah”?  Just for me, Okay?  All together now, “Oh, it’s what you do to me…..”

Greek ep 5

Ok, the love train is taking a detour this week - I’m not doing a positive review of Greek. 

Maybe it’s not the frat boys, maybe it’s me, but I was a bit bored watching this episode.  Not enough time spent on the funnier boys, and too much time spent on the deeply boring relationship issues which beset sorority girl Casey and her cheating, but rich boyfriend Evan.  Social climbing as love story is not something I find particularly heartwarming, and both these characters can be fairly objectionable separately, let alone together.  Throw in the one-note slinky villainess Rebecca, the irritating “cheatee” to Evan’s “cheater”, and Casey’s “cheated” and I’m almost gnawing at my remote control. 

The time spent this week with the characters who are actually funny and likeable seemed brief, and a little lackluste.  More and funnier next week please.  Because the thing to remember about trains?  We can always get off them completely.

Greek ep 4

Greek is hilarious. 

How many times can I get away with describing it as very funny and very sweet?  I don’t know.  But there’s no better way to describe it.

It’s not sappy, don’t get me wrong.  A lot of the comedy has a bit of an edge, some of the sorority and fraternity politics are downright nast-ay, and the writers are unstinting in reminding us about what a fraternity is all about – as Rusty’s fraternity president Cappie pointed out, it’s “drinking and hot chicks”.  Y’all know I am not, ahem, ”down” with that kind of attitude.  However, the jokes unfailingly hit the mark, and the characters are all fantastic fun - flaws, foibles and all. 

Take this week for instance.  Cappie’s fraternity took on their arch-rivals, the Omega Chi’s, led by Evan, his rival for Rusty’s sister’s affections, in a game of floor hockey.  Rusty, with the help of his roommate Dale, tried to work out how he could win the match using physics.  Yes, physics.

The concept of a battle of “Good v Evan” (Another Cappie quote – Ha!) is pretty cliched.  Even the physics thing has been done before. They did it with figure skating in Ice Princess, for crying out loud.  So it should have had me groaning.  But it didn’t.  I enjoyed it hugely, and that can only be due to the witty writing and the captivating performances. 

Jacob Zachar is flawless as Rusty, his naivete and innate goodness coming across loud and clear.  Clark Duke is a perfect Dale, displaying such deft comic timing that a character who could have been difficult to like is impossible to dislike.  And Scott M Foster’s is the star turn thus far – he is charming and hilarious as almost-professional partier Cappie,  who you could never take home to your mother in real life, but on tv, well…..I’ll let you finish that sentence for yourselves. 

Greek ep 3

Gosh, this was all a bit risque.  Very funny, but definitely on the saucy side, concentrating as it did wholly on attitudes to sex.  Right from the unfortunate sorority new girls’ “grinding” routine at the beginning, this was pretty provocative for anything pretending to be a teen comedy – even if it is largely for adults - but then when I was a young’un, Saved by the Bell was teen comedy so I guess teens now are a bit more wordly wise. 

Anyway, it was bawdy but witty, clever stuff.  Cappie’s explanation of “Chucky D’s” theory of evolution boiling down to “Survival of the flirtiest” has got to rank as the best explanation of Darwinism ever.  Dale’s Purity Pledge group punching the air and shouting “Amen” as a kind of team chant was hilarious but the portrayal of Dale – Rusty’s uber-conservative roommate - is beginning to make me a bit uncomfortable despite my laughing uproariously.  Don’t get me wrong, he is the funniest character in the show, but I’m beginning to feel a bit guilty laughing at his excesses.  He is painted as a caricature of a religious obssessive but without a counterfoil of a reasonable religious character, I wonder how fair that is?  Mind you, he does sometimes give some good advice, particularly regarding Rusty’s relationship with his sister, so maybe I’m the one being unfair to the programme makers.