Eastwick Premier Thoughts
Hmmmm, I don’t know what to say about “Eastwick.” Did it suck? No. However why didn’t it suck? Probably because so far it’s just been a retelling of a good book turned movie staring awesome people. If you’ve seen the original movie, there is no way you can’t watch the show and draw comparisons. I have not read the book by John Updike, so I can’t even begin to draw comparisons to it.
If you’ve read the book or seen the original movie, there isn’t much I can recap that you don’t know. If you haven’t . . . . um at least go rent the original movie! The pilot/season premier basically just introduced us to the three main characters: Joanna (Lindsey Price) who is a newspaper reporter (aka the nerdy girl), Roxanna (Rebecca Romijn) who is an artist (aka the town slut -Cher’s character-) and Kat (Jamie Ray Newman) who is a nurse (aka the woman trapped in a bad marriage with a buttload of kids). Then there is Paul Gross as Daryl Van Horne (aka The Devil). (Side Note: Daryl is the only one keeping the name from the movie, not sure about the book).
Basically three women living in the town of Eastwick who have separate lives, don’t like each other, but come together one night and make a wish to spark up their dreary lives. Into town walks the devil who not only grants their wish, but sparks hidden powers inside of them. In this episode they meet the devil and realize they each have a different power. Joanna can influence men to do what she wants. Roxanna dreams the future. Finally Kat can control the powers of the earth (via thunder, lightening, earthquakes, etc).
Again the first episode didn’t suck, but I felt like I was simply watching a retelling of the movie. Where it will go, how it will deviate? Who knows! It will be interesting to see what they do. I did feel like I was also watching a retelling of “Charmed” in a way with the three powers. That and the fact that only one of the three (Kat) had a cool power (see Shannan Doherty in Charmed!).
Your thoughts and opinions?
I liked it. I think it will be great Wensday night fun. It really reminded me of Desperate Housewives with the narrator. The teenage daughter and all. But still fun. Good Escape.
09.23.2009 at 11:15 pm
On the “Charmed” comment, as someone who has taught a course in magic and religion . . . let me say yes I’m well aware that the trifecta of powerful females is a cultural staple (McBeth, the Fates, Clash of the Titans, Charmed, Wiz of Oz – oh yes there is no witch of the South!)
09.24.2009 at 3:15 am
I liked it, i found the way they are retelling and expanding on the basic ideas of the story was great. I wondered how they were going to deal with all the sex from the original story and it at least has me interested enough to give it a shot for a few weeks to see where it goes. It kinda seemed like its not exactly a retelling of the story but like the Devil has returned to Eastwick. Daryl kinda reminded me of a younger sexier Chris Noth (Mr. Big Sex in the City).
09.24.2009 at 1:15 pm
Overall I liked it. I really don’t like the nurses husband. For some reason I have a hard time believing a judge would give him custody of the kids, seeing that he is an angry drunk with no jobs and will claim that his wife struck him with ligthening. I haven’t seen the movie or read the book, so I could be wrong on that, I plan on renting it this weekend.
09.25.2009 at 12:29 pm
Also Dustin, you forgot about Veronica Cartwright she was the only one who was actally in the 1987 movie the witches of Eastwick she played Felicia Alden 🙂 in the movie but in the tv version she plays Bun who narrated and was attacked by killer red Aunts!!
09.27.2009 at 11:43 am