I think it’s important to state that I am Quarterlife’s target demographic. I know exactly what these characters are feeling and going through. The only difference is that I choose to deal with my problems in a mature adult way rather than in a teen angst kind of way. Needless to say, I begrudgingly sat through the one-hour pilot of Quarterlife just so I could write a fair review for it.
Marshall Herskovitz, the producer behind the ‘90s teen angst drama My So Called Life wrote, directed and produced Quarterlife with what seems to be leftover storylines and whining scenes that Clare Danes should’ve performed. Courteney Cox look-alike Bitsie Tulloch plays the protagonist, Dylan, who is very whiny and Meredith Grey-esque. Dylan publishes her life in a video-blog called “Quarterlife.” In this blog, Dylan speaks the truth about everyone she is friends with, and yet, she can’t be honest with herself about her feelings for her friend Jed. The first blog entry sets up the basic plotline of the series. Dylan has two roommates: Lisa is a blond wannabe actress who uses sex as a confidence booster and Debra is a bookish brunette who is dating the boyish Danny. Danny lives across the street with his best friend and business partner Jed (Dylan’s crush) who is hopelessly in love with Debra. Get it? It’s a love rectangle with one extra cast member who runs around town having sex with strangers and singing emotionally charged karaoke songs at the bar she works at. It’s like Friends meets Coyote Ugly, only not entertaining, funny or musically appealing.
Forgetting the predictable plotline, the performances by the actors are, to quote Jed, “medium okay” at best. Tulloch is even more annoying and whiny than Ellen Pompeo on Grey’s Anatomy or Jennifer Aniston on Friends. Michelle Lombardo (Debra) gives a lackluster, forgettable and unconvincing performance. It’s really hard to believe that two men are in love with her, which can also be attributed to the writing. It’s painful to watch the lines come out of Lombardo’s mouth. I feel as if the original actress for the role of Debra had to drop out last minute, so Lombardo took her place without ever practicing the lines or figuring out a personality for the character. Maite Schwartz and David Walton, who play Lisa and Danny, are just as dull as Lombardo. The only silver lining to this show is Scott M. Foster who plays Jed. Foster is well known for ABC Family’s surprise hit Greek. Foster gives the most convincing performance of a lovable and emotionally torn character who can’t get the one woman he loves. However, even Foster’s newfound fame cannot save this show.
The other troubling aspect of the show is the direction, cameras and lighting. It is dimly lit and almost gritty looking—something most soap operas steer clear of. One explanation for the poor lighting and shaky camera exposure is that Quarterlife was originally supposed to be a web-only broadcast; however, NBC decided to go ahead and air it. NBC should’ve reconsidered this decision because the lighting and camera effects make it almost unbearable to watch. The show just looks like a bunch of wannabe actors filming themselves in hopes of winning amateur night at their local film festival only to lose out because they lack a crucial element to the entertainment industry: talent. This technologically challenged show looks more suitable for MTV than NBC.
There isn’t anything remotely interesting about this show. This is surprising because even the worst dramas out there have a killer soundtrack or a fashionable wardrobe so that maybe the audience can forget about the abysmal writing. Quarterlife doesn’t even have those things.
The message of the show seems to be that twenty-somethings are even whinier than teens—something that will seem highly offensive and derogatory to its target audience.
Forgetting the predictable plotline, the performances by the actors are, to quote Jed, “medium okay” at best. Tulloch is even more annoying and whiny than Ellen Pompeo on Grey’s Anatomy or Jennifer Aniston on Friends. Michelle Lombardo (Debra) gives a lackluster, forgettable and unconvincing performance. It’s really hard to believe that two men are in love with her, which can also be attributed to the writing. It’s painful to watch the lines come out of Lombardo’s mouth. I feel as if the original actress for the role of Debra had to drop out last minute, so Lombardo took her place without ever practicing the lines or figuring out a personality for the character. Maite Schwartz and David Walton, who play Lisa and Danny, are just as dull as Lombardo. The only silver lining to this show is Scott M. Foster who plays Jed. Foster is well known for ABC Family’s surprise hit Greek. Foster gives the most convincing performance of a lovable and emotionally torn character who can’t get the one woman he loves. However, even Foster’s newfound fame cannot save this show.
The other troubling aspect of the show is the direction, cameras and lighting. It is dimly lit and almost gritty looking—something most soap operas steer clear of. One explanation for the poor lighting and shaky camera exposure is that Quarterlife was originally supposed to be a web-only broadcast; however, NBC decided to go ahead and air it. NBC should’ve reconsidered this decision because the lighting and camera effects make it almost unbearable to watch. The show just looks like a bunch of wannabe actors filming themselves in hopes of winning amateur night at their local film festival only to lose out because they lack a crucial element to the entertainment industry: talent. This technologically challenged show looks more suitable for MTV than NBC.
There isn’t anything remotely interesting about this show. This is surprising because even the worst dramas out there have a killer soundtrack or a fashionable wardrobe so that maybe the audience can forget about the abysmal writing. Quarterlife doesn’t even have those things.
The message of the show seems to be that twenty-somethings are even whinier than teens—something that will seem highly offensive and derogatory to its target audience.
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