first off: yay CBS for actually making a good show!! I mean, what, are we in our 10th season of JAG?
this show reminds me of My So-Called Life. and that's nothing to sneeze at. it's certainly not _as_ good, but it has the same feel with its realistic characters (and not just the main characters, but the supporting ones, too). it seems like kids who are teenagers now would relate to this show like kids of my generation related to MSCL in the 90s. I think the writers need to make the parents a little more accessible, but the way they show the many facets of the younger characters, especially Joan and her brothers, is really impressive.
the x-factor: Joan hangs out with God. I'm not a religious person, and if there are supposed to be religious overtones in this show, I'm not feeling them. It's almost like God is the trusty alien sidekick or something like that. It's cool, because even though I personally don't believe in God, I certainly have friends who do, and who knows? They might talk to God, too. It's nice that a TV show can address religion, which is such a part of so many people's lives, in a non-preachy way.
the show, however, isn't about religion. it's about a middle-class white suburban family and their personal struggles. I feel like the show could go up or down from here. there have been some really unique and interesting story lines (Joan's tame relationship with the "stoner"/artist Adam, the questioning of Grace's sexuality, the art-teacher mother's rediscovering of the art she created after being raped) and even the story lines that seem more boring and uninspired seem to be coming around (the condescending-macho chief of police dad being demoted, the wheelchair-bound former-star-athlete older brother regaining his confidence and returning to "player" status, despite his disabilities)
I think the show's sometimes-slow pace is a testament to how long it might last. I hope it stays around for a while, at least, even if I do have to keep staying in for a while on Friday nights :)
