High School Reunion - Week 1

So the new season's premiere was tonight and it was everything I predicted and more. I watched it with Joe O and his bf Shane (they could not have been less interested, but were pretty good sports about it). This season is pretty similar to the previous ones but they did throw in some twists.

I was not expecting that one of the participants, Matt, would be a single father whose wife had died from a rejected liver transplant 7 months prior to the reunion. Every time he talks about his wife in the confessional he cries (I can't tell at this point whether I'm going to find it endearing or annoying). It looks like the producers are pretty invested in helping him to get on with his life because he was one of two people to receive a Hall Pass on the first day, but I'm getting ahead of myself. Here's the break down of the house-mates:

Deanna "The Popular Girl" - Deanna has been married and divorced 4 times since she graduated from high school. See received the first hall pass of the season and promptly asked Justin to go with her. She was tossing some pretty strong "kiss me" hints his way but he was a total puss and didn't try anything. Dude, she's been MARRIED and DIVORCED 4 times in 20 years - a girl has to move fast to maintain that kind of momentum! I think going to first base is pretty much guaranteed.

Justin "The Pipsqueak" - Justin was completely forgettable in high school but 20 years can change a lot and Justin is definitely not to be over-looked these days. But he does need to strap on a pair of cachones - maybe Kat can lend him hers.

Kat "The Lesbian" - Kat and her girlfriend of 5 years are taking a "break" leaving her free and clear to explore her "bi-curiosity." This particular twist REEKS of Producer interference but we'll see how it plays out.

Cheryl "The Outsider" - Cheryl didn't run with the in crowd at school (which was made completely obvious when no one could place her as she walked into the reunion). She's got 10 days to make an impression.

Jason "The Bully" - Jason sounds (and, let's face it, looks) like your typical douche bag bully. In his introduction he owns up to his bullying past and insists he wants to show that he's really a decent, sensitive guy. If I know anything about this show (and I do) he's got a big old bucket of come-uppance coming his way. Pay back's a bitch.

Yvette "The girl Next Door" - Yvette is currently my favorite - mostly because I like her hair and she seems pretty level-headed. Looks like she may have her sights set on Matt.

Kristin "The Spoiled Girl" - So far, we've learned nothing about Kristin except that her parents spoiled her. The best thing about her is that her eyes literally doubled in size when Kat announced that she has been dating a woman for 5 years. LITERALLY DOUBLED IN SIZE - it was hilarious.

Lana "The Drama Queen" - Lana married her high school sweetheart, Mike, but it didn't work out and they are now divorced. I think Drama Queen says it all.

Mike "The Rebel" - Of Mike and Lana (who didn't see that one coming?). We all agreed that he seems like a big baby. He also looks shockingly like what my college bf (the dreaded ex) probably looks like today. All short and bald with monkey ears and a bad personality. I'm just saying.

Rob "The Stud" - Rob was a typical football player man whore. I'm sure he'll get some play at some point during the reunion - I'm thinking Kat may give him a little slap and tickle - word of advice, make sure he double bags that mofo. There's no telling where it's been.

The first episode really focused on introducing the class but this group has already shown their potential to get down and dirty. Mike took the first opportunity he had to sneak into Lana's room and draw a mustache on her HS yearbook picture. I'm thinking that's something that a 7th grade girl would do - or a producer on the View... but I digress. Lana confronted him about it and I think the house mates got a pretty good idea of why she's not married to Mr. Monkey anymore. This is just a guess, but I'm predicting that, after 9 days of battle, they're going to kiss and make up at the prom (the final episode) and leave the island as friends.

Justin, following a night of drinking and playing truth or dare in the hot tub (where he ended up kissing Kat) finally negotiated a kiss with "4 times a bride" by daring HER to kiss HIM. I think she's going to have to resort to rufies in his drink if she ever wants to seal the deal.

I will be following all the twists and turns, and reporting them here, as the season progresses. When it comes to High School, I really only have one thing to say. Thank God, you can't go back again.
photo courtesy of Justin

You Look, um... Great?

There have been about a trillion reality shows that have zipped past the rage-a-holic radar without even making a blip, but when a show registers, It's time to fall deeply, madly in love.

Such was the case with a little show on the (now defunct) WB. High School Reunion!

For anyone who's never seen the show, let me give you the run down. They select a high-school, look at the graduating class from 10 years prior, choose "archetype" characters - i.e. the prom queen, the class clown, the cool guy, the fat girl (these are all actual designations from previous seasons) and then put them all together at a mansion in Hawaii for a week.

The show concentrates on single (read unmarried) classmates and often bring together couples who were crazy about each other in school, or maybe just had a crazy crush on one of their classmates. The show's specialty has been to cast high school sweethearts who married young and have since divorced - DRAMA. Stir in a ton of free booze and you have the making of one hell of a show.

They go on day trips together, sometimes in a large group, but more often segregated by gender to bond and gossip. And every once in a while someone gets a "Hall Pass" where they get to go have a one-on-one excursion with someone else from the house. Usually the hall passes involve an activity, a private dining room, huge amounts of booze and a secluded overnight cabin. Boy + girl + booze - inhibitions = great TV!

It always amazed me that, no matter how accomplished the participants had been since high school, or how much they'd changed, once they all get together they would completely revert to 17 year olds including huge amounts of drama, squabbling and gossip. That being said, it really is a sweet show. I have spoken about how much I loved it ever since it's cancellation (it ran from 2003-2005). Thank you, TV Land, for having the wisdom to bring it back. The premiere will be on March 5th dates and I will be blogging that, and every, episode. NEW TWIST - this season will reunite the classmates of J.J. Pearce High School in Dallas, Texas who haven't seen each other in 20 years! Here's to the class of 1987!
To learn more visit http://www.tvland.com/originals/highschoolreunion/