Smiles Lacking at HAPPYLAND

Article first published as HAPPYLAND Review on Seat42F.

MTV’s newest venture, HAPPYLAND, seems more like an ABC Family series than a program that belongs on the network once home to music videos. The half hour dramedy features much drama, mostly at the hands of an extremely rare situation, one that most viewers will never experience or even meet someone who has experienced. The story seems to be focused on overcoming adversity and is made up of characters who will pull together in heartwarming ways. But there’s an edginess in the premise that ABC Family is still a few years away from reaching, so perhaps that’s why it landed on a network that is OK with being inappropriate a bit more often.

HAPPYLAND takes place at a theme park that is clearly modeled on Disney, given the range of costumed and human characters that work there, though Disney would never license their material for a project like this. We quickly meet Lucy Velez (Bianca A. Santos, The Fosters), a smart teen who wants to escape this empty, near-poverty lifestyle she is following her mother, Elena (Camille Guaty, Prison Break), into at the titular place. This is derailed as she tries to cover for her mother’s mistakes.

Elena herself seems a totally uneven character. She is a bit loose, so that lines up with her teenage pregnancy, but she’s responsible enough that she’s never missed a performance in fifteen years. Yet, she misses one in the pilot, and the park is ready to fire such a long-time, reliable employee for one mistake? And she always show up for work but she has trouble paying the rent on time? I don’t really understand what type of person HAPPYLAND is trying to build with her.

Lucy is easier to figure out, a stock character seen way too many times. She’s a girl who is supposedly independent and strong-willed, but all it takes is one cute guy being nice to her to ruin her willpower. This, despite the fact that the guy exhibits bad tendencies at their first meeting, and shouldn’t be able to make up for things so easily. Lucy also has a weak spot for her mother, but that’s a little more understandable, as many kids will protect and only believe the best about their parents long after being disillusioned out of a desire to restore an earlier balance.

The guy that gets in Lucy’s way in HAPPYLAND is Ian Chandler (Shane Harper, Awkward.), the son of the park’s owner. He is first seen smoking pot in a character costume, and passes out during a show. Yet his abs and gentlemanly conduct when later wearing princely garb knocks down all of Lucy’s defenses. One may assume he is just having a bad day at the beginning, rebelling about getting into the family business like his more responsible brother, Theodore (Ryan Rottman, Gigantic), has done. But it’s hard to tell because Ian has basically no character development in this pilot.

Anyone who has been following along this article the least bit will probably assume that Ian and Lucy are the central couple of HAPPYLAND, and that’s the way it looks as the episode comes to an end. But the twist of the series (and I feel comfortable spoiling it here since it’s been covered extensively in the press) is that the two share a dad, something they don’t find out about until after they kiss. It’s an icky, icky situation.

The first episode ends abruptly with this revelation, so it’s hard to tell were the show will go from there. I tried skimming the second episode sent to press, but it just had the pair fighting with each other, and considering how bad I think this series is, I couldn’t keep going to try to figure out what the equilibrium will end up being, which I don’t think will be settled quickly. Surely, even MTV wouldn’t let (half-?) siblings date for any length of time, so the relationship between Lucy and Ian will have to be one of siblings, not lovers. But that’s not the vibe being put off in the first episode.

While HAPPYLAND’s tale is conceivable, it’s certainly not a set of circumstances viewers will be able to relate to, nor is it ripe for good character study. Instead, it seems offensive purely for the shock factor, and will make a weak premise to drive the show forward. I don’t know where HAPPYLAND is going, but I’m exiting the ride right now before it makes me any more nauseous, which, for the record, is being caused more by the overall poor production than the kiss itself.

HAPPYLAND premieres Tuesday, September 30^th at 11 p.m. ET.

Ending Far From AWKWARD.

Article first published as Ending Far From AWKWARD. on TheTVKing.

MTV's Awkward. has easily been, hands down, the best series the network has ever produced. This week, the third season ends with "Who I Want to Be," which also marks the last episode helmed by creator Lauren Iungerich. The hour-long installment, double the length of the typical episode (as was last week's penultimate), fittingly brings central character Jenna (Ashley Rickards), and others, full circle. It could easily have served as a series finale - though Awkward. will continue on with a new showrunner next year.

Awkward. begins with a letter. Jenna's mother, Lacey (Nikki Deloach), anonymously sends her daughter a list of things to change about herself. The author is the mystery of season one, and Jenna is quite effected by the words. When it comes out that Lacey is responsible, it almost ruins Jenna's parents' marriage, and fractures the relationship between mother and daughter.

The story has moved past that, but it's appropriate to bring it up again now. Jenna has undergone quite a few changes this year, going through a phase where she cheated on her boyfriend and fell out with her besties. In "Who I Want to Be," she has mostly succeeded in rebuilding what she destroyed and is trying to figure out the type of person she should be going forward. This letter is part of her growth, a catalyst really, and she considers it along with her answer, as she should.

Lacey finds Jenna reading the letter and the two have a moving heart-to-heart. They've suffered tribulations together and come out the other side stronger than ever, both individually and as a pair. It's a reflective scene which really tells us who the women are, how far they've come and what they mean to one another. Both actresses do a terrific job with this emotional stuff, and many viewers will likely be moved to tears by the result. I dare say this may be my favorite moment of the year, if not the show as a whole.

Jenna's introspection comes because of an assignment from Mr. Hart (Anthony Michael Hall). Although the teacher seems grumpy and abrasive, if not downright cruel, at the start, there's something really cool about the way he and Jenna connect, and how he pushes Jenna to do her best work. She has talent in the field of writing, and he knows how to manipulate her to bring out the best. That, combined with the experiences Jenna has had, allow her to figure out both what to put and how to act. I hope this dynamic continues, as Jenna still could take things much further.

A lot of Awkward. has concerned Jenna and boys, which is expected for a story about a teenage girl. First she was with Matty (Beau Mirchoff), then Jake (Brett Davern), then back with Matty, then Collin (Nolan Funk), the latter being a physical attraction only. And part of "Who I Want to Be" does find Jenna pining over Matty, who she has not gotten over. She wants him to ask her to prom and he doesn't.

But that's not all Jenna is. Some girls may pin themselves to a guy, however, there is more to Jenna. She gets to tell Collin off in a triumphant moment. She tells Matty the door is still open for him, but she also knows she's survive, even thrive, if he never comes back to her. Then, even better, she dances by herself at the prom, happy and confident, not needing anyone else. This doesn't mean she's lonely; in fact, she's never been more solid with her loved ones. It just shows that she's a full individual who has accepted herself and is ready to move on to the next chapter of her life, whatever that may be.

Jenna isn't the only one who's blossomed. Ming (Jessica Lu) has found her confidence and her place. Tamara (Jillian Rose Reed) and Jake have bliss. Lacey regrets mistakes she's made because she's learned not to make them again. Matty is able to heal and enjoy himself with Bailey (McKaley Miller), a worthy date. Even Sadie (Molly Tarlov) has to smile, in love with a boy named Austin (Shane Harper), who gets her in a way no one else ever has.

"Who I Want to Be" is mostly about Jenna, though, as it should be. She's the heart of the show and the reason why we tune in. There's only been one brief period I didn't like her and had trouble relating (during this year's destructive phase), but the finale of this season makes that other stuff worth it. A person is not created already fully-formed, and over three glorious seasons, we've witnessed the evolution of Jenna. Beautiful.

Awkward. will return for a fourth season sometime in 2014 on MTV.