Watching The CW

Hats off to the Powers That Be as they managed to trick me into thinking that they had copped out on the conclusion to Eddie’s death AND left the door open for a possible sequel (but not enough for us to be too bummed out if they don’t).

First off Eddie’s laptop is the smoking gun, Greta is the key (though not in the way we’d imagined) and I am amazed that Johnny was able to do anything given the amount of time he spent making out with Greta.

Just to recap on the B-story lines. Nicki is channeling Rachel from the early seasons of Friends and is trying to cut it as a waitress whilst rebuffing Cliff’s advances. Bob and Karen are still bickering over nothing, and in a complete U-turn Johnny counsels his mom to stay with Bob. Let’s just say that both couples make up.

Skip and Maria (Eddie’s Mom) are lurking in corners, deflecting any questions regarding Eddie or each other, and acting suspicious. Johnny manages to connect to Maria, and explains why getting to the bottom of Eddie’s suicide is so important. Skip takes it up a notch and starts getting mean and nasty with Maria (he does not take too kindly to being blackmailed), and we learn that they were once an item.

After an abortive attempt by Cliff to gain the smoking laptop (as a way of currying favor with Nicki via Johnny) Liza decides to break in. It is dark, and she stumbles over something (or someone). It is Eddie’s mom! She has left a suicide note that she was unable to live with her part in Eddie’s death. At this point I was not best pleased and was screaming “That can’t be it!!!” and thankfully it wasn’t. After much slow motion hugging (and Skip creeping off with the laptop) Johnny returns home to discover an email from Maria.

OMG. Eddie accuses his Mom and Skip of killing Greta’s mother. Eddie has a gun, there is a struggle with Skip and the gun goes off.

Any other thoughts on Hidden Palms lurking in cyberspace?

The CW, Hidden Palms

WOW! Can we please fast forward to next week so we can find out who murdered Eddie and more importantly why. As we know from tonight’s episode that it was no teen suicide.

In the first of tonight’s episode sKaren (Johnny’s mother) throws a birthday party for Tess (Cliff’s mother) and it was so destined to end in tears as Tess had roped in her gay golf-pro to pose as her boyfriend (to make Greta’s pa jealous - it didn’t work). Nicki walked in on Cliff and Nina (Eddie’s mother) and then spent the rest of the evening crying. Is it just me or does she spend every episode crying? Johnny was refreshingly assertive when he confronted Greta over the bloody angel costume, no pussy footing about but he did risk sending her into a catatonic shock as he confronted her in his bedroom (which is of course where Eddie died).

The next episode was more on making up with Bob and Karen, Nicki and Cliff, Johnny and Greta, etc. The biggest twist, that blows everything out of the water, is that Eddie’s mother Nina is Lady MacBeth. She has blood over her hands and has Greta’s dad “the lawyer” covering up her tracks… Including staging the suicide of Eddie!!!! And she was faking being the grieving mother and being a recluse for the past year!!!

Roll on 4th July there will be fireworks in Hidden Palms.

The CW, Hidden Palms

Another double whammy of two Hidden Palms episodes this week. I hope they keep the momentum going as much as last week. Just to recap:

Liza and Eddie were secret friends, and she saw Cliff and Greta running out of Eddie’s house on the night of his “suicide”.

Cliff is sleeping with Nicki AND Eddie’s mother Mrs Nolan. But did he really sleep with Greta before Eddie’s death? And why does he have Greta’s bloody angle costume hidden in his bedroom - is that the hold he has over Greta?

Johnny’s step dad Bob really isn’t all that bad when you compare him to Greta’s nightmare of a father.

Here is the promo for tonight’s episode…

The CW, Hidden Palms, YouTube

I am now only one episode behind on the goings on in Palm Springs, and it is getting better (or perhaps it’s the sunstroke making me think that).

Johnny is still investigating Eddie’s death and the kicker is that little Miss Mousy (aka Liza) is actually the one who has been messaging Johnny. And she claims that it was Cliff and Greta who murdered Johnny. Hmm, Liza is quite the voyeur hauled up in her garage doing those “experiments”. But could she have mis seen something? Perhaps it is Liza Johnny needs to worry about as she developes a fascination for boys who live in his house and she does have access to all those toxic chemicals.

Cliff is still really annoying and he has a potentially weird relationship with his mother (and Greta and Nicki and Johnny). However, must give him snaps for getting rid of his mother’s latest nere-do-well boyfriend. Then there is Nicki, who at times feels like an afterthought - is she just here remind us that Johnny had been through rehab? She is the quintessential sad party girl but she has a potential savor in Jesse-Jo.

Not up to Supernatural’s standard but not a bad summer filler. Even if you do end up feeling rather dehydrated after an episode.

The CW, Hidden Palms

Approaching the half way mark in this drama, and I am forced to ask myself the question is anyone else watching it? Tonight Johnny goes off in search of Eddie’s mother and does Liza know more than she is letting on….

Enjoy the trailer!

The CW, Hidden Palms, YouTube

Watching Hidden Palms is like slowly peeling an onion, and this episode left me wondering if we were any further in the plot.

Our Johnny appears to be settling into life on Palms Springs; flitting between AA meetings and hanging by the pool at the country club (hard life - eh!). Out of the blue his friend Nicki - from rehab - turns up to spice things up and she is not as devoted to the steps as Johnny. Nicki gets wasted at the country club auction and mixes things up with Greta and Johnny. Johnny is being contacted by a mysterious IM buddy (08Nova) who at first warned him and then sent him footage of Eddie.

A few thoughts…

- Cliff is still an ass and wanders about thinking he is Lex Luther (which he is so not!).
- Greta has hidden depth because she reads.
- Bob, Johnny’s step dad, knew that someone committed suicide in Johnny’s room but when ahead and purchased the house anyway. Bob use to be a business of Johnny’s dad and this could explain the hostility between Bob and Johnny. I am beginning to get a Hamlet vibe from the whole set up.
- Liza’s character appears to be from Happy Days. She is just too wholesome to be true.
- Who is 08Nova? Liza or Cliff or Greta or is Eddie back from the dead?

The CW, Hidden Palms, Ghosts, Taylor Handley, Amber Heard, Michael Cassidy

I’ve been trying to find a promo for tonight’s episode in YouTube but to no avail - does that mean the show aint getting enough love?

Tonight Johnny sets out to woo Greta except his girlfriend from rehab turns up, and she is not quite as into the steps as Johnny is. We learn more about Eddie’s mysterious death via an email attachment.

The CW, Hidden Palms

Not much happened in this first episode; the ground work laid for what might happen in the future and hints at the past:

- Our Johnny has gone from straight A student to ex-rehab slacker since his father commit suicide in front of him
- His mother remarried way too quickly
- To the dulcet tones of Ms Winehouse we discover that Johnny has not only been to rehab but his mother has relocated them to Palm Springs with his shiny new step-dad
- Some guy called Eddie use to live in Johnny’s house but died (home owners society are glad it sold after all)
- Johnny took his father’s drunk parting words to heart as he now carries a camera around with him as an artistic outlet

The neighbors are an intentionally weird (and somewhat tired) bunch working oh so hard to stand out:

- The mayor, his third wife (who has vodka smoothies for breakfast) and his daughter who is working at the country club over the summer to learn what it is like to be a regular person
- Tomboy Liza who blows up her parents garage and has a crush on Johnny (will he ever notice her)
- Preppy, trickster Cliff who may or may not be the devil in carnet
- Tortured soul Greta, who scampers about golf courses at night and is tangled up in something with Cliff
- Jessy Jo the drag queen who Johnny meets at AA

Well, that’s Hidden Palms see how it continues next week and who knows perhaps it will push up sales of Pablo Neruda ‘Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair’.

The CW, Hidden Palms, Kevin Williamson, Pablo Neruda

The new teen-centric drama starts tonight at 8:00pm, check out the promo and fingers crossed it will entertain us over the long summer nights.

The CW, Hidden Palms, YouTube

Something new and shiny coming to the CW on Tuesday nights for the summer… Hidden Palms. Trying very hard not to pass judgment until I get a few episodes under my belt and I am just relieved there will be something fresh on (other than Friday Night Smackdown).

I think the show is going for southern California with hidden depth and pale shades of David Lynch (perhaps). Johnny, our protagonist, is a 16yr old of rehab and with his family trying to start a fresh in Palm Springs. Looks like there will be a whole rota of troubled souls that pass the way of our Johnny, and there is the underlying mystery to be solved. Add a straight talking drag queen - who serves as Johnny’s AA sponsor - to the mix and it can’t all be bad!

The CW, Hidden Palms, Friday Night Smackdown