south of nowhere

Showing posts with label south of nowhere. Show all posts
Showing posts with label south of nowhere. Show all posts

11/11/2015

South of Nowhere Full Review


So here it is. The last South of Nowhere post on my blog.

To start off, I should mention the numbers for each season. Yeah, if you read my episode-by-episode recaps, you can tell when I started getting bored to tears.

7- Season One
7.5- Season Two

6- Season Three

Season one was actually not terrible. The ridiculous production (and the fact that I could have very easily done a count of mics in shots were a bit tiring) was the main reason I can't give this a very high score. Also, the fact that some characters never really had a personality other than the people they slept with was annoying. And then there's the fact that just about every single episode had a '______ here is bad!!!' theme. I get it, it's meant for teens. I just want the message to be subtle and last for more than an episode.

Season two was better. Yeah, this is the season where possibly the most annoying character got spit out into the series, but still, there was so much good in it. Such as Chelsea and Clay. And Spencer.

Season three? Oh, boy! Okay, first off, did they dump the camera (and the cameraman) they had in the second season in the river? Also, why did Aiden and Ashley ever get back together? Why was there a focus on the fame aspect of the show? I started watching the show for an adopted son and a daughter confused about her sexuality. Not about these two sisters who became famous and how, "Oh woe is me I'm no longer famous!"

Okay, the ending of the show wasn't that bad. It was a pretty fulfilling episode. Our favorite couples got together. Blah blah blah.

There were points (especially at season three) where I wanted to stop watching. The fact that the show switched from being this show about a girl confused about her sexuality to a show about how these two sisters yet again managed to fuck up being famous was annoying. I just wanted to end it, so I will admit I rushed the last few episodes. I'm probably never going to rewatch it, but I think I'll always feel that pain when I just really wanted Ashley and Spencer to finally kiss whenever someone mentions this show.

I only ended up liking a few characters. I ended up disliking Ashley because of the whole fame storyline. Glen wasn't as bad as I thought he was going to be. Aiden bored me. Kyla had no redeeming qualities. Chelsea is still precious and so's Spencer. Mom and Dad of Spencer and Glen (and the late Clay) turned out a bit better than I expected. Although I wanted a really fucked up divorce between the parents that ended horribly. I know, horrible. 

I'm sad that Clay wasn't on for the rest of the series. I'm glad that the actor realized the fault in his views after leaving the show and grew, though. And even if that meant Clay had to go, I guess it was for the better.

The show was groundbreaking for the time. I mean, this show kind of feels like a building block to Faking It. Now on Faking It, there's an intersex character, a bisexual character, a lesbian character, a gay one.... I don't even remember how many members of the LGBT+ community there is on that show.

I'm glad that this series changed a lot of girls' lives that were confused about their sexuality. That's such a beautiful thing that creators get to experience (that I would love to experience).

And you know what? That's what matters to you. The series changed your life, so I'll let you rejoice in the fact you had it.




South of Nowhere RECAP/REVIEW: 3x16


This is it. The last episode. I'll have a separate blog post to really go in-depth scheduled after this one.

The good:

  • Chelsea is going to Paris! 
  • I love all the moments with Chelsea and Glen's parents. Even if Chelsea doesn't want Glen to go to Paris, I'm glad they can still be friends. 
  • Shawn's quote, "If we stop growing, we die." How beautiful. 
  • Glen isn't going to Paris, but you know what? Chelsea and him are going to make it. He's going to go to college. 
  • "Yeah, you assumed. But why didn't you just ask me?" OH MY GOD. IF THEY JUST REALIZED THIS EARLIER SPENCER AND ASHLEY WOULD HAVE GOTTEN TOGETHER SOONER. NO BULLSHIT. 
  • Aw, the video for graduation. I like how it frames how beautiful Spencer's mother's character development has gone. 
  • Our OTPs are endgame. 
    • Spencer is going to UCLA! Ashley and Spencer are moving in together!
The bad:
  • STILL the shaky camera stuff. Why is it so bad this season?!
  • Okay, so you're telling me that Ashley, a famous girl, is going to be upset that Spencer might go to Boston for school? Don't you have money?
  • Carmen kissing Ashley. Really, bitch, really? 
  • So Kyla just casually mentions she is going to marry Aiden? Gross. They're not even together. Or had sex. 
  • So are Kyla and Aiden going to get married? 
  • The NOTP is endgame too. 
  • I can't believe that there was an actual moment where Spencer gets that bracelet from Ashley with Spashley on it. 

South of Nowhere RECAP/REVIEW: 3x15


The good:

  •  It's a good thing Aiden is okay after the accident. I mean, considering Levi isn't going to be, Matt Cohen needs a bit of a pick-me-up with the characters he portrays. 
  • Spencer's dad telling her that she shouldn't hang out with Carmen. Good. 
The bad:
  • THIS IS A JUMPCUT. So many jumpcuts. Awful. 
  • Carmen still sucks. I don't care. You don't abuse people. 
  • I can't believe that Ashley and Madison still hate each other. 
  • Uh, trigger warning for suicidal thoughts. Aiden thinks about jumping this episode. 
  • I still hate the 'sisters become famous' storyline. And I always will. 

South of Nowhere RECAP/REVIEW: 3x14


The good:

  •  Chelsea has such a cute room. And she tells off Glen for outing their relationship. 
  • Shawn telling Chelsea that she better not put Paris off for a guy. 






The ridiculous:
  • The camera shaking.
  • Okay, so Kyla goes from spoiled, and then in just a few episodes, she feels compassionate about helping the homeless? OKAY. 
  • Carmen comes back this episode. Dumb. Just dumb. Ridiculous.
  • The outfits that Ashley wears are just... 2005. 
  • Kyla.... inviting Carmen... in.... and inviting her to stay....
  • Uh, I don't know who crashed on that motorcycle. Aiden? 

South of Nowhere RECAP/REVIEW: 3x13


Okay, remember Aiden's girlfriend obsessed with UCLA and broke up with him in the last episode? The actress who played her was also in The L Word. Guess who? Nicki Fucking Stevens. I am dead. Thanks for pointing this out, TV Tropes.

The good:

  • The episode starts off with Chelsea and Glen making out. You know, I was kind of expecting this, but I just didn't want to say anything because I felt like at the same time, it wouldn't happen. But it happened and it's great. Chelsea has made Glen into a good person.
  • Shawn is back! He brought flowers! 
  • Shawn, "I didn't know there was assigned seats." [dramatic music plays] I'M CRINGING AND LAUGHING
The ridiculous:
  • Unfortunately, Chelsea gets a call from Shawn. Oh... uh... fuck... 
  • The camerawork on this episode really, really sucks. Jesus fuck. It's not like we're watching an animal documentary. 
  • Glen is heartbroken she doesn't want more. 
  • Everything with Kyla and Aiden bores me. 
  • So people on this show didn't even think about the jumpcut thing with the Kyla video? God damn it, Shawn, you needed to stick around on this show. They needed you and your brains. 

South of Nowhere RECAP/REVIEW: 3x12


The good:

  • The episode starts with Ashley kicking Kyla out. Which I like, because I find Kyla irrelevant as fuck. At least the fuckboys in this show had some purpose and had time to develop and change. 
  • Sometimes, the actress that portrays Ashley has a problem with line delivery. This is not one of those episodes.
  • Glen is going to take the SAT! He wants to go to college! Because of Chelsea! Chelsea is the source of all good! 
  • Chelsea and Glen bonding. This is how you make me like a character I didn't like. Make them bond with the character I like. And later on in the episode, they kiss. Which is cute, because he's no longer a fuckboy. He's a good person now, because the death of Clay and Chelsea made him a better person. 
The ridiculous:
  • I can't even bring myself to feel sympathy for Kyla. I don't care if she got kicked out because of some viral video. She's just a really flat character and I must put my blame on her for being a flat character. 
  • This Alice Pieszecki lookalike hitting on Spencer. Girl, go find Dana. 
  • Shaky camera syndrome. AWFUL.
  • Spencer kissing Alice Pieszecki lookalike. Then Alice turning her down after hitting on her repeatedly. What the fuck. Honestly, I'm glad I'll be over with this show soon.
  • Oh yeah, the music in that scene cutting out for some other music to cut back to that same scene, then the same music playing again. 
  • Also, I thought that Spencer and Ashley were still together? 
  • -50 for the cheap camera zooms. 
  • The fact they highlighted Aiden's rejection from that one college. Really, couldn't you have just paused it and not made it like one of those creepy serial killer documentaries? 
  • Ridiculousness between Aiden and his girlfriend. 
  • Then Aiden goes to Kyla. Why can't people ever act normal? Why can't they keep their romantic bullshit in their head when they're upset?

South of Nowhere RECAP/REVIEW: 3x11


The good:

  •  Aiden, Glen, and Glen's dad bonding time! Yeah, I don't care too much about it, but it's just so much better than listening to Kyla's track to being (in)famous.
  • Ashley is about to murder the one girl who flirts with Spencer. And it's beautiful. 
  • I'm so, so glad that we haven't forgotten Clay. If the show just stopped mentioning him, I would be so upset. 
The bad:
  • Every single thing about the 'famous' plotline. I can't deal with it. It's so boring and typical and I hate it. 
  • They returned to the home video recording style this episode. NOOOOOOO. 

South of Nowhere RECAP/REVIEW: 3x10


Well, we're almost to the end, guys.

The good:

  •  Spencer's 18th birthday episode! And her girlfriend wakes her up with breakfast in bed! And her grandma is coming over!
  • I'm glad Glen actually sometimes does the right thing now. He got Chelsea to go back into the competition for the memorial. 
  • CHELSEA WON!!
  • Spencer's mom telling Grandma that she's doing good for herself. 

The ridiculous:
  •  I hate Kyla's boyfriend more than Kyla.
  • Grandma is racist. Never mind. Don't care. And homophobic.
  • Every single thing about Ashley's and Kyla's careers, 

South of Nowhere RECAP/REVIEW: 3x09



The good:
  • Aiden is trying to support Chelsea to make a memorial for Clay and the other 3 students that died in King High's shooting. Which is sad, yet sweet. Kind of like finishing a TV series. Except nobody died in the RL. 
  • I'm glad Aiden has found a friend in Spencer's dad.



The why?:

  • Why do they always give Ashley the most ridiculous outfits?
  • I can never take people singing on this show seriously. Ever. 
  • Why does Aiden get all the girls? Seriously, I don't understand. 
  • Kyla. Her entire character. 

South of Nowhere RECAP/REVIEW: 3x08


The suffering this show has caused me is unbelievable.



  • Aiden has PTSD. It's really sad. I mean, out of all the characters that were affected by Clay being shot, it's one thing that I never really thought of as an after-effect. 
  • At least we got to see Chelsea this episode. She is the human form of sunshine. 
  • Ashley and Spencer's mom bonding. 
  • Spencer and her mom finally getting along at pride. 
  • Our OTP (the one that isn't half-dead) had sex. 
The ridiculous
  • Why is everyone getting famous? First it was Kyla and Ashley, then Madison......
    • There's so much back and forth with Spencer's mom. It's just annoying. 
    • Kyla. Kyla is annoying. And poorly-written. 

South of Nowhere RECAP/REVIEW: 3x06


The ridiculous:


  • Watching the above scene with the music may result in you thinking you're watching animal sex on animal planet. Calm down, it's just horny teens. 
  • Oh, yeah, Aiden and Chelsea have sex right after that.
  • Kyla totally okay with shooting softcore porn. 
  • I'm kind of... predicting bad things to happen to Chelsea's baby. You know, after they brought it up. I just know. 
  • And you know what? Something did. 
  • Carmen trying to convince Spencer to let her stay. GTFO. 
So, Chelsea's baby didn't make the airbag incident. What the fuck is this? Grey's Anatomy? THERE ARE NO TEARS IN MY EYES, JUST SAND AND SADNESS!

South of Nowhere RECAP/REVIEW: 3x05



The good:
  • Chelsea embracing her pregnancy. Awwww.
  • Glen calling Aiden hot. Thanks for getting over your masculinity and embracing calling other men attractive, Glen.  
The terrible:
  • The entire overdramatic nightmare where Aiden is watching Ashley pick between girls or boys. They jumped the fucking shark and then proceeded to rob it. 
  • Kyla not practicing online safety. 
  • Carmen (Spencer's new ex-girlfriend) turning out to be abusive. 

South of Nowhere RECAP/REVIEW: 3x04


This show gives me secondhand embarrassment all the damn time.

The good:

  • So apparently Aiden is a 3rd generation (assuming he gets in) USC kid. 
  • You know what? I'm glad Spencer is finding someone else. Nothing against Ashley, it's just that their lives are very, very different right now. 
  • Aiden telling off Ashley for being ridiculous. But negative points for the biphobia. At least it got corrected when Ashley says, "It's not even like that!"


The embarrassment:

  • Why do we have to suffer on this show. We have to watch Aiden and Spencer kiss for like the billionth time. These are sins. 
  • The one guy who filmed Madison and him having sex. What?
  • Watching Ashley's and Kyla's storyline is actually painful. I can't deal with any of this. They're ridiculous and unrelatable. There's a lot of storylines I can't find remotely relatable, but there's at least some emotions in it. 

South of Nowhere RECAP/REVIEW: 3x03


I took a break from watching this show (Desperate Housewives.... enough said) so I practically forget everyone's names. Oops. I gotta get this series done though.

The good:

  • I like how much screentime Chelsea got in this episode. Even if some of it was depressing at first. It all turns around, though! 
  • The production of the show has gotten better. Which is good, but you know what's really fucked up for me to say? It was kind of fun to see all the random mic drops in the early episodes. 


The WTF?:

  • I always find the whole 'Kids in LA living it large' plots hilarious to laugh at. So Ashley and her sister buying a place together is just laughable and predictable and omg why am I even watching this show. 
  • Why they gotta ruin all of the emotional Clay moments with Aiden. And Kyla. And Ashley. 
  • Is Aiden trying to play his cards to get a threesome with two sisters? Nasty. 
  • Kyla's plan to overthrow all the other current celebrities (I mean... not really big names now) and become the next big thing.
  • Madison thinking that her and Spencer are BFFs all of a sudden. I mean, I guess this can be explained because she's lonely but..... 

South of Nowhere RECAP/REVIEW: 3x01 & 3x02


Just as this show was getting better and better, they just gotta kill off someone. I mean, I know what character it was, because IMDb is the true untagged spoilers of the world. But why did they do him dirty when his storyline was just getting to the nitty gritty? I know why he was written off, but still.... if he was having a problem with the gay, then why couldn't he have gotten her pregnant sooner....

The good:
  • Thank god Chelsea is still around. And she is still friends with Spencer! Where is she living, though? 
  • I like that Spencer just didn't forgive Ashley all of a sudden. I mean, if my girlfriend ignored me for 3 months while in Europe....
  • Glen: "I'm not giving up sex [to become a priest to get out of the army]" Aiden: "It's not like you're having any" 

The ridiculous:
  •  Does anyone else think that these kids go to the hospital too much? I mean, I know the mom is a doctor, but these kids end up in the hospital all the time. 
  • I find it really funny that the most similar show to this one airs on MTV and MTV came and did a true documentary about Clay's death 3 months later. 
  • Glen graduated high school? Since when? When is the last time we saw him in school? 
  • Glen enlisted in the army and then is trying to get out of the army. Really?
  • Aiden got shot in the heart and still living. I think it's Fuckboy Immunity. The good guys with morals die young. 
  • Aiden thinking that him living past being shot in the heart really means he should be with Ashley. I can't... I really can't. This is more ridiculous than Glee. 
  • Ashley getting back together with Aiden goes against her character. It's literally so OOC I'm crying. 
  • When Aiden suggests that Glen shoots off his foot so he can get out of basic training and all the army stuff. I mean... And then there's just the simple fact I'm pointing this out because Matt Cohen played Levi (Or as the people who read my recaps will know him as, Levee) on How to Get Away with Murder and the last episode he was in had him threatening to shoot someone. Coincidence? Most likely.
  • I sometimes forget that we actually lived in a world once upon a time where an American wouldn't be allowed to serve their country if they were gay. Good job for exploiting it, Glen!
  • Glen signing up for the army with a fake ID. 


South of Nowhere RECAP/REVIEW: 2x12 and 2x13


The Good:

  • Ashley asked Spencer to the prom right after turning Spencer's invitation. 
  • Finally, we have one normal fucking conversation between Madison and Glen. And they were actually kind of cute during it. 
  • All the kids getting ready for prom was a cute scene. I mean, not necessarily the right music for the scene in my mind, but.... I'm picky...


The Bad:

THIS IS OFFICIALLY THE MOST FUCKBOY THING THAT'S HAPPENED EVER ON THE SHOW
  • Really? I thought Spencer and Ashley made up last episode. I get it, making viewers think that Spencer and Ashley are going to break up is a good season finale grab. However, it's poor writing. 
  • Aiden and Kyla. No. Stop quoting Romeo and Juliet. You're gross. 
  • When did Glen and Aiden become such great friends? 
  • Shawn and Shawn's cousin got beat up. That makes 9 fights. 
  • Why do these people always have like one conversation and get completely over something? 
  • Chelsea got kicked out of her house. 
  • The exact episode Glen actually acts human is the exact episode he announces he's leaving for bootcamp this summer. 
  • Madison has a mental illness.
  • Really? Aiden just confesses his love to Ashley? What? WHAT A FUCKBOY!
  • And then, in a very emotional time of Spencer screaming at Ashley and Aiden, someone comes by and starts shooting. 

South of Nowhere RECAP/REVIEW: 2x11



The Good:

  • Spencer: "Oh, I love Kelly Clarkson!" Ashley: "...And I love you anyway." Some of the sassiest lines ever on television have been on this show. 
  • Chelsea asking Spencer how the fam is now. 
  • Chelsea and Spencer's friendship. 
  • The hot girl turning down Glen. 
  • I'm glad that at the end of the day. Spencer and Ashley have each other. It's really adorable and we should appreciate it. 


The Bad:

  • Kyla saying that Aiden and Ashley should get back together to put everyone out of their misery. Really, Kyla? Really? Can people not talk? Do you think everyone is fucking? 
  • I always like to make fun of shows set in LA and the teenagers get famous. 
  • I'm glad that, after 2 seasons, Glen actually gets a plotline that doesn't involve him being a complete fuckboy. And the plotline about drug addiction doesn't feel too forced compared to other plotlines on the show. However, did you really have to ruin it by introducing a girl he's attracted to to fuck up his rehab?
  • Why does Kyla gotta fuck up Spencer and Ashley.
  • Clay and Shawn fighting. Fight count is at 8 now. 
  • Also, that video of Ashley and Aiden saying they loved each other. Stupid technology! You ruin my lesbian couples!
  • I have to point out that it's pretty weird that there have been no mentions of Clay's schoolwork. If you're in AP classes, you're going to work your ass off. I get it, he's busy with the whole Chelsea thing. And he's going to be even more busy now that Chelsea couldn't go through with the abortion. However, it only takes a line to mention his classes and how hard he has to work. They mentioned it once this entire season. Once. 

South of Nowhere RECAP/REVIEW: 2x10


The Good:

  • Spencer's mom trying to be nice to Ashley. 

The Bad:

  • Ashley spoiling The Others. God damn it, Ashley! You dork. 
  • Stop trying to make Kyla and Aiden happen. It's not going to happen. 
  • Okay, I love Ashley, but god, the writers and the actress got irritating teenage feelings to a T. 
  • Speaking of irritating teenagers, I went to middle school with a girl exactly like Madison. I mean, yeah, she was a real person. She constantly ruined relationships, like Madison. However, my main criticism with Madison is that she's never given many positive traits or relationships. Or development. At least this episode we found out she was actually really clever when the paintball game happened. 


The Gay:

  • There was little gay this episode. A moment of silence. 

South of Nowhere RECAP/REVIEW: 2x09


The Good:
  •  Thank god that Aiden is turning down Kyla. 
  • Kyla sticking up for her bad decision. Yeah, you tell Aiden to go to Hell! I mean, he has every right to hate you for making him the other man, but thank God you have depth, girl! 
  • Spencer said I love you to her girlfriend. And her mom accepts her now. What a beautiful ending. 

The Bad:
  •  "Are you blaming me?" Yes, Spencer's mom. We are blaming you for Ashley running away. 
  • Chelsea getting in an accident. Thank God she's okay. 
  • Creepy guy who wants to pick up Spencer and Ashley. 

The OMGWTF?:
  •  Spencer's mom thinks it's okay to hate on gay people because of religious reasons, but oh no, it's perfectly fine for Chelsea to be pregnant out of marriage. What a hypocrite. I mean, it's not that surprising because I know plenty of people like this, but.......

Okay, I don't know how this series went from awful to actually pretty good for a show that aired on  The N. But I'm actually really enjoying this family. Sure, it's not as addicting as Shameless or anything, but it's decent. But fuck Glen.