The episode title is listed as “Pilot”. I went into it with low expectations, but found the writing pretty fresh and fun. Needless to say that a pilot is full of exposition but I don’t really see any way around that. Hopefully it will let us get rolling into the inevitable hijinx to come.
There was a lot to like about the writing.
The awareness of other vampire lore being referenced without irony or heavy-handedness was one of my favorite things about the writing. Any show that assumes the viewer has some real world knowledge gets extra points from me. Needing to be asked in, establishing that garlic is one of the stereotypes about vampires that is not true, the trope of turning someone into a vampire to save them from dying is referenced at least twice and is hopefully not overused. The fact that they like Seattle and want to stay because it is often overcast which makes it easier for them to go outside… in addition to a few other positive shoutouts to Twilight was also refreshing. Twilight has a very specific set of useful lore and is too often used as fodder for an easy joke. I’ve read the whole series and there is plenty of value to it, and it is an important contribution to the genre.
The acting was fine, everybody delivers. Helen J. Shen, who my brief research says has had a successful career so far on Broadway, did great and seemed relaxed. I am looking forward to seeing how she drives the show. This cast is good enough to even deliver some good moments.
A brief scene I enjoyed is when the parents, Charles and Liz, played by Ed Weeks and Allegra Edwards, respectively, go full-on old school vampire and take on the weird fingers and fangs-out pose.
Love the fact that they are just leaning into it. Just be vampires.
We learned that there are still vampires that hunt, that Charles and Liz may be into a bit of a boring patch (but can’t divorce without being killed by the vampire governing body) and might get a little adventure back in their marriage if they start hunting again as their de facto marriage counselor and daughter’s human boyfriend Max inadvertently suggested.
Now we will probably spend the first season learning about vampire culture through Max as he adjusts to his new situation, hopefully with the love and support of Helen J. Shen’s Emma.
One offhand bit of vampirism that did not work for me is the implication that their coven-mate Jesse, who works in fitness surrounded by mirrors all day, puts on bronzer so that he will actually appear in the mirrors. He says they would just have seen is clothes which implies that he would be invisible in the mirror without the bronzer… so is he wearing a wig too? Seems like they would have been better off leaning into the Twilight “shiny vampire” idea, let him keep his hair as is, and apply bronzer to hide his twinkle. That’s not my job though.
By the way, I am calling it now – cross-over episode with Ghosts. I expect this to be a shared universe. (Hopefully they will establish Eternally Yours before doing it though, let it be its own thing first.)