Indian Summer

My Review:

A week or so before the new season started the BBC began running adverts and I got so excited. Each time they ran them, I kept looking to see which characters I could see to confirm they were still in the show.

At the start of the season there is quite a bit of location filming and for me that really adds to the atmosphere of the show. There are new sets in the shape of the locker rooms which they tend to use quite a lot.

Well from the episode titles we can see that the only cast casualty is Lee although I have to say that as he had very little to do in the 3rd season I don’t really miss Bruno in this season at all. However it is shameful that no mention was made of why Bruno isn’t around. A small line from Doris or Danny that Bruno has moved to Hollywood or something would have been all that was needed. After 3 years on the show it seems very disrespectful not to say something.

We have new executive producers Patricia Jones and Donald Reiker and Debbie is now co-producer, which I always felt was a good move.

Alisha is gone also but I don’t miss her either and I think when I originally watched it took quite a few episodes for me to realise she’d gone. Obviously we have the 3 new characters join this season Jesse, Nicole and Cleo. Nia isn’t actually in this first episode but as I didn’t know her character when I originally watched I didn’t notice her absence either. I liked Cleo straight away but It took me a while to warm to Jesse, although I guess the way he was introduced, bugging the other guys it was as if we were meant to find him a little hard to take at first.

I really like this first episode, it’s a great ensemble show with all the cast involved in various doomed love stories. It’s a really tight script which is full of one liners and great moments. Doris bursting into the boys locker room and then calling them a bunch of exhibitionists; Holly’s face as Danny helps Doris open her locker; Sherwood telling Morloch to stay out of her affairs. All great stuff.

To me it is skilfully done that Danny, Doris and Leroy all deal with their relationships over the phone so that we can concentrate on the main cast and not have to worry about the other people in those relationships. Although why Leroy’s girlfriend would actually be phoning him on one of the many payphones in the school and he be standing right by the right phone when she does actually call, I don’t know.

Holly has the hots for David who I have to say is looking pretty good here with his shorter hair. It’s a shame it’s his last episode and we never find out what happens to him. I love the scene where Holly is telling Doris about how she feels and Doris trying to guess who it is and she says “a senior” then Holly gestures older and Doris ends up saying “ a senior citizen”. It’s a great line. Then later Doris’ reaction when she finds out who Holly is after.

However a couple of things confuse me: Holly tells Doris she’s never got heavily involved with a guy before but she had her relationship with the disabled guy in season 3; was dating Chris and also was sharing a boyfriend with Michelle in one episode so her statement now seems to contradict things. Then how on earth did Holly get into David’s apartment to be sat waiting in the dark for him?

I also love how Morloch is trying to protect Sherwood from her relationship with Mark, partly because he has a thing for Sherwood and partly because he knows the guy is married. The confrontation scene at the end where Morloch says some really nice things about Sherwood and them dancing together is really sweet. Although as they dance she leaves her purse on the bench which seemed a strange thing for someone living in New York to do as it could so easily could have been stolen.

I really like “Two To The Power Of Love” which I already knew from Janet’s album although I prefer to hear her duet with Jesse rather than the original with Cliff Richard. It’s interesting that the end credits list Cliff’s name as being on the original and they list Janet’s record company. This isn't normally done so I guess it was part of the contract that Janet’s father arranged for her. I love Cleo’s statement that she has more guts than anyone in the whole school but then asks Jesse to go up on stage with her. The montage of the other characters is very effective although the part of the scene with Leroy walking is recycled from season 1.

“Hot Time In The City Street” is also a great song. I don’t know who is singing it but I wish it was one of the cast and particularly Debbie who I think it would have suited pretty well. It’s a great reprise at the end which gives a really feel good end to the episode. There are big crowds standing around watching the cast particularly when they all jump into the fountain and are on the stage at the end.

The big storyline for this episode is for Doris and Danny to get romantically involved. I thought this was a great idea when I first watched and would have liked to have seen it develop over a few episodes. In fact the following episode sort of carries on the love situations with Cleo after Leroy, Nicole and Jesse getting together and Chris in love with the Czech dancer so for me it could have been a two parter and Doris and Danny’s battle to be the school president causing them to split up. The song Val is singing in the musical booth is lovely too and I wished there was more of it and I just love Doris' face when she looks at Danny and asks “You really think I have a nice smile?”

When Doris and Danny are having spaghetti and Danny is worried what his father will think Doris says I’ve been here 1000 times but in Sheer Will Mr Amatullo didn’t really know who Doris was. Maybe that was because it was a different actor playing Danny’s father. Here we are back to the original actor, who I prefer.

Overall this is a really great start to the season.

Episode Pictures