Hart of Dixie- 3x2 review
My largest complaint about the second half of the second season of Hart of Dixie is twofold:
1) That the show's refreshing, unique and peerless emphasis and commitment on friendship and platonic connections was sidelined in favour of romantic relationships.
2) That the intended protagonist character/show lead, Miss. Zoe Hart, was written in such a way that I felt wasn't consistent. Zoe became very difficult to empathize with, and was making selfish and rash decisions that failed to feel organic and in line with the character growth and character development that had occured throughout the series' first season and a half.
After viewing the season three premiere and now episode two of the third season, I can say with confidence that Hart of Dixie has returned to form in a big way. 3x1 and even more so 3x2 have silenced my concerns, and have even surpassed the turnaround hopes I held for the show.
Packed to the brim with friendship and platonic connection scenes (Zoe and Lavon, Lemon and Wade, Zoe and AnnaBeth, Zoe and Brick, George and Lavon), 3x2 thrillingly also presents Zoe as much more cute, charming, warm and amicable than I have seen her in ages.
I greatly approve of the hints flashed of Zoe's possible maturing, with regards to her direct and sincere conversation with Wade at the episode's end.
Lemon and Wade are two characters that have grown up substantially since the beginning of the first season. Their friendship and interactions have been extremely enjoyable, and I
love their dynamic in this episode---especially their continual willingness to make personal sacrifices
for one another. As much as their interests and goals differ, they make such a good team. They both have one another's best interest at heart, and that comes through in 3x2 when they altered their fake relationship breakup plan several times to suit the evolution of the various situations that both find themselves in (Lemon's newfound Carter wooing and Wade's desire to make Zoe jealous. In 3x2, we continued to be treated to seeing Lavon Hayes at his most positive, upbeat and passionate. 3x2 indicates how much Lavon cares for his cousin Linley, while reaffirming how quick he is to be a source of endless support and encouragement to Zoe. Lavon and Zoe's friendship thankfully continued to be
allocated screentime, and I liked how he was so eager to help make Joel
feel welcome and throw a dinner party for him.
Perhaps my favourite new feature of season 3 is that with Magnolia no longer in the show, Brick
is not only freed up to interact and spar with Zoe more, but also with
other members of the cast. Brick laying down the law with Wade was one
of the highlights of the episode for me. He was stern and intense and reasonable all at once in his Wade talk.
I loved Tim Matheson's
performance in this episode. Brick is such a compelling character, and it is not secret that his relationship with Zoe is one of my favourite aspects of the series. Brick's scene with Zoe in 3x2 when she brought
Joel into his office was priceless. I love how Brick once again tried so
hard to deny his affection and warmth for Zoe Hart, yet regardless of
what he said to her (about being "banned"), his soft spot for her came flying out with
subtlety.
Brick also amused the heck out of me, when he was chatting up Carter Covington. He was determined to be a protective father, but instantly saw that Carter appeared to be the anti-Wade, and instantaneously warmed up to him.
It's quite nice to see Zoe dating a man in Joel who is not overtly jealous of her exes. I was so impressed that Joel even expressed interest in figuring out the truth about Lemon and Wade's "relationship". He just does his Joel thing and doesn't seem to require approval from others to be satisfied (he was a little disappointed that Lavon didn't like his book, but even that didn't stop him from going out there and being himself to a T).
Tom and Meatball both delivered stellar performances in their limited time in the limelight. I also enjoyed that the writers played into AnnaBeth's ongoing conundrum of loyalty, as she continued to try to be friends with both Lemon and Zoe. AnnaBeth had a admirable straight up, to the point, undramatic mentality when she realized that both Lemon and Zoe would be attending the party for Joel. AnnaBeth of yore would have freaked out about Zoe and Lemon both attending, but AnnaBeth handled it with a cool and calm demeanor here. Continuity to Lemon and Zoe's rivalry was even delightfully openly acknowledged, when Lemon took pleasure in announcing to Zoe that she would see her at the party (implying that Lemon would be coming to the party), knowing full well that it would grind Zoe's gears, and saying it to do exactly that.
So far in the two episodes that have aired in Season 3, I feel
Hart of Dixie has excelled in having an interesting and effective
balance between lightness, drama, friendship, romance, comedy, character
dynamics and growth and situational plot. I loved this episode. I
thought it was one of the best in the series and I am thrilled with
Season 3 so far!
Tuesday 15 October 2013
Thursday 10 October 2013
Because I changed my mind
Because I changed my mind...kind of
So
I rewatched the Hart of Dixie season 3 premiere last night and upon seeing it a second time I can
say I was a tad too harsh on the writing of both Brick and Zoe. It
played better the second time through, probably because since I knew
what to expect, I was less emotionally wrapped up and had the clarity to
focus on the detail and nuance the second time around. Upon reflecting
now, I liked the scene between Brick and Zoe in his office early in the
episode when he was like 'little miss hotshot...go work your doctor
magic (on his patient)...and I liked the hand shaking scene where Zoe
agreed to find George in exchange for a reference letter from Brick. I
also now like Brick's snipe where he brought Joel into his office
looking for Zoe and he was like "Ooooh I knew I should start looking for
you in my doctor's office, the one place you weren't allowed to be
in!). His look at Wade and Joel and Zoe was less evil that I remembered
and more like 'serves you right Zoe...now you have to deal with real
consequences for your poor way of leaving town....you deserve to have
ackwardness and to have to do some real communication to these strappin
men!"
I
still don't like the restraining order threat he made to Zoe though
towards the end. Although I did enjoy a little more than I thought I
did, when he was like "Stop milking it. I will sign your letter. Now
come on let's go!"...that 'let's go, come with me' part shows albeit
indirectly that despite him never wantng her to know it, despite Zoe
leaving Bluebell on terrible terms and despite her not taking her life
and relationships seriously, Brick is somewhere deep down pleased that
Zoe was around again. That makes me happy. So to recap: Brick was still a
jerk in 3x1 but there was flickers of warmth and confliction that he
showed. that I missed out on the first time. He still gave her banter
like in Season 1 and Season 2, but this time it was much sharper and meaner and
designed to really cause her to think more critically and thoughtfully
about her life decisions and how they affect other people.
I'm really excited about this season. I think it's shaping up to be the best one yet!
I'm really excited about this season. I think it's shaping up to be the best one yet!
Wednesday 9 October 2013
My Thoughts on the Season 3 premiere of Hart of Dixie (caution: spoiler alert!)
My Thoughts on the Season 3 premiere of Hart of Dixie:
I thought the season 3 premiere was enjoyable, and had sharp writing and intense character dynamics. There were however a number of flaws and let downs for me (mostly to do with the character development and writing of both Zoe Hart and Brick Breeland).
First for the positives! Thankfully there were many bright spots! I liked the nostalgia that resonated when she was on the bus coming to Bluebell again like in the pilot, and that they showed the pier where Zoe and George had a moment in the pilot. I enjoyed that there was a large emphasis on friendships in the episode (not just romance) .Zoe and Lavon had some nice friendship scenes. Lavon seemed to really be excited to see her again, and he carried a season 1 like Lavon warmth that was MIA during most of season 2. I liked the involvement of Rose in the episode. I hope Zoe and Rose become closer this season, and Zoe supports Rose and steps up as a friend for her, instead of taking her for granted all the time and expecting Rose will still fall into her lap. I also really loved the scenes between Zoe and Lemon....I find their complex relationship so interesting and I hope to see more with them.
I liked the inclusion of Zoe's new boyfriend Joel. I think it's good character development for Zoe to get to be in a proper relationship without all that crazy drama that she had with Wade and George. I think it will help her mature and become a more well rounded character, and one that will later be ready to be a good girlfriend to Wade or George. Also I'm curious to see how Joel will take learning more about Zoe's past. In Joel's eyes she appears to be very sane and likeable and in a good place in her life, but her connections in Bluebell are very messy at the moment, and I can't wait to see the big relevations about her past come out ackwardly and uncomfortably to Joel.
I enjoyed the Lemon and Wade "fake relationship" being introduced and I think it'll be fun to witness the two of them play it up to drive Zoe nuts haha.
I'm not sure how believable it is that Zoe would send e-mails to everyone individually in the town to inform them that she was not coming back to Bluebell, and was going to stay in New York instead. A big part of season 2 was Zoe finally feeling a lot more secure and appreciated and comfortable in Bluebell. Despite her relationship drama with Wade and George throughout the second half of season 2, her status in the town was pretty secure and I think she felt like a part of the community. I find it unrealistic that she would allow herself to be fooled again by New York's potentially superficial charms. I think it is insulting to Zoe's character a bit not only that she would just up and leave Bluebell, but that she would think that an e-mail (especially to Lavon and Brick) would be an appropriate way to "wrap up loose ends". I honestly didn't think there would be a point where I would dislike Zoe as much as I did at the end of S2. But alas that day has come....her rash decision making, and lack of respect and lack of empathy and lack of heart put forward towards the relationships she made and developed in Bluebell was really disappointing, and despite Zoe's flaws, I think it's poor writing of Zoe's character, rather than the most authentic representation of the fictional entity known as Zoe Hart.
I just can't picture even the pilot version of Zoe (even with her pathetic people skills at the time) thinking it would be acceptable to attempt closure in a relationship with anyone she truly cared about and respected, via e-mail. I just don't know what Leila Gerstein was thinking with that one.
If Zoe's unawareness of the consequences of her actions and her lack of respect for her friends and colleague was a big negative about 3x1, an even bigger problem that has been sitting extremely unwell with me as far as the writing goes was the way that Brick treated Zoe throughout the episode. In the second half of season 1 and throughout season 2, there was lots of evidence that Brick was starting to warm up to Zoe and her presence not only in Bluebell but in his life. He gave her some "good jobs" compliments and they both provided guidance to one another....they evolved from hating each other at the beginning, to a sometimes father-daughter like, sometimes friend/colleague relationship in late season 2. But in this episode, he seemed to be extremely cold, rude and condescending towards her. I'm not entirely sure I understand where that came from and if it was intentional or not.
You wouldn't be able to tell from watching this season 3 premiere that the two of them had a friendlier dynamic. That was lost. That was the meanest he has acted towards her in my opinion since the pilot. I know Brick was probably crushed about ending his engagement to Shelby (and that was probably how the writers justified Brick's position towards Zoe) and he was likely ticked off that Zoe basically abandoned his practice for the summer and left him to pick up the pieces....with just a Zoe e-mail to let him know her plans. But I mean, why did Brick make it so personal and say to Zoe that she hasn't changed in the two years she's been there (she has in fact had growth) and why was he so reluctant to sign her reference letter, and why did he have to threaten a restraining order from his patients? I mean, we've seen Brick's anger towards Zoe before, but I think the writer's really did a lousy job of honouring the progress that Brick and Zoe have made in her relationship....Even when the rest of the town warmed up to Zoe after she tracked down George, late in the episode, Brick was still being a jerk and refused to even offer her a smile, reluctantly saying something among the lines of "I'll sign your damn letter, you don't have to overcompensate'. His attitude towards Zoe seemed really out of place and their relationship seems to be have been sort of reset, instead of building upon their solid, growing bond late season 2. Where is the continuity and the proof of those two working together for two years?
I can understand and sympathize that Brick felt let down and hurt by Zoe and the inconsiderate, selfish, coward way that she left Bluebell....Zoe really acted poorly in how she left and perhaps more importantly, she sort of indirectly dissed her relationship with Brick (that she had just admitted how important it was to her in 2x20) by leaving without an in person conversation and colleague moment. Brick should feel resentful and even emotionally saddened since he appeared to be invested in Zoe and being friends with her (watch 2x19 and see how much he does care for her with the whole "Zoe Hart, you cannot kiss George Tucker" scene)...Obviously, Brick has never been good at expressing his feelings directly...so it seems reasonable that his intense anger towards Zoe in 3x1 is his attempt to mask his hurt and let down with fiery anger). I am aware and understanding of all that.
The thing that I'm not down with is the way Brick was written and presented in 3x1. He didn't even offer a hint of that lightness and warmth towards Zoe, not even a sense of being conflicted towards her. Brick in 3x1 was written as being almost completely indifferent to what Zoe does and whether she leaves or stays. That is not the case at all....he does care about her and there was not even the slightest tease that he does want the best for her in the episode. Furthermore, that line about getting a restraining order between Zoe and Brick's patients felt like it was only said to hurt Zoe. Brick has historically had jerky moments but there has always been some sort of valuable life lesson or logic that has come out of his mean jerky attitude when that attitude has been displayed. In 3x1 he was just plain mean for mean sake. Even in the scene where Brick was watching Zoe interact with both Wade and Joel at the same time in his office, Brick looked almost evil, sneering at the difficult situation Zoe found herself in, like he has no sense of compassion for her at all. Brick isn't the same Brick he was in the pilot and 3x1 in my opinion portrayed him as the utmost jerk of jerks. He's my favourite character on the show and I'm sorry but I felt like he was cheapened and demeaned in 3x1.
Looking forward to seeing what unfolds now that Brick has reclaimed the Brick Zoe practice for himself (When Zoe was going to leave, he made her sign the practice back over to him---Brick was saying in 3x1 that she signed some agreement that gave him 100% ownership of the practice).
I am a big believer in hoping to be surprised and I'm still very much a believer that things will become clearer and more sensible once the new season gets dived into a little more. I'm a patient and understanding person and on one side of the coin, I think it's really cool that this show inspires so much philosophical discussion and provides us with a springboard for valuable reflection that can help us in our real lives outside of Dixie.
I thought the season 3 premiere was enjoyable, and had sharp writing and intense character dynamics. There were however a number of flaws and let downs for me (mostly to do with the character development and writing of both Zoe Hart and Brick Breeland).
First for the positives! Thankfully there were many bright spots! I liked the nostalgia that resonated when she was on the bus coming to Bluebell again like in the pilot, and that they showed the pier where Zoe and George had a moment in the pilot. I enjoyed that there was a large emphasis on friendships in the episode (not just romance) .Zoe and Lavon had some nice friendship scenes. Lavon seemed to really be excited to see her again, and he carried a season 1 like Lavon warmth that was MIA during most of season 2. I liked the involvement of Rose in the episode. I hope Zoe and Rose become closer this season, and Zoe supports Rose and steps up as a friend for her, instead of taking her for granted all the time and expecting Rose will still fall into her lap. I also really loved the scenes between Zoe and Lemon....I find their complex relationship so interesting and I hope to see more with them.
I liked the inclusion of Zoe's new boyfriend Joel. I think it's good character development for Zoe to get to be in a proper relationship without all that crazy drama that she had with Wade and George. I think it will help her mature and become a more well rounded character, and one that will later be ready to be a good girlfriend to Wade or George. Also I'm curious to see how Joel will take learning more about Zoe's past. In Joel's eyes she appears to be very sane and likeable and in a good place in her life, but her connections in Bluebell are very messy at the moment, and I can't wait to see the big relevations about her past come out ackwardly and uncomfortably to Joel.
I enjoyed the Lemon and Wade "fake relationship" being introduced and I think it'll be fun to witness the two of them play it up to drive Zoe nuts haha.
I'm not sure how believable it is that Zoe would send e-mails to everyone individually in the town to inform them that she was not coming back to Bluebell, and was going to stay in New York instead. A big part of season 2 was Zoe finally feeling a lot more secure and appreciated and comfortable in Bluebell. Despite her relationship drama with Wade and George throughout the second half of season 2, her status in the town was pretty secure and I think she felt like a part of the community. I find it unrealistic that she would allow herself to be fooled again by New York's potentially superficial charms. I think it is insulting to Zoe's character a bit not only that she would just up and leave Bluebell, but that she would think that an e-mail (especially to Lavon and Brick) would be an appropriate way to "wrap up loose ends". I honestly didn't think there would be a point where I would dislike Zoe as much as I did at the end of S2. But alas that day has come....her rash decision making, and lack of respect and lack of empathy and lack of heart put forward towards the relationships she made and developed in Bluebell was really disappointing, and despite Zoe's flaws, I think it's poor writing of Zoe's character, rather than the most authentic representation of the fictional entity known as Zoe Hart.
I just can't picture even the pilot version of Zoe (even with her pathetic people skills at the time) thinking it would be acceptable to attempt closure in a relationship with anyone she truly cared about and respected, via e-mail. I just don't know what Leila Gerstein was thinking with that one.
If Zoe's unawareness of the consequences of her actions and her lack of respect for her friends and colleague was a big negative about 3x1, an even bigger problem that has been sitting extremely unwell with me as far as the writing goes was the way that Brick treated Zoe throughout the episode. In the second half of season 1 and throughout season 2, there was lots of evidence that Brick was starting to warm up to Zoe and her presence not only in Bluebell but in his life. He gave her some "good jobs" compliments and they both provided guidance to one another....they evolved from hating each other at the beginning, to a sometimes father-daughter like, sometimes friend/colleague relationship in late season 2. But in this episode, he seemed to be extremely cold, rude and condescending towards her. I'm not entirely sure I understand where that came from and if it was intentional or not.
You wouldn't be able to tell from watching this season 3 premiere that the two of them had a friendlier dynamic. That was lost. That was the meanest he has acted towards her in my opinion since the pilot. I know Brick was probably crushed about ending his engagement to Shelby (and that was probably how the writers justified Brick's position towards Zoe) and he was likely ticked off that Zoe basically abandoned his practice for the summer and left him to pick up the pieces....with just a Zoe e-mail to let him know her plans. But I mean, why did Brick make it so personal and say to Zoe that she hasn't changed in the two years she's been there (she has in fact had growth) and why was he so reluctant to sign her reference letter, and why did he have to threaten a restraining order from his patients? I mean, we've seen Brick's anger towards Zoe before, but I think the writer's really did a lousy job of honouring the progress that Brick and Zoe have made in her relationship....Even when the rest of the town warmed up to Zoe after she tracked down George, late in the episode, Brick was still being a jerk and refused to even offer her a smile, reluctantly saying something among the lines of "I'll sign your damn letter, you don't have to overcompensate'. His attitude towards Zoe seemed really out of place and their relationship seems to be have been sort of reset, instead of building upon their solid, growing bond late season 2. Where is the continuity and the proof of those two working together for two years?
I can understand and sympathize that Brick felt let down and hurt by Zoe and the inconsiderate, selfish, coward way that she left Bluebell....Zoe really acted poorly in how she left and perhaps more importantly, she sort of indirectly dissed her relationship with Brick (that she had just admitted how important it was to her in 2x20) by leaving without an in person conversation and colleague moment. Brick should feel resentful and even emotionally saddened since he appeared to be invested in Zoe and being friends with her (watch 2x19 and see how much he does care for her with the whole "Zoe Hart, you cannot kiss George Tucker" scene)...Obviously, Brick has never been good at expressing his feelings directly...so it seems reasonable that his intense anger towards Zoe in 3x1 is his attempt to mask his hurt and let down with fiery anger). I am aware and understanding of all that.
The thing that I'm not down with is the way Brick was written and presented in 3x1. He didn't even offer a hint of that lightness and warmth towards Zoe, not even a sense of being conflicted towards her. Brick in 3x1 was written as being almost completely indifferent to what Zoe does and whether she leaves or stays. That is not the case at all....he does care about her and there was not even the slightest tease that he does want the best for her in the episode. Furthermore, that line about getting a restraining order between Zoe and Brick's patients felt like it was only said to hurt Zoe. Brick has historically had jerky moments but there has always been some sort of valuable life lesson or logic that has come out of his mean jerky attitude when that attitude has been displayed. In 3x1 he was just plain mean for mean sake. Even in the scene where Brick was watching Zoe interact with both Wade and Joel at the same time in his office, Brick looked almost evil, sneering at the difficult situation Zoe found herself in, like he has no sense of compassion for her at all. Brick isn't the same Brick he was in the pilot and 3x1 in my opinion portrayed him as the utmost jerk of jerks. He's my favourite character on the show and I'm sorry but I felt like he was cheapened and demeaned in 3x1.
Looking forward to seeing what unfolds now that Brick has reclaimed the Brick Zoe practice for himself (When Zoe was going to leave, he made her sign the practice back over to him---Brick was saying in 3x1 that she signed some agreement that gave him 100% ownership of the practice).
I am a big believer in hoping to be surprised and I'm still very much a believer that things will become clearer and more sensible once the new season gets dived into a little more. I'm a patient and understanding person and on one side of the coin, I think it's really cool that this show inspires so much philosophical discussion and provides us with a springboard for valuable reflection that can help us in our real lives outside of Dixie.
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