I think the series is fun if you watch it the same way I used to read some of the children's books which were my mother's in the 60ies/70ies:
Kids' books are its own genre. You know it's often unrealistic bordering on fantasy/fairytale. You know it's often outdated supporting old fashioned role models. You know it's not reality and never was.
A family with 10 kids on a farm with horses and a mom with two university degrees? Why not. A teenage love triangle between stepsiblings? Why not.
However I was shocked to read the book is only from 2014! It's more like an early 2000's rom com in the way that boys will be boys excuses and a normality of mistreating girls are baked into it. Regressive.
However since I grew up with bad rom coms anyways and am damaged to the core by them (not really but who knows) I could turn a blind eye to that and focus on the emotionally uplifting setting (landscape, horses, simple life, detox) and the hallmark-y feelings this series is set to evoke. Also, the love triangle supported by bad decisions and unlucky circumstance is such a classic and familiar trope that it feels good.
The age of the teen actors is an absurd mystery but I just switched on my fantasy switch and it works somehow.
The diversity feels a little too forced even as a leftist but why not. Only that once again, as usual, neurodiversity is entirely left out and only introduced in the subtext, while you never know if intentional or unintentional. Nathan?? Either the actor Corey Fogelmanis is autistic himself or he plays the character very autistic coded or this is introduced by the screenplay or maybe already the book. (The same thing was discussed in the context of Corey's role as Farkle in Girl Meets World or so I've read.) What is more, Autism and Epilepsy are common comorbidities. Chances to develop the first convincing AND declared autistic character in season 2? Probably not going to happen but I'm here for season 2 anyways.
Kids' books are its own genre. You know it's often unrealistic bordering on fantasy/fairytale. You know it's often outdated supporting old fashioned role models. You know it's not reality and never was.
A family with 10 kids on a farm with horses and a mom with two university degrees? Why not. A teenage love triangle between stepsiblings? Why not.
However I was shocked to read the book is only from 2014! It's more like an early 2000's rom com in the way that boys will be boys excuses and a normality of mistreating girls are baked into it. Regressive.
However since I grew up with bad rom coms anyways and am damaged to the core by them (not really but who knows) I could turn a blind eye to that and focus on the emotionally uplifting setting (landscape, horses, simple life, detox) and the hallmark-y feelings this series is set to evoke. Also, the love triangle supported by bad decisions and unlucky circumstance is such a classic and familiar trope that it feels good.
The age of the teen actors is an absurd mystery but I just switched on my fantasy switch and it works somehow.
The diversity feels a little too forced even as a leftist but why not. Only that once again, as usual, neurodiversity is entirely left out and only introduced in the subtext, while you never know if intentional or unintentional. Nathan?? Either the actor Corey Fogelmanis is autistic himself or he plays the character very autistic coded or this is introduced by the screenplay or maybe already the book. (The same thing was discussed in the context of Corey's role as Farkle in Girl Meets World or so I've read.) What is more, Autism and Epilepsy are common comorbidities. Chances to develop the first convincing AND declared autistic character in season 2? Probably not going to happen but I'm here for season 2 anyways.
