I’ve seen the online posts, and so have you, probably.
“Why is Hellcats doing a zombie episode?”
I know why. Because it’s awesome.
The promos are actually a little tricky. The Lancer Hellcats of The CW’s Hellcats aren’t actually fighting zombies in the April 19 episode, “Woke Up Dead.” Rather, the whole thing is part of a short film that Dan Patch (Matt Barr) puts together to get into Lancer’s film program. Those few minutes, however, are hilariously fun, reminding me a bit of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It’s so good that you wonder why Dan Patch wants to go to film school anyway – he’s great. I kind of wish they were fighting zombies and shot like this every week. It’s really cool.
The other part of the plot involves Aly Michalka’s Marti as she sets out to learn more about her father. There are some great moments between Aly and the always fantastic Gail O’Grady as her mom, Wanda; we also meet a girl in a record store, played by Aly Michalka’s real-life sister AJ, and the anvils seem to be telling us that there’s more to their connection than what we’re immediately told.
Alice (Heather Hemmens) gets some good material in this episode as well. Even though she’s scheming as she always has, I feel that the show is working hard to make her sympathetic at the same time.
Hellcats may not have found its audience immediately, but it’s actually a lot better show than some of the promos might make you think. It’s not just a cheerleading show, and as the series has continued, the characters have all gotten stronger voices.
Ultimately, I know zombies are going to be the draw for the episode, so I’ll end this review with the trailer. You can find a gallery of images from “Woke Up Dead” here.
