I admit that as we’ve gotten deeper into the TV season, there are a few series I had fallen behind on, and Hellcats was on that list. I intended to get back to it eventually, but real life (and keeping up with all the news for Smallville’s 200th episode) kind of got in the way.
It’s not that I didn’t enjoy it – quite the opposite. Hellcats is a show that demographically is not for me. But – perhaps because it doesn’t pretend to be a big pop-culture phenomenon or an Emmy-winning masterpiece – I manage to enjoy it for what it is: A fun show, with fun characters who are becoming more interesting as time goes along, especially with this episode.
I was sent an advance screener of tonight’s show, and the first thing I am happy to report is that even though I had missed the last 2 or 3 episodes, I wasn’t lost at all. This is very important for episodic television these days, where sometimes it feels like if you miss one episode, you might as well not go back. I’m also happy to admit that this is a strong installment which I think might propel Hellcats into being much more than “a cheerleader show.”
This episode was exciting to me also because this happened to be the episode that was shooting when I was with a group of journalists in Vancouver in September. Specifically, the sequence at the very start where rehearsals for “We Got The Beat” were going on…. we were upstairs in the loft looking down at that while they were practicing the routine. That’s the same loft where we see Alice hanging balloons later in the scene, which amused me to know that at another time that week, we were right there. I also admit, having spent most of my childhood in the Eighties, it was fun to see all of the references to that decade, as the Hellcats were celebrating the 25th anniversary of the squad by having an Eighties-themed dance. Some of the references will fly right over the heads of the CW target audience; but for me, seeing Dan Patch and Lewis dressed as Crockett and Tubbs from Miami Vice was well worth the price of admission. Actually, all of the costumes in the episode were fantastic.
“Back Of A Car” succeeds as an episode also because they seem to finally be humanizing Heather Hemmens’ Alice character, who has transformed from an unapologetic, unlikeable you-know-what to someone who actually has feelings and concerns. Much as I like Ryan Kennedy, who played Cosmic Boy on Smallville, his “Jake” character is a jerk and I really want to see Alice put him in his place eventually.
I’m also happy to report that the very boring subplot involving the older characters – Vanessa, Red Raymond, and Derrick – is nowhere to be found in this episode. Whenever they had scenes in previous shows, it seemed to put the entire episode to a screeching halt. Thank goodness. Sharon Leal (Vanessa) does provide one of the best parts of the episode, however, with her signing rendition of “We Got The Beat.” She has an amazing voice. As much as I can’t stand that love triangle story, I think Sharon is fantastic and would like to see more of her.
Speaking of older characters, Gail O’Grady’s Wanda has a small but significant role in this episode. I really like how she’s portrayed, and even though Wanda’s a little crazy, I think she provides a lot of heart to the show.
So like I said – if you’ve dropped off from watching Hellcats, tune in again. It’s a good episode, and I can guarantee that when the next episode comes, I won’t procrastinate about watching it.
The “Back Of A Car” episode of Hellcats airs tonight at 9PM (ET) on The CW. Come talk about the show (and the episode) on our forum!
Take a look at a gallery of images from the episode!
