Escuela de clones

I'm surprised at how low rated the first episode is, that was my favourite one. Lots of great writing, great jokes, I was smiling ear to ear. Sure not everything is the same - Ghandi is missing, and Cleopatra was recast for some reason. But there were lots of interesting new characters, and they were exploring modern themes with a 2003 lens.

And then I guess they ran out of ideas and went back to the old "haha white people are so dumb and ignorant" barrel, and well, it's getting old. At best it's lazy and unfunny, and at worst it's hurtful and leads to real life bullying. It's a shame because I was really liking the show until then.

The original had me laughing every episode. It had very clever writing compared to this new one. They removed what was in my opinion, the best character (Ghandi) and added new characters that just aren't funny at all. I thought it was okay until episode 5, when they just had to throw in this ridiculous political-social agenda with the white privilege b.s. And now I don't even know if I want to continue watching. I don't know about everyone else, but I don't watch movies and shows with the intention of having ideologies of any kind shoved in my face. I don't care if they are left or right leaning. If this is the direction they are going to take this series, count me out.

What was once a parody of teen dramas, with excellent wit and comedy, is now purely a teen drama plagued by the stale elements that burden most other modern adult animation productions. The show's original off-the-wall and at times tender aesthetic feels like it was left in the storeroom along with Ghandi. The new character additions to the show add little to the experience with some such as Ghandi's and the S. B. O. S. F's replacements being far below their predecessors. Despite the more disagreeable portions of it, the show isn't all negatives. The animation and design while almost feeling less fitting for the series is fine, the returning voice actors do a good job, and some moments almost reach the cleverness seen in the first season. In conclusion, it's not horrible and it could have been far worse but the fact it's such a downgrade from the first season makes this pseudo-reboot not all that worth watching.

I really enjoyed the original show, but this is just weak. So many cliche sentiments and themes. One thing that is still consistent is the comedy, but even that has died down significantly. It just isn't the same. They are missing the original flare of shock comedy, and most of the jokes don't land well. I'm still slightly optimistic about the shows future, because I can tell that all they need is there, they just can't figure out how to put it to the screen. The idea that teenagers who have been frozen for 20 years, and are now living in 2023, makes for a lot of potentially interesting stories and themes.

I have very mixed feelings about this long-awaited revival season. On one hand, it's nice to FINALLY see this wonderful show be continued after all these years post-cancellation. The show makes the effort to continue right here the original left off, with a clever way to bridge the time gaps between the two seasons in real time with a very funny time-skip montage. The new characters are decent at varying levels, and some storylines and jokes are done well. Particularly episode 9 with Mr. Butler-Tron. That episode was surprisingly heartfelt and very engaging. And I appreciate the new jabs at some of the dated writing styles of the past. And even though Abe's treatment is a little too harsh, it admittedly does feel satisfying to see Joan and JFK rewarded while Abe and Cleo get humbled after everything they all went through in Season 1 with a little role-reversal. But that being said, the revival season has its fair share of frustrations. My biggest issue is that the show feels like It has become just another teen drama; the very thing the original was parodying. Several episodes and moments feel a little too much like fanfiction with the original characters at times feeling too out-of-character or becoming too flanderized. The new writing feels inconsistent and misunderstanding of the original show's satirical style and characterizations, instead fixating on its new inflated cast and trying to appeal to Gen Z Tik Tok culture. Gandhi is gone (albeit understandably since he got the original show cancelled), Abe is outcasted by both the cast and the writers, Joan feels like she's too self-conscious about popularity, JFK feels too soft/dumb like a Labrador, Cleo is downgraded from her OG cleverly passive-aggressive charmer coercer persona to a much more stereotypically ditzy abrasive valley girl, Scudworth feels even less competent and now regulated to simping over his new boss, and Mr. Butler-Tron has been heavily sidelined (aside from his amazing backstory episode). The new characters are decent, but they're comparatively blander with less defined roles and overdesigned colorful designs that feel jarring with the OG art style (though I do love Topher). The political commentary is certainly hit-or-miss, and some of the recasting feels like downgrades despite the good intentions behind the decisions. Despite my complaints, the show is still a decent watch and I'm still glad that the show was revived. It may not be lightning in a bottle like the original, but it's overall still a decent show that slowly regained its mojo and makes me cautiously hopeful for season 3.