Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies

This show isn't meant to be a remake of the movie. But some of these bad reviews seem to have forgotten what the original movie was really like. It was made in the 70s. Olivia Newton-John was a 30-something playing a high school student and was obviously not one. They tackled social issues like Russo being slut-shamed and being worried about being pregnant. It came down hard on both the Socs and the gangs. It had songs that were not 50s style ("Hopelessly Devoted" anyone?). It had a flying car at the end and an entire cartoon scene during "Greased Lightning". Plus it was based on a popular Broadway play. So get over yourselves.

This show is cute and fun. It definitely has some more pop/50s style songs. Yes, it reflects actually more 50s realistic social issues like women seen as unfit to lead and Black people rarely appreciated for who they really are. That is not fantasy. That's realistic. Idk why anyone thinks that's not how the past was. It's socially conscious and yet fun. I enjoy the Pink Ladies and the shenanigans they get up to while trying to make their points and make Rydell fun for all.

I grew up obsessed with the OG Grease. With the hindsight of adulthood, one realizes the limitations of the original. And although this has its own missteps, anyone who appreciates a fresh approach will love the feminist slant, albeit from a burgeoning sense of new identity. Some of the songs can be a tad clunky, but others (like I Want More in the second episode) are powerhouses. Most of the main characters have decent depth to them and hint at more to come. And the easter eggs are a delight to old school fans who cherish their trips down memory lane with a bit of bite. Although it's not Oscar fare, I'm definitely looking forward to this season and how their stories unfold at Rydell.

Anyone is entitled to compare this to the original Grease films. It's in the title. It's used as a catalyst for the series. It would be difficult to separate the two. But it needs to be done. It's possible that you may not have liked the original Grease film if you knew more about the characters and had time to pick them apart. That's the perk of writing a movie or play instead of a series. Not every single song is incredible and well placed but that's the curse of any show that has to keep the speed up. The songs and storylines are mostly modern, which gives the show more of an era-less Riverdale vibe than a show rooted in the 50s. With all of that said, the cast seems to buy into the story and energy which makes the show watchable, even if it's eventually forgotten.

I read some of the reviews and was surprised by how many people didn't like the show, till I read their reviews and went "oooh yeah, of course they wouldn't like it" it's progressive. One of the comments mentioned history and how this series isn't realistic. Another comment noted that the movies were also not realistic (Hopelessly devoted and flying cars), all of them are fantasy. That said, this show reminds us of the inequalities like men cheating at elections and male teachers taking advantage of students. All very real things that were more 'in your face' in the 50's but still happen today. But what I've never seen before was a butch/non-binary looking girl be shown so realistically. They suffer the same desire and confusion around their relationship as their other straight classmates (male and female). It's SUPER important to see this because it reveals the truth, that we ALL have to navigate relationships and how special 'in love' 'in lust' ones really are in ALL of our developments, normally starting in high school. I would have had a poster of this show in my locker. I love it.

Being a fan of the original Grease I decided, why not give this a try. Set 4 years before the movie, rise of the pink ladies is cute and quirky. It points out the ridiculousness of the time while also kinda poking fun at the original movies. The songs though modern in feel have a nice retro edge to them. The characters are just as silly and shallow as the original. Definitely a cheesy feel good type of show. Very light, drama and angst free. If you go into it taking it too seriously you won't enjoy it as much. Just take it at face value without comparing it to the movies and you might like it.