Wow! I've read a few of the low rating reviews, and wow! One I'd like to reflect on, was a comment about Hollywood is the benchmark and this that came out of Britain (though I believe a lot of Canadian support) is falling so far behind, is that; recently Hollywood has been failing massively at the box office and on a lot of streaming sites (the House of Mouse especially). Thankfully this was quite a bit removed from Hollywood.
This was more like a fun, harmless, with some positive messaging not forced down your throat or smacked over your head. It was innocent, yes done before, escape into not really much reality, but that's why I watch things like this. Not for "reality" because I live that, and it sucks greatly. I watch things like this to escape and just have some moments of innocent fun.
Sure there are moments that aren't real, except for the bullying in school of academic superiority over popularity, the vacuous moronicness of the obsession over famous people and the whole social media culture, and the bullying of people who seem to do better than you, because you are too self obsessed and portentous. Sure, it is very perfect daydreamy, but that's why it's fun and an escape.
I loved all the characters, and they were all well acted. Some took longer to warm to, but the 3 of Harriet, Tobes, and Nat were excellent, as were the parents. Wilbur, Betty, Nick, and Yuji took longer to warm to, as did those who were out to get Harriet, but hey, we aren't meant to like them (and I truly have a deep hatred of bullies)
Some have said there is no way anyone nowadays would be as social awkward as Harriet, I'd disagree. Some have said anyone who looked like her at high school would have guys buzzing around her. I disagree, if she is known as a complete, total, clumsy, hopeless, "geek" then yeah, most vacuous moronic self-obsessed high school boys would avoid her like the plague, no matter how she looks. "Geekness" and "nerdness" is catching and if you hang around it, you are tainted by the same view. I wish I was stronger and stood with those kinds of people sooner in my high school life (I may not have wasted 2 years of my life trying to fit in with vacuous morons.)
I also saw a low review commenting on how she isn't a "geek" but a "nerd"! Who cares?! If you are so desperate to ram a wedge between those two groups, my god society is doomed and we are so far down the rabbit hole I don't know if I can even comprehend existence anymore!
Another said that it seems like they want to make Harriet out to be "on the spectrum" but never really defined it.....seriously! Everyone is somewhere on one of the many "spectrums" that are now tossed about, and I personally loved the fact that that aspect wasn't pushed, because not everyone goes around ticking as many boxes as they can to "define themselves", a lot of people live their lives, with quirks and hang ups without "boxing" themselves. It's ok to have quirks and hang ups, they don't define you! Having it more open, especially with Harriet and Toby, as well as to a degree Wilbur, Nick, Betty, and even Yuji, means that more people can relate in some ways and so it reaches and touches them more. So much more than sticking characters in boxes! As that limits relating to them only if you see yourself in that "box"! I hate how life in the West has become a DnD character sheet (though worse) with all the boxes to define who you are. I'm just me. Quirks and hang ups and all, and this show tells me "that's ok".
I've now written too much, and no one will ever read this because it's too long.
I give it 9 which about 15 years ago may only have been a 7, because I'm tired of the modern forced messages that are so common in most modern screenings (especially those from Hollywood!)
