TV review: Eastwick

from left to right: Rebecca Romijn, Jaime Ray Newman, Lindsay Price

It is such a shame that the general public veers towards the generic mainstream junk, and cast aside true hidden gems, just like Eastwick. By right, Eastwick has everything that will need to fabricate an amazing show — a great cast, wonderful execution of an age-old concept, witty repartees, and moments of hilarity, drama and fantastical elements– but naturally, fate doesn’t always work the way it’s supposed to. Recently, ABC network has announced that Eastwick will not be returning for a second season, much to the disappointment and outrage of its loyal albeit small fan base, in which I am a dedicated member of.

A story of love, friendship, and fantasy, three previously unconnected women residing in a small town called Eastwick (hence, the name) discover their latent witchly abilities under mysterious and predetermined circumstances. Due to their newfound powers, these women drift towards one another, eventually forming a deep and unconditional bond of friendship. Meanwhile, Darryl Van Horne (Paul Gross), a man enshrouded in enigma enters the town of Eastwick, under the premise of aiding the town financially, but appears to have some other plans in mind.

Refreshing and light-hearted, Eastwick possesses qualities that are unparalleled, and of course, the pulchritude of the characters adds on to the overall magic of the show (no pun intended!). The cast, raw talent as they may be, are not novices in their field of expertise; we are able easily recognise the actors from their previous critically-acclaimed work. Notable examples include Paul Gross (Due South, Slings and Arrows), Jaime Ray Newman (Eureka, Veronica Mars), Lindsay Price (Lipstick Jungle, Beverly Hills 90210) and Rebecca Romijn (Ugly Betty, X-Men). Indeed, these actors and actresses are able to tap deep into their characters and wear their personalities like a second skin. Their dialogues were positively humourous and their acting commendable.

I truly admired the fact that each episode ends on a cliffhanger that is not overly-pronounced, leaving you with at least a morsel of satisfaction and just the right amount of impatience to keep you hankering for the next episode.

As the story progresses, we are introduced not only to more complex character development, but also to more intricate relationships between characters. I thoroughly enjoyed the fact that despite its outer comedy and light-heartedness, Eastwick indirectly exploits several important issues in our current society, such as divorce, heartbreak, infidelity, mental instability, friendships and so forth.

Despite this positive development, I somehow feel that the progression of the characters’ magic prowess is less than satisfactory. Originally adapted from a book and a remake of a movie, Eastwick has somehow deviated from the original story and has placed primary focus on character interactions and social relationships instead. Not that I’m complaining of course, although I believe that it would be a whole lot more gratifying had I seen a little more magical action. Of course, the characters were quite slow to cotton on the fact that they now do possess magical powers — only after the sixth episode or so did they begin to have the slightest inkling that what the strange events that had occurred were not just plain ‘accidents’.

Eastwick is certainly a wonderful TV show that can keep you blazing through all the episodes in a single sitting. Summing up every remarkable quality and feature of this series, there should be no question as to why this is one of my favourite shows.

Conclusion:

Rating: 9.5/10

Concept: 7/10

Promo: 6.5/10

Acting: 9.5/10

Did I get my time’s worth: Yes

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