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Review: 'Hidden Palms'
Hidden Palms' angst-ridden, possibly supernatural mystery buried beneath the characters' superficial indolence is just as oppressive and maddening as the Palms Springs heat that purportedly drives its denizens crazy. As far as summer programming goes, the show's painful deficiencies in writing, character and story are perfect reasons to slather on the SPF and find entertainment outside.
Sprung from the keyboard of Kevin Williamson, the CW would like to intrigue you with the show's possible hybrid of Dawson's Creek youth soap drama and Scream's dark and edgy horror homage. It's not even remotely close to either.
Instead of an optimistic Dawson or a sassy Sidney, Hidden Palms' protagonist is the troubled and rather sallow-faced Johnny Miller. Played by (Taylor Handley), whom The O.C. fans will recognize as Oliver, possibly the most hated character on the history of the show, Johnny is the unsympathetic face of today's disaffected youth.
Sure, Johnny's been through a lot: his dad commit suicide right in front of him, and Johnny has just gone through several months of drug and alcohol rehab as a result. Throw in a new step dad whom his mother married less than a year after becoming a widow and a new life in the alien world of Palm Springs, and you have every reason for Johnny to be maladjusted. But no worries, he's got a creative outlet: photography.
In short order, Johnny encounters the other few young people living in the area: his goofball neighbor Cliff (Michael Cassidy); plain Jane chemistry geek Liza (Ellary Porterfield) and the requisite love interest, the enigmatic, sprinkler-worshipping bombshell Greta (Amber Heard).
But nothing is what it seems here, especially the people. In the space of one episode, we discover that prankster Cliff is actually cruel and that the stunning Greta is smart. Try to wrap your head around that one. And then there's the tragic mystery of Eddie, Cliff's friend who died and who just happened to live in Johnny's place. And thanks to vague hints highlighted by dramatic pauses, we know that there's something big left unsaid here that affects Cliff, Greta and subsequently Johnny.
And as luck would have it, the grown-up characters are just as misguided and caught up in appearances and power plays as their degenerate offspring -- whether it's Cliff's mother Tess (Sharon Lawrence) who's had her third nose job or Johnny's mother Karen (Gail O'Grady) whose infidelity might have sparked her late husband's suicide.
Unfortunately, this means that almost every character, including our put-upon protagonist, is not only unlikable, but annoying to boot. Everyone is playing games, and as a viewer, I'm not willing to play along.
Williamson continues his tradition of planting extensive, insightful and convoluted dialog in his young characters' mouths, which doesn't lend to their clout but rather makes them more insufferable. And even when they deign to speak simply, it's fraught with melodramatic meaning. Cliff is the master of this. At one point, he notices where Johnny's attention is at the pool and comments, "That's Greta. Name doesn't fit though. She's much more than a Greta, don't you think? Stay away from her. She can be enigmatic ... Greta can be dark, hot but dark."
The show hasn't quite figured out what it wants to be tonally: a hodge podge of wackiness, intriguingly cryptic or unrepentantly scandalous. Somehow it just falls short of every endeavor. And why does every song on the soundtrack sound it was a Top 40 hit five years ago? This only adds to the show's disjointedness.
With the CW still trying to create an identity, it makes sense for it to take chances with its summer programming. Hidden Palms' execution, however, has made the show's elaborately set-up mystery backfire. Instead of trying to puzzle out the various characters or what happened to poor Eddie, the viewer is left wondering, "Why should we care?"
This show rocks.
Laura | May 29, 2007 4:33:39 PM | #I saw the first Episode, I liked it..
Jerome | May 29, 2007 4:55:41 PM | #I saw the pilot and loved it. Sometimes you guys are way too harsh.
Steven | May 30, 2007 7:39:03 AM | #I saw the first episode, and liked it also.
Miguel | May 30, 2007 11:54:19 AM | #Me too ... or five. It looks like something fun for summer. Or at least better than "One Tree Hill."
Jules | May 30, 2007 12:47:25 PM | #Hidden Palms" TODAYS SHOW PLAY A SONG THAT I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO FIND OUT THE NAME OF THE SONG OR THE ARTIST.
THIS IS HOW THE SONG IS,, I CANT TAKE MY EYES OFF OF YOU, JUST LIKE YOU SAID IT WOULD BE, MOST OF THE TIME,
AND SO IT IS, ANY INFORMATION WILL BE HLPFULL.
THANK YOU
loved it. good stuff- perfect summer guilty pleasure!!! bring it on. more, please.
Marcy | May 30, 2007 7:46:16 PM | #That comment about the song, yeah. I wanted to find out what it was so I googled "Hidden Palms soundtrack" and I got here. You can just google those lyrics and look around. I'll try to find it too.
Renee | May 30, 2007 9:09:59 PM | #Blowers Daughter, by Damien Rice
Renee.... | May 30, 2007 9:11:10 PM | #Ok. So... Watched Hidden Palms tonight and caught the lyrics to an amazing song that I cannot find the lyrics to. I see toher posts about lyrics so I'll throw it out there.
"Dark days come floating... When the smoke clear I find another one of my crippled fears has died."
If you know the song, do let me know. Please! :)
great show, better than the oc. cliff is interesting. he seems to possess characteristics of a serial killer. they say children and young adults that grow up to be serial killers kill animals. he didnt kill the dog, but still. also, i think gretta killed eddie. i just got this weird fealing. i think because it almost feels like cliff has something on her. maybe im wrong, but i guess we'll find out.
fanboy | May 31, 2007 2:56:51 AM | #one more thing what about this show is supernatural? am i missing something? please elaborate somebody
was actually quite okey. you folks like bashing shows with your reviews and I dissagree.
| May 31, 2007 4:34:35 AM | #this is to David, a few below me... the song you're looking for is "The Blower's Daughter" by Damien Rice... it's also on the soundtrack to the movie "Closer"... it was also commented on a couple people below you... guess it's a popular song!!
Shayla | May 31, 2007 8:45:35 AM | #I found it to be okay. Not great, but not terrible. It's like Desperate Housewives for a younger audience, right down to the lightweight mystery which surely will be solved by the end of the hypothetical first season.
Jason | May 31, 2007 10:41:51 AM | #HIDDEN PALMS OR HIDDEN DISASTER? This show reeked. Romping in the water sprinklers late at night? I was cringing waiting for the slo-mo and the hair tossing. And what was with that pathetic loser girl who always showed up one moment to late? All episode long!!!
Give me a break. This show is going nowhere.
ARE YOU DUMBBB i f-inngg loved this show, its like life, if you dont like it then why are you searching it anyway. god get a life asshole.
Allison | May 31, 2007 1:20:18 PM | #ARE YOU DUMBBB i f-inngg loved this show, its like life, if you dont like it then why are you searching it anyway. god get a life asshole.
Allison | May 31, 2007 1:20:31 PM | #who's the artist of the song that was playing right in the end of the 1st serie? it was something like "i can't take my eyes off you..."? god, what a beautiful song!
please help!
"The Blower's Daughter" by Damien Rice
THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR HELP ON THE SONG, WHAT A SONG. I WAS ABLE TO DOWNLOAD IT TODAY FINELY I GOT THE FULL SONG, THANK YOU.
DAVID | May 31, 2007 8:39:39 PM | #eh... not as good as "The O.C." but not bad.
I think Cliff is a bad part of the show (the character himself seems to grown up for a 17 or 16 year old)
I say lets give the show a few episodes to find solid ground, after all it is just the pilot.
Alexander | May 31, 2007 8:50:13 PM | #i give this show two thumbs in the middle. it didn;t really suck except for that greta. she's very hot. maybe this show will not stick around so cw could bring back veronica mars. how about it guys do you agree!!
rickie t | Jun 2, 2007 5:57:34 PM | #normally i dont like little soap opera dramas like this which normally you find preps at school liking...to actually turn out to be quite the show!!two thumbs up
jenna | Jun 4, 2007 7:53:34 AM | #i liked it.. draws me in easily.. i was a fan of the oc, n this could be another great show
surferboi | Jun 4, 2007 8:49:59 AM | #this showww rockedddd. of course not as good as the OC, as i was its number one fan. but i like it. maybe im just a sucker for cheesy shows =]
summer | Jun 4, 2007 1:38:45 PM | #
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