Good news for October Road fans!
Tomorrow is the ABC upfront when the network will announce its 2007-08 schedule.
Yet who wants to wait to find out October Road's fate tomorrow when we can know today?
Not me! So I asked my reliable inside source if October Road will get a second season, and I was told, "You'll be very happy tomorrow!"
Looks like we'll be getting our second season of October Road!
Thanks to everyone who commented on our petition to save the show. ABC has listened!
]]>ABC has not yet picked up this incredible show for a second season. Leave your comments below about how much you love October Road. We'll send them to ABC and let them know that the fans need this show to return!
Update: ABC has added October Road as a midseason show in the 2007-08 season!
Read more about October Road.
]]>This week we had the season finale of October Road. Just as I was starting to really get into this show, I have to wait until next season (fingers crossed) to see any more of Nick, Ikey, Owen Rowan and the rest of the gang. The finale didn't disappoint though - Big Cat spilled the beans on Ikey and Alison, we got our first glimpse of Sam's maybe-father Gavin Goddard, and Physical Phil made it as far as his front porch. Oh, and I can do my happy dance now, because Aubrey packed up her leggings and headed back to Berkley for a couple weeks. So she's from California - no wonder she never quite fit in in the Ridge.
]]> My favorite arc of this six-episode season has been the relationship between Nick and Eddie. My TV Crush on Geoff Stults is already well-documented, but I really think this guy is doing a great job with this role. He's clearly so conflicted - his best friend betrayed him so he has all that anger built up, but friendship is so important to him, but he can't just ignore the past... there's a lot of "but"s with Eddie. Their confrontation in Best Friend Windows was great, especially when Nick called him out on getting stuck in Knights Ridge. Just because Nick left didn't mean Eddie had to stay, and it's not right for him to blame Nick for his current position. On the other hand, I don't blame Eddie for pushing Nick through the window. Sometimes the truth hurts.Speaking of the truth hurting, Big Cat, who's shaping up to be such a great villain, told Owen about Alison's affair with Ikey. Owen was not only incredibly hurt by his wife's and friend's betrayal, he was pushed over the edge when he found out Nick had known about the affair and hadn't told him. Owen's repetition of "How can this be?" was so heartbreaking each time. Eddie broke his business partnership and friendship with Ikey and then reunited with Nick to go bring Owen home. Though I'll admit some of the writing on this show is a little over-the-top (I'll have examples later), the writers really understand male friendship. Oftentimes issues explode into fights, but they can be resolved with a few words or just a look, or the notion of making up for the sake of another friend. Nick and Eddie's scene by Eddie's truck and then the look they exchanged while driving said, "I'm sorry for throwing you through that window, it's just that I've been really conflicted since you came back to town," and, "I'm sorry I egged you on earlier, and also I'm sorry I made it look like you committed vehicular manslaughter in my book and the movie adaptation." Clearly Scott Rosenberg knows a thing or two about being friends with guys.
The writing was not quite as concise in Nick's scene with Hannah at the end. Though I was so happy he wasn't running down the sidewalk to see Aubrey (the thought did enter my mind), the phrases "laughing beneath a lipstick sky" and "maybe that's the unreasonable beauty of things" seemed a little much at first, but then you have to remember this guy's a writer. As Hannah said to Aubrey at the vet's office, Nick is the patron saint of impulsive gestures, so he's going to make sure he has the right words when he gallantly shows up on his high school girlfriend's doorstep. I think Eddie stole Nick's moves when he told Janet that her smile came upon her face "like a rush of ink." Very glad those two finally kissed and made up, by the way.
Back to Nick and Hannah… and Sam and Gavin. Hannah whispers to Nick, "It's not what you think," so what was it? Did Hannah hire Gavin as her accountant so he can be around Sam every now and again? Does Gavin know he's Sam's father? Gavin didn't seem to mind that Nick was performing his impulsive gesture, so there's no jealousy there. The whole scene was really interesting; I have the feeling no one truly knew what was going on besides Hannah.
And hopefully we'll get a chance to figure it out. This episode was pretty perfect as far as finales go. There was a good balance of highs (Physical Phil taking baby steps) and lows (poor Owen), and there was resolution to some storylines while others were left open. I'd say given the decent ratings, ABC will probably bring October Road back for another season, but let's keep our fingers crossed in the meantime.
One more thing: To Marci, who commented on my last article: The song in the promos was "Wonderful World" by James Morrison. All the great music in this show really upped my iPod's cool factor!
Click here to read more about October Road.
]]>Maybe I was tired. Maybe I had something stuck in my eye. Or maybe October Road has officially sucked me in. Whatever the reason (and I'm leaning toward the third, although I did get shampoo in my eye in the shower yesterday), I cried three times during last night's episode. I know this mini-season is only six episodes long so they're pulling out all the dramatic stops to get people hooked, but hey, it's working.
Things started out with everyone in the hospital (including Aubrey, but she thankfully made a quick and appropriate exit) waiting to hear Sam's fate after his bike/peanut butter accident. Owen soon realizes that it was his "sticky monster" that put Sam in the hospital, and Hannah surprises everyone by slapping him in the face when he confesses. She follows it with a hug and I cry for the first time. I'm glad Owen fessed up instead of holding this information in for the entire episode. It would have made things a little too dramatic and it would have been out of character for the big teddy bear.
Owen then has a really nice moment with his wife, Alison. He of course feels guilty for hurting Sam and he doesn't want to ever jeopardize their family or their life together... and I'm crying again. You can read in Alison's eyes that she's going to stop jeopardizing their life together and end things with Ikey. As much as I want everyone to be happy and faithful, I loved it when the camera panned around to show Ray witnessing Ikey and Alison's final kiss in the parking lot. What can I say, I was raised on soap operas, and Big Cat makes a good villain.
Speaking of soap operas, things did get a little over the top in Physical Phil's storyline this week. Maybe I'm like the pizza girl and I don't like fighting, but I found the whole frat house revenge scene a little painful to watch. I guess I understand the point - without Alison, Owen would be a fried-chicken-eating, college-guy-beating maniac - but it was a little much. I'll take Owen the sticky monster over Owen the revenge-seeker any day.
How have I gotten this far without talking about Nick and Hannah?
]]> I'm a sucker for a cute old man used as a plot device, and Mr. Bolivar was a great one. I loved his scene with Aubrey - I know it's mean but I enjoyed seeing her confidence get crushed when he told her about the love he saw between Nick and Hannah. Come on Aubrey, you don't want to get involved with someone who is still hung up on his high school girlfriend and may or may not be the father of her child, do you? Go date someone your own age with less baggage. Please.Mr. Bolivar got me again with the eye-color-changing story that tugged on my heartstrings so hard I thought they would break. I didn't cry, but I sure had a girly "I hope someone feels that way about me someday" moment.
No, the third cry came when Sam was out of surgery and Hannah went in to see him. I was okay while she was telling him how beautiful he was, but the moment she said he was her best friend, I lost it. The enormity of her relationship with him - she had him when she was so young and the father wasn't around, yet they managed to create a "normal" life together - really hadn't hit me until that moment. Thanks, Laura Prepon, for making me cry twice in the span of one hour.
Next week, the drama keeps coming as Ray tells Owen about Alison's affair and Aubrey makes Nick choose between her and Hannah. Oh Aubrey, don't you know ultimatums never work on TV?
Click here to read more about October Road.
]]>After a weekend filled with way too many jelly beans, I finally got to watch last Thursday's episode of October Road. I'm actually glad I waited a few days, because the show won't be on this week. ABC has decided to air the final two episodes of the six-episode order on April 19th and 26th, thanks to the show holding its own even while Grey's Anatomy has been in reruns. If the next two episodes are as fantastic (among other adjectives) as Jacki Garfinkel says, they'll be worth the wait.
The most recent episode was the best so far. I know I've said the same thing every week, but this show seriously gets better with each episode, and I feel so proud watching it grow. We're learning more about the characters and I'm either falling in love or hate with each of them. At the top of my love list is Eddie, but that may be due to my TV Crush on Geoff Stults. Seriously, I know I'm admitting I watched 7th Heaven here, but this guy is so much better in this role. And there's something about the way he wears the flannel shirts and jean jackets, with that little bit of scruff on his face... I'm gonna get myself in trouble here, so I'll stop. The character is very interesting and layered though - he's dealing with Nick's return, his confusing feelings for Janet, and now Big Cat is taking out his Nick-anger on Eddie by stealing his clients. Even though Eddie's being a loser as far as Janet is concerned, I do get an "I've got a lot on my shoulders" feeling whenever Stults walks into frame. I hope the poor guy can sort it out, and he can definitely give me a call if he needs a hug.
Also on my love list are Nick's dad and brother, who just this week I managed to remember was named Ronnie, so now I can use his name instead of "Nick's brother." I have an older brother myself (just call me "Jamie's sister"), so I know the feeling. The Commander's secret girlfriend was a good storyline and the twist with the Dean at the end was great. Ronnie's reaction was so sweet and understandable - sure he misses his mom, but ultimately he wants his dad to be happy.
At the tippy top of the hate list? No surprise here - it's Aubrey.
]]> She's also the only one on the hate list (okay, maybe Big Cat is on there somewhere, but he comes way after Aubrey). I'm confused - in what world is it okay to date your professor? I don't understand why this has barely been an issue, and I really don't understand why the Dean is looking the other way on it. Regardless of the fact that she's dating Nick's dad, student-teacher relationships are a no-no. But back to Aubrey - there's something about her that really grates me. Maybe it's because she doesn't look like she's a small-town girl at a small-town college. I'm not sure if they've established whether or not she's a native of Knights Ridge, but I'd like it if she were more laid back and less trendy and man-hungry. As the younger of the two, I'd expect her to have reservations about the relationship, but she's being really predatory with Nick. I don't understand his attraction to her - I wish they had established more of a friendship or mild flirtation instead of launching right into a kiss in the third episode and full-on dating in the fourth. Hopefully in the next episode, all that time in the hospital with Hannah will knock some sense into Nick and he'll kick the college chippy to the curb. By the way, I liked the peanut butter as an addition to your typical kid-on-bike-gets-hit-by-car cliffhanger (which was spoiled in the promos, thanks ABC).The Ikey-Allison affair finally came to a head this week, and I especially liked Allison's scene with Nick in the parking lot. She's right - he just came back to town so he should probably cool it on judging people. It goes back to what I realized (with Bryan Greenberg's help) the last time I wrote: Nick isn't selfish; he's impulsive with good intentions. Obviously, if you learned that your buddy's wife was having an affair with another one of your buddies, you'd want to make them fess up. He has to learn to pull back and check himself every once in a while or else he's going to get "you've been gone for ten years" thrown back in his face every time. It will be nice to watch Nick learn this lesson though, and I already like him more than in the first episodes.
Finally, if you're curious but lazy like me, I finally got around to checking what that song is in the previews for October Road. It's called "Who Knew" and I was surprised to see it's by Pink. She's not usually my cup of tea, but I do really like this song. I hope I saved someone out there a little Googling, and now I can know a few more lyrics than just, "and count your blessings now," because that has been circling around my head for weeks.
]]>I've already declared October Road as the best new show. Some speculated on how well the show could do, but the-best-new-show-that-could trumped all its critics, now that ABC has decided to air the two remaining completed episodes (April 19 and 26).
Prior to viewing episodes five and six, I loved October Road. Now that I've watched those final two episodes, all I can say is OH MY GOD, THEY ARE UNBELIEVABLE. Incredible. Fascinating. Awesome. Intriguing. Engaging. Amazing. Perfect.
Click here to read the rest of October Road Producers Talk to MediaVillage about Episodes 5 and 6
]]>Okay, Bryan Greenberg, you got me. Not only did you give Jacki Garfinkel such a great interview that she wants to marry you, but you convinced me that Nick isn't so bad after all. It became very clear in last night's episode that, as you said in the interview, Nick "doesn't want to hurt anybody, but he just acts so impulsively." I get it now. Nick's not selfish; he's just misunderstood. Aren't we all?
]]> In my humble opinion, the third episode of October Road was the best so far. The theme seemed to be separating real life from fiction. Aubrey read a very ahem personal short story in Nick's class and Nick had to remind the class that it was Aubrey's narrator speaking. Later on, Sam comes to Nick for advice on how to woo a girl according to Nick's book (specifically, how to "rock the stadium of her heart), but Nick insists it's a work of fiction. Hey Nick - when Hannah is Anna and Eddie is Freddie, it's probably closer to fact than fiction. Speaking of Eddie, we finally found out what had him so creased about Nick's book and the movie that came from it. Apparently, the Freddie character got into a car accident and then left the scene, but in real life, Eddie stayed and took responsibility for his mistake. There's a big difference there, but I think the more interesting plot would involve Freddie running away, so I'm not surprised Nick decided to go that route. If only he changed the name a little bit more.In other Eddie news, he may actually like Janet. Though she only got a kiss on the forehead at the end of their maybe-date, there were some nice moments between the two. I do think there is a smidge of shame in Eddie taking Janet to a secluded restaurant and then barely talking to her at Pumpkin Fest, but something might actually happen with these two and it will be interesting to see it unfold.
A perfect example of how these characters are growing on me: I actually liked Nick's storyline this week. His mentoring of Sam was very About a Boy (and Sam and Marcus even have similar hairstyles). The scene in the principal's office was especially great, because we got to see what Nick and Hannah used to be. And just when Nick has eased back into Hannah's good graces, everything backfires. I'll admit I don't really get the whole air band thing, but it was kind of cute - too bad Amanda didn't think so. Poor Sam got his heart broken, but at least his mom was there to pick up the pieces. Hannah left Nick with his own pieces, just in time for Aubrey to swoop in and kiss him. My notes for this scene: "EW. Not cool. Skank." Can you tell I don't like Aubrey? No matter what the age difference is, trying to hook up with your professor is not okay in my book.
To sum up the rest of the storylines, Physical Phil invited the pizza delivery girl "in" on a date (as creepy as Phil is, it was a sweet gesture) and Hannah and Ray called it quits after Ray asked her to move into a new house with him. (Sidenote to Spencer from The Hills: That's how you ask a girl to move in with you, not by pressuring her with veiled threats of a breakup.) I also really liked Hannah's scene at Nick's mother's grave. When you break up with a guy, you don't necessarily break up with his family and it was nice to see that Hannah still used Caroline as a sounding board of sorts. At some point, I'd love to see some flashbacks to when Caroline was alive, because I bet she was one tough cookie.
Just when I'm starting to really get involved with these characters and storylines, it's time for the season finale. Next week is the last episode to air this season (they have filmed six but ABC is only airing four), and based on the previews, Aubrey keeps skankin' it up and Sam gets himself in the wrong place at the wrong time.
]]>I'm going to start this off with a shameless plug. No, not one for October Road (we'll get to that one shortly), but for Bryan Greenberg. If you know Greenberg, it may be because you watched him play Meryl Streep's son and Uma Thurman's boyfriend in the movie Prime. Or maybe you've watched him on the hit show One Tree Hill. Or perhaps you know him from what I call "the best new show," October Road.
Click here to read the rest of Bryan Greenberg: The Sixth Episode of October Road Can't Be the Last
]]>"You feel like you know this place," star Laura Prepon said of her new ABC show October Road.
Contrary to the belief of many television critics, October Road is the best new show on television. Prepon said, "Some people will get it and some people won't." If you grew up watching Dawson's Creek, you'll get it. If you're a teen now, you'll get it. If you're in your teens, twenties, thirties, or still have the mentality to feel like you're that age sometimes, you'll get it. And you'll not only get it, but you'll love it.
Click here to read the rest of Laura Prepon Explains Why October Road is the Best New Show
]]>The last time I wrote about October Road, I was pretty satisfied with the pilot but looking forward to the show getting better. The second episode was definitely a step in the right direction, and as Jacki Garfinkel's interview with Laura Prepon promises, I'm sure we're headed for even better things in the next few episodes.
First off, there were so many great gems of dialogue in this week's episode. Hannah's rant to Nick about not upsetting the applecart was so appropriate. She had Sam so young and has managed to raise him in a somewhat normal way, so there's a delicate balance and Nick seems determined to disrupt it. Her frustration and determination are completely understandable and the applecart metaphor was perfect.
]]>More on the dialogue front: The award for best line on any television show this week goes to, "I'm here because I'm 23 and stupid. What's your excuse?" from Aubrey to Eddie. Congratulations! That one's up there with Pacey Witter's "I'm the best sex you'll never have" from back in the first season of Dawson's Creek. I'm starting to like Eddie. I think this role is much better for Geoff Stults than his previous stint as the brother of a cop who's married to a reverend's annoying daughter on 7th Heaven (and maybe the dialogue's just a smidge better on October Road). I'm really curious as to what Nick wrote about him in the book, because it's got to be bad. Eddie swoops right in to steal Aubrey away from Nick and is surprisingly successful. Though the age gap seems a little weird, I went to college in a small town and there is a strange appeal to the townie-student relationship. Too bad Aubrey lost interest, but this Eddie-Janet pairing could be interesting too.
So I've talked about some things I liked this week, but now here's something I didn't: Nick. Yeah, I don't really like the main character, which would normally create a problem, but I'm okay with it (I rarely like Meredith Grey, after all). There is plenty to like in the other storylines, but seriously Nick - get over yourself. This guy is so selfish and self-absorbed - he just waltzes back into town, assumes everyone still likes him, and claims paternity of a kid just based on timing and a peanut allergy. Strangely enough, the scene with Nick and Hannah at Sully's reminded me of the episode of Sex and the City when Mr. Big takes Carrie to the secretive Chinese restaurant and then doesn't introduce her to a couple they run into. She jumps to the conclusion that he's ashamed of her. It turns out he just likes the food at that restaurant and he couldn't remember the guy's name, so Carrie winds up with her tail between her legs. Same deal with Nick having the cajones to not only assume he's Sam's father, but to tell Hannah about his assumptions as though they are the truth. When she had everyone raise their hands if they had a nut allergy, I loved it. I do have sympathy for Nick because his reintegration into his life in Knights Ridge isn't going so smoothly, but I do want to see him a little more settled soon. Now that he has a job at the college (yes, I'm ignoring the way he serenaded the dean because I had a major case of second-hand embarrassment during that scene), things might start falling into place.
That's exactly the feeling I'm getting with October Road: there are a lot of great pieces to this puzzle - characters, great dialogue - and I can't wait to see them continue to come together. Next time, it looks like Nick and Sam will bond over girl troubles and we'll learn more about Ikey's affair with Allison.
Check out our October Road page for more coverage!
]]>I'm from a small town. Beautiful Girls is one of my all-time favorite movies. I have a thing for guys with New England accents. Seems like October Road, the new drama on ABC from Scott Rosenberg (who wrote Beautiful Girls), and I were made for each other. Well, we had our first date this past Thursday after Grey's Anatomy and let's just say I'd love to see more of it. I hope it calls!
]]> October Road tells the story of Nick (Bryan Greenberg), a guy who left his small New England town after graduating high school to go backpacking in Europe for six weeks but - oops - winds up staying away for ten years. During those ten years, he writes a best-selling novel based on his childhood and apparently he didn't show all his friends in the best light. He returns to his hometown to teach a class at the local college and try to cure his writer's block but doesn't get quite the homecoming he was looking for. For starters, his former girlfriend, Hannah (Laura Prepon) has a son who is conveniently ten years old, very precocious, and allergic to peanuts - just like Nick! Nick's old best friend Eddie (Geoff Stults) is very unhappy with how he came off in Nick's book, so he skulks around for part of the episode and then turns a little violent at Sully's, the local bar (you can't have New England without a Sully, after all).Despite the not-so-great reviews, I think I could really get into this show, if only because I want to see it get better. EW.com gave it a C and Zap2It.com's TV Gal said, "It plays as if the kids on 'Dawson's Creek' grew up and became even more annoying." Hey, give it a break, guys. Pilot episodes are always tough, because there has to be just the right amount of exposition, along with the introduction of characters and on top of that, you have to leave the audience wanting more. I definitely want to see how Nick deals with the changes that have happened to his town in his absence. I know when I return to my hometown, I expect things to be just as I left them, but unfortunately people move away or move back, the price at the one-at-a-time movie theater goes up by another fifty cents, or there's a new menu at my favorite restaurant. Nick expected everything to be frozen in time for him, but he's got to deal with the fact that the town and his friends have changed just as he has (and thank god - there were some baaaad hairstyles in the flashback to 1997).
The thing I may love most about this show is the potential for great characters to emerge from it. So many of the shows I watch are sort of violent and stressful (24, Heroes, even Grey's Anatomy during sweeps), so October Road is rather refreshing and yes, reminiscent of Dawson's Creek and other character-driven shows from the heyday of the WB. I'm looking forward to watching people just be people, not people torturing terrorists or people with superpowers or people with the inability to sleep with anyone outside their place of work. I'm not saying those other shows are bad, but I'm personally just a little overwhelmed and I need a respite from all the action in my TV-watching schedule. So October Road, give me a call. I'm free this Thursday at 10, how about you?
]]>In the late 90s, The WB went from airing sitcoms that targeted an ethically diverse audience to courting the teenage demographic. With their long roster of shows including Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Dawson's Creek, Charmed, Popular, Felicity, Angel, Seventh Heaven, Gilmore Girls, Everwood, Smallville and One Tree Hill, the network succeeded with flying colors.
Click here to read the rest of Where's the Next Dawson's Creek and Buffy? A Generation Yearns!
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