Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies - First episode
In the prequel Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies to the movie Grease, we see how the Pink Ladies came to be and what Rydell High was like a few years before Sandy went to school there. Almost everyone knows the movie Grease. This musical from 1978 was a great success at the time and still has a large fan base today. I'm also a big fan and even dare to call Grease my favorite movie of all time. I heard about the news of the announced prequel series with mixed feelings. On the one hand, I was excited that Grease was being revived, but on the other hand, I had my doubts about the quality of this story. Could this series match the level of the original film or are these shoes too big to fill?
Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies is set in the 1954-1955 school year, four years before the events of the film. Jane (Marisa Davila, Super Giant Robot Brothers) moved with her family from New York last school year and struggles to settle at Rydell High. However, that changed a bit this summer when she started a relationship with class president Buddy (Jason Schmidt). As summer draws to a close, the only question is what will remain of their connection. After all, a misfit with a popular boy is a combination that is not easily accepted at Rydell.
The recognizable atmosphere of Grease is immediately present in the first moments of Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies. From clothing to decor, everything has been thought of. There is nothing to criticize about the singing and acting. Clearly, inspiration was taken from the film when creating the musical numbers for the series, although the style is sometimes a bit too modern and Disney-esque in my opinion. Original lyrics have been devised that fit the story, and having the cast sing the well-known intro Grease (Is The Word) as the first song has been excellently chosen.
Cynthia (Ari Notartomaso) dreams of being a T-Bird. Together with Olivia (Cheyenne Isabel Wells), who is the sister of T-Bird leader Richie (Johnathan Nieves, Penny Dreadful: City of Angels), she often hangs out with the boys. Yet neither of them really belong, although in Olivia's case that has more to do with a scandal that took place last school year. The eccentric Nancy (Tricia Fukuhara) meanwhile does her own thing and dresses entirely according to her own taste, much to the horror of her classmates.
The housekeeping lesson given at school clearly shows that Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies takes place in a different time. Yet in this version of Grease, there is more room for people with different ethnic backgrounds, something that was less visible in the film. For fans of the film, there are several nice references in the series. For example, we see the young Frenchy (Madison Elizabeth Lagares) and Rizzo (Emma Shannon) passing by and we hear a little about the origins of their friendship.
My enthusiasm for Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies is not as great as my enthusiasm for the film. However, that doesn't mean the series isn't good. On the contrary, it's a good attempt to emulate the original. The first episode presents a clear story with a lot of potential. I am also very pleased with the casting so far. I am therefore looking forward to the rest of this season with great curiosity.
On April 7, the first two episodes of Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies appeared on streaming service SkyShowtime in the Netherlands. The entire first season will contain ten episodes that will be released weekly on the streaming service from now on. The first episode lasts an hour and is clearly an introduction. All important characters pass by and as a viewer, we already get to experience a bit of the atmosphere of the series.The recognizable atmosphere of Grease is immediately present in the first moments of Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies.
Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies is set in the 1954-1955 school year, four years before the events of the film. Jane (Marisa Davila, Super Giant Robot Brothers) moved with her family from New York last school year and struggles to settle at Rydell High. However, that changed a bit this summer when she started a relationship with class president Buddy (Jason Schmidt). As summer draws to a close, the only question is what will remain of their connection. After all, a misfit with a popular boy is a combination that is not easily accepted at Rydell.
© Paramount+
The recognizable atmosphere of Grease is immediately present in the first moments of Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies. From clothing to decor, everything has been thought of. There is nothing to criticize about the singing and acting. Clearly, inspiration was taken from the film when creating the musical numbers for the series, although the style is sometimes a bit too modern and Disney-esque in my opinion. Original lyrics have been devised that fit the story, and having the cast sing the well-known intro Grease (Is The Word) as the first song has been excellently chosen.
Cynthia (Ari Notartomaso) dreams of being a T-Bird. Together with Olivia (Cheyenne Isabel Wells), who is the sister of T-Bird leader Richie (Johnathan Nieves, Penny Dreadful: City of Angels), she often hangs out with the boys. Yet neither of them really belong, although in Olivia's case that has more to do with a scandal that took place last school year. The eccentric Nancy (Tricia Fukuhara) meanwhile does her own thing and dresses entirely according to her own taste, much to the horror of her classmates.
The series itself is not funny so far, although some lyrics have probably been written with a smirk. The lip-syncing of the actors still needs some work and the scene in which the car is driven was also not very convincing. Yet these criticisms are rare in this otherwise strong start.The first episode presents a clear story with a lot of potential.
The housekeeping lesson given at school clearly shows that Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies takes place in a different time. Yet in this version of Grease, there is more room for people with different ethnic backgrounds, something that was less visible in the film. For fans of the film, there are several nice references in the series. For example, we see the young Frenchy (Madison Elizabeth Lagares) and Rizzo (Emma Shannon) passing by and we hear a little about the origins of their friendship.
My enthusiasm for Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies is not as great as my enthusiasm for the film. However, that doesn't mean the series isn't good. On the contrary, it's a good attempt to emulate the original. The first episode presents a clear story with a lot of potential. I am also very pleased with the casting so far. I am therefore looking forward to the rest of this season with great curiosity.
