KmR_414

I titled the review Smiley Show because that's exactly what the show has a tendency to do, make me smiley at how goofy it can sometimes be.

I originally began watching Emily Owens M.D. primarily because she's Meryl Streep's daughter and then because it was something else to watch after all my 'First Line' shows were done for the week like Bones, Big Bang Theory, etc.

This show is not your Grey's Anatomy or any of the other drama heavy weights on right now. I read an interview with Mindy Kalings from The Mindy Show and Emily Owens reminds me a lot of what Kalings was trying to achieve with her show - awkward comedy, not afraid to show that women aren't always perfect, and that we have insecurities (realism such as in Girls).

The difference to me is that Emily Owens is endearing - both the character, the cast, and all the plot lines. It draws you in to its quirky humor and realistic not-too-over-the-top drama.

Additionally, I think Owens character is very well balanced. She brings out the brunt when she has to "a bunch of you have STDs!" but also knows when it's unnecessary such as not talking about how Cassandra choked in surgery. She's honest and I hope to see her stronger side grow throughout the series.

It's refreshingly different and I hope it is around for seasons to come!

It took me a couple episodes to realize this show wasn't going to have the same 'feel good sappy happy' episodes as most other American television shows. It's a show about teenagers in the 80s but it's also a show about teenagers all the time. Watching this show was like reading Catcher in the Rye or maybe even a John Steinbeck book - it's about how teenagers are and moments in life we all go through or have struggled with. The writing is incredible, the actors are superb, and it's as genuine and quality as it gets for television. It's one the most truthful representation of "the best years of your life." I thoroughly enjoyed everything about this series. I miss it and I've only now seen the series once through.