Greenhouse Academy

I started this not knowing what to expect from a 20 minute or so per episode series. I was pleased to see that a lot of the cast appeared to be age appropriate unlike most "teen movies/series". The main story line and sub stories were interesting and somewhat suspenseful. Only a few episodes into season one and I was hooked. It only took three days to finish seasons one and two. Then along came season three. By the end of season 2 I wanted to give Greenhouse Academy ten stars but that would have been over rating it based solely on enjoyment so I settled for 8. Sadly, just after two episodes of season three I was ready to shelf the series. Changing cast members in the middle of a series is often fatal. Usually it is better to find some way to write them out. Brooke gained 10 years when they replaced her. Emma went from a cute little shy girl to one who comes across older and more worldly. Then there is this one girl who is totally annoying from the very start. (Worse than Aspen) The main male roles stayed the same and the supporting guys were but shadows. As for the story line, it went from mysterious, exciting, and suspenseful to "where do we go from here?". I hope season three gets better since I noticed that there is a season 4 listed.

I found it a really interesting tv series. It revolves around a high school in California that has a strong ideology on opposition between two houses: The Ravens and Eagles. Catastrophic events happen each season. I enjoy the fact that each seasons are short yet concise. Plot twists happen making the series a lot more interesting. The villains are good and the protagonists are likable. The story is also very interesting. The only problem is it's childness and not realistic enough in terms of teens talking.

Never mind the recasting. Yes, the choices seem a little odd considering the characterisations of Brooke and Emma from seasons 1 and 2, but they're actors; it's literally their job to portray different characters under direction and have it be believable. I'm a Doctor Who fan, so I'm well used to having different faces come in to reprise old characters.

It's the writing and direction that really sunk the show with season 3. Before this, there might've been a scene or two that required a little more suspension of disbelief, but the writing was usually very good and the direction gave us some very sympathetic, relatable characters, despite their extraordinary circumstances. Not so in season 3. I don't know what the hell this new "creative vision" is but I feel like there isn't one. The writing is ridiculous bordering on satire, and it feels like the actors are reading the lines cold with their least believable inflections possible. The shots feel stale and lack focus.

Wouldn't you know it? After I griped about all these things, I went to see who had been doing the direction, writing, and cinematography, and all three had been replaced for season 3. I feel ashamed on their behalf that they had a transition be THIS obvious and bad to even a non-industry viewer.

It seems like they adapted the story for this series from something they found on a fanfiction website. The overarching storylines for the seasons are so bad it's actually amazing someone, somewhere read the it and said 'yeah lets make that into a TV series'. So many things happen in this show that'll make you pause and think 'well thats dumb'.

But the actors do a really good job. So many times cheap shows have bad actors. Not here. The characters are interesting and likeable. This show has a charm to it that makes it enjoyable. Also props to how they do the end credits on each episode, it adds something to the show. You'll see what I mean..

I enjoyed the first 2 seasons and I'm pumped to binge season 3.

I started watching this series on Netflix out of boredom-it looked cheesy, light, and probably excellent material for a hate-watch to take my mind off of school stress and anxiety. I considered my initial judgement to be accurate until about...half way through the first episode.

It is cheesy, and filled with clichés, but the the writing isn't bad, and the characters are so sweet and lovable, despite being flawed. The way the friendships were written and acted was really heartwarming, and the drama felt real. I hope to see a second season!

Eight stars instead of ten because the acting could be a little sub-par at times (although ultimately it draws you in), the antagonists could have been less stereotypical, and there wasn't any LGBT representation.