Life Sentence

This show starring Lucy Hale has comedy potential, but the story most certainly is all over the place. You kind of get a headache when you are taken along for the ride with Stella (played by Hale) and discover with her all the secrets her family kept to themselves while she was sick. There are sweet messages dropped in throughout the pilot and crazy interactions between siblings, parents, etc. but nothing to really grab onto except for Stella's humorous marriage relationship. Wes (played by Elliot Knight) and Stella were probably the best part of the series beginning. Her readjustment for the future basically drives the show...however I'll mention once again that Hale and Knight are the real gems. All the other characters make for okay curveballs as the series tries to continue, though they tug more at your pity than your funny bone. Also, the medical aspect of the series and how Stella is cured from her cancer does a fine job of throwing in a unique angle at how to perceive "living" and takes away the dark and off-putting circumstance that cancer can be. Instead, Life Sentence chose to approach cancer in a more light-hearted way that causes you to view the disease as a hurdle rather than an antagonistic monster...not allowing cancer the satisfaction of winning (something I appreciate).

Although this premiere TV episode comes across as a high quality big screen production in which it does have its moments there is more to be desired. The TV premiere opens up with a cancer victim named Stella Abbott (Lucy Hale) jetting off to Paris (via the retro like Mary Tyler Moore opening song) to find true love with a British black man named Wes (Elliot Knight) and they quickly get married to enjoy her last few months on planet earth.

Stella's parent love her as do Stella's brother and older sister and all of them have apparently put their lives on a permanent hold pattern to ensure Stella's last days on earth before the big "C" take her away are the most joyous.

The pretense of the series is that after Stella comes home from Paris with her new British beau who she marries she is told that her previously incurable cancer has actually now been miraculously fully cured. Now Stella and her family cannot continue their charade of giving her a carefree life and bountiful love as her dad Paul Abbott (Dylan Walsh) who is a college professor has extended his credit with the banks further than it should have to allow Stella's last few months to feel like a princess.

Now Stella's fairy princess lifestyle and her Prince Charming husband Wes have to come to terms that it is unrealistic to live every day as if it may be their last one together since Stella has been given a new "life sentence" by her Doctor Helena Chang (Anna Enger).

As stated earlier, this premiere episode utilizes a Hollywood style opening Paris scene to draw in the romantics, as well as attempting an Ed Sheeran hit tune to boost the music lovers in all of us but is this sufficient enough fuel to continue watching? I am not sure by simply hitting key demographics such as mixed marriages, cancer survivors, a lesbian mom, a wife stealing brother, and a struggling college professor, what is the actual weekly story going to tell its audience? I think Life Sentence will be done by the time summer hits us and the star Lucy Hale will be looking for another TV career from the one she has here as a barista.

I give the series a 6 out of 10 rating. I just don't feel it lasting. Sorry Stella but I think your days are still numbered so enjoy the TV spotlight this spring while you still can.

Although the premise of the show is unique enough the show suffers from lackluster acting and writing. The writer showcases the story through the voice of Lucy Hale's character (Stella), which is one of the most exasperating acts of the show, not to mention some very poor writing and direction for most of the supporting actors, two siblings seem to be there just as a necessity. The parents' characters, maybe due to fact that they act better, seems passable. The saving grace for this show which is the love story between the lead and the Brit.

Going ahead the show will focus on the whole family and how Stella moves on with her life with them, this is where the show will fail. What it lacks is jovial and quirky bits to make the show better and the lackadaisical performance of the brother does not help. The show could have really used a friend instead of the siblings (at least one) maybe this will change as the show goes on. But as the show is right now I see it being canceled at the end of the season or next season(because Lucy Hale has some TV fandom that might pull some viewership in).

Tan(A)

This was a good show. It was a little much on the drama front and not in a good way (but what CW show isn't?). I had incredibly high hopes after the first episode. The biggest reason why is because I think it's such a fresh and interesting concept. If they had gone in some different directions, I think they definitely would've made it.

The characters were incredibly likeable, but part of the problem was that some performances truly shined, while others fell short entirely. They were great in their roles. The music is FANTASTIC. I cannot express enough how much I love the soundtrack to this show.

While it didn't make it, I think it's worth the watch if you have nothing better to do. Just be prepared. What's on Netflix is all you get.

I adore Lucy Hale, even before anyone had ever heard of Pretty Little Liars I've been a fan so it goes without saying that I was going to give this show a chance. However with that said, Life Sentence is a pretty good little show in its own right for a first outing. You have to wonder, whatever your disease of choice, you effectively put your life on hold, for years possibly, and told you're near certainly going to die. Then against all odds...you don't. Then what do you do? Did you bother with much of an actual life - not just the highlights - because you didn't expect to have one? Do you find out just what kind of sacrifices were made on your behalf? This show attempts to answer those questions and so far, admittedly on the pilot episode, it was a fun outing...

That being said, I really thought what Stella's family really is like and the sacrifices and facade they've made for her should've been teased out over the next few/several as things felt a bit rushed. They also made sure to check just about every box on the PC checklist now a days with your recreational drugs, stoner family member, kids to soon and sexual orientation and marriage that's falling apart (as opposed to a strong loving marriage but guess that's not PC...). Regardless I have to give a shout out to how minorities are portrayed in the episode, as just people just like anyone else. They're not portrayed as ethnic, eccentric or stereotyped and a particular shout out to Sadie the young black female cancer patient Stella relates to late in the episode as it could've easily been just a pretty generic white girl but yes regardless of race or color we all come down with things, even minorities... About the only thing not checked was Stella's college professor of a father having a relationship on the side with one of his students young enough to be his daughter (but it was only the first episode...).

So I'd give it a seven to an eight out of ten and we'll see where it goes...