Imagine waking up out in the middle of the woods, with no memory of how you got there or even who you are, for that matter. That is the premise behind the ABC Family show "Kyle XY" in this first season.
For a basic plot summary, the ten episodes comprising this season focus on the young boy, eventually given the name "Kyle", who doesn't seem to remember anything about his past. After being taken in by his social worker, Kyle must acclimate to home living all over again, being helped by his increased brain activity that allows him to process information, both physically and mentally, much faster than an ordinary person. Along the way, the mystery of his past is slowly revealed.
The most endearing portion of this show is the ability of viewers, through the character of Kyle, to witness/experience the world from a fresh, innocent perspective. For the first 5-6 episodes, every sensory and emotional experience is new to Kyle, and it is very entertaining watching him comprehend those simple moments we all take for granted.
Then, in the final few episodes, the mysteries of Kyle's past really start to heat up. The plot and writing angles are very well done considering the ABC Family network, and the character of Tom Foss (Nicholas Lea of X-Files fame) really adds to the gravity of the show. It's not quite LOST or X-Files, but still good enough to keep even serious sci-fi viewers tuning in.
The only drag on this show whatsoever is that, because of the ABC Family audience, the "teenage romance" angle is played up a bit too much. Though done well in an innocent way with Kyle's character, the rest of his family's romantic foibles are little more than attempts to draw in hormone-driven teens. Luckily, these angles don't bog down the show all that much, unlike the middle seasons of Smallville, for instance.
Thus, I highly recommend this show (at least so far!) to any and all viewers. Some of the subject matter will be quite inappropriate for the kiddies, but teenagers on up can enjoy the mysteries and touching character moments.
For a basic plot summary, the ten episodes comprising this season focus on the young boy, eventually given the name "Kyle", who doesn't seem to remember anything about his past. After being taken in by his social worker, Kyle must acclimate to home living all over again, being helped by his increased brain activity that allows him to process information, both physically and mentally, much faster than an ordinary person. Along the way, the mystery of his past is slowly revealed.
The most endearing portion of this show is the ability of viewers, through the character of Kyle, to witness/experience the world from a fresh, innocent perspective. For the first 5-6 episodes, every sensory and emotional experience is new to Kyle, and it is very entertaining watching him comprehend those simple moments we all take for granted.
Then, in the final few episodes, the mysteries of Kyle's past really start to heat up. The plot and writing angles are very well done considering the ABC Family network, and the character of Tom Foss (Nicholas Lea of X-Files fame) really adds to the gravity of the show. It's not quite LOST or X-Files, but still good enough to keep even serious sci-fi viewers tuning in.
The only drag on this show whatsoever is that, because of the ABC Family audience, the "teenage romance" angle is played up a bit too much. Though done well in an innocent way with Kyle's character, the rest of his family's romantic foibles are little more than attempts to draw in hormone-driven teens. Luckily, these angles don't bog down the show all that much, unlike the middle seasons of Smallville, for instance.
Thus, I highly recommend this show (at least so far!) to any and all viewers. Some of the subject matter will be quite inappropriate for the kiddies, but teenagers on up can enjoy the mysteries and touching character moments.
