In an outrageous series, the most outrageous episode so far. In most other shows the fact that the underage Miles has sex with his adult (substituting) teacher would be enough for the show-runners to center their episode around, but for the makers of Hard Times it is just one portion of the whole load.
No, only three episodes after RJ has been on an actual first date with Jenny, the show-runners are confident enough to *not* let any sort of status quo form - rather, they derail RJ's entire life towards the unknown. And the season isn't even at its half-point yet! Most other shows would have introduced a new regular character at the start of the season, but here a third of the season passes before Amy the Tutor appears to further complicate RJ's love life.
The previous episode already presented the idea that Jenny and RJ really don't have that much in common, yet Hard Times does not take the clichéd way out like, for example, the otherwise excellent American Pie, where the protagonist found out that his dream girl was not for him at all. Because, in *real* life, the dream girl can just as likely be the right one or not. And Hard Times acknowledges that. Thanks to subtle writing, Jenny comes across as a three-dimensional character - yes, Amber Lancaster is surprisingly good in her interpretation of the character, but were the writing not good, we would not root for RJ and Jenny. Incredibly, Amy the Tutor is presented as equally viable choice for RJ, further rooting this otherwise excessive series into real life.
Throw in a new subplot involving RJ's mother and gym coach, and one gets the distinct impression that the whole season has been carefully mapped out from start to finish. Whether the remaining seven episodes prove this to be true, remains to be seen, but for now, the show is fearlessly aiming to be more than your average gross-out comedy where, unlike in *real* life, RJ magically finds out that Lily is the one for her. 8/10 greatness with potential for classic status up ahead, but the possibility to end up as a disappointment exists as well. It is very rewarding to watch a show as unpredictable as this.
No, only three episodes after RJ has been on an actual first date with Jenny, the show-runners are confident enough to *not* let any sort of status quo form - rather, they derail RJ's entire life towards the unknown. And the season isn't even at its half-point yet! Most other shows would have introduced a new regular character at the start of the season, but here a third of the season passes before Amy the Tutor appears to further complicate RJ's love life.
The previous episode already presented the idea that Jenny and RJ really don't have that much in common, yet Hard Times does not take the clichéd way out like, for example, the otherwise excellent American Pie, where the protagonist found out that his dream girl was not for him at all. Because, in *real* life, the dream girl can just as likely be the right one or not. And Hard Times acknowledges that. Thanks to subtle writing, Jenny comes across as a three-dimensional character - yes, Amber Lancaster is surprisingly good in her interpretation of the character, but were the writing not good, we would not root for RJ and Jenny. Incredibly, Amy the Tutor is presented as equally viable choice for RJ, further rooting this otherwise excessive series into real life.
Throw in a new subplot involving RJ's mother and gym coach, and one gets the distinct impression that the whole season has been carefully mapped out from start to finish. Whether the remaining seven episodes prove this to be true, remains to be seen, but for now, the show is fearlessly aiming to be more than your average gross-out comedy where, unlike in *real* life, RJ magically finds out that Lily is the one for her. 8/10 greatness with potential for classic status up ahead, but the possibility to end up as a disappointment exists as well. It is very rewarding to watch a show as unpredictable as this.
