I don’t often watch shows as they air on their networks. I usually hop on the bandwagon midway through the show’s run, and I nearly never finish a series I start. I’ve heard so many different recommendations from friends about what’s new and what’s good, but I hadn’t heard anyone mention NBC’s new show, Rise. Having been a fan of Glee in my younger years, I was intrigued and figured I might as well give it a go. Josh Radnor plays a high school English teacher who needs to find his passion again, so he volunteers to head up the theater department. He comes in and immediately switches from directing Grease to Spring Awakening (both good choices, but vastly different genres). His cast includes Moana, her best friend, the star football player, the coach’s daughter, and Shannon Purser.
I really wanted to love every second of it, but after finishing it, I found myself focusing on the cons than the pros – the first con being how predictable it all feels. A disheartened teacher takes on a new project he’s not fully equipped for, the shy girl at school (Auli’i Cravalho) has caught the eye of the star football player (Damon J. Gillespie) who ends up auditioning and oh, guess what! He’s amazing at singing and acting too! How convenient! I know it’ll probably pick up and become more original as the series continues, but the pilot threw its energy into tired and rushed stereotypes. The most genuine relationship shown in the first episode is that of Gillespie’s character and his mother, shown in some type of nursing home. The two share only a couple of brief scenes together, but they’re good examples of natural chemistry.
The biggest pro on my list was the choice of musical, Spring Awakening. Spring Awakening includes topics on emerging teenage sexuality, abortion, teenage suicide, and the role of religion in a child’s upbringing. Despite its nineteenth century setting, it’s surprisingly modern in tone. It’s probably controversial to some people, and it is controversial in Rise’s pilot episode. Of course, the principal puts a halt on its production and the devoutly religious parents of one of its actors demand he withdraws from it. Spring Awakening is a brilliant show and the music is just perfect. Although I have only seen the pilot episode, it’s clear Spring Awakening was chosen because it and Rise’s characters will draw clear parallels.
As the first season continues on and they begin to develop their characters more, I think it’s safe to say Rise might actually hold up. Josh Radnor has shown to be a strong lead actor in his other works, and maybe the younger cast will follow in his footsteps in terms of holding an audience.