The new Fox show, Red Band Society, which premiered on September 17th, offers a breath of fresh air for television’s fall season. At first glance, the dramedy developed by Margaret Nagle, can come across as a witty remake of a show with stereotypical high school characters such as the snobby cheerleader and the nerd, but the show leaves a much deeper impression. Red Band Society follows a group of teenagers who live their day-to-day lives in the pediatric ward of Ocean Park Hospital, a touchy topic that many people choose not to think about.
“It’s weird how people get hung up on something that doesn’t matter until something that really matters happens,” is the opening line of the show, which is narrated by Charlie (Griffin Gluck), who happens to be in a coma after a being in a car accident with his father who subsequently lost visitation rights afterwards.
Charlie introduces all of the other characters in the show as well, starting with Kara (Zoe Levin), a pessimistic cheerleader, who ends up becoming Charlie’s new roommate after fainting during a practice and wreaks havoc on all of the hospital’s inhabitants. She even gives Charlie his very own nickname, Coma Boy. Dash (Astro), who has cystic fibrosis, is a smooth talker who only has one thing on his mind, and that’s to lose his virginity. Emma (Ciara Bravo), who suffers from an eating disorder, is known for her dark humor, often making jokes out of the other people’s illnesses. And a reflective teen named Leo (Charlie Rowe), who has cancer and one leg is ultimately paired with the new kid, Jordi (Nolan Sotillo), who has the same illness and is soon about to lose his leg as well.
As for the adults on the show, Nurse Jackson (Rebecca Rittenhouse), who is played by Academy Award winner, Octavia Spencer, will definitely become the fan favorite. With her quick comebacks and I’m-the-boss attitude, she demands respect from anyone who crosses her path. Dr.McAndrew (Dave Annable) moves around the hospital with ease and is the notable surgeon that Jordi actively sought to remove his leg. Nurse Brittany is a young, naïve nurse who has a lot to learn and Rubin, a hypochondriac, lives in the hospital. He seems to be the go-to guy for the adults and teens alike and even helps the teens throw a party on the roof of the hospital.
Throughout the show, a realistic portrayal of a teen’s life is shown. Dash, Jordi, and Leo attempt to buy beer for the party, but fail to do so after getting caught by the doctor whose car they stole in order to drive to the store. Emma and Lea were once in a relationship but Leo’s fear of dying ended that, and Dash achieves his goal of getting a sponge bath from Nurse Brittany but is not able to persuade her to have sex with him.
As the show continues, Kara, who has fun torturing “Coma Boy” by blowing smoke in his face and poking him, faints after a heated argument with one of her teammates who tells her that nobody cares about her. While in a between-life-and-death state, Kara talks to Charlie who gives her two sets of instructions: 1) to get him pizza because the smell may wake him and 2) to tell his dad that it isn’t his fault. When she wakes, Kara overhears that she has an enlarged heart but her extensive drug-use puts her at the bottom of the list for a heart transplant. Charlie’s voice –over cuts in as she has a moment of reflection “How do you tell a girl who needs a heart she never really had one to begin with.”
The episode concludes with Leo giving each member of the “Red Band Society” a red band that symbolizes a different part of his stay at the hospital. After forcing him to buy her beer, Kara eventually tells Charlie’s father, who happens to be a guitarist who frequently plays for Charlie, that Charlie’s condition is not his fault. Nurse Jackie provided Room 5115 with pizza after seeing a sign on the window as she made her way home, enabling Kara to make an attempt at waking Charlie, “Will you wake up already!” As Leo prepares for his surgery, he runs triumphantly for the last time and gives Emma his red band since she lost hers.
Through the shock, laughs, and tears, this show is exactly what society needs. In a time when the little things seem to make the biggest impact, this show will inspire people to have a moment of introspection and come to terms with what really matters in life. With quotes such as, “Luck isn’t getting what you want, it’s surviving what you don’t want,” spread out through the show, viewers will have numerous aha moments.