Photo courtesy of The CW
“Life Sentence” is not your typical cancer story. It pokes a little fun at the dramatics of a normal cancer story but brings in a little twist. “Life Sentence” full on flips the script and looks at the happily ever after part. What if you have a second chance at life? What would you do?
Stella, the main character, lived everyday like it was her last since being diagnosed with cancer. She went exploring for love in Paris, got married and with the help of her family and friends lived life without consequence. With my pen and paper ready, I was excited to embark on Stella’s story.
The first ten minutes of the pilot felt rushed and a “too good to be true” type of feeling. A ploy that seems to be over played so many times in shows like this one. It was not until halfway through when I realized what the writers were doing with this ploy.
Her family created this life for her where she did not have to worry about mundane things, to just live the best life as long as Stella could. She is cured and the glass shatters on that perfect naive bubble. A fantastic move in pushing and moving the story forward.
Now Stella has to come with the terms that life is not what she has been living since she was diagnosed. Her second chance at life and she does not really know who she is and what she wants to do.
As a whole, the pilot was not the worst. I laughed, teared up a little, fell slightly in love with these dysfunctional characters and felt full of promise after an Ed Sheeran song played in the background the last few minutes of the episode. All the feelings you want to feel after watching a new show for the first time.
The CW has done so well lately in their list of teen show dramas, though I would not call this a teen drama per-say, is staying with the current. “Life Sentence” has an array of characters with problems of their own trying to find themselves too. Stella’s sister left her dream of writing, her mom is exploring her sexuality, brother does not know what he is doing in life or where he is living and Stella’s dad is not financially stable. A dysfunctional family you cannot help but relate to in some way or another.
Other than a few minor things, “Life Sentence” has so much potential to grow into the show I was expecting in the pilot. Pilot’s are always a little weird. Show-runners try to mesh as much story as they can in this one episode in hopes it will be picked up for a season.
You can stream the first episode now the CW app, but if you are in the mood to watch “Life Sentence” as it airs on television, check out “Life Sentence” Wednesday’s on The CW.