The CW tries to recreate the magic of 7th Heaven with this family drama about city folk who move all the way to South Africa so their troubled teenage son, Jesse (newcomer Andrew St. John) can reform his rebellious behavior. Why is he filled with so much teen angst? His father is in jail and his divorce attorney mom, Jo (Stephanie Niznik from "Everwood"), is now shacking up with a vet, Danny (D.W. Moffett from "Hidden Palms"), his teenage daughter, Katie (Leah Pipes from "Clubhouse"), and his preteen son, Chase (K'Sun Ray from "Smith"). Naturally, he doesn't want to take orders from his step-dad or even be near his step-sister, so being dragged to South Africa isn't his idea of fun. Danny chose that particular location because his ex-wife's father owns a lodge there. Katie's mom died, leaving her the matriarch of the family, having to always take care of both her father and her little brother. She bottles all of her emotions and holds no expectations for life, whereas Chase is filled with hope and desires to connect with his mom's memory as much as possible.
The South African culture is trickled into the storyline, which makes for interesting anthropological lessons. For example, I learned last night that kwai (phonetic) is Zulu for cool and that they make beadwork with specific colors that express emotions, like love and happiness. Learning about another culture, adopting their way of life, and growing to love animals is a very effective therapy for Jesse. Unfortunately, he has a few temptations that could steer him back to being the bad boy who got expelled and almost arrested. The rich kids, whose father owns the resort-like lodge, are Oliver (newcomer Calvin Goldspink) and Emily (newbie Tiffany Mulheron). They've both already adjusted to the South African lifestyle and beautiful sights, like giraffes randomly walking past you and the mesmerizing sunsets. Oliver bonds with Jesse when he catches him trying to steal booze from a vendor and offers to provide him with a supply. Then he connects with Katie, flirtatiously of course, by trying to reassure her that she'll adjust to her new environment, because there's freedom there that just can't be had in New York. His sister, Emily, is your a-typical bitchy ice queen, who'll barely give Jesse the time of day.
Then there are the natives. Tumelo (newcomer Atandwa Kani) is a teenager who is initially more intrigued by Katie's father, because he wants to be a veterinarian to help his people with their animals. He's a peculiar character, mainly because he refers to a cheetah as his sister, since he nurtured her after she was attacked by a hyena. He obviously likes Katie, but he'll have some unfriendly competition since it doesn't seem he's welcome at Oliver's lodge. And even though Emily's given Jesse the cold shoulder, he'll practically be put on ice when he meets Mbali, a singer/bartender, who isn't easily wooed by his charms. Besides the love connections, the show will try to connect Jesse and Katie. The first episode already showed how much he secretly cares for her in spite of their bickering. So, basically it's Gossip Girl meets Animal Planet with a touch of Everwood. It doesn't really have any competition if you don't count The Simpsons, King of the Hill, and Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. As long as it stays on a relatively dead time slot, it won't get booted.
The South African culture is trickled into the storyline, which makes for interesting anthropological lessons. For example, I learned last night that kwai (phonetic) is Zulu for cool and that they make beadwork with specific colors that express emotions, like love and happiness. Learning about another culture, adopting their way of life, and growing to love animals is a very effective therapy for Jesse. Unfortunately, he has a few temptations that could steer him back to being the bad boy who got expelled and almost arrested. The rich kids, whose father owns the resort-like lodge, are Oliver (newcomer Calvin Goldspink) and Emily (newbie Tiffany Mulheron). They've both already adjusted to the South African lifestyle and beautiful sights, like giraffes randomly walking past you and the mesmerizing sunsets. Oliver bonds with Jesse when he catches him trying to steal booze from a vendor and offers to provide him with a supply. Then he connects with Katie, flirtatiously of course, by trying to reassure her that she'll adjust to her new environment, because there's freedom there that just can't be had in New York. His sister, Emily, is your a-typical bitchy ice queen, who'll barely give Jesse the time of day.
Then there are the natives. Tumelo (newcomer Atandwa Kani) is a teenager who is initially more intrigued by Katie's father, because he wants to be a veterinarian to help his people with their animals. He's a peculiar character, mainly because he refers to a cheetah as his sister, since he nurtured her after she was attacked by a hyena. He obviously likes Katie, but he'll have some unfriendly competition since it doesn't seem he's welcome at Oliver's lodge. And even though Emily's given Jesse the cold shoulder, he'll practically be put on ice when he meets Mbali, a singer/bartender, who isn't easily wooed by his charms. Besides the love connections, the show will try to connect Jesse and Katie. The first episode already showed how much he secretly cares for her in spite of their bickering. So, basically it's Gossip Girl meets Animal Planet with a touch of Everwood. It doesn't really have any competition if you don't count The Simpsons, King of the Hill, and Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. As long as it stays on a relatively dead time slot, it won't get booted.
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