Greek is the word

“… is the word, that you heard. It’s got a groove, it’s got a meaning.”

And, that ain’t no lie.

You see, friends, Greek (ABC Family, returning 3/30 at 8 PM) is “the straw that stirs the drink.” It’s “the Miana!” Now, I don’t know what the hell that means, but real Seinfeld fans catch my drift. And for all of you who were asleep in the ’90s, my point is that Greek is one of those darlings that we’re all a little better off for watching.

Sure, the show can be a bit soap opera-y, and yeah, the whole sorority drama thing makes me sick, but ABC Family has hit on the recipe that so many cable networks are stumbling upon today: put together a solid cast, write good dialogue and interesting relationships, and keep your fans wanting more at the end of a short season. Check, check, and check!

I got sucked into Greek when I learned that Spencer Grammer was the lead. I mean, I don’t know her from nothing, but anyone related to Kelsey by blood is worth some of my time. At first, the whole sorority girl embarrassed of her nerdy brother thing seriously turned me off. But, as the show has evolved, so has Casey (Grammer). Now, I don’t get her connection to ex Evan (Jake McDorman), or, quite frankly, to new beau Max (Michael Rady). But, as a sister to Rusty (the incredible straight-man Jacob Zachar), a friend to Ashleigh (an uneven Amber Stevens), a foil to Rebecca (the mostly irritating Dilshad Vadsaria), love interest of Dale (the awesome Clark Duke), and true love to the great Cappie (Scott Michael Foster), Spencer has certainly lived up to her lineage.

And, in a positive way, she’s been out-shined by many of her less-famous costars. Rusty, Dale, and Calvin (Paul James) form a tremendous nucleus of friends. The concept of throwing a socially awkward nerd (Rusty), a right-wing Southern Baptist (Dale), and a homosexual African American (Calvin) together would normally appear way too forced to be believable. But when Dale sincerely proposed to Calvin that he could “cure” him, the sincerity behind both characters was authentic. Dale hit me from totally out in left (excuse me, right) field. His Confederate flag waving, Bible quoting, chastity-club running, anti-Greek protesting ways are just this side of over the top, while his sincere fear for Rusty (and Calvin’s) soul is truly a remarkable characterization of what friendship ought to be like. I love seeing former roommates Dale and Rusty do a scene together. It’s really a thing of beauty.

Cappie (Foster) is a surprise as well. Since first watching Greek, I’ve caught one or two episodes of Quarterlife — how much did that suck? — and Cappie really is a character of Foster’s creation. He’s managed to capture an authentic image of a kid who is so afraid of growing up that he clings to his beer, baiting security guards, and his frat, while desperately searching for the part of his life that he needs in order to make himself whole (in this case, Casey). Plus, he’s hilarious.

Yeah, I’m feeling it too. A little too serious about this light, teen show. But you know what? It’s the fact that this is more than some soap for teens, or another The Hills bastard child, that makes this show so enjoyable. And, the frats and sorority houses allow for a large number of supporting characters, who provide drama, or sometimes a much needed laugh (See Aaron Hill, Derek Mio, Zack Lively, Daniel Weaver, et al., at the KT house, for examples.)

It’s hard to explain where one person’s disgust turns into another’s guilty pleasure, or, as the case may be, just pleasure. But there’s something in here for a lot of people. And I appreciate the fact that I never feel as if I’ve been taught a lesson, or been lectured to. I just get a kick out of watching these characters, as they navigate through a college experience that I personally never had. It’s good clean fun, and you should be having some too.

“… [Greek] is the way we are feeling.”

Clacked by Aryeh S.
on Mar 26, 2009 @ 16:00 EST5EDT