Spoiler Alert
There are many reasons I believe Rise of the Pink Ladies (RotPL) works as a prequel to the world known as Grease. Although the time takes place about two years before the cinematic musical, it’s easy to see how it ties all together. The two tweens who eventually become the supporting leads in the story that shaped the IP are recognizable, and yay for Rizzo! Although I didn’t catch the series when it was streaming, I’m thankful Paramount sent me the home video release to evaluate this series.
Because of internal shuffling of the company’s assets and perhaps also low ratings, the decision to cancel and remove the series was not out of malice. It’s now on Apple TV and Amazon, but as for whether there’s more story to tell, I’ll answer that at the end.
This series is about giving the outcasts, like Jane Facciano (Marisa Davila), a chance to shine. In order to stay dedicated to the concept behind the musical, she’s the new girl at Rydell and the boy that she likes can’t decide on which of the two worlds he should belong. Unlike the cinematic universe, the complexity of their relationship is convoluted; he’s not willing to take a hit on his status and the rumours about them going all the way aren’t true.
The other pals Jane makes also have their own problems. Olivia (Cheyenne Isabel) has a past she’s not proud of, Cynthia (Ari Notartomaso) simply wants a group to belong to, and Nancy (Tricia Fukuhara )’s high strung fashionista attitude makes it tough for her to make new friends. They form the first generation of the Pink Ladies. Sometimes, just how moms and dads treat their kids affects how they live when in an institution of learning. What’s offered is merely a glimpse; we only really know more about Olivia’s home life than the others.
Showrunner Annabel Oakes has a lot to explore in this series that’s no doubt very personal for her. In the two bonus features provided on the home video release, she reveals where she draws inspiration from and what her goals are. Just how she tackles racism is done from the perspective of setting this world in California, where she claims that there was more representation of the various cultures in school.
Even though the last two episodes try to wrap some things up as one school year is over, the word is muddled. Sometimes all of that bonus storytelling isn’t always needed. As much as I appreciated the tale about Cynthia, the other tales didn’t get the full on exposition that I hoped. At least the episode “Cruisin’ for Bruisin” gave Richie his much deserved origin story.
Alongside each of these individual episodes that explore each character in depth, some stories are certainly worth the watch. I particularly was intrigued with how this series tackles gay representation. In RofPL, Cynthia is the tomboy, and while taking drama, her feelings for her female understudy certainly got her feeling confused, and I was very interested in seeing how this would develop, since it seems she also never quit auto shop. She still wanted to be one of the boys despite being forced to take an art to develop her feminine qualities.
As for the musical numbers, everything fans love from the cinematic take is well choreographed. There’s also a diverse range of musical genres being represented to showcase what type of persona each of the Pink Lady represents. Although the numbers are not as memorable as the musical, it’ll take several more views before I’ll have songs like “High Rollin’” stuck in my head.
As for the future, to leave the series in that cliffhanger concerning Danny Zuko arriving at Rydell will no doubt have some fans wanting more! I want to know how Jane knows him. To have a season focusing on how he becomes the next leader of the T-birds is required. Even though creators Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey never needed to flesh this character out, what Oakes started shouldn’t grind to a full halt.
Hopefully, their new home at two other streaming service will have the in-house producers consider financing a season two. Because, if the word is gone, fans have a mystery that only fan fiction can answer.
4 Stars out of 5
Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies Teaser Trailer
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