Why you should be watching The L.A. Complex

When I first heard that The CW network picked up a Canadian Drama about young actors in Los Angeles I assumed it was going to be another disappointing un-relatable glamorized world of Hollywood.  I was wrong. After the first episode aired I wasn’t disappointed but instantly infatuated. The L.A. Complex is what The CW’s Melrose Place reboot should have been.

The show follows several young characters all looking for that “Big Break” in Hollywood.  The passions of these characters range from acting to comedy to dancing and each characters dream’s and aspirations are unique. Not to mention the moral standards each individual has. 

The L.A. Complex shows the struggles of being broke. Wait, young people broke in Los Angeles? What?! Finally! A show about Los Angeles actors where they are not living in multi million dollar mansions (not all at least) or have trust funds from parents they despise. What a revolutionary idea?  “The complex” itself in The L.A. Complex also gives a dose of reality. Its not glamorous (excluding the pool in the middle of the complex that serves as a great mingling point for all the characters) but it is real. Something I could see myself living in at 18 if I went to L.A. to follow dreams of fame. As a viewer I appreciate this. I find myself getting more attached to these characters because I can believe their struggles and I believe the hardships they are experiencing.

The story lines reach deep into dark places showing struggles and moral decisions young people might face and how your choices can affect your life. They aren’t glamorized and while it can be funny when something bad happens The L.A. Complex keeps it real.  For instance the complex shows the struggles surrounding a closeted African American rap superstar. Where else would you see this on primetime? The L.A. Complex does what other shows are afraid to do and shows that its characters are human. 

The L.A. complex has the ability to go beyond a Melrose Place reboot to possibly being as unique as the original 90210 was when it first aired. 

How Bethenny Ever After has failed.

Has anyone else tuned into this season of Bethenny Ever after?  I must admit I have been a Bethenny fan since RHONY  (that’s the Real Housewives of New York City for those of you not in the know) because she always made me laugh. This season things have turned in my opinion an awful dark direction.

A mixture of problems is creating one big hour-long suckfest of TV for Bethenny. First of all Bravo is obviously running with the underdog story line. Let’s teleport back a few years to RHONY where Bethenny was an underdog. She had no money and relied upon her wit, friends and work ethics to get her places. Those obviously worked well as Bethenny now has a reportedly $100 million dollar deal with Jim Beam for Skinny Girl Margaritas. Bethenny isn’t the underdog anymore. I feel as a viewer and a fan that watching her struggles on TV and to see how she has persevered  have been nothing less than inspiring.  I was with Bethenny through her break ups on RHONY and I was laughing with her and Jill Zarin as they had great times. I cried with her when that friendship ended and I felt her happiness when she met Jason and had a baby. I wish the show would honor this as a viewer but they don’t. The show continues to corner Bethenny into this woe is me underdog that she has grown beyond.

In a matter of months Bethenny has become the most successful personality from reality TV. EVER. According to celebritynetworth.com she has a vastly larger net worth than any other former RHONY cast member and more than most A-list Hollywood celebrities. Bethenny has created a brand and an image that is doing extremely well. So I have to wonder why does the show focus on the “hard knocks” life she once had? They need to show Bethenny enjoying her success. Let us see you buy a New York apartment most of us cannot afford and more importantly let us see you enjoy it, not bitch about it. Bethenny has the success and accomplishments most people dream of. She is a mogul. She made a well-known brand and is living the dream life. Unfortunately the show version of that dream life is annoying, moody and borders on straight up boring.

Can we take a second to talk about Bethenny’s therapy sessions? This aspect of the show creates a lot of the negative emotions. When they first started doing these sessions it was a great insight into Bethenny’s struggles and at the same time humorous. Currently the therapist plays far too large a part in the show. Where is the wit and humor of the therapy sessions from the previous seasons? Has it disappeared forever? Why doesn’t Bravo make the rest of the show a positive reflection of Bethenny’s fantastic accomplishments and maybe, just maybe, only use the therapy session to deal with a minimal amount of emotional turmoil in her life. Yes bad days can happen on the shows storyline but instead of this constant woe is me Bethenny why not use the therapy sessions in a different manner or simply eradicate them all together.

Marriage isn’t easy. That is what I hear at least. What they show between Bethenny and Jason I feel crosses the line. The couple appears miserable and constantly at one another’s throats. Once again I wish they could step back and take a look at all the great things they have accomplished. Why can’t they be happy for the success they have? Mostly why do I have to listen to Bethenny whine about her husband being horrible? Jason is not a bad guy. He is smart, attractive and has morals. Why are they turning him into a villain? The problem with doing this is it makes Bethenny look ungrateful. On RHONY she longed for a stable relationship. She got one so shouldn’t be happy? Bethenny, will you please stop complaining about Jason? Yes, relationships are hard. Yes, you should show those troubles and turmoil’s but not to the extent they have taken it on this season of Bethenny Ever After. They hardly focus on the joys of being parents but only the bitterness between them. It doesn’t work.

Bethenny Ever After has gotten bad. Very bad.  What happened to my favorite Bravo girl? Is this all-bad editing or have you really turned into someone I can no longer relate to? I hope Bravo realizes that this season was a mess. I would gladly tune into another season of Bethenny Ever After if they can show me what I think most people want to see which is her success and happiness. I was with you in the beginning Bethenny and I want to ride the ride with you to the end. I want to see what she see’s. Shop where she shops and enjoy the world from her eyes. This season hasn’t given that to me. Lets hope for a better future for Bethenny and her show.