Wicked Science, first 3 episodes. This mid 2000s Aussie kids/teen sci-fi show is about two teenagers, Toby and Elizabeth, who are involved in some sort of freak accident that turns them both into super-geniuses. And while Toby is decidedly wary of his new abilities, Elizabeth is more than happy with them.
I freely confess (cough) that the reason I started watching this in the first place is that Elizabeth was of course played by the lovely Bridget Neval, best known as the lovely Lana in
Neighbours. Not that I was or am in any way sweet on her or anything. No sirree. Not me. Perish the thought.
It's still pretty good, if flawed at times. Sometimes it's a bit too kiddy - mainly in the first episode so far with that woeful mid2000s TV budget CGI dinosaur - but the characters, particularly Elizabeth, are quite compelling, and a lot is somewhat different to how I remembered.
I'm
appalled at how badly Elizabeth is treated, and it's unsurprising she starts lashing out when given the ability and confidence. Pre-accident Elizabeth is painful to watch, so painfully introverted and shy and socially awkward, with everything from the way she dresses and carries herself - stooped posture, hunched shoulders - speaking volumes, and you can practically see her flinch at every cruel jibe or casual dismissal. Particularly painful is when the "hot" new girl just casually steals the seat she sits in next to Toby, who she clearly has a crush on already. "I sit next to Toby," she says uncomprehendingly, and you can see see how the brief social interaction with him that arrangement affords her, which means less than nothing to him, is probably the highlight of her week. Watching her embarrassedly stumble to find another seat, head down, is just...
Post-accident Elizabeth has more confidence, and certainly dresses better, but you can see that seething anger that must have been boiling under the surface for years at how she's been - and is still being - treated finally being given the chance to be expressed. Yet she's painted as the bad guy.
As for the other characters, Toby is generally likeable enough, and is at least depicted as initially being indifferent to Elizabeth (and also perhaps embarrassed by her obvious crush) rather than outright nasty, but his friends are absolutely awful, constantly belittling, insulting and provoking her, and then getting all huffy and offended if she hits back. I really didn't remember hating Dinah so much, but she is an absolute
bitch to Elizabeth, even pre-accident Elizabeth, from moment one, for absolutely no reason. I don't blame Elizabeth for fricking despising her.
The most uncomfortable thing is it's really unclear whether the show even realises how terrible they all really are to her or not. This certainly shifts later on, especially in the second season when Toby actually starts to care about Elizabeth and their relationship verges on even being romantic, albeit with him still wary of her abilities, but at this point it's
deeply uncomfortable to see the way even the supposed "good guys" treat her, and then act she's like crazy or evil for being angry about it.
I'm kinda hooked, though. Which may even be the point after all.
