A month or so ago, some television channel ran a marathon of old episodes of My So-Called Life. When I'm up late working and there's nothing good on TV for background noise, I'll turn on an episode on the DVR. It is definitely interesting to go back to a show that you loved as a teenager now that you have 20 years of perspective. My first thought each time I watch is that the show really was THAT good! It is definitely one of the best-written shows ever on television, and the acting is actually really good too - especially considering that they were almost all unknown kids at the time. As a parent and a high school teacher, I feel like I'm more qualified than most to judge the authenticity of a show about teenagers, and they did a terrific job.
I recognized my truly new perspective while watching the show last night. I was a teenage boy when the show came out, so I don't think anybody will be surprised that I was totally in love with Angela Chase back then. Now I'm watching the show as the parent of a daughter not far from Angela's age. Last night I watched the pilot in which Angela dyes her hair that awesome dark red. This past summer, my daughter dyed her hair blue. Sometimes Angela has trouble finding her place in school because she thinks about things and feels things at a deeper level than most of her classmates - again, just like my daughter. Watching this show from the perspective of a parent is possibly even more awesome than watching it from the perspective of a teenager. At the end of the pilot last night, after struggling through her desire to rebel and be independent, Angela finally breaks down and falls crying into the safety of her mother's arms. It was a perfect portrayal of the struggles of a young teenager, wanting freedom but needing safety at the same time. My first thought - Wow! That just completely made her mother's year! Watching the show as a teenager, I had no idea how difficult all of this was for her parents - trying to find the right balance of letting Angela figure out who she is without giving her too much rope. Sometimes they mess up, sometimes they hit the balance perfectly. At the same time they have their own struggles and issues to deal with. They are not perfect, but overall they do a pretty darned good job and have raised a pretty awesome daughter. I had no idea that you could watch this as a show about the struggles of parenting a teenager as opposed to just a show about the struggles of being a teenager, but it's a brand new show this way, and equally awesome!
Jump to 4:30 for the final scene. Any parent will appreciate the look on Mrs. Chase's face when Angela starts to apologize.
