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The Tufts Daily
Where you read it first | Thursday, March 28, 2024

TV Review | ‘Star-Crossed’ fails to uncover new territory

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In recent years, television’s repertoire of supernatural teen dramas has grown so robust that a new (or, rather, updated) genre, the forbidden cross-species romance, seems to have taken over. The modern illicit love story, between a paranormal outsider and an innocent human, is so present in current pop-culture that it has practically become a parody of itself. That didn’t stop the CW from developing “Star-Crossed,” which premiered last Monday and is next in line for a shot at formulaic success, this time with a sci-fi twist.

“Star-Crossed” begins as extraterrestrials called the Atrians land in current day America. They are peaceful beings, but they receive a not-so-welcome greeting and are forced — against their better judgment — to fight back against the hostility. As all the rules for the standard alien story necessitate, the visitors are immediately deemed a threat to the militaristic human race. One little girl can see past this, however, and shows syrupy sweetness towards a young Atrian she stumbles upon in hiding.

Fast-forward about a decade in the future, and the Atrians are attempting to assimilate into life on planet Earth (read: suburban American high school). The divide between conservative objectors and progressive advocates has blatant racial parallels, in the same vein of “Avatar” (2009) and even “E.T.” (1982). Complete with picket-sign rallies outside a recently integrated education facility, the depiction of the conflict between humans and Atrians is rife with political and historical undertones — despite there being very little physical distinction between the two. However thinly veiled, these are not inherent flaws, and in fact could contribute to the show’s overall depth if given the chance.

But the creators of “Star-Crossed” seem more concerned with romantic boundaries than racial ones, leaving most of these racially tinged issues to float aimlessly in the background. Stealing the limelight instead is Emery Whitehill — played by Aimee Teegarden of “Friday Night Lights” (2006-2011) — the aforementioned young girl who has blossomed into the series’ gorgeous protagonist. Her fated pursuer Roman (Matt Lanter) is, of course, the boy Emery encountered in the show’s opening. They immediately recognize each other on the first day of school, and all the complications of a cross-cultural romance ensue.

If the title is not enough of an indication, “Star-Crossed” is modern television’s latest rendition of “Romeo and Juliet” (1597), or basically any good-girl-loves-forbidden-boy drama written thereafter. The show’s writers did make a wise choice in developing other aspects of the plot, such as Emery’s best friend’s bout with cancer and the Atrians’ gritty living quarters. In fact, the potential lovers’ relationship is almost subdued in the pilot episode due to a need for extensive world building. Nuanced elements like these allow “Star-Crossed” a wider appeal than what simply honing in on Emery and Roman would offer. One gets the feeling, however, that it will only take another episode or two for their “unexpected” love story to unfold and take center stage.

This expectation most likely stems from the weariness that accompanies audiences’ rapid-fire exposure to fantasy-driven romances. It seems even more contrived when taking place in the laughably stereotypical high school setting for which networks like the CW are known. The crossover between two of television’s most frequently used genres gives rise to an infinite supply of clich?s from too-easily categorized cliques to dramatic cafeteria fights. This is not to mention the use of a 30-year-old actor (Lanter) to pass as a high school student — a frequent occurrence in teen dramas. At least the network’s writers are consistent.

But can anyone really blame them? Shows like “Teen Wolf” (2011-present), “True Blood” (2008-present) and “The Vampire Diaries” (2009-present) continue to enjoy immense success. Like the lovers in these standard plotlines, the themes present in “Star-Crossed” have proven durable enough to survive even the harshest critiques. Series along these lines can have an inexplicably entertaining quality. Glossy hair and superhuman muscle tone do not make a perfect show, but they can carry one quite far on the teenage romance circuit. So although “Star-Crossed” might not escape any of its expected limitations, it has definite potential, even if only as a guilty pleasure.

Still, each time an overused teen show trope is worked into the script, it becomes more and more challenging to take the actual storyline seriously. This new series is light and amusing, but unfortunately, “Star-Crossed” is still light-years away from creating anything original.