"October Road" was not suppose to be a hit. It wasn't even suppose to be a series. After filming the pilot in the winter of 2005, ABC initially passed on the series during their selections for a fall line-up. But in January of 2007, in a last minute decision (and in desperate need of new material with the up-coming writer's strike) ABC greenlite 5 additional episodes. And then something crazy happened. The show premiered and over 14 million people watched its first season.
"October Road" while not a great series by any stretch, is definitely a worthy addition to ABC's lineup. But unfortunately it has the fatal flaw of thinking that it is much more original and better written than it really is. The characters are likeable enough, but they are all characters that we have seen many times before, and the series has yet to add anything new or fresh into the mix. And the same can really be said about the premise of the series. The main idea is that "you can never go home again," but this is a theme that is continuously used in the latter years of long running series. But "October Road" fails to be as poigagnt as it wants because their isn't enough emotional investment with the characters that is required for the storylines to be particularly impacting or emotional.
But alas, what ABC has presented here are 6 very well produced, acted, and edited episodes that together make up a first season of a series that shows promise, but needs serious work (and with the season 2 ratings being half of its premier audience, they need to work fast).
The series itself focuses on a young author, who returns to his hometown for the first time in nearly a decade. He originally left for a trip to Europe, but for one reason or another he decided to never return, leaving behind several friends, a girlfriend, and his father. In the 10 years, Nick has written a very revealing novel (akin to "The Catcher and the Rye") that does not paint his friends in a very flattering light. Eventually, Nick is asked by the college in his hometown to come back to do a seminar, and upon returning home, he decides to stay and try to get inspired for his next novel.
The ultimate flaw of the series is that it is just unrealistic for this story to be taken seriously in 2007. Even in 1997 when Nick left there was email, cell phones, and plane tickets. Why would he stay away for 10 years, and why would nobody ever tell him that his high school sweetheart happened to have a kid almost exactly 9 months after he left, etc. But anyway, Buena Vista has included all 6 episodes on 2 discs along with a making-of featurette and deleted scenes.
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Top reviews from other countries
Caerphilee
One to avoid if fan of 'Beautiful Girls'
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on July 4, 2013
Sheila Perkins
I loved this series but had to return the set as ...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on September 1, 2015
