UPDATED 8/7/14 8:30 PM EST
Six episodes have run of "Finding Carter" on MTV and I haven't brought myself to write about it. Critics have raved about the show and fans too but it doesn't seem to be as popular as "Teen Wolf." Let me tell you, I was intrigued by the premise but then watching it, I felt that the protagonist was insufferable and rude and other characters were stupid and one dimensional. But I can't stop watching it. Some moments feel real and complicated like life and others are heightened and unreal.
Plot:
Carter (British Kathryn Prescott) finds out the woman she thought to be her mother Lori (Milena Govich) is actually her kidnapper and she jolted into this family of strangers who are actually her real family. She instantly finds an opponent with her real mother who she calls Elizabeth (Cynthia Watros), a seemingly cold cop who is after Lori. Her father David (Buffy and Angel's Alexis Denisof --wasted in this role), who became famous writing a book about losing Carter and now is in talks of writing a book about getting her back, which angers her and he promises to not make it. But of course, he lies as the promising book will make a lot of money and they are near poor. Elizabeth who is the most complicated character and I feel more for than Carter, which comes in part with actress Cynthia Watros who brings warmth and hurt to her character. She gets along with her new dad.
Rounding out the family is Carter's twin sister Taylor (Anna Jacoby-Heron) who breaks out of her shell once Carter joins the family. Her brother is a sweet and funny pre-teen Grant (Zac Pullam) who is considered ignored. So Elizabeth was about to leave David and cancels an affair with fellow cop Kyle (Eddie Matos), but gets back with him after not trusting David over money issues. Carter doesn't like Kyle as he was sent to spy on her. Kyle's son Gabe (Jesse Henderson) is a close friend of Taylor's who she has a crush on but then he falls for Carter. Then in Episode 5, after Taylor kisses Gabe in a game of spin of the bottle---he then chases her. In Episode 6 they go on a date. To be honest, I thought Gabe was just a nerd longing for Carter but supposedly he was a popular boy. The whole thing of Carter making friends with Gabe's loadie friends with horrible nicknames like Ofe, Bird and Crash seemed to happen rapid fast and had no substance (pun intended).
In fact, Gabe looks like a teen heartthrob from the 90's and Ofe looks like a nerd from the 80's. Bird is the only modern looking one but she has much dimension as a Kleenex. Even the ep about her painting a portrait of Carter that Carter hates, then alluding to being raped and in the next ep she is having sex with Crash in the middle of 'hosting a party' shows her being a badly written character. In Episode 6, we find out more about drug dealer (Oh, did I mention Carter OD's in the second episode?) Crash (Caleb Rumnier)--who Carter falls for and falls out and then falls for again. Crash may live with a drunk aunt in a trashy trailer and deals drugs and butt heads with police, he has a tragic story about losing his little brother due to his own negligence. One fan said it was hard to keep track of who is into who, but teenagers are like that. That is one of the authentic things about the show. Also authentic and genuine is Max (Alex Saxon), an old on-off relationship of Carter who becomes a surrogate family member of the Wilsons. I have not seen The Fosters but I heard that Alex Saxon's character Max is much like the one he plays on The Fosters. Max is a seemingly dumb but genuinely sweet individual who becomes Grant's best friend and falls for Taylor.
Review:
Taylor and Max seem to be a budding romance, even being her 'third kiss' in Ep 5 but she goes out on a date with Gabe in ep 6 after asking him if it was okay. Max moves to Carter's new town and gets a job to look after her after Lori uses him as a carrier pigeon between her and Carter. Lori, we know VERY LITTLE about and why she even kidnapped Carter in the first place. It seems to be the least of the show's concern but a big issue for MTV to promote although Lori barely appears. Lori does increasingly seem like a stalker and gets scarier, but Carter still has fond memories of. Carter slowly gets charmed and used to her 'new' real family. The show is a interesting Guilty Pleasure. The only major characters I have problem with is David, I wish he'd grow a pair and stop blaming other people for his own mistakes. Oh, did I mention he knows about the affair and hasn't said a thing? I do love Carter (she's growing on me), Taylor, Grant, Elizabeth and Max. Should you check it out? Yes.
Taylor and Max seem to be a budding romance, even being her 'third kiss' in Ep 5 but she goes out on a date with Gabe in ep 6 after asking him if it was okay. Max moves to Carter's new town and gets a job to look after her after Lori uses him as a carrier pigeon between her and Carter. Lori, we know VERY LITTLE about and why she even kidnapped Carter in the first place. It seems to be the least of the show's concern but a big issue for MTV to promote although Lori barely appears. Lori does increasingly seem like a stalker and gets scarier, but Carter still has fond memories of. Carter slowly gets charmed and used to her 'new' real family. The show is a interesting Guilty Pleasure. The only major characters I have problem with is David, I wish he'd grow a pair and stop blaming other people for his own mistakes. Oh, did I mention he knows about the affair and hasn't said a thing? I do love Carter (she's growing on me), Taylor, Grant, Elizabeth and Max. Should you check it out? Yes.
