The Outsiders (2004)

Well, there's 15 hours I will never get back. Have you ever watched something that was so bad you just can't stop watching because you need to see the train wreck through? You absolutely have to see it through to the inevitable impact and watch the pieces go flying? This is that kind of show. Filled with all kinds of cliche plots and super-bad acting, The Outsiders offers more eye roll and cringeworthy moments to give you a workout even while seated.

This series was a stinker from beginning to end because you knew it wasn't going to end well. There are plenty of these types of bad-boy-in-trouble-with-the-law shows out there, but this one was very poorly executed. You wanted to root for the MCs but they were so darned stupid it was very hard to. Bad decisions, toxic masculinity, over the top misogyny, pushover mary jane types, it's all here. There is no lesson to be learned. A naive girl in love cannot change a bad boy and though this message is clear, the path to getting there is brutal and poorly written.

What stood out by far is the poor acting. The young actors just didn't buy into the situation at all, the stakes weren't high enough. Whether that is due to poor directing and/or writing, it's difficult to tell. It could be a combination of both. I think the writing is one of the biggest problems. Rather than create something original, our young leads are stuck in cliche situations that don't ring sincere in any form because the writing team hasn't taken the time to flesh these characters out and give them something real to be passionate about. Our MLs talk about their dreams but don't have the courage to take any steps towards them. Everything is written and performed in a superficial sense. They are all archetypes, not real people and that is where this melodrama fails. They certainly cast some great looking people. Dylan Kuo is devastatingly handsome and much younger in this dated, video recorded, low-budget production. Both our main leads provided eye candy, though they couldn't deliver all that much in solid performances. Ady An can cry at the drop of a hat but it's not enough to save this horrible production. Ady An also starred in another cliche-ridden drama I wasn't impressed with, Autumn Concerto, in another turn as the long suffering girlfriend.

The music was actually not too bad. Though I don't know the titles of any of the pieces, they weren't at all bad and seemed just right for the situations. May try to look for those on iTunes.

To wrap up, if you like dramas with gang situations and aren't hard to please, this might be for you. If you want more depth, bypass this stinker.

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The first three or four episodes were watchable because the introduction to the characters was interesting. After that, stereotypes kicked in with a vengeance. i.e. the impulsive were super impulsive, the long suffering were martyrs that might as well still been carrying their crosses around, the innocent were dimwitted yet good-natured and naive (and, if female, left food on their faces while eating at least once), angry parents were harsh and unfeeling. There was all too much moping and misunderstanding for me to suspend disbelief. Also, it didn't pass the Bechdel smell test -- if women were conversing, it was about men - and the lead female went from normal to gang moll by adding a cap tilted sideways. Really, peeps?

There was a strong portrayal of friendship,, and the one somewhat believable character was an older man, and he played the role well. The middle 12-14 episodes were nowhere near as good as the first three and last three, so it was a bit of a slog. If you have a head cold and are stuck at home with no inclination to warm up your thinky bits, this is the series to watch.

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