TVSquad

When I first started watching The CW's yet-to-be-scheduled midseason replacement Hidden Palms, the first thing I said was "O.C. RIPOFF!" Then I realized that I'd said it out loud, because I was sitting in a Starbucks watching it on my laptop, trying to look like a writer-type at work. After I mumbled an "Oops, sorry ..." I screwed my earbuds back in and gave it another whirl. After two episodes, I have to say I'm sucked in and want to see more. Curse you, Kevin Williamson.

The plot revolves around troubled teen Johnny (Taylor Handley, fresh off of playing Oliver Trask on ... The O.C.) who moves to Palm Springs with his mom Karen (Gail O'Grady from American Dreams) and new stepdad Bob (D.W. Moffett from Skin and Crossing Jordan), one year after his father committed suicide right in front of him. Not only that, but he quickly finds out that the room he's living in at the new house was occupied by Eddie, another troubled teen who also offed himself. That's some pretty heavy-duty stuff to deal with for a show aimed at teens, plus it makes me sort of smell the heavy aroma of therapy around this kid.

Wheras you knew that Ryan was a troubled kid on The O.C. because he wore a leather wristband (oooh) and had slightly unkempt hair, you know Johnny's a rebel because he wears a green army shirt, and has slightly unkempt hair. Plus he's an expert at giving his mom snarky remarks about his dead father. Ouchtastic.

Anyhow, upon arriving in what was once the swingin' capital of California during its heyday, Johnny meets a slew of characters that hide deep and dark secrets, most of them revolving around Eddie, the dead kid whose room Johnny now sleeps in. They are pretty-boy Cliff (Michael Cassidy, fresh off of ... The O.C.), the aloof and mysterious Greta (Amber Heard, who had a tiny cameo role in ... The O.C.), science geek/wannabe blossoming pretty girl Liza (Ellary Porterfield, who is so far the best thing about this show), and a handful of others.

Rounding out the cast is Cliff's mom and plastic surgery addict Tess (Sharon Lawrence, who really deserves a series) and the cross-dressing Jesse Jo (terrific character actor Leslie Jordan) who both help contribute a little something for the audience that doesn't fall into the teeny-bopper range. No one knows angst like Kevin Williamson, who practically invented the genre with Dawson's Creek, and this show helps prove it. As quick as I was to almost dismiss this as a cheap O.C. knockoff, after two episodes I'm sucked right in and want the mysteries to start unravelling.

My only real complaint at this point is that they haven't managed to nail the oppressive heat of Palm Springs in this show. If you've ever visited that town, you know that the sun presses down on you like a hammer, especially during the summer (when the first few episodes are set), and is a character unto itself. As Cliff himself states, Palm Springs is all, "The gays, the grays, and streets named after dead people." Hopefully they'll feature a little more local color as time goes by.

At any rate, you've got your hooks in me again, Williamson. I'll be interested to see what happens.