Written by: Dominick at 2:01 pm
Filed under: Miscellaneous
Writer: Patrick Sean Smith, Carter Covington, Jessica O’Toole, Amy Rardin, Sharon Bordas, Damon Hill
Director: Michael Lange, Nick Marck, Gil Junger
Cast: Jacob Zachar, Spencer Grammer, Scott M. Foster, Jake McDorman, Aaron Hill, Paul James, Thomas Kijas, Clark Duke
Rating:
Studio: Walt Disney
Release Date: March 18, 2008
You know, I remember the Greeks at my college. A few were my friends. Some of them were ridiculous. Some of them were just flat out moronic and others were in it because it was an “academic” sorority or frat. I just really wasn’t into all the social stuff associated with becoming Greek. I also didn’t feel I was popular enough to join a group, excluding the academic ones, though I wasn’t desperate enough to join those groups either. Let’s face it, the Greeks weren’t for me…well, at least not those Greeks (for those who don’t get this reference or don’t read my columns much, I am a follower of an Ancient Hellenic (Greek) religion).
So, when I heard ABC Family would be airing a show about college students in the Greek system, I decided to pass on it. That is, until I received the DVD for Greek – Chapter One. Having to watch it for review made me realize just how entertaining this show is. It’s sort of like watching a train wreck or any event in Paris Hilton’s life. You think it’s kind of dumb, but in a fascinating way in which you simply cannot look away. It’s kind of like watching a donkey show.
This show received virtually no advertising outside of the ABC Family channel. Still, it managed to develop a following and I have to say, it is a fairly realistic portrayal of what I’ve seen as an outsider looking in, at a Greek system based at a Midwestern school. I went to school in Ohio (not far from Miami University – which is what the school Cyprus-Rhodes University is loosely based upon) and the Cyprus, Ohio setting is the setup for most of the universities I’ve either been to or attended in Ohio. This is like reliving my college days, only from the Greek perspective.
Release Information:
The first season of Greek premiered on July 9, 2007. The show has developed somewhat of a cult following and has received high marks on the site IMDB (with an 8.8/10) as well as critical reception from reviewers both online and off. After the ten-episode first season, Greek was picked up for a second season by ABC Family.
While Greek – Chapter One was supposed to be released on DVD March 4, 2008, it wasn’t released until March 18, 2008 by Walt Disney, the parent company of ABC. The DVD for Greek – Chapter One can be picked up at your local retailer or online at Amazon, where it is selling for $19.99. It is also available at DVD Empire for $23.42.
The Greek – Chaper One Plot
You have to love the plot for Greek. It’s humorous, drama-filled, and pretty much satisfying. The show is centered on the lives of a brother and sister, though the brother, Rusty (Jacob Zachar) is definitely the central character. He is a wet behind the ears college freshman. Geeky, nerdy and majoring in polymer science, Rusty’s older sister, the more popular sorority girl, Casey (Spencer Grammer), has made it clear that Rusty needs to stay off her turf. Nobody even knows she has a brother anyway. Despite Casey’s warnings, Rusty decides he is going to pledge to a fraternity. He wants to know what Greek life is all about. While checking out fraternities, Rusty meets Calvin (Paul James), a cool guy who just happens to be gay.
Wanting to get in with the family, Casey’s boyfriend, Evan (Jake McDorman) offers Rusty a spot in his fraternity, Omega Chi Delta. At the same time, Casey’s ex, Cappie (Scott M. Foster), who she seems to still hold a torch for, invites Rusty to join Kappa Tau. Casey’s sorority is anxiously looking forward to allowing a senator’s daughter, Rebecca Logan (Dilshad Vadsaria) into their group, Zeta Beta Zeta. However, Rusty finds out that Evan is cheating on Casey with Rebecca. Unable to pledge to Omega Chi Delta (because of his conscience) and confronting Evan after telling Casey what he did (who subsequently retaliates by having a fling with Cappie), Rusty ends up pledging to Kappa Tau and the show goes on from there. With so much action in just one episode of Greek, it is easy to imagine how entertaining yet drama-filled this show is.
Rusty comes across as a likable guy. He’s the nerd every guy wants to be. He has to deal with a religious zealot, minority hating, confederate flag keeping roommate named Dale (Clark Duke). He also has to deal with dating issues, trying to fit in, choosing his fraternity and pledgemates over studying and school, hazing rituals, secret admirers, undercover reporters, and all of the usual things that teenagers in college have to deal with. Still, each show seems to work at a frenetic pace to ensure there is never a dull moment spent watching Greek.
The ten episodes included in this DVD set are:
1.1 – “Pilot”
1.2 – “Hazed and Confused”
1.3 – “The Rusty Nail”
1.4 – “Picking Teams”
1.5 – “Liquid Courage”
1.6 – “Friday Night Frights”
1.7 – “Multiple Choice”
1.8 – “Separation Anxiety”
1.9 – “Depth Perception”
1.10- “Black, White, and Read All Over”
The acting is pretty good for Greek. This is a talented group of young actors that are up and coming talent. Spencer Grammer certainly inherited her acting prowess from her dad (actor, Kelsey Grammer). Jacob Zachar is hilarious and the rest of the cast performs well in their respective roles. The show focuses on the sensitive issues with gusto and yet it is gracefully done, to ensure that there really isn’t anything too offensive. For its efforts, Greek has received a GLAAD Media award for best drama series.
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Audio/Visual:
The visual quality for the Greek – Chapter One DVD is presented at a 1.78:1 aspect ratio in anamorphic widescreen. This transfer is as good if not better than what Greek looks like when it airs on ABC Family. While there are some relatively minor issues with dirt and grain, these aren’t going to be noticeable to those not looking for them. There are no compression artifacts or any other visible errors. The picture is bright, crisp and vibrant with plenty of attention paid to the detail of each and every scene. While not perfect, this decent transfer gets the job done.
The audio for Greek – Chapter One is presented in English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. With closed captioning available and subtitles available in Spanish and French, a multitude of people will be able to enjoy watching this DVD. The sound comes through clearly, dialogue is easy to understand. Volume toggling isn’t an issue. Overall, this is about as good as it gets for a show like this.
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Bonus Features:
There is actually a nice set of bonuses included in the Greek – Chapter One DVD set. There are three deleted scenes, which make up the first special feature. There is a pretty decent look at season two of Greek in the season two sneak peek section. There is also a music sequence, which really wasn’t anything I was into, but you might like it. The sneak peek includes interviews with the cast and crew, which is nice.
There are three commentaries that are available on the Greek – Chapter One DVD. The first is on the episode “Pilot”. This features commentary from Patrick Sean Smith, Shawn Piller, and Lloyd Segan. There is commentary on the episode “Friday Night Fights”. This commentary is with Spencer Grammar, Dilshad Vadsaria, and Amber Stevens. The third commentary is on “Separation Anxiety”. The commentary includes the opinions of Jake McDorman, Scott Michael Foster, Paul James, and Clark Duke.
The final bonus is the biggest in the set. It’s a featurette called “Greek: The Initiation”. This is a ten minute featurette that shows behind the scenes footage. The people responsible for making Greek discuss the show. There is some really great material here. Overall, all of the bonuses are enjoyable and I was impressed by how much was offered since most shows don’t seem to provide bonuses at all.
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Bottom Line:
Greek is surprisingly entertaining, especially for a show that airs on ABC Family. With issues that delve into teenage promiscuity, underage drinking, Greek hazing, jealousy and drama, homosexuality, and a plethora of other issues plaguing teenagers in this day and age, there is plenty of drama going on. With tight writing, entertaining interwoven plotlines and decent acting this show is actually worth watching. However, I do feel that the under 40 crowd is going to appreciate this Greek – Chapter One DVD more than older audiences. If you aren’t sure if you’ll like the show, catch an episode of Greek on ABC Family and if you like it, you’ll want to purchase this set.
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Technorati Tags: Greek, Chapter One, TV Show, College Drama, Comedy, ABC Family, Walt Disney
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Written by Dominick - Visit Website
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Dominick Evans is in his late 20's. He spends his days working as a full time writer/editor and a part time musician/composer. His passions in life include music, directing films, watching movies, reading books, watching sports, wheelchair football, politics and spending time with his family (fiancée Ashtyn, son Robert, and shih-tzu Oliver). Other interests include being an advocate for the disability and GLBT communities.
