There is something about the United States education system that fascinates me. I love the high school structure, with their lockers and hierarchies, which leads me to watch and love such movies as Easy A or Clueless, or become glued to my TV when One Tree Hill or The O.C were on. I was always jealous of these schools and these kids, getting such a different educational experience than I ever would in the UK. And this jealousy grew up as I did and into becoming envious of the College experience.
Now every Alumni will talk of how University was 'the best days of their lives', but while you are living it of course you don't have that rosy glow yet. I know from personal experience that I did not have the best three years of my life, yes I had fun and I grew up, but I did not take everything from it I should have. Unlike one of the main characters of my latest TV obsession, Greek.
Greek is based on the fraternity and sorority houses in fictional College Cyprus Rhodes University, named after two (mostly) Greek islands, in Ohio. Rusty Cartwright is a freshman eager to lose the shackles of his image as a nerd (being a polymer science major) by rushing a fraternity. His sister Casey is also in attendance at CRU but is a junior (freshman, sophomore, junior, senior) who is not so keen to have said nerdy little brother in her playground. Casey is dating Omega Chi superstar Evan Chambers (wealthy family, kind of a dick) but there is also in the picture Cappie, president of the Kappa Tau's and also Casey's ex.
So Rusty is offered bids to pledge by both Cappie and Evan, the KT's want him because he cannot tolerate his alcohol and spit out a shot of tequila all over a girl, Evan wants him because he is Casey's little brother and this way will ensure Rusty does not tell big sis of her boyfriends indiscretion (hooking up with a pledge from her own sorority the ZBZ's).
Naturally Rusty chooses loyalty to his sister over potential brothers, and becomes a KT because they seem to embody more of what brotherhood and fraternal loyalty is all about, plus host the best parties on campus.
There are eight main characters, Rusty, Casey, her friend and sorority sister Ashleigh, Cappie, Rusty's roommate Dale, Evan, his new pledge (and Rusty's new gay friend) Calvin, and finally Rebecca, the girl who sleeps with Evan but is Casey's 'little sister'. There are also the 'actives' of the houses (Beaver is my personal favourite from Kappa Tau) and president of ZBZ Frannie whose motives and actions are often questionable.
So there are quite a few personalities to take on board, but they all have such different facets to them you are interested when each of their stories gets told. Of course the fun loving KT's are designed to be the best loved house on Greek row, how could you not with their slacker but good hearted ways and Scott Michael Foster's Cappie leading the way, guiding Rusty through college life.
Though I know the ZBZ's would never be the kind of house I could ever live in they are a good example of politics in the Greek system, with irresponsible leadership and faithless pledges (in the form of Frannie and Rebecca) the scheming and backstabbing are typical of what I'd expect of such a looks-concious house and a political party.
We follow these characters through four seasons of embarrassment, studying, failing, debt, coming out, breaking up, unfaithfulness, and true love. I became quite obsessed with this show, you can connect to all the characters at some point, understanding their motives even when the actions are idiotic or repugnant. As with One Tree Hill or The O.C you have your centre couple, in OTH it was Peyton and Lucas, The O.C had Ryan and Marissa, and Greek had Casey and Cappie. As with Big and Carrie their timings never seem quite right, but you root for them all the same and pray they work out okay. And again in a similar vein to Sex & The City we find out Cappie's real name in the final episode, one of the final mysteries unveiled and clearly signalling the end. At least with Greek I know they won't spin off into terrible movies unlike SATC.
Ashleigh and Calvin are great fun, free spirited and wonderfully faithful friends, great support for both Casey and Rusty but also allowed their own dilemmas. Ashleigh is so nice she gets trampled on, and Calvin has to deal with being gay in a very masculine and conservative fraternity.
Evan and Rebecca are your typical baddies but actually goodies in this series, they both are ambitious and uncaring at times, but Rebecca's Ice Queen act does melt some, especially around Cappie, and the family pressures on Evan go some way to explain why he sabotages his relationships, not only with Casey and Frannie but with Cappie too. A particular favourite scene of mine is in season three, they attend a fairytale ball and Casey and Cappie are the Prince and Princess, while Evan and Rebecca are the big bad wolf and the Evil Queen.
Dale, Rusty's roommate goes through many changes during his time in Greek, from purely scientific but fiercely religious (his band is called Darwin Lied) and completely anti the Greek system to wanting to become part of the very system he fought in only three years. He is everything that Rusty has wanted to leave behind, but is such a stalwart friend even with the bright lights of the KT's cannot tear this friendship apart. Though they do go through many battles, both personal and professional. What Rusty and Dale learn is a tolerance of each others interests, but though they differ to the extreme on a few points it does not mean they cannot be friends. This is what I found about University, you may not have the same interests as your flatmates but it doesn't stop you keeping them as friends, friendship is just as much about effort to stay in touch as it is what you have in common.
Rusty himself is the main focus, though everyone else gets more or less equal screen time Rusty is the catalyst who brings the groups together. And he is also the main source of cringe worthy humour, he takes such big risks that you both applaud and laugh and cry all at the same time. There is something in Rusty I wish I had when I was at Uni, and that is the courage to fall on your face and get back up again, and probably break your nose again the next time.
This show is funny, sad, intelligent, and surprising. It is well cast, and a star was definitely born in Scott Michael Foster who plays Cappie. I loved it. And I love the Beav, the Kappa Tau who seems like a gentle giant a touch soft in the head, but is often wise and logical as well as being gorgeous. Watch this show just to get to All About Beav in Season Four, if you enjoy American teen drama you won't be disappointed.
Go on. Take a risk.
