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Virtually every reboot of long-departed show has simply tried to recapture magic of original, and that fails every time. Only possible way to do this well is to interrogate what show was and how time has changed that, and how time has changed characters and their relationships to each other.

And only revival show that has even attempted to do that, that me aware of, is season three of Star Trek Picard, which me was dreading as cloying fan service and ended up pleasantly surprising me. (Not that it not have fair amount of nostalgia, but it was far more interested in how these characters and their relationship to Jean-Luc Picard has changed, which made whole... wait for it... enterprise worthwhile.)

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I have several issues with this show, most of them pointed out in this review, but despite it all I’m just glad Scudworth still hits. not enough of him as mentioned, but man he’s the one element they recaptured perfectly.

I thought the rest of the material was fine, but even if it was flat out bad I’d still keep coming back for him.

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Jun 29, 2023·edited Jun 29, 2023

I watched the original Clone High a week before starting the Rebuild, so it's interesting to see them essentially back to back and without nostalgia. So far I'm not entirely convinced by the new show's attempts to address actual issues along with the absurd comedy; perhaps inevitably, the old clones' fish-out-of-water reactions feel much better observed than the writers' grasp of the new zeitgeist they've thawed to. Like, "rigid social structures set by beauty and popularity are increasingly upended by pushes for inclusivity" is an idea a lot of TV writers seem to take as a given, but it doesn't actually reflect reality or even the reality of social media (or, idk... Hollywood), where beauty and popularity are as desirable as ever. The girls' plotline didn't work for me as well as the Abe and JFK's, where it felt much more plausible that JFK's himbo confidence would carry him where Abe's sensitive loser thing wouldn't (plus JFK's "I like boobies!" being read as sex positivity is just a great bit).

But to be honest that's a molehill, not a mountain (and mostly a first episode issue). The jokes mostly land and the animation is a surprisingly charming update on the original art style. I was sure I recognised Candide's voice from the old series but didn't put it together that she was 2002's Cleopatra (and honestly didn't notice that Cleo's actress had changed).

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Omg I thought of Seth Cohen too

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When Bloody Mary joined the sleepover, I laughed and laughed and laughed. I hope you're right about her just popping up randomly throughout the show, I'd love that.

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Silly question given how short the original run is; but, if you haven't seen the original Clone High can/should you start with the rebootquel series or is it too early to tell. Doctor Who (2005-Present) is a great example of creating a clean entry point for newbies while also rewarding long-time viewers.

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Wait, they cancelled Venture Bros while rebooting *this*?

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