Blurb reviews for "The Gay-Straight Alliance"

From Matthew Gilbert, Boston Globe:
Unfortunately, 'Once and Again' did not score higher ratings last week in its new Monday home that it had been scoring on Fridays. And so the show, one of TV's finest, continues to be in danger of getting axed. Tonight's episode, at 10 on Ch. 5, is a good example of why this extraordinary show deserves a long, healthy life. Called 'The Gay Straight Alliance,' the hour manages to portray teen sexual orientation without resorting to the easy labels that adults have created. It also asks us to question our assumptions about a number of the characters. And as always, young actress Evan Rachel Wood is stellar as Jessie."

From Mike Duffy, Detroit Free Press:
Love hurts. Stepsisters Jessie (Evan Rachel Wood) and Grace (Julia Whelan) take a ride on the emotional roller coaster of teen romance. Grace has a crush on her English teacher (Eric Stoltz), while Jessie is attracted to her friend Katie (Mischa Barton). As always, "O&A" offers an exquisite portrait of honest emotions and real feelings. Just another routinely brilliant episode of TV's finest family drama.

From Vicki Reichardt, TV Guide Canada:
Once and Again promises controversy and delivers unabashed quality. Freelance writer Vickie Reichardt gives thumbs-up to a thoughtful episode mining the territory of teen relationships, both same-sex and opposite-sex.

On Monday night, March 11, 2002, "Once and Again" aired what was being touted as "one of the most controversial hours on television." The beautifully crafted series has returned from an unfortunate hiatus and is making one final effort to attract new viewers in a bid to nudge its numbers into a comfort zone that might afford it another season. So, in what was possibly an unintended smart move, its parent network (ABC) plugged the episode - called "The Gay/Straight Alliance" - in a manner that would easily pique the curiosity of folks who might not have otherwise tuned in. But what was the fuss all about, and was it, in fact, all that shocking? Here's the lowdown on what turned out to be a richly textured, wonderfully realized and poignantly tender hour:

The Would-Be Scandalous Plotlines: Teenage stepsisters Grace (Julia Whelan) and Jessie (Evan Rachel Wood) each struggle with unexpected and, perhaps, taboo romances - Grace with her English teacher, Mr. Dimitri (Eric Stoltz), and Jessie with her best friend, Katie (Mischa Barton).

What Happened: After months of simmering attraction, Grace revealed her crush to Mr. Dimitri, and Katie poured out her feelings for Jessie in a letter.

The Results: A somewhat ambiguous car ride left the door wide open for the Grace/Dimitri storyline to continue and revived the suspicion that the attraction between the two is actually mutual. And Jessie, although initially confused and upset, found a welcome plateau of peace and happiness with Katie after the two shared a delicate kiss.

Was It Shocking? In a word, no. "Once and Again" isn't that kind of show. Marketing the episode as "controversial" was just a clever way of luring in new viewers and then presenting them with class in lieu of crass.

Was It Good? In a word, absolutely. Both Wood and Whelan turned in brilliantly nuanced performances and, as ever, the writers and producers handled each storyline with the intellect, maturity, sensitivity and gently understated touch that have become the hallmarks of the show.

The likelihood that this episode will be rerun anytime soon is pretty slim, but there are still five new installments of the series left in the season and, while these episodes may not be able to claim controversial content, they will no doubt deliver quality in spades. Watch them while you can.

From David Bianculli, NY Daily News (Tonight's TV):
Eric Stoltz returns as Grace's drama teacher, in an episode that has a lot to do with sexual chemistry, on several different fronts.

From Phil Rosenthal, Chicago Sun Times (What Are You looking at):
Jessie has someone who likes her a little too much for comfort and Grace has someone she likes more than is appropriate in this *** episode of an increasingly wrenching drama that needs to find an audience fast or risk cancellation.

From Zap2it (What's On):
Eric Stoltz returns as Grace's drama teacher, Mr. Dimitri, and he's got a secret.

Home Review Archive Index