My So-Called Life (1994–1995) User Reviews

Belongs to the ages

[rkhen · 8/10 · 23 January 2012]

Just watched the show again, for the first time since it was cancelled. (Thanks Hulu.) Wanted to weigh it with this: I was a man in his early 30s in 1995, and I loved this show. I'm still a man now, and in my early 50s, and I still love this show. One of the things that tubed it back then was that the network (and apparently the public) couldn't understand that a show _about_ teenagers isn't automatically a show _for_ teenagers. Missing from many reviews is the fact that a good chunk of every episode was actually about the parents' lives away from their kids. And that part was just as cutting-edge, and just as good.

The casting was razor-sharp. In 1995 I was just coming to grips with the fact that 1.) lots of people are gay and 2.) that's not a problem. Wilson Cruz was a major part in that belated growing-up. The kid was brilliant. Tom Irwin did the best job of portraying an actual middle-aged man I've ever seen. Just a guy trying to meet his responsibilities, _and_ be happy. This is a lot harder than TV usually makes it out to be, and Tom did a fantastic impression of that high-wire act.

And Claire. Sometimes I wanted to shake her character. Sometimes I wanted to hug her. I knew that girl, when I was a teenager. I knew Brian Krakow, too. (Alright, I _was_ Brian Krakow. Sue me.) They were all great, even the bit parts, even the walk-ons.

My point is that My So-Called Life is not a "kids' show." If ABC had understood that, maybe things would have been different.

Great, history-making television, up there with Lucy and The Honeymooners and Star Trek. See it.

They don't write teenage shows like this anymore

[gobe · 9/10 · 15 June 2007]

I am a grown woman of the X-generation and I used to love this show when I was young. I don't know what kids want anymore. Is it One Tree Hill and The O.C., shows that are fun but that don't really say much about what it is actually like to be a teenager?

Cause that is what this show was for me. It told the story of what I was feeling right then and there. It described what it is like to feel so damn insecure and embarrassed that sometimes you would just like to kill yourself right then and there. And it told the story of what it is like to be an outsider and a thinker, how it is to feel everything so strong that every small compliment sends you flying, every small resistance is a catastrophe.

But that's enough of the sentimentality... Here's the story: Angela Chase is your average intelligent teenager. She's a nice girl from a good home, cute but not a looker. The series picks up when Angela has a bit of an identity crisis. She's tired of being a good girl and breaks off contact with equally nice childhood friend Cheryl. She rebels against her parents, colors her hair bright red and starts hanging out with bad girl Rayanne and her gay friend Ricky. Meanwhile she also falls hard for the silent tough hunk Jordan. Sometimes Jordan acts as if he's interested in her too, only to ignore her the next day. And then there is the neighbor nerd Brian. He is head over heals for Angela, though she is oblivious.

My So-called Life is finally out on DVD. For the last couple of years I've searched for it now and then on Amazon and on torrent download sites. When I saw that it was going to be released I pre-ordered it and got it at once. So far I've watched the first six episodes, and it still holds up. So I recommend it heartily if you're a fan of quality realistic teenage drama.

Definition of a Cult Hit

[SnoopyStyle · 9/10 · 8 September 2013]

Angela Chase (Claire Danes) is a nice girl from a nice family. Her parents (Tom Irwin, Bess Armstrong) are nice and her younger sister is desperate for attention. She has nice friends like Sharon Cherski (Devon Odessa). Brian Krakow (Devon Gummersall) has a crush on her. Her nice existence changes when she gets new friends, Rayanne Graff (A.J. Langer) and her bi best friend Rickie Vasquez (Wilson Cruz). Angela is drawn to mysterious Jordan Catalano (Jared Leto).

This is the definition of a cult hit and the prime example of the folly of TV execs. Although it was low rated (for its times), its young audience would have today's TV execs drooling. For its times and on network TV, it was a realistic teen drama. Angela with her inner monologues lay bare her emotional turmoil. The show isn't flashy. It's different from its contemporary network teen fare. It was angst teen drama ahead of its time. It didn't hurt to have a great Claire Danes to lead it with her Jared Leto crush. Even then, her star power was undeniable.

A Perfect Example of a Five-Star Television Series

[morenomark-1 · 27 November 2004]

Remember the first time you said goodbye to someone and you knew you would never, ever see them again? Remember how that felt? If you do, then you know Angela Chase and her family and friends on "My So-Called Life", a simple show about a group of people at a specific time in their lives that is like the fly stuck in amber.

There are only nineteen episodes of this most compelling of programs, then it is done. As the nineteenth episode ends, you are left with a painful feeling deep inside. You have come to care for these people and now they are gone. The next day, the rerun cycle will begin again and you will watch, entranced, as Angela and Rayanne and Rickie and Jordan and Brian and Sharon and Patty and Graham and Danielle travel through the same nineteen hours again, as you sit back, longing for that nineteenth episode to be followed by episode twenty. But it never comes. It's cruel.

"My So-Called Life" is a good argument to never watch television again. And a great argument to say you're glad you did. It's not simply a show about angst-ridden mid-ninetees teens. It's much more.

You owe it to yourself to watch these nineteen episodes, to get a glimpse at what a five-star television series looks like...and how wrong it is when a television network takes it away.

Kudos to all involved.

This series is required viewing.

excellent

[Slytherin_Goddess · 10/10 · 14 December 2004]

The best show I've seen in years, though that wasn't my first opinion of it, as probably the same for other fans of the show. Give the show a chance!

This will comfort and encourage teenagers. It's so real, and anyone who's watched more than a couple episodes will agree! Angela, Ricki, and Rayanne are the typical teens. Even though it was made in 1994, you'll find that Angela's mind works like it's in this time period. You'll laugh, you'll cry (I should know)and you'll feel much better about life in general. Watch it, and you'll be transfixed on the show. I rate it four stars!

Flawed And Yet, Perfect.

[DeanNYC · 10/10 · 6 October 2006]

My So-Called Life was doomed to fail. It was a drama about a teenage girl that wasn't obsessed with the typical things we are told teen girls are overwashed in, like clothing, makeup or boys (well, okay... ONE particular boy)! But this show, in a mere nineteen episodes, managed to run the gamut of topics that all families with kids attending high school in the 1990s were dealing with, and the way the program dealt with these situations was nothing short of perfection.

The Chase family, a mother, father and two daughters in a tree lined suburb of Pittsburgh, PA, are the focus, and Angela is the POV we're seeing the whole thing through (for the most part), as she narrates the story in voiceovers that are both appropriate to her age and yet wise beyond her years. We first meet her at a crossroads: her childhood girlfriend, Sharon is now "not cool enough" for her anymore and she takes up with a wild new pal, Rayanne, and Rayanne's male friend, Rickie where the three of them collectively spend a fair amount of time hanging out in the girl's bathroom at school, swapping mascara pencils and gossiping about the day's events. Right away, the viewer sees this isn't a "typical" teevee take on high school life! Meanwhile, Angela has taken a shine to Jordan, a hunky but reticent classmate that Rayanne and Rickie also both seem enamored over, and that provides a chunk of the drama for her.

But, there were plenty of issues for everyone to go around. Angela also had to deal with the boy next door, Brian, who was the class geek (which show viewers know isn't a fair description for him). Brian (anagram for "Brain") clearly has a thing for Angela ("Angel"), though he might not even be aware of that as the series gets started.

Meanwhile, Graham, Angela's dad, is toying with the idea of an affair, when not considering starting his own business: a restaurant, since he's a chef. Her mom, Patty, has issues because she never knew her birth parents, and gets her obsessive-compulsions from her adoptive mother. Angela's sister Danielle deals with "not being old enough" to participate in a lot of the things her older sib seems steeped in, and that causes strife. Rayanne's mom is an overly permissive sort who allows her daughter to drink alcohol and have parties, which certainly affects Rayanne in notable ways. Rickie is coming to terms with his own sexual identity, and with a dark secret at home. And Jordan's issues are with schoolwork, and with his rock band, Frozen Embryos.

But... what about Tino?

If you only know one fact about this program, know this. My So-Called Life had a cast of characters unlike any in television. You could never pigeonhole any one of them as "good" or "bad," as you saw the three dimensional qualities they all had. That included the narrator, Angela herself! At some point during the 19 hours, you got to see each and every one of these people as a villain, a hero, a fool, but always as a human. To me, that was the true magic of the series. Even characters as minor as a substitute teacher, a principal or a hotelier got this same kind of treatment and I don't think I have ever seen a program, before or since, that has been as even-handed with all of its players as MS-CL was.

Kudos to series creator Winnie Holzman, for making Angela thoughtful, confused and endearing and to Claire Danes who breathed life into the character; to Bess Armstrong, who played Patty so perfectly perfect, though Patty herself managed never to be so; to Devon Odessa and Lisa Wilhoit, who had the thankless roles of the "former" friend and the "annoying" kid sis and both had to make their roles believable and palatable and they both did so, brilliantly; to A.J. Langer, who had most people convinced she actually was Rayanne; to Devon Gummersall, who was literally genius in his role; to Wilson Cruz, who probably had the biggest emotional arc and most challenging acting job of anyone on the show; to Jared Leto who took the bits of dialog he got and made every word count; and to Tom Irwin who was equal parts strong and fragile as the patriarch of the program. Collectively, they were an amazing company.

It's tragic and beautiful that there was only one season of this program. Sure, fans would have loved a second year to find out what might have happened after episode 19, but in a way, perhaps that would have ruined the perception we had; the mystique might have vanished. Still, Angela lives on with her classmates, her family, her situations and just a little bit of magic sprinkled where it completely fit, and that's why My So-Called Life will remain a true television treasure.

If you have never seen this series, I almost envy you in that you have an unexpected joy waiting for you to view. And if you have, you already know and understand everything I've said here. As far as a TV teen drama... no! As far as ANY television drama is concerned: being smart, focused, telling and true, there was none better, and there may never be.

90s TEENAGE TIME CAPSULE AGES LIKE A FINE WINE

[dbella-52556 · 10/10 · 2 January 2023]

This show came out when I was in 8th grade. I immediately identified with Angela. Fast forward to my 2022-23 New Year's marathon and even though I'm now the same age as the parents on the show, at 43 years old, I STILL identify with the high-school aged, Angela. Go figure, lol

MSCL was way ahead of its time. It was a revolution. It was smart, polarizing, and unjustly canceled. But maybe it's not a bad thing that we never got a 2nd season and beyond. After rewatching all 19 episodes of its debut and only season, I now view MSCL as simply a mini-series that enjoyed its own time and changed teenage dramas forever.

There was nothing false about this show. It was gritty and real. Some would say at times it was too real.

Every single actor was phenomenal in their role. The acting in some of the scenes was so genuine- the cast really deserved an award.

MSCL is best known for deviating from the cookie-cutter shows about teenagers and gave us the raw glimpse into high school reality.

But it also did something else. This show had something for everyone; it wasn't just about the teens, it was about the adults too. Every character on this show mattered. And it made the audience care about every single one. Watching this as a teen, you cared about the parent/adult storylines and vice versa. That's smart writing. It's smart television.

Revisiting the show after its almost 30 yr history never feels old.

It always hits its mark.

It's timeless.

Something tells me that if it were to be continued, it might have lost its luster and gone stale. Maybe it wouldn't have been as special as its only 19 episodes are. I believe there's a paperback book that continues the story. I read a few pages, but it could never compare with the show. I pretend the book doesn't exist because it shouldn't. I don't recommend reading it because although the other tried, you can't always capture lightning in a bottle.

I DO think there should be like a made-for-TV reunion special. Just like a one time 2-hour episode.

The Show That Made Me Understand Teenage Culture

[henryshear · 10/10 · 15 August 2018]

I did not grow up in the 90's. At the time of this writing, I am 16 years old. This show is my favorite of all time. I could not sympathize with all of the characters, but Angela Chase is a character that takes you on a journey. You meet all of her friends and as a teen in this day and age, with phones conquering any sense of talking, it makes me want to be in her clique. Angela changes as a person, but she still does not want to become a slutty or promiscuous girl. You see how decisions can directly affect people without you knowing it. Angela made many decisions and you could see Brian Krakow visibly hurt not in her presence. Brian is a hopeless romantic in love with Angela and no matter what he did her eyes were set on Jordan Catalano. This show is able to translate pain and sadness with absolute ease. I have not had my first girlfriend yet, but you see young love unfold and how much hurt can be caused. I have never felt such intense sadness or pain before watching My So Called Life. This show changed me as a person and I thank Winnie Holzman for having that effect on me. The ending ends obviously on a cliffhanger, but it was an amazing show and I do not think we, as an audience , will see anything like it ever again.

Refreshingly real characters

[refresh_daemon · 8/10 · 16 February 2008]

I seem to have a thing for watching high-quality series that get canceled far too soon. My So-Called Life is such a series. One of the things about this series that really caught my attention is the complexity and utter realness of the characters. It was frustrating at first because I was so used to characters being neater, less full of complications and contradictions and when I watch the various characters on this show make decisions that are honest, even if mistakes, I found myself wishing that they'd make cleaner, nicer decisions and stay true to the box that I put them in.

And so I really have to hand it to the writers and the actors for putting together such a remarkable group of believable characters. The one nagging issue I really had with this show is that it was so clearly written. Whereas the characters were so very real, the stories that were told always seemed to balance on the edge of being contrived. And while I understand the attempts at style, I found the structures that the stories imposed on the characters, such as looking at parallelisms, intersections, as well as the occasional supernatural story clashed so strongly with the realness of the characters that it was hard for me to accept the stories, even as the characters realistically reacted in their framework.

I think that the stories told in the episodes really started to feel less contrived towards the last episodes that were produced and felt the character arcs really pick up. One thing I love about the stories is that there is no real villain, but rather just people, with reasons to like and dislike each other. Sometimes I felt that the resolutions did border a little on pat, but nonetheless stayed believable. I did wish that certain character arcs, especially Ricky's, would've been a little less static.

And despite all my criticisms, when I was watched the end of the last episode, I was surprised by how much more I wanted. I wanted to see where these characters would go. Here was a series that told stories about people that were real. This was not the lifestyles of the rich and angst-y of the present or the soap-opera hyper-drama of yesteryear, but stories about real grounded characters and even if the stories themselves sometimes stumbled over their own cleverness, everything was so... sincere, that it was hard to hate even the contrivances.

So, the loss of this show was a loss to the television landscape. Fortunately, it's been preserved on DVD for future generations of fans of serial storytelling to enjoy. 8/10.

The Internal Monologue of a 90s Teen

[generationofswine · 10/10 · 24 February 2012]

I was a Freshmen in High School when this aired and I have to say it had a profound affect on the way that I viewed everything around me. I remember, shortly after seeing my first episode, I thought it was the hipper MTV version of 90210. I thought it was trash, that is until I walked into Nicole's apartment for the first time I remembered a quote, verbatim, of the episode I saw nearly a week before: "Walking into someone else's house for the first time is like entering another country. Not that I've ever been to another country." I was hooked after that experience, as a high school Freshmen I couldn't exactly relate to, well, anything I was watching at the time. But with "My So-Called Life," time & again, I found myself in similar places & situations that I could relate back to the series.

It's a shame it ended after only one season. There aren't any other shows I've related so much with & with "My So-Called Life" it came around at just that time of life where I could access with the greatest amount of relevancy. A few years earlier or a few years later & the impact wouldn't have been so monumental.

I wonder if today's teens would feel the same, or if the environment & culture have changed so much that it would be alien to them. Still, with things as vastly unprofound as: "If only there were a button somewhere that I could push. To force me to stop talking." I'm sure it will stand the test of time.

Main character is unbelievably morose and grating

[clotblaster · 6/10 · 29 June 2009]

Much of the show is entertaining and at times presents some top drawer thematic material concerning being a teenager. The major, unfortunate problem is the main character who is presented as morose, cynical, depressed, a total downer and on and on. I found her to be tedious and unrealistic. In fact, the whole series lacks a clear, cogent nexus to reality. Unlike the Wonder Years with its wonderful stories, themes, characters, this show wallows in the self-pity and narcissism of teenagers. The writers obviously have problems with an ensemble series, which was also a problem with the hugely overrated 30 something which they also wrote. Some interesting characters, but the show stands or falls with the main character and she flops, so does much of the show.

One season just doesn't seem enough.......

[BrickNash · 10/10 · 30 July 2010]

This program came out in late 1994, right smack bang in the middle of my teens putting me on an exact age par with the characters in the series.

I simply cannot express just how clever, well written and superbly acted this, at the time, highly original series was. There was NOTHING on TV that was like this, so drenched in teenage angst and drama and so many of the issues, stories and situations (to a degree) hit such a familiar note with so many people that you just cannot fault the show, on anything.

Let me just state that I am a guy, and now at the grand old age of 32 I watched the series again and boy did it take 15 years off me. Many of the issues dealt with in the series could be applied to both guys and girls so although it was originally aimed at teenage girls the appeal of the show went far, far beyond that audience.

On an angrier note, I think it is absolutely criminal that this poignant, emotional and sharp piece of entertainment was cancelled after only one season due to 'bad ratings'. As I recall not many of the most successful shows did that well on their first season but given a chance they shone so brightly and the same courtesy should have been shown to what is arguably one of the best dramas ever to be shown. But no, corporate greed once again stepped in and extinguished the creative spirit to save a few bucks. Well I hope they are kicking themselves now as to what the show could have become in terms of popularity.

We should count ourselves lucky that the existing series was made in the first place, but after 19 episodes of getting attached to characters with whom most of us can say we identified with one season just doesn't seem enough.

I wonder just how much this 32 year olds outlook on life would have changed with that second season!

rickie is the best friend anyone could have

[siennacolucci · 7/10 · 26 June 2023]

So i almost completely binged this after my stint in an ED clinic and it was the perfect breath of fresh air after that mess!! Couldn't stand angela or either of her parents for the majority of the tv show but i STAN rickie and sharon and loved the angst of brian's huge crush. I totally understood danielle's position and felt so bad that she felt so invisible :( rip queen. ANYways i adore the social themes in this like it was the mid 90s and they weren't scared of touching on the topics of gayness, homelessness, teen alcoholism, adultery (YES ... he was definitely cheating), and all that. Wish there were more seasons ;//

Kitschy cringe drama alert

[Ekaterini_the_Great · 4/10 · 3 May 2017]

My so called life wanted to be freaks and geeks but what it truly was is Beverly Hills 90210. No matter how hard it tried to be cool and edgy and alternative the result was always tacky kitschy and melodramatic. God I cringed so hard every time. Everybody is a big fat cliché. From the shy introverted lead who "breaks bad" to the outcast burnout best friend to the handsome-but-stupid love interest. Do not get me wrong. It is a coming of age story, you cannot always avoid clichés. But at least give your characters some depth, some realism. Instead they were paper-thin, pretentious and annoying to an insufferable level. The only positive point is that it was so bad that it turns funny.

One of the Greats

[kinolieber · 8 November 2002]

When seen in order, these 19 episodes form an amazingly rich chronicle of a year in the lives of Angela Chase, her high school friends and the adults in their lives. Writing this great rarely makes it into series television. As disappointing as it was when the show was cancelled after one year, the result was a self-contained almost novelistic tapestry of interwoven stories that stands alone as one of the finest depictions of adolescence and parenthood ever created for the screen.

One of the most distinctive threads that runs through the series is the way both children and adults deceive themselves about what they really want and need out of life. The drama and humor of the series often revolves around the struggle of the different characters to break through to their genuine selves.

Among many fine story lines, one standout is that of Rickie Vasquez, probably the first depiction of a gay teen on series television, and if not the first, certainly the most unapologetic. I could go on way too long about all the other moving, surprising, heartbreaking and ironic story lines, about the way characters are always surprising us with unexpected depths or insights or abilities, about the use of music, about the incredibly honest and unexploitative depiction of teenage sexuality, and about the performances, which are uniformly superb, even in the smallest roles. Best of all the show is so rich and crafted so brilliantly that it rewards repeated viewing.

One of the best shows ever on television

[redsodabottles · 10/10 · 13 July 2006]

My So-Called Life is a rare gem in television--the acting, directing, concept, writing--everything was so pitch perfect that it almost makes me sick it was cancelled.

There are no shows today that deal with adolescence as brilliantly as this show did--and I'm embarrassed that we let a diamond like this slip through the cracks.

Claire Danes showed what an amazing acting prowess she has--I've seen no other program that has such real characters that can both make you laugh yet care about them so much all at the same time.

I really hope that the creator of this show goes on to make some other really great shows, because I'm honestly saddened that this one isn't on the air anymore.

Mid 90's Perfection.

[jjparish · 10/10 · 3 November 2019]

This has to be one of my favorite ever shows. I rewatch it often and it never gets boring. The only other show i do this with is Freaks and Geeks. What makes MSCL so good for me is the angela/jordan/brian triangle. I used to be mad for the angela/jordan couple but through the years ive come around to supporting angela/brian. Its so well written that you can feel what angela feels. Her ups and downs have made me smile, cry and cringe. Great acting from the great claire danes helps a lot. The second best thing about the show are the rayanne/sharon characters. Complete opposites but they worked so well together i always felt they should have become a couple. To be honest i would have loved the gay plotline in MSCL to have been explored through those two rather than gay best-friend ricky. He was a turn off for me and his journey seemed fake and forced.

Classic '90s teen drama

[sleepingsunrise · 9/10 · 28 May 2020]

This one and Freaks and Geeks are the two shows that remind me of my teenage years. This show is a classic for the decade. The clothes, the pressing topics (guns, AIDS, drugs, sex, relationships, etc), the soundtrack, etc are all iconic for that decade. It's got great acting, wonderful character development, and well put together storylines. I always enjoy rewatching this show and recommend it to others.

Really captures the subtleties of life - not just adolescence

[Hashimuri · 10/10 · 12 August 2007]

It used to bother me that the show was cancelled and that the story lines were left unresolved... But that's part of its mythic status - it never had the chance to go downhill.

I own the DVDs and it is one of the few television box sets worth having. I can rewatch the same episodes and still feel moved - whether by laughter, tears, or just a sense of "Hell yeah, that is SO true!" This show is for all ages, but above all it's for openminded people who actually like to think while they're entertained, people who appreciate the nuances in individuals. The characters are amazingly well-crafted and the actors do the scripts justice, for once. No one is a cut-out, even if on some level they are all "types" (and aren't we all, especially in the eyes of others? It is one of the things the show seeks to challenge).

The greatest achievement of this show is the way it presents life situations in MORALLY RELATIVE ways - for once, no moralizing. There is no black and white, no good guys, no bad guys. Sex is neither good or bad; drugs and alcohol are neither good or bad; parents are neither good or bad. Everybody has their reasons and their intentions, and of course conflicts arise, and there is no big make-up session at the end of it, but the characters interact and connect in many different ways. The show does a superb job in depicting situations and events from multiple sides, and capturing the way relationships between people are always in flux.

Angela's voice-over achieves the perfect balance of being introspective and philosophical without crossing the line into overbearing and intrusive. She is the protagonist, but not the focal point of every story line. This is a model to follow! I would say, in fact, that a lot of TV and films indirectly owe a lot to this show. For example, Rayanne and Rickie (the quirky friend and gay sidekick) are prototypes for the characters of Janis and Damian in the film Mean Girls. I could find lots of examples.

To conclude, MSCL is above and beyond the vast majority of television dramas - I loved it when it aired in 1995 (I was 12) and I love it now that I'm 24 and technically "grown up"! It isn't just the nostalgia it triggers, it's the overall production quality and the grip it has over viewers, like a good novel. There's no parallel in today's TV.

poignant and perfect, a must-see for all sensitive hearts

[RavenGlamDVDCollector · 10/10 · 4 September 2017]

I have it on DVD and it's high time I watched it again. I've always been on about BEVERLY HILLS 90210 and its successor 90210, but those big, big efforts often, no, more often than not, took on too much and ran away with themselves. This one has that real feeling. And it often inspires these fuzzy warm feelings, hey, just the memory of it...! I have several ShoutFactory products as I'm into "decades past" and the ad pops up regularly, and I salute it every time it appears. Angela Chase is one of my all-time favorite girls on film. Coupled with ROMEO + JULIET, I am a hugé Claire Danes fan.

Just today, I voted for it on the polls as "Greatest Series Set Mainly in a High School" or something like that. At their best moments, the 90210's were great, but far from consistent. This one, you knew what you had, it was always not just good, but great. More than that, it tugged at your heart.

Was unfortunately doomed because of course Claire was destined for movies. Which sunk Season Two. That was the show's only flaw. It had a star it couldn't keep.

By the way, A.j. Langer, cheered for you too!

I maintain that the best TV came from the Nineties. This one is a prime example.

Highly recommended. Soft-hearted romantics into unrequited love especially.

{and I so wanted to post that classic quote "like a toaster or something", oh! but somebody beat me to it...!}

ONE OF MY FAVORITE SHOWS EVER

[lolly67 · 10/10 · 21 May 2020]

I was absolutely devastated when this was over, Even though I was wasy past high school when I watched it, it took me right back. The writing was so real and the acting was like watching a reality show. I think being older, I could appreciate it so much more. The reason being is that I could feel the pains of that age, the hormones, pure joy, first broken heart, etc., but look back and see how I thought some things were the end of the world that most definitely not. It made me laugh remembering how I thought I knew everything😄, but has no clue.

Nice to see Carrie Mathison before she joined the CIA

[interestingstuff · 7/10 · 3 November 2021]

It's really nice to see Carrie's life and how she grew up before joining up the agency. Her story makes more sense now.

This show is a must see for those who grew up in the 90s and miss those days. The pace is super slow though so you might have to watch some parts at 2x speed.

Instantly stole my soul.

[vivreenpaix · 10/10 · 22 March 2012]

I remember seeing this show playing after Degrassi on "The N" when Degrassi was still a good show. It never captured my interest then, but once I saw the whole series on Netflix, I thought I'd give it a try.

It instantly stole my soul. I felt like I was watching my own teenage years on the television. Angela Chase's words, thoughts, and actions were all too familiar to me. The way that she swooned over Jordan Catalano reminded me of all of the boys that I saw as gods in high school. Rayanne betrayed her in the worst way possible (which also happened to me) and by the end of two long days and nineteen episodes, I was in love with a television show that was long gone. For a week or so, I had the urge to order the silly book that was a continuum of the show that got cancelled. I was THAT desperate to know what happened.

There really isn't another television show like this. You had "Boy Meets World", "Saved by the Bell", "The Wonder Years", etc. - but nothing will ever compare to how deep "My So-Called Life" can dig into your core and take you back to those high school days when everything was unfathomable. Although it is JUST a television show from the nineties, a 15 year old girl shows you a lot about life - and reminds you that even though life is complicated, we still have to go on.

I will never forget this show as long as I live.

Above Average

[coles_notes · 6/10 · 29 January 2024]

Created by Winnie Holzman for ABC, we follow teen Angela Chase (Claire Danes) as she navigates the struggles, drama, and theatrics of high school life. While a fairly typical teenage drama for the time, many of its plots do hit some genuine stories and characters however some get quite preachy and feel very "afterschool special" with most episodes built around some core moral lesson. We get to see a young Jared Leto as the not-so-bright love interest, which was fun and funny, but the real stars were A. J. Langer and Wilson Cruz as Angela's two best friends Rayanne and Rickie. Honestly those three's friendship was a reason to watch the show, was really the only main compelling drama imo. The parents are fine, with their relationship(s) and on-goings often being secondary plots, but unfortunately in the end the show was cancelled after a single season leaving most things at a relative dead-end. Still at 19 episodes what we do get was enjoyable to get through even with some eye rolls, and if you're someone who likes teenage dramas its certainly one of the better ones.

The memory is always better

[rhonnie-61659 · 4/10 · 3 November 2016]

This show is rubbish when revisited some 20 years later. I remember being a teenager watching. My friends and I lived vicariously through Angela's ongoing romance with Jordan Catalano. But as an adult, the show leaves me frustrated. Note the countless long pauses, leaving so much unsaid. I wish the writers would have created more drama with much needed confrontations or private dialog between main characters. Instead, constipated glances and pursed lips are meant to convey a bevy of emotion. What is drama without the inevitable exposure and confrontation? I'm bewildered by the unwarranted tension between any adult and the teen-aged cast. There is always a rolling of the eyes or a pushing away whenever an adult attempts to communicate with the kids. I guess MTV wanted to solidify its status as a "network for the youth" because Angela's parents are not fully developed and only exist to further Angela's narrative. The only dialog they share is to talk about Angela. But just imagine if this show was made for today. I believe the same story lines would ring true. Just add story arcs that give the parents dimension. Allow Angela to stop hiding her feelings and to communicate to Jordan and to actually confide in her mom. What if these characters could actually emote! What a revelation.