So, we all
have that one friend that’s been with us through life-altering events, even to
the point of carrying that friend to the grave.
Mine was Noe.
After we
finished watching Unfortunate
Events there was an advertisement for a show titled Alex & Katie. Yeah, the still looked totally kiddie, but the
first episode caught my eye:
“High school
is hard for all students, but it's even more difficult for somebody who is
dealing with personal challenges that most teens don't. That is the case for
freshman Alexa, who is undergoing cancer treatment while trying to adjust to
high school. She maintains her outgoing personality and enthusiasm for life
despite her health issues, thanks in part to loyal best friend Katie remaining
by her side through it all. Whether they're at school, home or the hospital,
the girls are always by each other's side through thick and thin. Also part of
Alexa's life is determined and protective mother Lori.”
Heavy for a
kid’s show, huh? But, can it deliver on
such a tender subject? Now, kid’s shows
can go two ways: They can either get too
kiddie and miss the point trying to be too funny, OR they can submarine their
intended audience with said content.
There’s a REAL fine line between being kiddie stupid killing the message
and just flat out going over their head.
I went in wanting
it to succeed, but with low expectations.
The first episode had me hooked…and, I out and out cried in several
episodes with memories of Noe and I playing out as Katie carried Alexa when she
wasn’t at her best. Furthermore, the
show didn’t shy away from topics like chemo-losing hair to feeling sick to the point
of Alexa having to be out of school.
Their solution was to Facetime classes with friends passing the tablet
to each other as they went to Alexa’s classes.
Other topics
that made me think were the episodes dealing with leaving a mark on the world
in the event we leave and being treated the same when it gets out Alexa has cancer.
I know Noe
and my brother left a mark on the people they knew with me talking about them 26
and 17 years later, respectively. I hope
I leave a mark on someone when I go. As
a crip, we get treated differently. It’s
a blessing and a curse as Alexa finds out.
As a teen, she wants to stand out, just not as the girl with
cancer. We want to stand out, just not
as crips.
Anyhoo, take
a break from being “adult,” and check out the show. You won’t regret it.
Be good to
each other.
No comments:
Post a Comment