The Paramount+ prequel takes place four years before the events in the classic movie.
Here’s a fool-proof trick for keeping your man: Change everything about yourself!)
WhenRise of the Pink Ladiesleans in to this vision of the protagonists as equal-rights innovators, it sings.
Jason Schmidt, Marisa Davila, Ari Notartomaso, Shanel Bailey, Tricia Fukuhara, Alexis Sides and Cheyenne Wells in ‘Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies’.Eduardo Araquel/Paramount+
“Of course not, this is only the beginning.")
to the choreography to the costumes it’s distracting and a little desperate.
(A tween Betty Rizzo, played by Emma Shannon, makes a perfunctory appearance, too.)
Marisa Davila and Johnathan Nieves in ‘Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies’.Eduardo Araquel/Paramount+v
The relentless homages taper off a bit after that, andPink Ladiesbegins to strut with a bit more confidence.
The prequel presents a version of theGreaseuniverse that is far more diverse than the ethnically homogenous and heteronormative original.
Unlike some multi-cultural IP refreshes, though,Pink Ladiesdoesn’t ignore the existence of racism.
“I’m not really the Chosen People when it comes to a place like that.”
Rise of the Pink Ladieslooks beautiful.
Their male counterparts, by contrast, are lackluster.
Nieves doesn’t possess the charisma and swagger necessary to make Richie a convincing T-Bird-slash-rival for Jane’s affections.
By episode 5, I began to imagine a show without boys.
