Sometimes in life, people get dealt the worst kind of punishment for no reason. Sometimes, it’s for a good reason — but in FOX’s new television series the “Red Band Society” there’s a little bit of both.
Viewers will recognize actress Octavia Spencer from “The Help,” and Dave Annable from “Brothers and Sisters.” The rest of the cast is filled with new, young actors who flesh out the patients.
The “Red Band Society” opens with a child telling viewers about different patients at the hospital.
Everything was OK emotionally until he started describing their ailments, ranging from a eating disorder to cancer.
The show has some quirky moments that are sure to catch the viewer’s eye. Within the first few moments, some of the patients are caught smoking marijuana in a supply closet before class.
It seems that these teenage patients have the run of the hospital, which may or may not be something seen in reality. However, it seems logical that this would happen given that they may not make it out.
There are some emotionally touching scenes, and the fact that these characters all start off as teenagers gives the writers a lot of wiggle room for character development.
Let’s hope that the writers don’t swing into the typical love triangle—which can already be predicted—and actually write interesting stories for these youths.
That being said, a few of the characters do seem a little typical so far. There’s a bit more of a challenge here because everyone has more than likely seen the same thing thousands of times.
The premise of “The Red Band Society” is still extremely interesting, and, if anything, I’m going to continue to watch it because of what’s going on around these characters.
It’s also really important to note that this is giving representation to those who are actually confined to a hospital, or have these problems actually happening in their lives. There’s really not enough of that in the media as it stands.
Another cool thing to note is that this story is based on a man named Albert Espinosa, who is paid homage to by the character Jordi Palacios. He spent 14 years of his life in a Spanish hospital and said that his experiences there were some of the best times of his life.
This show is definitely something to watch out for in the upcoming season, and hopefully it’ll live up to expectations.
“Everybody thinks that when you go to a hospital, life stops, but it’s just the opposite,” said Charlie, the coma patient. “Life starts.”
“Red Band Society” will air Sept. 17, at 8 p.m.
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