YES, I always look forward to this review series đ
Why does Baywatch try so hard (and also so little) to add real drama and intrigue to its, uhh… “Plots” is a generous term. They always fail, despite Hasselhoff being a bizarrely amazing actor when he wants to be. It doesn’t end well XD
Though admittedly, this isn’t like… the ‘worst’ of the attempts, but man does it ever prove that these guys don’t understand competent lifeguarding.
This could have been a truly powerful and compelling episode…if the kid had died. Many other shows have done memorable episodes where the characters have had to deal with the grim reality of death. Even comedies like All In The Family, M*A*S*H, Barney Miller, and The Mary Tyler Moore Show (to name just a few), have pulled it off successfully. It’s an opportunity for real character growth and supportive interactions, showing the characters coping with a tragedy, and if done well it can resonate strongly with viewers, because almost all of us have been in that situation at one time or another.
As it is, they chickened out, because having the kid die would have been too much of a downer, resulting in a trite, forgettable episode. Of course, this ISÂ Baywatch, and Baywatch is basically fluff. It’s arguable that something like that has no place there. But to start down that road only to veer off into happy ending land at the last minute makes the show look gutless and insincere. If you can’t deal with the subject of death as maturely as SESAME STREET (and in that case it was the death of a REAL PERSON the show was grappling with), then you really are shallow and superficial.
Plus, the whole thing with the kid lying in a hospital bed in a coma clinging to life while everyone frets over him is such a hokey cliche it’s laughable. Did anyone seriously think he WOULDN’T make a full recovery?
I’m wondering if there wasn’t a chance the studio would’ve said to put in the ending they went with if the writer/whoever HAD written the downer ending. If the show really is supposed to be fluff, I doubt the executives would want to stray from that and risk alienating their sheltered audience. I was reading something recently where that happened quite a bit in an episode/in the script of the movie. Unfortunately, for better or for worse, what they say goes.
But here I am, cringing at the thought of what those families had to go through. Hopefully they’d think seeing the son live in the show would be cathartic or wish fulfillment somehow, I ‘unno.
Not even about how Mitch gave away his son’s lucky marble, which will no doubt tie directly into Hobie’s next misadventure? “Oh no, I’m in a sinking crashed plane again, good thing I have my lucky marb—-NOOOOOO!!!”
Taking such a boring episode and making it into yet another exercise in absurdity is beautiful. I found Baywatch to be an aggravating show growing up. Baywatching is perhaps the funniest thing on the internet. Thank you Allison for making such a melodramatic slice of cheese laughably entertaining.
You have to remember that the show was aimed at little kids who thought Mitch was legitimately cool and teens who watched it for the bikini babes. Neither demographic wants to see kids die while they are watching the show albeit for different reasons.
Ironically, I think the mother’s reaction was pretty spot to a real reaction from a mom believing her young child was going to die in front of her eyes, but what makes it stick out is that this is a show with ninja diamond thieves, surfboard eating octopi, melodramatic teen relationships and all manner of silly.
I dunno, I can’t get too mad at lifting a real life story, so long as they don’t try to push it as “based on true events” or try to name the family after the real life victims. I think they kept it unspecific enough.
Otherwise, yeah…boring dramatic episode but still some laughs in the review.
10 Comments Comments RSS
YES, I always look forward to this review series đ
Why does Baywatch try so hard (and also so little) to add real drama and intrigue to its, uhh… “Plots” is a generous term. They always fail, despite Hasselhoff being a bizarrely amazing actor when he wants to be. It doesn’t end well XD
Though admittedly, this isn’t like… the ‘worst’ of the attempts, but man does it ever prove that these guys don’t understand competent lifeguarding.
Mitch likes picking up boys on the beach. That way, he can use them to seduce ladies by saving them in front of them.
Oh man, Mitch let that kid die because of his hatred of burgers.
Hey, that bitch better like Hobies made up lucky marble!
Oh my god, Baywatch can be a dick! Geez, now I feel bad for laughing at that kid almost dying.
This could have been a truly powerful and compelling episode…if the kid had died. Many other shows have done memorable episodes where the characters have had to deal with the grim reality of death. Even comedies like All In The Family, M*A*S*H, Barney Miller, and The Mary Tyler Moore Show (to name just a few), have pulled it off successfully. It’s an opportunity for real character growth and supportive interactions, showing the characters coping with a tragedy, and if done well it can resonate strongly with viewers, because almost all of us have been in that situation at one time or another.
As it is, they chickened out, because having the kid die would have been too much of a downer, resulting in a trite, forgettable episode. Of course, this ISÂ Baywatch, and Baywatch is basically fluff. It’s arguable that something like that has no place there. But to start down that road only to veer off into happy ending land at the last minute makes the show look gutless and insincere. If you can’t deal with the subject of death as maturely as SESAME STREET (and in that case it was the death of a REAL PERSON the show was grappling with), then you really are shallow and superficial.
Plus, the whole thing with the kid lying in a hospital bed in a coma clinging to life while everyone frets over him is such a hokey cliche it’s laughable. Did anyone seriously think he WOULDN’T make a full recovery?
I’m wondering if there wasn’t a chance the studio would’ve said to put in the ending they went with if the writer/whoever HAD written the downer ending. If the show really is supposed to be fluff, I doubt the executives would want to stray from that and risk alienating their sheltered audience. I was reading something recently where that happened quite a bit in an episode/in the script of the movie. Unfortunately, for better or for worse, what they say goes.
Wouldn’t it have been great if he survived at first but then, after loads of “wishing on a star to bring him back”-ing, was declared brain dead in the end? You’d subvert that clichĂ©d ending so hard, it’d bump you into Emmyville. At least it would’ve in the ’90s.
But here I am, cringing at the thought of what those families had to go through. Hopefully they’d think seeing the son live in the show would be cathartic or wish fulfillment somehow, I ‘unno.
Given the subject matter and the fact that this episode didnât have much joke bait, I have no real comment.
Not even about how Mitch gave away his son’s lucky marble, which will no doubt tie directly into Hobie’s next misadventure? “Oh no, I’m in a sinking crashed plane again, good thing I have my lucky marb—-NOOOOOO!!!”
Taking such a boring episode and making it into yet another exercise in absurdity is beautiful. I found Baywatch to be an aggravating show growing up. Baywatching is perhaps the funniest thing on the internet. Thank you Allison for making such a melodramatic slice of cheese laughably entertaining.
You have to remember that the show was aimed at little kids who thought Mitch was legitimately cool and teens who watched it for the bikini babes. Neither demographic wants to see kids die while they are watching the show albeit for different reasons.
Ironically, I think the mother’s reaction was pretty spot to a real reaction from a mom believing her young child was going to die in front of her eyes, but what makes it stick out is that this is a show with ninja diamond thieves, surfboard eating octopi, melodramatic teen relationships and all manner of silly.
I dunno, I can’t get too mad at lifting a real life story, so long as they don’t try to push it as “based on true events” or try to name the family after the real life victims. I think they kept it unspecific enough.
Otherwise, yeah…boring dramatic episode but still some laughs in the review.
Had to register just to comment on this one.
I remember seeing this episode as a kid, but not that it was this cheesy and over the top.
In my mind it was a dead serious, dramatic situation… until now.
LOL!