Pearl Next Door (2020)

Team Alex

So like most of us, I'm here cause I fell in love with Pearl's spunky personality and beauty from the prequel Gameboys. She brings all the spice here as well and I loved it! I had an issue with the run around the story created but that's legit due to my own personal beliefs and feelings on relationships. Visuals all around and I think even straight people could learn something/enjoy this series lol I think the acting was better than the story itself but I'm glad the story wasn't anywhere near as basic as I had prepared myself for. This is definitely worth the watch and the ending was so much better than I expected. Enjoy...

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Disappointingly terrible

I was so excited that we were finally going to see a real GL series! And with Pearl, the beloved character from Gameboys. Unfortunately, it was a failure. Here are my pros and cons:

PROS:

CAST. They really did assemble a terrific cast. Everyone played their roles well, despite a problematic script. A shout out to the guy who played Linus in the last episode: he really portrayed a sexy creep about as well as anyone could!

"TABOO" SUBJECTS. They did tackle polyamory and, to an extent, biphobia. Not to mention Pearl's essay on the female orgasm. Good on them for that.

UNCONVENTIONAL CHARACTER. I loved that Jill -- an overweight and not conventionally attractive woman -- was the ex of Karleen, who herself looked like a supermodel. It's rare, but opposites really can attract in real life.

FONZY/ACHILLES. It was at the very end of the final episode, but they were adorable, a couple we can actually root for.

BEAUTIFUL SCENERY. The views of the resort were really stunning. I'd go there!

CONS:

CHARACTERS. The Pearl I loved from Gameboys was turned into a weak, whiny, sniveling, entitled crybaby. She played her two pursuers as if she was the hottest thing since sliced bread, a total turnoff and embarrassing. After Karleen left her to attend to her own best friend's trauma (which Pearl admitted she would do for Gav in a second), she then mopes to Karleen that, because Karleen did go to her friend, that would mean that Karleen would always put others before her (Pearl). Huh??? Karleen was unlikeable, insecure, jealous and indecisive, Alex had a backbone but the writers made her seem like someone who could never commit, and Pearl was just an unappealing personality throughout the entire series. She is not ready for any kind of committed relationship until she grows a set. I honestly didn't care about any of them.

STORY. Episode 1 was promising. Then, Episodes 2 - 5 were a total snooze. Episode 6 made a comeback with some actual interest, and then Episodes 7-8 were just bad. The ending was unsatisfying.

INAPPROPRIATE SILLINESS. I'm all for lighthearted, cute moments. But this series went from the extreme drama of Alex's anger/leaving the scene, to Pearl's crying after Karleen left her at the resort to... a silly, ridiculous video call between Pearl and Fonzy (with cemetery background) which, after a couple of minutes, had the two of them laughing like little children. And in the last episode, during Pearl's "week off," she went from expressions of "pained anguish" to acting like a perky gym bunny. Sorry, it was just... bad writing and directing, totally superficial.

KARLEEN'S HARASSER. Don't get me wrong, I have no tolerance for anyone sexually harassing anyone. But I had to chuckle: the guy coming on to Karleen hardly seemed like a threat. Karleen looked like she could kick his ass with her little finger. If the directors wanted this to appear real, they could have at least hired an actor who looked like he could do some potential real damage.

ALEX'S ADMISSION. If someone on a first date asked me to "say bad things" about myself, I'd tell them to go first. That's ridiculous during the first stage of dating. But to Alex's credit, she was honest. TOO honest. Pearl (and viewers) seemed horrified that Alex said she hadn't had a relationship that lasted more than a year. People: Alex is 24. How many long-term relationships would you expect her to have had? Even if her first was when she was 18? Many people haven't had even one committed relationship by the age of 24. And how many committed relationships has Pearl ever had? Gav is the only one we know about, he was gay and, from what Pearl says, sex was pretty much off the table. If Alex was 35, I might have doubts about her confession. At 24? Please, get real.

I can't blame the actors, they worked with what they were given. But this was a very disappointing series.

I'm giving it 4.0 out of 10, and I believe I'm being generous.

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