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Zeta Beta and Tri Pi and Kappa Tau. . . oh my!

Ah, the world of the Greek system; parties, sex, and more debauchery than Roman History 101. It’s no wonder that the Greeks have spawned a handful of classic films, like Animal House and PCU. So it’s only natural that the world of Sororities and Fraternities would be taken on by the wholesome folks at ABC Family. Wait. . . what?

Greek is a show about a brother and sister, Casey and Rusty “Spitter” Cartwright. Casey is the big sister, a junior, and a high-ranking member of the most powerful sorority on campus, Zeta Beta. Rusty, her freshman brother, is a science geek who thinks that college is about more than book learnin’, and pledges at Kappa Tau. The brother and sister duo stumble through a maze of moral issues, always struggling to do what’s right, accompanied by an ensemble cast that oftentimes resemble caricatures more than characters. There’s the uber-Southern Baptist (who is racists, just for good measure); the uptight republican rich boy (who looks like a less broody Logan Echolls); the token black guy who is also the token gay guy (showing that the producers truly have an economy of plot), and the zen party boy with the heart of gold who dishes out life lessons (how do you know you’re in love? The, “itchy, burning sensation”).

Because the show is an ABC Family original, there is no truly scandalous behavior. They drink, they dance, and they occasionally tumble into bed together, but that is the extent of their moral sidestepping. The girls are mostly concerned with catty backstabbing and house politics, while the guys show us that deep down, boys just wanna have fun. There are enough SAT words to remind us that this show is supposed to be about college, all the while pandering to the pop culture throne of Amy Sherman-Palladino. There are wholesome lessons for the good, and satisfactory comeuppance for the naughty.

In the end, heartbroken and hung-over, brother and sister drive off into the sunset, their emo music to lead the way. The show sports a few interesting guests (Plain White T’s, Charisma Carpenter of Buffy and Angel, and Jessica Lee Rose of Lonelygirl15, which is referenced in the show). Greek provided a little more than the bare minimum of laughs, and by the end of season one, I found myself mildly interested in season two. 

The dvd set comes with the usual extra features – some deleted scenes, an advance look at season two. The presentation is lovely, but the bottom line is that the show is just too bland to be a must-have.

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