The other night David had gone to bed and Charlie was working. I didn’t want to read a book even though I have Danille Steel’s Wedding sitting on my bedside table. I finally decided I was going to watch TV but there wasn’t anything on Friendly and I wasn’t looking for another television series when I found Beautiful People. That is probably the first thing I should tell you.
I had been looking for something to watch, and I really didn’t want to get hooked on another show because I have to many series to try and keep up with. I just wanted something to have on while waiting for Charlie to come home, playing games on my tablet, and relaxing after a long day and trying to stay awake when the rest of the house is quiet.
But then I clicked on Beautiful People. And somewhere along the way, I went from “I’ll see if I like this” to watching episode after episode. I finished all 16 episodes in three days. That’s when I realized this was one of those shows that reminded me of why I loved watching Gilmore Girls and Dawson’s Creek.
It wasn’t because the stories were exactly the same. They aren’t. It was because of the feeling. There are television shows that you watch because you want to know what happens. Then there are shows that make you want to spend time with the characters. Beautiful People falls into that second category for me.
If You Loved Gilmore Girls
One of the first comparisons that came to my mind was Gilmore Girls. If you’ve watched Gilmore Girls, you know that the relationship between Lorelai and Rory is a huge part of what makes the show work. It isn’t just about what happens to Rory. It’s about watching a mother and daughter navigate life together.
They’re friends, family, and sometimes two people who completely disagree with each other. That complicated mother-daughter relationship is one of the things that made Beautiful People feel familiar to me. The family dynamics give the story somewhere to go. The daughters are growing up and making their own choices, while their mother is trying to protect them, guide them and sometimes simply figure out how to keep up with everything happening around them.
And those choices aren’t always simple. There are relationships. There are mistakes. There are secrets. There are parties, friendships, work, dreams and decisions that have consequences. That’s what kept pulling me into the next episode. Before long David was asking what happened to so and so which showed me David would have watched the show with me if he had been off.
If You Loved Dawson’s Creek
If you watched Dawson’s Creek, you probably remember how much of the story centered around young people trying to figure out who they were while dealing with friendships, relationships, family and growing up. Nobody seemed to have everything figured out. And that is part of what made it so easy to keep watching.
Beautiful People has that same coming-of-age feeling. The characters are dealing with young love, complicated relationships and decisions that can change the direction of their lives. There is also that familiar television experience where you find yourself thinking, “Don’t do that!” Of course, they don’t listen. And then you have to watch what happens next. That’s part of the fun.
I don’t want to make it sound like Beautiful People is simply another version of Gilmore Girls or Dawson’s Creek. It isn’t. The story has its own identity. The family moves from Mexico to New York, and that decision creates a completely different set of circumstances. There are custody issues. There are questions about independence and family.
The daughters are growing up in a world that includes modeling, parties, relationships, business and all of the challenges that come with trying to find your place. The show also tackles more mature subjects, including drugs, teen sex and some of the consequences that can come with making choices before you’re ready to deal with them.
That is important to know before you decide whether this is something you want to watch with your family. This isn’t a children’s show. I would consider it a mature teen and adult series, and parents should make their own decision about whether it is appropriate for their teenagers. If Suzzane was here we would have watched it when she was 16 but we would have discussed what happened in the show because its things she would face in real life. If Charlie would watch tv I would have done the same thing with him.
What surprised me most was how quickly I became invested. I had no intention of binge-watching the entire series. I didn’t even know if I was going to like it. But after a few episodes, I wanted to know what happened next. Then I wanted to know what happened to the characters. Then I realized I was already emotionally invested in their decisions.
That’s the magic of a good television series. You don’t necessarily need explosions or huge special effects. Sometimes you just need characters you care about. Beautiful People gave me that. It reminded me of the feeling I had when I watched Gilmore Girls and Dawson’s Creek—that feeling of sitting down for “just one episode” and suddenly realizing you’ve been watching for hours. And apparently, I haven’t learned my lesson. Because I did exactly that again.
Should You Watch Beautiful People?
If you enjoyed Gilmore Girls because of the complicated family relationships, growing-up stories and strong mother-daughter dynamic, I think Beautiful People is worth checking out. If you loved Dawson’s Creek because of the young relationships, friendships, mistakes and coming-of-age stories, you may also find something familiar here.
But go into it knowing that Beautiful People deals with more mature subjects. And there’s one more thing you should know before you get attached. The series ended after only 16 episodes. And yes, I’m still annoyed about it. Because once you get invested in these characters, you realize there is so much more story left to tell. That’s probably why I wanted to share it here.
Sometimes the shows we discover years after everyone else has stopped talking about them are the ones we wish we’d found sooner. Beautiful People was one of those surprises for me. I clicked on it because I wanted something to watch. Three days later, I had watched all 16 episodes. And now I’m telling my friends about it.
So if you’re looking for something that gives you a little bit of the family feel of Gilmore Girls, some of the coming-of-age drama of Dawson’s Creek, complicated relationships, young love and enough drama to keep you saying, “Okay, just one more episode,” put Beautiful People on your list. Just don’t blame me when you realize it’s two o’clock in the morning and you’re still watching.
Grateful, Thankful, and Blessed.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates