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Jul 20, 2016 · July 20, 2016. My So-Called Life is now streaming on ABC, the network that first aired it back in 1994, right after Kurt Cobain committed suicide and right before O.J. Simpson’s jury was...
Aug 25, 2008 · But although the main focus of both "Self Esteem" and "Pressure" is Jordan and Angela's relationship, the two themes resonate in ways both subtle and not-so-subtle for nearly every character on ...
- Amelie Gillette
- “The Zit”
- “Dancing in The Dark”
- “Weekend”
- “Halloween”
- “Self-Esteem”
- “Guns and Gossip”
- “Strangers in The House”
- “Why Jordan Can’T Read”
- “Resolutions”
- “Pressure”
Patty’s vanity and need for validation as an aging former prom queen clashes with Angela’s insecurities in “The Zit.” With its heavy-handed references to Franz Kafka and Malcolm X, the episode proves to be, to quote Graham, “unbelievably corny” in its handling of issues of self-esteem and the objectification of young girls. But, as most episodes of...
An ill-devised plan, orchestrated by Angela’s new best bud, Rayanne (A.J. Langer), to get Angela and Jordan Catalano closer together is overshadowed by this episode’s amusing subplot, in which Patty and Graham attempt to put the romance back in their relationship by taking a ballroom dancing class. Of course, they’re terrible at it, which Patty see...
The second of two episodes told from the perspective of supporting characters, “Weekend” takes place predominantly inside the Chase house, giving Angela’s little sister, Danielle (Lisa Wilhoit), more screen time than usual. “It’s truly amazing. I have the power to be invisible,” she declares via voiceover in the opening scene. The episode’s twin st...
Angela’s preoccupation with the legend of Nicky Driscoll, a Liberty High student who fell to his death from the rafters of the high school auditorium decades earlier and who’s an obvious proxy for Jordan Catalano, might be a little on the nose. But despite its macabre underpinnings—a brief nod to the then-recently deceased Kurt Cobain lends the epi...
“Self-Esteem,” in which Jordan Catalano refuses to acknowledge his budding relationship with Angela, is noteworthy mostly for the breadcrumbs it drops in service of future, more pivotal storylines: from new English teacher Mr. Katimski’s (Jeff Perry) attempts to enlist Rickie (whom he insists on calling “Enrique”) in drama club, to Graham’s introdu...
The issue of guns in public schools, though relevant even back in the pre-Columbine days, merely serves as a backdrop for thoughtfully explored themes of perception, truth, and consent in “Guns and Gossip” when rumors spread that Angela had sex with Jordan Catalano in the back of his car. They say a lie can travel halfway around the world while the...
The climax of “Strangers in the House” revolves around a large pizza with extra cheese that everyone is starving to eat—until they’re not. Sharon’s father has had a heart attack, which sends Graham into an existential spiral and forces Angela to share her bedroom with Sharon, who she’s cut out of her life—in typical teen fashion—for reasons even sh...
Despite the title of this episode, we never do find out whyJordan can’t read. In fact, his illiteracy is only one small thread in this understated episode. Like much of the rest of the series, “Why Can’t Jordan Read” is all about the accumulation of moments: stolen moments of freedom in a museum during a field trip; the moment Patty discovers she m...
In the final shot of “Resolutions,” we see a man (John Prosky), who’s already been revealed to us as Mr. Katimski’s partner, reach his hand out to a homeless Rickie, who’s just arrived at their doorstep drenched in rain and tears. The door closes, and we’re left to wonder how Rickie reacted to the realization that his English teacher is gay. And be...
After a botched attempt in “Why Can’t Jordan Read,” Graham finally, and unexpectedly, meets Jordan Catalano when he answers the door in “Pressure.” Graham and the blank-eyed teen amusingly echo each other’s nervous body language as they trade awkward niceties: “Are you Jordan?” “Are you Angela’s dad?” Later, Graham gets more than just a glimpse of ...
Pressure: Directed by Mark Piznarski. With Bess Armstrong, Wilson Cruz, Claire Danes, Devon Gummersall. Angela feels pressured by Jordan to have sex.
- (337)
- Comedy, Drama, Romance
- Mark Piznarski
- 1994-12-01
Sep 5, 2014 · As part of our intensive hour-long tribute to all things My So-Called Life, Vulture asked series creator Winnie Holzman to reminisce with us on all the wonderfulness of the finale, named...
- Contributor
My So-Called Life is an American teen drama television series created by Winnie Holzman and produced by Edward Zwick and Marshall Herskovitz. It originally aired on ABC from August 25, 1994, to January 26, 1995. It is distributed by The Bedford Falls Company with ABC Productions.
Feb 16, 2023 · “My So-Called Life” is a 19-episode analysis of the inherent weirdness of life, particularly teenagerdom. The brilliance of Holzman’s show (which also features three elite teleplays by Jason Katims, later of “Roswell” ) is in that it makes sense of life – as much as possible.
