I originally thought the concept of this show was too gimmicky, a way to cash in on whatever the current social media trends are today. But I like the lead actor, John Cho, so I thought I'd give it a shot.
The story centers around Eliza Dookley (Karen Gillen), who is a social media maven working at an ad agency. She is self-centered and vapid. She is essentially a Kardashian without the money. But then she has an embarressing experience that is plastered all over he beloved social media and she comes to the realization that virtual friends are not real friends. So she decides to to turn to new, refined, uptight co-worker Henry Higgs (Cho), who makes an experiment of making Eliza into a normal person.
If the names and plot remind you of My Fair Lady, then you hit the bullseye.
And that is actually a good part of the shows's charm. This Eliza is as unrefined as the original, but we can see in her the same self-obsessed narsisicm that infects much of society. And yet Gillen has the unenviable task of making her relatable and likable, which she does by making her vulnerable and , in a weird way, innocent. Like so many young people who grew up not knowing a world without the wide web, you feel a sense of pity for her.
And the chemistry between her and Cho is excellent. Eliza, while clueless in many ways, helps Henry come out of his shell.
The writing also is incredibly witty. Not only is it astute in its observations about social media etiquette and protocol, it keeps the other human interactions strange and funny.
And while all of the ethics of the show aren't perfect, there are some nice insights
Unfortunately, the show is very low rates and will probably get the axe. But this is a show with potential.
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