Twisted – 1.01 – Pilot – A to Z Challenge – Day 20

“... and I don't give a damn 'bout my bad reputation”

“We cannot expect people to have respect for law and order until we teach respect to those we have entrusted to enforce those laws.

- Hunter S. Thompson

Prologue

Today, I’m writing about the pilot of ABC Family’s latest teen mystery: Twisted.
I was excited about this show beyond belief but things managed to go from bad to worse and never got any better. It never made it on to my ‘must see TV’ list unfortunately. I adore almost all of the actors and actresses young and old alike but the writing is lackluster and the pacing tends to plod along.

About the Show

Seasons: 1| No. of Episodes: 19
Premiere Date: March 19, 2013 | End Date: N/A
Status: On-Air

Genre(s): Teen drama, Mystery, Thriller

Story in a nutshell: The series focuses on charming sixteen-year-old Danny Desai (Avan Jogia), who was charged with killing his aunt when he was eleven. Having spent five years in juvenile detention, he is released and returns to his hometown of Green Grove, New York. While trying to rekindle old friendships and facing the challenges of dealing with his judgmental peers, Danny becomes the prime suspect in the murder of a classmate. Realizing the town does not care about the truth and only wants to see him charged with the crime, Danny becomes determined to clear his name. Meanwhile, he must maintain a secret he has never told anyone: the reason he killed his aunt.

Why I Wanted to Watch the Show: The reason why I initially wanted to support this show is because it was something a little different from the usual things that air on ABC Family. This show was supposed to be about a male lead who is also a person of color. It was also supposed to be more of a psychological thriller.
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Title: Pilot | Writer: Adam Milch | Director: Jon Amiel
Episode Summary: Danny, Jo, and Lacey were best friends in childhood. At age 11, Danny murdered his Aunt Tara and was placed in a juvenile detention center. Five years later, Lacey is part of the popular crowd, while Jo is a social outcast; the two no longer friends. Newly released, Danny tries to reconnect with the girls. Jo warms up to him and they go to a party thrown by Regina, Lacey's best friend. Lacey also begins to warm up to Danny when they share a bag of chips in Danny's bedroom later in the evening. That night, Regina texts Danny that she knows why he killed his aunt. The next day, she is found murdered, the necklace from her neck the only thing missing. Danny becomes the prime suspect, and it is revealed that he has the necklace.
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Awards

Character of the Night
• Jo

Best Character Interactions
• Danny & Jo
• Jo & Rico

Most Memorable Moment
• Drunk!Jo babbling on about her night to her mother

Best Line
• Regina: I've been super vicious since I went off the gluten.

Read more: http://www.tvfanatic.com/quotes/shows/twisted/episodes/pilot/#ixzz2zgSXN3iy

Best Scene
• Danny comes to Jo’s rescue when she gets in over her head at a popular people’s party.

That Awkward Moment
• That awkward moment when you ex-bestie who is a convicted murderer tries to talk to you in front of the whole school like he just got back from summer vacation.

Miscellaneous

Favorite Actors
•Avon Jogia and Kylie Bunbury

Favorite Main Character
• Lacey

Least Favorite Main Character
• Jo

Favorite Side Character
• Rico

Fun Fact: The show’s original title was ‘Socio’.
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Grade: C+
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Comparable Shows
If you are interested in finding more shows like Twisted then I recommend you watch one, some or all of the following shows: The Lying Game, Pretty Little Liars and/or Secret Circle.
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Up Next: In the queue for tomorrow is a Mini Recap/Retro Review for one of my favorite, ‘gone too soon’ shows of my hipster youth, Undeclared. I’ll be writing about the pilot so be sure to come back and check out the blog tomorrow.