So I’ve seen the first few episodes and while I wouldn’t say it’s good, it’s definitely better than expected. It’s another case of I just wish they hadn’t tied this to an existing franchise/property. The deaths are gory, the sex is explicit, the locations are stunning and the lead actress is great, but it does all feel like a premium network version of Pretty Little Liars. I’m surprised how little of the actual plot/info on the car crash victim is revealed in the trailer as it’s the most compelling aspect of the series - which I won’t spoil here - and gives the final girl some fantastic depth. My main grievance is that, like so many teen horror shows before this, it just isn’t scary. The beautiful, sunny Hawaii setting doesn’t provide the same foggy atmosphere of an East Coast dock town and, as we’ve seen in so many works before, creepy text message don’t create any form of tension. The episodes I’ve seen set up a fun mystery that’s compelling enough to keep me watching, but don’t get your hopes up.
Going back to the text message complaint, I’ve been thinking about why it doesn’t work. A sheet of paper is hardly horrifying, but I think receiving a letter has so many more layers to it. It means the suspect knows your address, has access to your home, could be watching you at anytime and could invade your safe bubble at any moment. It creates a foreboding dread that you legitimately cannot feel safe in your own home. In comparison, I don’t feel like there’s anything safe or personal about a phone that can go missing, get hacked or be accessed by almost anyone. You can change a number or cut off access to your phone far easier than you can move homes, so it will never serve as an equivalent plot device.
