As someone who (again) did not read the book before the production, I expected a Desperate Housewives in Texas drama with an ensemble cast I didn’t expect but loved. I wasn’t totally wrong, but I didn’t get it totally right either.
Before my list, I need to mention how much the casting drew me into watching this show in the first place. The four lead actresses each reminded me of different phases and flavors of my life via how I remember them:
- Brittany Snow: John Tucker Must Die and Pitch Perfect
- Malin Akerman: 27 Dresses
- Jaime Ray Newman: Eastwick
- Katie Lowes: Scandal
I was also pleasantly surprised to see Chrissy Metz (This is Us) play a strong supporting role (this is NOT one of the three surprises). Seeing this cast meshed so many of my favorite moods into one series I could binge.
Okay, enough. I’ll get to the point. Here are five things I wasn’t expecting from this show:
1. The nudity.
Warning (or not), do not sneak a peak of this while in the office. You’re going to see nipples within the first several scenes as soon as you start streaming. I wondered if the scene would be a tease to keep the audience. I promise you, that’s just the beginning.
While I expected a cable-level drama, I forgot that Netflix has more leeway. Strap in (is that foreshadowing?) for both male and female nudity.
2. The sex scenes.
When the tagline says “sex” it doesn’t mean typical implied we’ll-kiss-in-front-of-the-bed-and-wake-up-together kind of show sex. Yes, you have to put up with the soapy drama of the plotline but if you’re looking to watch action on a mainstream platform like Netflix, this is one of your options. Possibly every episode is going to give you intimacy or, maybe more apt, a raunchy roll.
3. The taboo relationships.
No, the relationship featured in this image is not what I mean, although there’s of course some scandal behind it. There’s cheating, secrets, and fluid sexuality, but the taboo is more in the form of May-December. You’ll get taste in the first episode with a bigger serving later on.
Whether the hyped up sexual content in this drama (compared to similar shows in its genre) is a draw or a deterrent, now you know.