Filed under: — Box Set, DVD, Family Show, Television
Written by: Ashtyn at 12:53 AM
Movie Info:
Writers: Various
Director: Various
Cast: Shailene Woodley, Daren Kagasoff, Ken Baumann, Francia Raisa, Greg Finley, Allen Evangelista, Amy Rider, Molly Ringwald, Mark Derwin, India Eisley
Rating: N/a
Studio: Buena Vista
Release Info:
Original Air Dates: January 5, 2009-March 23, 2009
DVD Release Date: June 16, 2009
Online Availability: Amazon for $25.99
This may be the second season of The Secret Life of the American Teenager, but it still blows my mind to see Molly Ringwald, the pretentious rich-girl from The Breakfast Club play a mother of a teenager. Sure, she’s old enough to play the part, but it’s somewhat surreal. I always think of her as the perpetual, pretty redhead next door from the 80s. Now she’s a mom and that’s cool. It’s just a little bit different. It’d be like seeing Anthony Michael Hall remake My Three Sons. It might work out, but in the beginning it would take some getting used to.
ABC Family is one of those networks that run a lot of pretty decent shows that I always forget to watch. For some reason my brain fails to make a connection with the fact that this network exists when primetime shows are on. So, I get these sets and always tell myself to watch and always end up forgetting. I figure its okay though because soon enough the new season will roll out on DVD and I will be able to pick that up for review. This is a major plus when you consider I do not have to go through the agonizing wait for the next week’s episode.
During the second season you see a lot of the same themes as you did in the first season. There is a continuation here that is necessary to finish a lot of the stories that began in the first season. You get to see what life is like for teenagers, in some respects, including one that deals with a pregnancy, a boyfriend that is not the father of said baby, a secret wedding, and family life in general. While occasionally Secret Life can border on melodrama, the show is pretty good.
The The Secret Life of the American Teenager: Season Two Plot
From what I can gather, this second season set is actually the second half of the first season. It has been marketed as a second season, but as far as I know, season two is currently airing on ABC Family. In any case, a list of all of the episodes in this set are listed below so you know what is available.
“The Secret Wedding of the American Teenager”: Amy and Ben decide to get married using fake IDs after Amy learns that the new baby is going to be her responsibility and if she wants to keep it she will need to get a job. After Ricky finds out, he gets a fake ID, as well. This starts a trend and numerous others get one, too, including Adrian, Alice, Ashley, Henry, Grace, Madison, and so on. Meanwhile, George moves into the Juergen family garage.
“Baked Nevada”: George and Leo find Amy and Ben at the wedding reception and trouble breaks loose as a result. This doesn’t matter much when Amy and Ben learn that their marriage is not valid anyway. Jack confesses (falsely) to making the fake IDs and gets community service. Anne tries to give Amy and Ben advice about what to do with the baby.
“The Father and the Son”: Ashley tries to get Reverend Stone to help her keep her parents together. Ricky’s dad is out on parole and he’s in town looking for his little boy. He visits Amy and proceeds to tell Ricky that he might sell the baby. When Anne learns that Ricky was sexually abused by his dad she thinks that the kids should seriously consider giving the baby up for adoption. Both Ben and Ricky want to keep the baby, even though they both have their own, specific reasons. Meanwhile, Anne tries to find a nice adoptive home for the child.
“That’s Enough of That”: Ricky admits the truth about being abused to Adrian and refuses to see Grace as long as his father, who keeps trying to convince him to sell the baby, remains in town. Ben suffers a blow when he learns that Amy wants to go to the doctor’s alone. Ben later makes a video of Amy and reveals that she is going to have a boy. Anne finally comes to terms with the fact that Amy really is pregnant.
“Chocolate Cake”: Ben cannot believe it when he finds out that a meeting between Ricky and Amy was planned and he was not invited. Anne talks to the Reverend about Ashley and her attempts to stop her parents from breaking up. Adrian’s father catches her and her step-brother Max in a compromising position. Meanwhile, when Jack learns that Shawna has no interest in him he tells Grace that Ricky and Adrian are still sleeping together. George learns that two of his gay co-workers want to adopt Amy’s baby.
“Unforgiven”: Amy becomes upset when Ben says he needs some space and seems to doubt their relationship. Jack and Shawna begin dating, even though she supposedly isn’t interested in him. George holds adoption interviews to find parents for the baby. Amy agrees that the gay couple should adopt the baby. Ricky informs Jack that he wants to be with Amy, not Grace or Adrian.
“Making Up is Hard to Do”: Ricky tells Dr. Fields that he wants to be with Amy and that he doesn’t want to go through with the adoption. Ashley attempts to convince Ben that he should be with Amy. Max and Adrian go on their first date. Amy and Ricky meet Donovan and Leon, who decide that it is in their best interest to be foster parents instead of adopting.
“Money for Nothing, Chicks for Free”: Anne receives a job offer. Adrian decides that she will become a virgin again by changing her style. Amy and Ben get back together and the gay couple announces that they do not wish to adopt the baby. This prompts Amy to admit that she does not want to give the baby up for adoption. Anne and Ben both pressure Amy to get a job based on her decision.
“Maybe Baby”: Both Ben and Ricky get a job, working together with Ben’s dad at his sausage shop. George is able to get a loan on a foreclosed home. Ashley becomes upset when she learns that Amy wanted to get rid of the baby and becomes angry when she learns about the tape that Ben and Amy made for the baby. Grace and Adrian want to make sure that Amy gives the baby up because that keeps her tied to Ricky if she keeps it. Later, Grace tells Amy that she got her a job at the Church and she would have both daycare services and insurance available to her. With that in mind, Anne lets Amy keep the baby.
“Whoomp! (There it is)”: As the baby approaches, a baby shower is planned for Amy. Ricky prepares for the baby by learning how to change a diaper. On the way to the baby shower, Amy goes into labor. George, who is in the process of moving out, is called to meet everyone at the hospital. Meanwhile, Ben tells Amy that she should call Ricky and let him know that she is in labor.
“One Night at Band Camp”: Amy recalls when she met Ricky at Band Camp before she got pregnant. Tom makes an attempt to get Grace and Jack back together. Amy feels bad for blaming Ricky for her pregnancy because she realizes the sex wasn’t solely his fault. Ricky admits he wants to be a good friend to Amy and to help with the baby.
“And Unto Us, A Child is Born”: Everyone gathers at the hospital to support Amy and her family. Ben and Ricky agree to be friends and talk about the future. Adrian comes to the hospital to support Ricky. Amy finally has the baby and everyone gets to see him. They decide to name the baby John. Despite her decision, Amy has a hard time adjusting to being a mom, but after Ricky sees and spends time with the baby, he likes the idea of being a dad.
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Audio/Visual:
The Secret Life of the American Teenager is a newer show that is currently still airing on ABC Family. Shot in HD, the picture you receive here is about equal to the quality you see when it is on television. That means you will view this in anamorphic widescreen with a 1.78:1 aspect ratio. You can expect few errors, no dirt, and nothing annoying. The detail is high and the colors are good. It’s one of the better visual productions you will see on ABC Family, and like I said it appears just like if you were watching it on its assigned day of television.
As for the sound, the Dolby Digital 5.1 does an adequate job though this is a dialogue driven production. Being that it’s more dialogue than anything you can expect it to be fairly even and not entirely dramatic. Still, the dialogue is crisp and everything remains consistently easy to hear. In addition to standard audio options subtitles are available in both French and Spanish.
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Bonus Features:
There are a couple special features available for The Secret Life of the American Teenager. There isn’t anything truly special here, but fans should enjoy the secrets and the close-ups that are offered. In addition to those things, a music video for “Secret Life (You and Me)” is offered by The Strange Familiar. As you might expect, the video includes clips from the show.
“Character Secrets: The Cast Reveals All” – This ten minute look at the show has the cast dishing on the romances of the show and the drama that comes with them. While this is being discussed the family dynamic is also looked at.
“Cast Close-Ups” – This includes a series of personal videos from the various characters on the show. Michaela, a show fan, interviews the cast in each of their videos. Every video runs about three minutes and naturally some are better than others.
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Bottom Line:
The Secret Life of the American Teenager is a decent show, but it’s not ever going to step out of the realm of the family drama. If you love that type of show, revolving around teenagers and their problems then you should really like this show. The acting is sometimes overly dramatic, but it’s good for the most part, and the show offers topics that older kids need to hear about. If you haven’t caught this on ABC Family yet, I recommend checking out the first season first and then renting or buying both seasons as you see fit.
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Technorati Tags: Molly Ringwald, Family Drama, ABC Family, Teenager, The Secret Life of the American Teenager, Season Two, TV on DVD Review, Episodes
Written by Ashtyn Evans - Visit Website
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Ashtyn lives in her home state of Michigan with her life partner, Dominick, her 14 year old son, and her baby, the Shih-Tzu, Oliver Twist. Ashtyn is in college, going for a degree in Criminal Justice. She eventually plans to intern with the FBI, if she can. Ashtyn is an experienced and talented chef. She also excels at writing and has worked as a professional writer for the past five years. Ashtyn enjoys spending time with her son and four year old nephew, watching movies, listening to music, and writing works of fiction.
