My So-Called Life: Dancing in the Dark

October 4, 2024 6:11 PM - Season 1, Episode 2

Rayanne (A.J. Langer) arranges for Angela (Claire Danes) and Jordan (Jared Leto) to meet under the pretense of Jordan selling Angela a fake ID at the house of Brian Krakow (Devon Gummersall). Meanwhile, Angela's parents, Patty (Bess Armstrong) and Graham (Tom Irwin) take ballroom dancing lessons.

This was filmed much later than the pilot, which is why Patty has a different haircut and things feel slightly different.

This was still the show trying to find itself.

The '90s fashion is so good.

Written by Winnie Holzman and directed by Scott Winant

posted by edencosmic (2 comments total)

This is maybe the first "real" episode of this show, but I think it's also pretty weak, honestly. It does bring all of our principle characters together, and also gives Patty & Graham a moment together.

Jordan is exhausting. Look, I get thinking he was hot when as a teen (I did) but ... uh.

Rickie and Rayanne remain precious babies.

As I've gotten older, I like that Patty & Graham are working through it.
posted by edencosmic at 6:28 PM on October 4 [1 favorite]

Ok, but the montage of kisses at the start with the cross-fading between memories and the school corridors at crazy angles is just amazing.

Angela's "I don't even open that wide for the dentist" is such a bucket of cold reality. And Ricky's comment about "creating pressure just by breathing" is so heavy with meaning it kills me knowing where we're going in later episodes.
posted by Molesome at 1:09 PM on October 8