I ended the day yesterday by watching Women. The Sexy Snakes in the title is the company name, and I added it here for SEO purposes. Women is an updated take on the novel Little Women.
This show came to my attention because the character of Beth, one of the March sisters is played by Corrina Colvinson. I used to work with her dad Dave, and he’s been bragging about her all over Facebook(justifiably so).
I’m always a little skeptical of updates of classics. Often the heart of the work is gutted to make it relevant. That is not the case with Women. They say they borrowed from the HBO show Girls, and having never seen the show I will take them at their word for it.
Women Don’t Need a Modifier
The show opens on a picturesque 19th century parlour scene. the four March sisters, Jo, Amy, Meg, and Beth are sitting with their mother. She is reading them a letter from their father who is away serving in the American Civil War. As she leaves we hear the phrase “little women” fore the first time.
After she departs, the sisters say in no uncertain terms what they think of that term. This is our first clue that this will be a different take on the classic. Their responses to the phrase are revealiing and very funny.
From here the show moves forward being remarkably faithful to the book(to be sure a lot has to cut to fit it into 75 minutes). However the destinies of each of the sisters remains true to the original. The interpretation of each is a little different, however, except *Spoiler Alert* Beth. She dies. It is a death that is both tragic and hilarious.
Hilarity is the thread that runs through this show. It is helped along by there being many short, punchy scenes. Most of these scenes involves 21st century young women reacting to 19th morals and mores. In between each scenes there are snippets of popular songs that offer a sly and subtle commentary on the preceding scene.
From start to finish, Women is a laugh a minute take on a classic work of fiction. One that bears tribute to the original and brings into a new, modern light.
