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 After missing October Road during its run on the airwaves, I’m happy to say that I’m glad I caught up with it on DVD. If you’re into small-town family life on TV, October Road offers a refreshing take on the theme of “city guy returns to small hometown.” Surprisingly, the true strength of October Road comes from the authenticity of its characters. Unlike a lot of up and coming young shows, there’s a definite curiosity about each character that draws you into their own unique and individual world.
Sure it’s not Heroes or Grey’s Anatomy, but after checking out the first few episodes on DVD, I found myself wanting to spend more time getting to know each person who lives in the cosy town of Knights Ridge, Massachusetts (hey, in today’s TV landscape, six hours is a major commitment). As the season unfolds, we learn that Nick Garret (Bryan Greenburg) has written a best selling book based on the old saying of “write what you know”. In this case, Nick wrote about the small town he grew up in. An invitation to speak at his hometown university prompts Nick to return after a 10-year absence to face the jury of those he wrote about… “I never thought it would get published.”
Given the fact that writer Scott Rosenberg was a huge creative force behind the series, there are a ton of obvious elements within October Road reminiscent of the film Beautiful Girls (1996), starring Timothy Hutton, Uma Thurman and a young Natalie Portman. If you loved the tone of Rosenberg’s Beautiful Girls, you’ll undoubtedly feel right at home with the series. Luckily, what October Road doesn’t offer, though, is a sudsy small-town street like Desperate Housewives. Sure, there are secrets and lies in Knights Ridge, an affair, a love triangle, questionable paternity, but everything’s handled with compassion and, most of all, credibility.
Like I said, it’s all about character. After the horror of 9/11, ‘Physical Phil’ (Jay Paulson) is a virtual shut-in agoraphobic. But with the help of the perky Pizza Girl (Lindy Booth), Phil just might conquer his fear and step outside the house again. When well-known bar Casanova, Eddie Latekka (Geoff Stults) toys with the idea of asking overweight barkeeper Janet Meadows (Rebecca Field) out on a date, he might finally shed his shallow “Barbie only” ways for a real down to earth girl? On top of the that, Tom Berenger plays Nick’s father, a guy who just lost his wife and is trying to learn how to live again.
For all of the show’s strengths, the biggest downfall of Season One is the fact that there are only 6 episodes. Sure, it’s the trend these days for networks to not waste a ton of money on a show that might not work, but talk about a teaser. As for the bonus features, the disc serves up just enough behind-the-scenes goodness to give fans a little more in the way of deleted scenes, bloopers, and a cool preview of things to come in Season 2 (if there is one). Although they’re not outstanding, there’s enough to satisfy those who invested six hours of their lives on the first season.
I’m sure there are many who are anticipating future happenings of Knights Ridge in Season 2, rumoured to air in November 2007 on Monday nights. For now, anyone who plugs into the DVD will surely become one of the many to walk down October Road.
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