one of the most absorbing and provocative shows on television

Special-K88

* CONTAINS SPOILERS *

On the surface it's just a simple soap opera. The intertwining lives of a group of young adults living in an LA apartment complex; but underneath it all is a careful analysis of human nature. An in-depth, often shocking look at what brings out the best and worst in all of us. When it first began it was pleasant and cheerful fluff, but soon took a dramatic turn. People were driven by lies, anger, revenge, deceit, betrayal, even murder. Everyone at some point was driven over the edge of morality and consumed by their own selfish desires. Michael Mancini, willing to do anything to become chief of staff at the hospital; Peter Burns, in such great pursuit of his one true love Amanda Woodward he's willing to have her kidnapped; Kimberly Shaw, in a state of such rage, confusion, and anguish she plots to destroy her tormentors. A show that puts its characters into such complex and bizarre situations of bitterness and self-loathing, yet cleverly presents them as subtleties in more familiar subplots such as true love, fairy tale romance, sex, friendship, even American tragedy, as in the case of troubled youth Sydney Andrews finally meeting the man of her dreams in Craig Field, then being killed just minutes after their wedding, in turn leading to his own self-destruction and eventual suicide. What makes Melrose Place so arresting is just how human its characters really are. They make mistakes and learn to live with them. They're constantly scheming for their own hatred or greed, but often realize the error of their ways. Once they look carefully at themselves, their own spite or jealousy, in that last minute they seek redemption. They seek to right the wrong. Every character in Melrose Place has something to hide, or has done something they're not proud of. One apartment complex sparked by a twisted rationality, a rationality created by the idiosyncrasies of its colorful characters. It might be fair to say that there's not a single decent human being living in Melrose Place. You can't walk through the courtyard without running into someone you've slept with! Yet we care about these characters and when we try to view things from their perspective their actions, no matter how vile and wicked they may be, actually seem justified. They're the products of each character suffering their own demons. Perhaps deep down inside we know the truth: that these characters represent the different elements of our very own intricate human nature. They're the people we pretend to be, and sometimes the people who we really are. It's a show you'll never forget...a show about our own true nature.

score /10

Special-K88 26 January 2004

Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw0302181/