LAWebFest Official Selections - Beverly Pills

Beverly Pills

A Filthy Martini Productions

With the submission deadlines having just past, the team at LAWebFest has made their official selections for 2015. By the high quality of these shows, it's clear to see that the web series is something that is here to stay and possibly the place where we will see the future stars of television and film. Which is also something that could be said about Ginger Parker.

They warned you

This show is LGBT friendly, dealing with gay themes (1.3 Unperscribed Reputations) and calling each other trannies (1.6 Xannies and Trannies) throughout. It wouldn't surprise me is Scarlett is played by a member of the trans community. That being said, this show is about as much a "gay" show as Weeds is a "straight" show and comparatively tamer.

This is as spicy as it gets

Admittedly, this show takes some getting used to. The first four episodes are a little painful to watch. Scarlett is rich and vapid, their lives are meaningless charities, bad jokes and using each other. But don't give up! I'm telling you, it's totally worth getting through the first season because at the end of episode 5 "Charitable Side Effects" Luis Bustamonte introduces characters outside Scarlett - the first of many villains she will have to face in Season 1.

The first villain of season 1

It's from this point forward that the show really picks up steam. Each of the leads finds and settles into their roles. Aaron is your sassy gay best friend, Lauren is Aaron in female form, Daisy is... british, Nadia is..... uh... Rus- no- Ger- a... European foreigner.

"Really, you brought dumb and dumber as your back up?"
"We brought your own stupidity as our back up."

It gets suddenly better at episode 7 "For the Love of Pills" as the two-dimensional characters we've been following get deeper as we come to understand their lives. So while episode 1 "PiLLot" has a very telenovella feeling to it, here we find that Daisy has filed for divorce. They go there and yet still maintain the silly world that they live in.

A world where turning on the oven can burn the shoes.

Overall I was impressed with the first season of this show. They took me from the initial stereotypes they set up to really caring about their characters, a challenge to do with a show that is basically Weeds with trannies in Beverly Hills. I'm still not sure if this is a show I could keep watching. If Luis and Ginger are thinking about a second season, I would encourage them to have more moments like this one:

Turns out this thug is only selling drugs to get through school.

More wholly realized characters like Lester.

He may have the best motivation of any character on the show

Powerful performances like this one:

"Get out of here before my east coast accent becomes permanent."

Ginger Parker is nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress which she fully deserves. Her attitude sets the tone for the rest of the show - they may be vapid and they may be shallow but they have feelings too. Best of luck to her on her nomination in April.

I can't take my eyes away...

I'm not gonna lie, I'm kind of hooked on this show and can't wait to see where they take it in Season 2.