“This is your real life. You’re already living it.”
If you have cable then you most likely have seen ads for AMC’s new show Dietland and you’re probably wondering what the heck it is. I too had never heard of the show or the book it was based on but my interest was piqued and I decided to check it out. I’ve breezed past the first three episodes and I decided to tell you what I think about the series so far in case you too were on the fence.
The show follows Plum Kettle a plus-sized ghostwriter for a teen magazine who is trying to get weight loss surgery. Plum’s life is pretty grim, her Miranda Priestly knockoff boss likes to use Plum to make herself look good, the sad sack diet group she attends is an exercise in torture, and her surgery goals get further and further away with each new hurdle thrown at her. One day she notices a woman following her who ends introduces to an organization called Calliope House and Plum gets offered $20,000 to go try their program. Around the same time the magazine Plum works for is investigating a leak and Plum’s boss is getting anxious because a group going by the name of Jennifer kidnapped one of the magazines photographers and threw him off a building during fashion week.
Bethany Kay as Janice, Joy Nash as Plum Kettle, Sarah Stiles as Suzy – Dietland _ Season 1, Episode 1 – Photo Credit: Patrick Harbron/AMC
Erin Darke as Leeta – Dietland _ Season 1, Episode 1 – Photo Credit: Patrick Harbron/AMC
Julianna Margulies as Kitty Montgomery, Joy Nash as Plum Kettle – Dietland _ Season 1, Episode 1 – Photo Credit: Patrick Harbron/AMC
And that is literally all I know about the show, I can honestly say that so far I am intrigued by it. I enjoyed watching the first three episodes and am planning on coming back for the next one, but I’m still on the fence about really liking it. Part of that is I just don’t know how I feel about Plum, like I almost like her I just feel I don’t know her enough. The show had quite a task setting up Dietland because they had to introduce us to Daisy Chain (the mag Plum works for), JENNIFER (the terrorist group killing men), and Calliope House (the feminist group interested in Plum) and at times you get a little overwhelmed and forget the actual characters in the story so I’m excited for things to calm down so we can learn about the people living in this world.
It’s an entertaining show that’s kind of strange with lots of twists and a great premise. I can see the potential for it to be a really amazing series, but I can also see how it could go completely off the rails so I’m hoping there are some amazing people working on it. The show is definitely coming out at a great time and I love that it’s gritty and feminist and starring a plus size woman. I also love the nod to Me Too with the Terry Richardson reference. Overall Dietland’s an enjoyable show that’s definitely worth watching if not just for its originality.
Joy Nash as Plum, Will Seefried as Ben – Dietland _ Season 1, Episode 1 – Photo Credit: Patrick Harbron/AMC
So have you seen the show or read the book? Will you be tuning in? As always let me know in the comments below.
Dietland…Is It Worth Watching? “This is your real life. You're already living it.” If you have cable then you most likely have seen ads for AMC's new show Dietland and you're probably wondering what the heck it is.