It’s 1995 and we are in the vibrant Los Angeles! Miss Elle Woods is celebrating her sweet 16th birthday party. There is so much vibrant life everywhere you look, and of course it’s all pink! Elle is a sweetheart to everyone she encounters and speaks to her best friend Maddie about their upcoming school year: boys, prom, and colleges. She blows out the candles on her cake, and she wouldn’t change a thing.
Later, Elle’s parents approach her when she’s sitting by the pool reading her magazines. Her parents have some bad news. Her father botched a celebrity’s nose, and now they have to lay low for a while, maybe even years. He got offered a practice in Seattle, so they’re gonna have to move there. Elle is devastated and lets out her iconic whimpering.
Elle packs up her things, says goodbye to her friends, and her family is off on the road. Her mom gives her a surprise gift to cheer her up. A little chihuahua! She decides to name him Bruiser, because he’s such a big strong man. They all get to their new house, and it’s just as grey as the skies of Seattle.
On the first day at her new school, Elle sticks out like a pink sore thumb, as all of the other kids are wearing grey to match the gloomy skies. In her classes, she tries to strike up conversations with her new classmates and teachers. People aren’t really open to her bubbly personality, but she doesn’t let that stop her. She meets a girl named Liz who is very quiet, and a boy named Dustin who shares the locker next to hers and is holding an auction for the underpaid staff members.
Elle goes home and her parents notice that she’s visibly upset, but Elle ignores them and just goes to her room. She gets on the phone with her friends back home, but the call doesn’t last long. Elle is very sad. However, she decides to put her game face on, and sparkles on her shirt. The next day at school, she tries to fit in with everyone else. However, it completely backfires as people make fun of her. Elle grows even more upset. She comes home to her room completely redecorated by her mom. She loves it, but she’s still sad due to the environment that she’s in. Her mom Eva encourages her to put a smile on her face and take every problem by the hair.
The next day, Dustin is running the auction. When the items that he’s put up for bidding don’t get any attraction, Elle teaches him how to be a real salesperson. The items are instantly bought with Elle’s strategy to sell a narrative about the recipients. She even talks about how selfless Donna is by caring about the students and letting them break rules.
This seems like it will be a very cute series and we’ll get to learn about Elle’s upbringing before the iconic 2001 film. Protagonist Elle, portrayed by actress Lexi Minetree, is the spitting image of Reese Witherspoon. She is really able to capture Elle’s bubbliness and kindness that makes the iconic character beloved. The hints of pink throughout the episode was a very nice touch as people tend to associate Legally Blonde with the color pink. The pacing was also done very well as far as a pilot goes. The plot got straight to the point, and the protagonist is making friends with other characters. Well done.
7/10