Starting From… Now
Moving interstate is never easy, especially by oneself. But why not make it even harder and throw in an unstable job, a flippant employer and a really attractive house mate? Oh, and that attractive person just happens to be a friend’s partner.
Yep, the world is certainly against Steph as she moves into an old friend’s house. But she’s going to make the most of it and, starting from now, everything is going to be… great?
Julie Kalceff, creator of the web series Starting From… Now brings to life a variety of women who are not defined by their relationships with men. In fact, the innovative web series uses four women to represent a range of lesbian women.
Although not always a fan of drama, the representation of depression, alcoholism and almost cabin fever from Darcy, the attractive house mate, was produced in a delicate way that outshone the main story arc. With a sense of failure after dropping out of law, Darcy put her mind to writing only to have her book knocked back multiple times. Darcy’s emotional state deteriorates over the first season as she starts to realise that she doesn’t like where she is and finds herself searching for something fresh and new. Namely, Steph.
It is unfortunate to say that the use of props at Steph’s work broke the story. For a company that is all about graphic design, it has paper print outs stuck on its wall with a sign only slightly better than the Nelson and Murdock sign from Daredevil. That, however, was intentional.
The actress Sarah De Possesse, who plays Steph, was a great addition to the story with her portrayal of ‘Who do I want to be with?’ drama squabble. Apart from that, the series felt quite empty. It is hard to cover an in depth story within a seven minute episode, but there never felt to be much Steph could lose if things went south. Yes, she risked her friendship by falling for Darcy and her workplace could become a living hell if things bombed with Emily, but neither felt they’d be a dramatic loss to Steph.
Overall, the first season took me less than an hour to churn through. Each actress performed their roles wonderfully but where let down with the brevity of each episode and lack of stakes at hand.
Review by Brittany Howarth.
