To say Hart of Dixie is complete unrealistic and dumb is accurate. To say Hart of Dixieis a fun show worth taking another look at is also accurate. Yes, the initial setup in the pilot’s opening scenes are unbelievable; yes, all the characters besides Zoe come from a fantasy world; yes, Zoe is nicer person than how she describes herself, making the premise comes off even worse. But in my eyes, the premise and shortfalls of Hart of Dixie do not break the show. It’s still workable at the end of the day.
Beyond the many negatives is a show brimming with energy with Rachel Bilson leading the charge. As anyone can expect, she is cute as a button and fulfills the needs of the show. It’s easy to hate everything about the show, but certainly not Bilson. The writers aren’t going for anything deep. It’s a drama in the WB tradition, more innocent than trashy, and is forgivable despite the many.
As far as Hart of Dixie’s long-term prospects, the writers need to come up with something quick. Introduce all the characters in haphazard, stereotyped ways–fine. Continue treating them as quintessential 19th century southerners–not fine. Rachel Bilson can only carry the show so far and the writers have to step it up eventually.
Score: 8.2/10
