Huge: Diary of a fat kid

I’ve been watching ABC Family’s Huge this summer, and so far I really like it. This week’s episode, entitled “Talent Night” and dealt mostly with privacy issues. What I like about this show is that it deals with a lot of simple, common problems that kids might be able to relate to – like a stolen diary.

When Will misplaced her journal she had no idea who might be reading it – and the idea of having anyone read her innermost private thoughts caused a blind panic and insecurity that we hadn’t seen in her before. Will’s been a tough kid since the show started and we’ve only seen glimpses of the sensitive soul hiding inside. This week, we got to see a little more. Becca found Will’s journal and replaced it, but she eventually succumbed to the temptation to read it. I felt sorry for Becca. She didn’t read it out of nosiness or meanness. She read it because she wanted to get to know Will better, because she wanted a best friend.

Meanwhile, Amber’s friendship with Chloe was tested more publicly. Last week they disagreed over a boy. But this week’s disagreement was much more subtle – when Chloe asked to borrow Amber’s camera, Amber lied and said she lost it. Then to cover her tracks, she took the one Chloe found in the lost & found. It was all to cover up the fact that Amber didn’t own a camera. When it was revealed that Amber had lied, Chloe took it personally – until she kissed her crush and forgot all about it. I wished Chloe had taken more time to talk to Amber about it – Amber clearly needs to open up to someone about her home life.

The actual talent night at the camp leveled out the more serious issues the episode dealt with. Becca got roped into performing a hilarious dance to “Baby Got Back” and further emerged from her shy girl shell. Will bailed on her impression of Dr. Rand, which was too bad – I wanted Dr. Rand to have the opportunity to prove she can laugh at herself. Ian performed a song inspired by a poem he’d read in a lost journal – he didn’t know it was Will’s – and she exploded at him when she heard it. What I really like about Huge is that the show isn’t afraid to make its main character pretty unlikable. Will can be funny and interesting, but she’s also aggressive, guarded and bitter. The best part of talent night, though, was Alistair – when his magic show bombed he turned it into a comedy routine. He’s a quirky little character that balances out some of the more dramatic characters.

So far, Huge has been a very refreshing and well-written show. I’d highly recommend it for people with kids aged eight or older.

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