Tell-Tale TV Series Premiere Panels: Wicked City

ABC’s latest drama is downright twisted.

Wicked City centers around the Sunset Strip in 1982. The Whiskey is a popular music place on the Strip which doubles as Kent’s hunting ground. After a couple dates with a seemingly sweet girl named Betty, Kent discovers that she’s got a bit of a mean streak in her too. Did he find a new partner in crime?

Our panelists are:

• Christine Laskodi, contributing writer for Tell-Tale TV
• Caralynn Lippo, contributing writer Tell-Tale TV
• Ashley Bissette Sumerel, founder and editor-in-chief of Tell-Tale TV
• Allison Nichols, contributing writer for Tell-Tale TV
• Carissa Pavlica from TV Fanatic

Give it to me straight, did you like the premiere?

Allison: I really, really did. It was so twisted in all the right ways. I’m hooked.

Christine: I loved it. Just like Allison, I thought it was twisted in the best ways possible. Sexy, crazy, and completely…wicked! (See what I did there?)

Caralynn: I don’t even know. Kind of? I think my opinion can mostly be summed up by “meh.” There were some fun aspects (the music!) and some really bad aspects (everything with the cops).

Carissa: I loved it. I love the era, that’s for sure. It was true to it and felt authentic from a party’s perspective. I wasn’t a cop, so I can’t comment there!

Ashley: I think so? I’m definitely intrigued by it, and I will at least watch a few more episodes. I will say it left me feeling a bit unsettled, but that could be a good thing.

What’s the show’s biggest problem?

Allison: Karen’s alive and knows what the killer a.k.a. Kent looks like. It’s really early on in the game to have Kent be so close to being caught. If the cops are good at their jobs, they will immediately get Karen to a sketch artist, and then BAM! Kent’s face is everywhere, and the cops should be able to catch him in no time. So, what’s the game plan with Karen?

Christine: The detectives are really boring. I don’t have a great interest in either of them, at this point. The pilot did a great job of setting up Kent and Betty, even Karen. But Kent and Contreras? I could do without them.

Caralynn: I agree with Christine, the cops are super boring. I don’t think they did a good job setting up Jack Roth as either a hero or even an anti-hero. He’s just kind of unlikable and unengaging at the moment.

Carissa: I agree that the cops were the biggest issue, but not because they were boring. Having an affair is just so cliche. When is that going to stop? Take a chance every once in a while and portray people who have a solid marriage and can still do their jobs. THAT’s unique.

Ashley: Well, I also agree about the cops, but I think for me the biggest problem is I don’t feel invested in the two main characters. I’m interested in them, but I can’t decide why I should want to watch them just yet. The good news is that I’m a fan of both Ed Westwick and Erika Christensen, so I’ll likely stick around a little longer than I normally would to see what happens next.

What’s the show’s greatest strength?

Allison: When we meet Kent, he’s already twisted and playing his murderous game. I like that we are bringing Betty into the mix, but it’s not like Kent has brainwashed her into wanting to play the game with him. Betty’s already got that mean streak in her, which was unexpected and fantastic. Betty is what makes this even more interesting for me.

Christine: Kent. And Ed Westwick. I actually was not familiar with any of his prior work, and I was blown away by his performance. He’s got a great chameleon style with Kent, especially in terms of how he switches between nice Kent and killer Kent. They’re like two completely different characters. I couldn’t get over how great he was.

Caralynn: Ed Westwick and Erika Christensen; each of them individually, and their chemistry. I’ve seen Westwick as Chuck Bass on Gossip Girl and this was like… next level Chuck Bass. His creepy charisma thing was really horrifying and engrossing at the same time. I couldn’t stop watching him.

Carissa: Portraying serial killers as a couple who are practically perfect in their normal lives, but not disgustingly so. Right off the bat, you like them as people and even more together. It’s kind of sick, which makes it so engaging.

Ashley: Definitely Ed Westwick and Erika Christensen. They’re both fabulous.

Who or what do you want to see more of?

Allison: I really like Karen. I know I said she poses a problem to show, but that doesn’t mean I still can’t like her. She’s got gumption, and I hope she sticks around in some kind of interesting way. Maybe she can run her own journalist investigation of Kent.

Christine: Betty. I want to know how she turned into such a sadist and who peed in her cornflakes as a child, because there’s got to be a REALLY good story there. And then on top of that, she’s a nurse! She’s fascinating.

Caralynn: More Betty and Kent! Separately, together, whatever. That’s where the crux of the show is — watching their relationship develop and unfold and get really, really weird. Less cops (like I already said).

Carissa: All of it, and that frightens me since it premiered on the first night of the World Series to terrible reviews. I’m not sure why the reviews were so bad, but I don’t know what show those people were watching, and I’m pretty sure if they’re complaining about sexism or some BS, they didn’t live through it. I was on the edge, and I can say it was sexist. But we didn’t care too much. Sorry. Not sorry.

Ashley: Everything. I think there’s still so much that needs to develop, especially in terms of the characters. I think even though I don’t feel invested yet, if it’s done correctly, it won’t take long for that to change.

Who or what needs to go away and never come back?

Allison: I’m already over Jack’s love triangle/family drama. I really just don’t care. Focus on catching Kent. I don’t need to see your weird private life.

Christine: Agreed with Allison. Like I said above, I can really do without the cop drama. I much prefer getting into Kent’s psyche and rooting for him. Roth and Contreras just slow things down too much for my liking.

Caralynn: Agreed with both Allison and Christine. Jack’s weird personal drama seemed shoehorned in and basically unnecessary to the show in every way.

Carissa: I agree. As I said above, the affair business was the worst. At the VERY LEAST it should have been brought up well after we got to know the guy, not as an introduction.

Ashley: It’s unanimous! This whole thing takes away from the part I really want to know more about.

Favorite quote/moment from the premiere?

Allison: Betty with the spider, which is a really weird choice for me, because I hate spiders. However, it was the first glimpse we got of the real Betty, and it was terrifying. Then, her scene with her elderly patient was all sorts of messed up.

Christine: That completely odd sex scene. I was like, “No, he’s not going to make her…what?! How is she not freaking out?!” I was covering my eyes and laughing, while simultaneously being impressed by the fact that they were completely going there. Wow. It’s not every day you get invested in a necrophiliac’s story, is it?

Caralynn: I really loved Kent singing along to the radio as he got ready to go out. I don’t know why, that moment just really got me. The show is so ‘80s, haha.

Carissa: The very end when Betty just took the whisper in the ear as if it was the most normal thing in the world and walked arm in arm with him out of the Whisky to make her first kill. Damn.

Ashley: The moment when Kent decides not to kill Betty — I think that was such an interesting moment to see in that character, but of course it was also significant in moving the story forward.

Will you return to the Sunset Strip to listen for the next song dedication? Leave your thoughts in a comment below.

Wicked City airs Tuesdays at 10/9c on ABC.