The Wonder Years Season 1 Episode 1 ELISHA WILLIAMS The Wonder Years Review: Pilot (Season 1 Episode 1)

The Wonder Years Review: Pilot (Season 1 Episode 1)

Melody McCune Reviews, The Wonder Years

The Wonder Years Season 1 Episode 1, “Pilot,” tackles important racial and adolescent dilemmas with heart and humor while stepping out of the shadow of its cult-classic predecessor. 

In a world of remakes, reboots, and reimaginings, it’s hard not to feel jaded by the constant barrage of news about vintage media getting reworked for a new generation. But The Wonder Years is fresh, funny, poignant, and necessary. Besides sharing the same name, timeline, and general premise, it wholly separates itself from the 80s series.

ADULT DEAN: Growing up, Mom and Dad gave me “The Police Talk” about how to handle yourself around cops.  

Don Cheadle provides brilliant narration, and from his opening line of dialogue, you know he fits the role like a baseball glove. Meanwhile, newcomer Elisha Williams is a pure delight, and he oozes charm and affability. He’s a bright spot among a terrific cast of characters, serving as a solid anchor for The Wonder Years.

The Wonder Years Season 1 Episode 1 DULƒ HILL
THE WONDER YEARS – “Pilot” As the youngest in the Williams family, Dean struggles to figure out where he fits in. Between his brother’s athleticism, sister’s popularity, mother’s intelligence, and dad’s overall coolness, everyone else seems to have their lane figured out. He decides to pursue his calling as “The Great Uniter” and attempts to organize the first integrated baseball game between his team and his friend Brad’s team on “The Wonder Years.” (ABC/Erika Doss) Pictured: Dulé Hill

“Pilot” firmly establishes itself as a series depicting a simultaneously similar and drastically different reality from its 1980s counterpart. While “finding yourself” and “fitting in” are resonant themes for any teenager, this iteration of The Wonder Years does something the original doesn’t do: showcase Black families. 

DEAN: I feel different everywhere I go, no matter who I’m around.

That’s not to say the vintage version isn’t good, or it doesn’t hold up, but ABC’s recent outing represents more than just a streak of white across the board. 

From the Williams family struggling with issues Black folks still face today to the tragic assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., “Pilot” is deeply profound and warm like sunshine. Like Kevin Arnold, Dean harbors a school crush, longs to find his place in life, and grapples with real-world events, and The Wonder Years gives us a protagonist with whom to fall in love.

The Wonder Years Season 1 Episode 1 LAURA KARIUKI, ELISHA WILLIAMS, ALLEN MALDONADO, CHARITY JORDAN, DULƒ HILL
THE WONDER YEARS – “Pilot” Inspired by the beloved award-winning series of the same name, “The Wonder Years” is a coming-of-age story set in the late 1960s that takes a nostalgic look at a black middle-class family in Montgomery, Alabama, through the point of view of imaginative 12-year-old Dean. With the wisdom of his adult years, Dean’s hopeful and humorous recollections show how his family found their “wonder years” in a turbulent time. (ABC/Erika Doss) Pictured: Laura Kariuki, Elisha Williams, Allen Maldonado, Charity Jordan, Dulé Hill

It’s an endearing coming-of-age tale set amid the turbulent late 60s and offers a new, fresh perspective that Kevin Arnold couldn’t provide. While some reviews classify The Wonder Years as “too woke” or “too politically correct,” it’s certainly not. Showing our systemically racist history isn’t PC, notably when not much has changed. 

BILL: Be cool.

In addition, The Wonder Years boasts a common unifier to which we can all relate: growing up. It’s sweet, sensitive, and heartwarming. 

Everyone deserves a voice, and everyone deserves representation. “Pilot” sets the stage for what’s sure to be an enchanting, humorous ode to family and adolescence all through a vital, thought-provoking lens. Long live “the wonder years.”

What did you think of this episode of The Wonder Years? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Critic Rating:

User Rating:

Click to rate this episode!
[Total: 0 Average: 0]

 

The Wonder Years airs Wednesdays at 8:30/7:30c on ABC.

twitter Follow us on Twitter and on instagram-icon Instagram!

Want more from Tell-Tale TV? Subscribe to our newsletter here!

15 Most Binge-Worthy TV Shows of 2021 So Far

Melody loves TV. Maybe too much. Besides being a Senior Writer for Tell-Tale TV, she's the Managing Editor for Geek Girl Authority, an Independent Contractor for Sideshow Collectibles, and a Senior Writer for Eulalie Magazine. Additionally, she has bylines in Culturess, Widget, and inkMend on Medium. To top it all off, she's a critic for Rotten Tomatoes and CherryPicks.