Earlier this season, HELLCATS, though it had high ratings and a fun character in Ashley Tisdale’s Savannah, was the first show eschewed from my schedule.  For a few reasons, like the fact that there was just too much on already, and I had too little time to catch up on everything with my DVR deleting shows before I could even start them, I had to stop watching.  With most shows on my DVR all caught up on, and a review copy of tonight’s all new episode, I decided it was time to give HELLCATS a Second Chance Viewing.

In tonight’s all new episode, the Hellcats are celebrating their 25th anniversary with a fun 80s party that brings a classic movie montage of costume try outs, the most awkward slumber party ever, a boozy mom with too much to say, and a few revelations I’d imagine viewers have been waiting for since day one.  My quick catch up reading before watching the episode told me that Savannah and Dan Patch are lovey dovey, Marti and Lewis are hot and heavy, Alice is dating a football player, Chief Tyrol is a jerk, and Sharon Leal and Gail O’Grady continue to be mis or underused. In “Back of a Car,” all of those issues, along with the legal trial of Ben Cotton’s Travis, are dealt with.  Savannah is struggling with being a 21 year old virgin, Marti is struggling with possible jealousy of the whole thing, Alice’s days as a Football Wife appear to be numbered, and a dance between Dan and Wanda leads to some soul searching.  Oh and did I mention plenty of musical numbers featuring the musical talent of the lovely Ms Leal?

I was able to jump right into the story and understand what was going on, so tonight’s episode could definitely serve as a reintroduction for people like me who stopped watching.  Ashley Tisdale continues to be a treat as the high strung Savannah just trying to be a normal girl; she has a line about eggshells that made me actually laugh out loud.  The problems that irked me when I started watching in the beginning of the fall are still present – no chemistry between Marti and Lewis being one of the biggest – but the show had a fun charm to it that I could always revisit.  I would give up HELLCATS in an instant to have a back 9 for LIFE UNEXPECTED, but as freshman series go, this one’s moving along nicely.