Tomorrow, June 28th, Freeform will debut a new series from Once Upon a Time alums Adam Horowitz, Edward Kitsis, and Ian B. Goldberg. Unlike that fantasy adventure that airs on sister station ABC, the new program, Dead of Summer, is simultaneously darker and aimed at a younger audience. While the talent involved may seem a little ponderous, overall Dead does feel right at home on a network whose biggest hit is arguably Pretty Little Liars.
Set in 1989, Dead of Summer‘s events — which start off with a set of camp counselors showing up for work to prepare the grounds before the campers arrive — take place before much of their target demo was even born. It also throws back to a time when horror films about summer camps were all the rage. Appropriately, Dead of Summer includes many of those tropes from those films and others of the genre including a creepy gardener, mutilated wildlife, and of course campfire stories filled with legend and lore that couldn’t be for real… could they?
Also like any horror flick, Dead of Summer has its fair share of jump scares (both fakeouts and “legit” ones) juxtaposed with bright music, laughter, and summer fun. During these times of bonding, we do learn a little (very little in most cases) about each member of the ensemble although, at least in this first episode, the focus is almost solely on Amy, played by Elizabeth Lail, who Once fans may recognize as Anna. In fact, if the pilot is any indication, the “townie” cop (Alberto Frezza) will have a bigger role in the series than most of the main counselors.
What sets Amy apart from the rest of the group is the fact that this will be her first time at Camp Stillwater, whereas the rest of the counselors (save one other outsider) attended the summer getaway as kids before the camp’s five-year hiatus. Now returning as near-adults, the other leaders gush about how the camp is just as they remember while also reminiscing about their younger days. Naturally, just as Amy is maybe kinda sorta starting to fit in (and understand the concept of “nose goes”), a series of alarming events affect the campgrounds.
Proving again that this is really Amy’s show, the episode takes multiple opportunities to flash back to her school year as she navigates dealing with mean girls and making friends. Of course, we already know that she’s a bit of an outsider so this isn’t exactly shocking information. However, the conclusion of her flashback story certainly adds a new wrinkle to the show’s premise.
Like any good pilot should, Dead of Summer’s first episode leaves the audience with a lot of questions. Aside from the questions of “what will happen next?,” I’m personally curious about how the tone or scope of the show might change once the campers populate it. Will this ensemble grow even larger or will the youngins be mostly relegated to the background?
While I can’t really see myself keeping up with Dead of Summer, I may have to look up some spoilers when the season is over. As for the tweens that the show is actually intended for, my bet is that this show’s ratings will be far from Dead this Summer.
Dead of Summer premieres on Freeform on Tuesday, June 28th at 9 p.m.