The Hills Has Sizzle

Last night, Lauren Conrad began her anticipated second season in “the Hills.”

Last season, I emphatically panned the pilot as a pre-Heather Locklear version of Melrose Place (which the show had been compared to). The pilot painted LC as an above the rules of her job princess, Heidi and Audrina as ditzy, and Heidi as a shallow cardboard bit player. Following the initial episode, I had no hope for the “Laguna Beach” spin-off.

However, the show and the beautiful cast matured and when season one climaxed with Lauren’s Paris decision, I was genuinely interested. As the second season commenced, I wondered if the beginning would parallel the end or fizzle amidst a summer of Lauren-Jason rumors and one month of commercials teasing the premiere.

The debut exceeded the hype.

After returning stuff to Jason and sharing one last hug, Lauren returned to Teen Vogue, where her boss sniped her on last season’s choice. She even went as far as saying “Lauren will forever be known as the girl who didn’t go to Paris.” Lauren burst into tears in a subsequent scene, but seriously what did she expect? Her boss handed her the opportunity of a lifetime, which she passed over in order to spend the summer with her complete jerk of a boyfriend. Who didn’t see that one biting her in the…

Heidi returned with new boyfriend Spencer and a promotion at Bolt House, where she almost quit last season. Thus far, her promotion and relationship with her coworkers appears to be flourishing. Her relationship with Spencer… not so much. After enjoying a romantic Mexican dinner at Spencer’s favorite restaurant and subsequently bonking him at his apartment, Heidi watched as Spencer arrived at the Area Club opening with Audrina, who the night before, he claimed he was not even friends with. In my experience, friends share ice cream and attend other’s favorite Mexican restaurants, all of which Audrina did with Spencer. I’ll have a separate rip on these two later, needles to say; Audrina and Heidi are not speaking.

I would discuss Heidi’s activities last evening. However, akin to the season one premiere, she had a total of roughly ten spoken words.

Overall, the episode was sharp and established each character’s new challenges. It was a vast improvement over last season and a sharp beginning to this one. If scenes from coming episodes are indicative, “the Hills” should rival its parent show in both viewers and drama.