I was a fan of the TV series Weird Science (based on the movie) back when it first aired on USA network in the Mid-90s. I recently re-watched it on Hulu.
The premise was this. Two teenage boys use a 1990s PC (Don't laugh!) to try to create a perfect woman. Lightning strikes while they are trying to make this creation and somehow it creates / summons an actual (magical) Genie that resides in their computer much like Aladdin's lamp.
The two boys each put their own ideals into her so she is both beautiful and witty and intelligent and kind. But she is no submissive servant for them. Instead she uses each wish they make (which is always only temporary) to subtly teach them an important life lesson. And as the series goes on the boys slowly grow as people.
Though it was a teen friendly sitcom you actually saw the two boys evolve as people. Even Chett (the bully older brother of one of the boys) starts to become a decent person and even gains moments of selflessness and love as the show goes on.
It was a surprising gem for a show that originally aired on USA Network at ten PM (Right before Duck Man) on Saturday Nights. As a kid I would watch Are you Afraid of the Dark on Nickelodeon's Saturday Night block of programming (Snick) and then switch over the USA Network when that was over for Weird Science.
Weird Science was something that caught my attention as someone who loved Aladdin and Frankenstein (and it made many references to Frankenstein). I was / am also a huge fan of Danny Elfman. Danny Elfman wrote the title track for Weird Science back when he was the front man for the band Oingo Boingo.
Each episode felt fun, felt good and left me with an "up" feeling. My only complaints ever were the "destruction" of Wyatt's hampster's ghost (That wasn't funny. That was horrible, and that very last episode).
My only complaint is the final season had a few issues near the end. I feel the show should have ended with the Genie baby episode. That was a fine ending. We got to see how much Chett truly cared for Lisa, the extent he would go for her (including giving birth), how much he had grown as a character. And all the characters seemed to be in a satisfying place in their development. Gary and Wyatt were getting ready for collage and Chett had become responsible and warm toward Lisa and his brother. It felt right.
That last episode where Gary married an alien, Chett was revealed as being Principal Scampi's son, Wyatt and Lisa were a couple (for some reason, despite her season long developing relationship with the maturing Chett...) it just felt off. In fact it felt wrong. Skampi died and it was meant to be funny because they made the scene Darth Vader-esque? Seriously? Gary marries an alien who wanted to conquer Earth but each touch brings an orgasm Wyatt and Lisa have a shoe horned temporary relationship, abruptly dropping the one Lisa had with Chett. It made no sense.
I just felt that the final episode was wrong somehow. They should have ended it with Lisa's baby. It felt right and all the characters were in tact. It wasn't an annoying and poorly written WTF moment. The only other episode I didn't care for dealt with a deranged ghost hunter killing the soul of Wyatt's dead hampster. Destroying the spirit of a beloved pet = No.
Skip those two episodes and you'll be fine. Enjoy the brain candy and the highly catchy theme song.
Trivia: Gary and Wyatt's hair exactly matches the hair cuts of the characters Dr. Pretorius and Henry Frankenstein from Bride of Frankenstein. Also I'm pretty sure if this was made today there would be fans who ship Gary and Wyatt.
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