Charisma Carpenter has signed on for a role in the last episode of ABC Family’s series Greek. This is excellent news, especially since there’s a chance of a recurring role next season. I’d hate to see her career disappear into the realm of the occasional guest star. I can’t say I’ve made the effort to watch Greek. Besides the fact that it’s on ABC family, which I’m perhaps unfairly quick to judge as censored of all interesting content, I had my fill of doofy frat boys in college. But perhaps I’ve been a little hasty to judge the network and the show. As Sarah reported last week, Greek‘s class includes a gay college boy, and it’s not the only ABC Family show to deal with gay issues positively. (By which I mean nobody turns evil or dies. Who’s up for a rousing chorus of “We Are Family”?)
The gay bit and bringing Carpenter on board with a slight promise of a continuing role next season nearly convinces me to tune in, at least for said last episode. (Minor spoilers about Carpenter’s character ahead.) On Greek, Carpenter will play a national representative of one of the sororities, showing up on campus to investigate some sort of scandal. (OK, as long as this doesn’t involve apocalyptic, Oedipal relations between Carpenter and any of the young men. But wait – I’m pretending that season of Angel didn’t exist.) Greek creator Sean Smith describes her character as something like the super sleuth lovechild of Buffy and The X-Files: “She’s part Scully and part Cordelia.” All right, you’ve got my attention. Throw in a little of Kendall’s sexy nastiness from Veronica Mars, and you’ll have my frickin’ guarantee. So, does anybody around here watch Greek? Is it worth tuning in? Are the girl characters still shallow stereotypes of sorority girls, or have they shown that depth beneath the bitchiness? And, Charisma joining the cast, yay or nay?
