With so much content existing on the internet, the ones that will stand out are those with fresh ideas or exciting takes on overdone stories. Nate Trinrud and Marie Semia’s It’s What She Would Have Wanted finds that fresh, new take on the friendship pact.
The pilot episode of the comedic series opens with an eerie recording of the recently deceased Deborah. On the tape, she reminds her friends that if any of them dies, the others will hunt and destroy any incriminating evidence that should shock their parents and friends, like drugs, diaries, and dildos.
As Deborah was the first to pass, her friends, Julie (Kimia Behpoornia), Camille (Lindsay Chambers), Steph (Desiree Staples), Sam (Chris Lee), and Maggie (Marie Semia) break into her bedroom and start gathering her dirty secrets. As close as this group of friends was, they quickly discover that Deborah was hiding some big secrets—one that affects someone in the group directly.
“…if any of them dies, the others will hunt and destroy any incriminating evidence…”
I’ll start with a minor negative. The episode is fifteen minutes long, and Trinrud and Semia introduce five characters. Not enough time is devoted to fleshing out this band of friends nor understanding their personalities better. But what the episode lacks in character development, it more than makes up for in an exciting plot. The filmmaking duo packs a lot of story in fifteen minutes, and it never feels rushed. The episode takes a few unexpected turns, has excellent performances from its cast, creates engaging conflicts, and ends with a feel-good moment of friendship.
It’s What She Would Have Wanted is a light comedy about friends, but I’ll be honest. There’s a revelation that if taken in a much darker direction, you’d have an exciting thriller that could easily stretch out over an entire season (think How to Get Away with Murder).
The pilot episode of It’s What She Would Have Wanted is fresh and packs a punch. It builds the right momentum and curiosity for me to come back and see what happens next.
"…packs a lot of story in fifteen minutes and never feels rushed."
