Growing up in the 80s, at the dawn of the War on Drugs, I have seen my fair share of after school specials tackling controversial issues like teen pregnancy, eating disorders, sexual abuse, alcoholism and drug addiction. These made-for-TV movies were designed to be cautionary tales for kids on the dangers of giving into peer pressure, having unprotected sex and doing whatever it takes to be popular. Over 40 years since the first after school special aired on ABC, the same network brings us their latest incarnation—but this time in a series. It’s called Recovery Road, and it’s really good.
The show, which begins airing on Freeform (the channel soon-to-be formally known as ABC Family) on January 25th, centers around Maddie Graham (Jessica Sula), an attractive, bright and seemingly thriving teenager, except for one thing—she likes to party. By day, she may seem like a slightly rebellious but somewhat typical high school girl attending a wealthy private school. But by night, or as soon as the bell rings, Maddie’s need to check out with alcohol, drugs and reckless behavior has begun to show signs of trouble.
The show opens with the main character passed out on someone’s front lawn and rudely awakened by the owner’s sprinkler system. Maddie quickly realizes she is not where she is supposed to be (in her bed), gets herself together and walks home. She sneaks into her house via her bedroom window and collapses onto the bed, just in time for her alarm to go off. You get the sense that this is not the first time Maddie has stayed out all night or woken up someplace weird.
By the time the opening credits roll, I understand who Maddie Graham is—she isn’t some obviously dramatically disturbed teen druggie, she is a 16-year old who isn’t a book worm and likes to have a good time. It struck me immediately that she is me (albeit 20 or so years earlier): a girl who can easily justify her behavior by being the life of the party and surrounding herself with like-minded co-conspirators. As a recovering alcoholic and former “Maddie,” I have to say that the creative team behind Recovery Road did an excellent job making the opening of this series compelling, light (yet grounded) and relatable—not an easy task for such an earnest subject.
If you have ever seen a TV movie about teen addiction, you know that these stories are usually told in a very dramatic and serious way, with the lighting and score to match. But Recovery Road does the opposite; it turns the tone up to match that of shows like Modern Family or Ugly Betty. While it isn’t a comedy by any means, the writing is smart and even funny at times. But they don’t go for the joke; the writers simply infuse everyday ironies and standard observations of a teenage girl going through a crisis.
So what happens to Maddie after staying out all night when she had school the next day? Nothing. Not only does she appear not to be tired or hung over (ah, I miss the resilience of my adolescence) but it’s clear that whatever system she has of sneaking back in to her house is working as her mother (Sharon Leal) seems none the wiser. But the day does take a turn when a water bottle full of vodka is discovered in Maddie’s locker. She and her mom are called into a disciplinary meeting with the school counselor (Alexis Carra) and presented with an ultimatum: get sober or get kicked out.
Begrudgingly, Maddie enters a 24-hour detox. She spends the night in a way that would be best described as “uncomfortable.” In a series of jump cuts, you see her look restless and fidgety but it’s unclear if she is just bored out of her mind or actually detoxing. Maddie is then carted off to a 90-day sober living facility where she is greeted by some of the most chipper newly sober people I have ever seen. I understand why the writers may have made this choice, because no one wants to see a bunch of emotionally shut down zombies moping around a house—especially on a TV show—but I would feel ethically irresponsible if I didn’t mention that this is probably the exception, not the rule, when it comes to entering a sober living.
From this point on, the viewer sees through Maddie’s eyes what it might feel like to be in early recovery. Nothing seems to be going her way. We can tell she feels uncomfortable having to talk about things she has never talked about before and look at things within herself and in her life that she hadn’t looked at before. She goes from being an independent teen with little supervision to being under a strict code of rules and holed up in a house with a bunch of people she doesn’t think she can relate to. To make matters more complicated, Maddie is too embarrassed to tell her friends, even her boyfriend, that she is in sober living and it’s painful to watch her come up with excuses for why she can’t hang out.
So in addition to accurately and skillfully addressing the issue of teen alcohol and drug abuse, by episode three, several juicy conflicts and dilemmas among the characters have been laid out, kicking the series off with an exciting start. I have to admit, though I am much older than the target demographic, I am fully hooked on Recovery Road. I have already recommended it to all of my sober friends and my therapist, set my DVR and, like a good little addict, can barely wait until episode four airs on February 15th.
Photo courtesy of ABC Family COPYRIGHT ©2015 (Provided by network)
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