GENIUSES THEY AIN’T
20somethings try to figure out their world in ‘Pretty Smart’
In “Pretty Smart,” it’s OK to act a little dumb sometimes.
The new Netflix sitcom premiering Friday is out to prove that life is not all about book learning. It follows Chelsea, a former professor’s assistant who’s trying to figure out what she wants.
Chelsea, played by Emily Osment, arrives in Los Angeles to stay with her sister, Claire (Olivia Macklin), for a few days before her boyfriend is supposed to arrive to move with her. But the boyfriend soon announces he’s not coming, and instead, a box of Chelsea’s stuff arrives at the apartment. What’s left is a brainiac with no plans and an apartment full of less-than-genius roommates in their 20s who want to help.
There are no high stakes or conspiracy theories. Even Chelsea, suddenly jobless, homeless and boyfriend-less, rebounds relatively quickly. Her new roomies’ convoluted schemes are entirely self-created and unnecessary. “Pretty Smart” is just a nice television show about attractive people.
“There’s not really room for judgment because they’re surrounded by so much love and they’re so accepting of exactly who they are. That’s a really powerful thing,” Osment, 29, told the Daily News. “It doesn’t leave a lot of room for disliking someone or judging someone. They’re coming from it at the angle of, ‘Well, I’m sure they have a good reason.’ ”
With the help of Claire and her three other roommates — workout buff Grant (Gregg Sulkin), social media influencer Jayden (Michael Hsu Rosen) and lawyer-turned-crystal healer Solana (Cinthya Carmona) — Chelsea slowly starts to break out of her rut.
“Chelsea’s one of those people who was put in a box and put herself in a box for a really long time,” Osment said. “She knew she was capable of good, important things and didn’t really branch out past that. Her dad was a professor, and she found her feet in that world.
“She’s shortchanging herself almost. From how she dresses herself to her hairstyles, she’s just kind of stuck.”
Thankfully, her new pals are here to help, including Grant and his ever-present abs.
“He’s so earnest,” the 29-yearold Sulkin told The News of his character, who finds himself in a messy love triangle with both sisters. “I wouldn’t say he’s dumb or stupid. I would just say he’s been raised differently. He was so much fun to play, and I think I had so much fun because when you play Grant’s earnest side, the comedy just takes care of itself.”
Osment, the younger sister of actor Haley Joel Osment, compares the new show to comedies like “Cheers” and “Three’s Company,” where the focus is on the characters, not the plot. She even jokingly compared Chelsea and Grant to Sam and Diane of “Cheers,” but without the iconic animosity. Chelsea is, however, more than a little judgmental about everyone’s SAT scores.
London-born Sulkin, who also starred in Marvel’s “Runaways” series, calls “Pretty Smart” the “proudest moment of my career.”
“It’s not a show just about dumb people,” he said.
“It stems from love and it stems from togetherness and family. ‘Friends’ said it in [that show’s recent] reunion: friends are the family you choose. There is that time in your life in your 20s when you’re still figuring it out. There’s certain things you can’t talk to your family about, and the people who you really talk to, who then become your family, are your friends.”