Reviews Series / Being Erica

Don't Miss It

Riddle me this; do you want to go back and fix things that went wrong in your life? To relive regrets and set them right? This is the premise of Being Erica a quirky, fun, CBC show that's got something a lot of shows wish they had; heart. The program centers around a thirty-something woman named Erica Strange, whose life seems to be getting progressively worse; she loses her job for being over-qualified, she can't keep a boyfriend, and life doesn't seem to be going anywhere good within the next little while. Then she meets Dr. Tom, a psychiatrist that offers to help her with her life by sending her back to relive certain regrets. Every episode centres around her problem at the present, how it relates to an old one, and she is sent back to gain some perspective.

The characters in this unique little program are all very down-to-earth and rather fun. Best of all is their realistic qualities. They're not famous, or rich or live in fancy-dancy houses or have luxury cars; they're just some regular people living regular lives. Erica herself is extremely relatable, she's down to earth and she worries about things that most thirty-something women would. Dr. Tom is funny and very much a clever man, who can't help but take the situation at hand and relate it to a famous quote somehow. From Erica's best guy friend and later love interest Ethan to her parents, everyone here feels like someone one could meet in real life.

The acting is quite good, fluctuating from serious to humourous effortlessly, without even skipping a beat. Erin Karpluk does very well in her part as Erica and Michael Riley as Dr. Tom acts as somewhat of a scene stealer.

I remember a conversation between me and some of my friends, who were upset that one of their favourite CBC shows Wild Roses had been cancelled while Being Erica hadn't. I promptly said that Erica had something that Wild Roses didn't, a relatable story, characters, and a premise that many average people would love to be true. While Wild Roses centred around oil and betrayal, Being Erica made it a point to be realistic where characters and backstories were concerned (the fact that it has superior actors could also help.)Plus, like I shamelessly pimped above, Erica has heart.

The show is currently in its second season, and still going strong. Be sure not to miss it.