Paula's Pick: South Beach

The last few nights I have been catching up on South Beach. You may recall this is the Hulu original series starring soap opera faves Jacqueline MacInnes Wood (Steffy, B&B) and Jordi Vilasuso (Tony, GL; Griffin, AMC). South Beach is dark, gritty, sexy, and every bit a soap opera. It's like General Hospital on steroids, crossed with Empire, with elements of every primetime crime drama mixed in for good measure. 



Vilasuso is very convincing in his role as ruthless mobster Isaac Santero, claiming his territory on South Beach. Sweet, gentle, good-hearted Tony he is not. As you might imagine, a storyline like this includes violence; but perhaps the most violent aspect of this show is what the audience doesn't really see. The prospect of a serial killer is introduced almost immediately and it looks like one of the main characters has already become a victim. 

Jacqueline MacInnes Wood plays Samantha Lear, the daughter of a record executive, who hooks up with one of her father's employees. The audience doesn't learn much more about Samantha until episode 6, but I don't want to give anything away because I have a feeling that might be the season 1 finale. I hope that's not the case though, because of course I am completely hooked and can't wait for more. 

The names of many of the other cast members may be unrecognizable to most, but suffice to say this is a well-rounded, talented, and obviously beautiful cast. If you haven't checked out South Beach yet, do yourself a favor and watch it now on Hulu. Even if you aren't a Hulu Plus subscriber you can watch all 6 episodes on your computer for free at http://www.hulu.com/south-beach. And keep checking back here for updates on future episodes!