Having not yet read the book the series is based on (though I plan to), I wasn't sure what to expect going in. And I wasn't really thinking I would enjoy the show all that much. Basing an entire series around something like a “fat camp” can just be painful to watch. But the scripts are actually pretty great. Because they are able to balance the sarcasm with the sweetness, the funny with the heartbreaking. And because the focus of the show isn't solely on being unhappy because people find you fat. The show examines insecurities on so many levels. There are the pressures that come with teenage relationships, both friendly and romantic, the feeling that you aren't cool enough to hang with the popular kids, the need to make your parents proud, the fear of looking stupid in front of your peers, and of course, all of the other issues of beauty that aren't just about the numbers on a scale. The series nails them all. It just doesn't do it with the cheerleaders walking down the high school hallways like so many other shows do.

One item that really bothers me though is that there is no child or adolescent psychologist on the camp's staff. (Yes, I realize the show is fiction, but bare with me.) The only staffers we've seen so far (and this is about four episodes in) are athletic counselors, the camp director, and the cook. Some of the kids are even sent home because their “issues are too dangerous.” It doesn't really make sense to me. Even schools have guidance counselors to assist with the mental health of students. Why would a camp that focuses on insecurity and body image issues not have someone on hand to help deal with the mental and emotional consequences? A story early on in the season has one of the girls sent home because she repeatedly binges on contraband junk food, then purges because she feels so guilty that she's breaking the rules. Why wouldn't the camp director foresee that as a possible problem with the rules that are in place? Shouldn't that be something they could help with? It just seems like that would be a more sensible route than sending campers back to a situation that obviously wasn't working for them.

I actually do have one other complaint about this show. The cast, aside from Nikki Blonsky as Will, is largely made of unknowns. Now, in some cases, this could be a good thing. But here, it makes me wonder. There might be a few campers you recognize, like Raven Goodwin who also plays Ivy on Disney's Good Luck Charlie, but none of them have had a whole lot of exposure. And the one who does only has exposure because she's played roles that have focused on her weight. Nikki Blonksy got her big break as Tracy in Hairspray, a movie about learning not to judge people based on appearance, whether it be skin color or dress size. She followed that up with the Lifetime original movie Queen Sized in which she played a high schooler who was deemed unfit to wear the crown at a school dance because some of her classmates couldn't get passed her being larger than your average beauty queen. I'd like to see some of these actors, who have all turned out great performances every week, play a role that isn't only about their size, or at least, I'd like to see some of the other actors step out of the sidekick role. Although, maybe my complaint shouldn't be with the show, or those who were active in the casting process. Maybe my complaint should be with Hollywood in general for not wanting their young leads to look too heavy on camera.

I really do love this show. Yes, some scenes are painful to watch, but in a good way. You really feel for the characters you're watching as they complete their journey. I really hope this returns for another summer getaway. I'd definitely tune in.