Hollywood Arts Review: Daniella Monet Is The Heart Of The Victorious Spin-Off
It’s Trina’s time to shine in the Victorious spin-off Hollywood Arts. This reboot finds Sikowitz (Eric Lange) retiring to spend more time with his family, while Trina (Daniella Monet) steps in as a substitute teacher with a plan to infiltrate the Big Showcase and finally get the moment she’s always wanted.
I thought it was a smart way to open the series because it plays on the nostalgia of the original first episode. Except instead of Trina’s tongue swelling up and keeping her from performing, she realizes that what actually makes her feel good about herself is discovering and honing young talent. She sees something special in Emmy (Alyssa Miles), a young techie student with a secret: she can really sing.
Each of the new characters definitely has parallels to the original core group. Emmy and Oscar (Martin Kamm) have a sibling dynamic reminiscent of Tori and Trina, with Oscar also having some Beck qualities. Pepper (Emmy Liu-Wang) has shades of Cat, Jen Z (Erika Swayze) feels similar to Jade, and Qwest (Peyton Jackson) fills that Andre-like role. I do think the show will need to give these characters more of their own identities as it moves forward rather than relying so heavily on those comparisons.
That said, it’s Daniella Monet as Trina who really grounds the show. Despite her eccentric ways, Trina is often right and she genuinely wants to help these students. Watching her discover that she may be better at bringing out someone else’s talent than chasing the spotlight herself gives the character a surprisingly sweet evolution.
My favorite episode was when the gang divided up for Battle of the Bands and Emmy attempts to reunite Trina with her old girl group. It was one of those episodes where you really got to see the characters come together as a family.
It was also a nice trip down memory lane seeing Matt Bennett return as Robbie Shapiro. There’s this really cute “will they, don’t they” dynamic between Trina and Robbie that’s been there since the original series. It was fun to see the show finally play with that a little more.
There are plenty of other Easter eggs for Victorious fans too. We learn that Tori Vega (Victoria Justice) has become a huge pop star, Karaoke Dokie returns, Tori’s “Make It Shine” locker has become part of Hollywood Arts lore, and there are quick references to Sinjin (Michael Eric Reid) and Cat (Ariana Grande). And, of course, Rex and the puppets make their return.
Speaking of Rex, I thought it was especially cool to learn that Jake Farrow, the man who voiced him in the original series, is one of the creators of Hollywood Arts. You can really tell there’s a lot of love for the Nickelodeon show behind this reboot. The humor also feels very similar to Victorious, which could be a selling point for fans. My biggest criticisms are that the finale didn’t really feel like a finale and the new characters need more room to become their own people rather than feeling like updated versions of characters we already know. I also wish we got more information about where some of the original characters are now.
All in all, I thought this was really cute and fun. It understands the nostalgia of Victorious without completely losing sight of what it’s trying to build. Ultimately, Daniella Monet is what really pulls the whole thing together. Trina finally gets her moment, just not in the way she expected.
Hollywood Arts is streaming now on Netflix.
