Entertainment
The Perfect ‘Gilmore Girls’ Replacement Is This Cozy 15-Year-Old Small-Town Drama on Prime Video
If Gilmore Girls is your go-to comfort show, for all its quirky townsfolk and light-hearted romances, then one of CW’s most underrated shows, Hart of Dixie, is for you. It has all the hallmarks of a feel-good, small-town drama, and may even take it further than Gilmore Girls with its oddball locals and bizarre town festivities.
At the time, the show also marked the return of The OC‘s Rachel Bilson to the screen, as she leads the story alongside a host of talented cast members. Hart of Dixie aired its fourth and final season in 2015, but it is still worthwhile cozying up to for your next small-town escapism.
What Is ‘Hart of Dixie’ About?
Bilson plays Zoe Hart, a doctor who learns that her dad isn’t actually blood-related and that her late biological father had left his medical practice for her in the small fictional town of Bluebell, Alabama. She moves from the Big Apple to take over his side of the private practice and meets a range of eccentric and endearing characters, including her dad’s confrontational former business partner Brick Leeland (Tim Matheson), his Rachel McAdams of a daughter Lemon (Jaime King), and Zoe’s soon-to-be best friend, roommate, and mayor of the town, Lavon (Cress Williams). Of course, it would be remiss not to mention the variety of love interests, like Lemon’s swoonworthy fiancé George (Scott Porter) or Zoe’s prickly neighbor Wade (Wilson Bethel).
One of the most underrated things that makes a small-town drama so likable is the dearth of themed festivals that go on. There are the standard Christmas, Halloween, and Founder’s Day activities, but in Bluebell, we also get unique versions of classic holidays. Instead of Thanksgiving, Hart of Dixie introduces Planksgiving, a pirate-themed debacle where family, friends, and love are the real treasure. Or the annual Miss Cinnamon Cider Pageant, another iteration of the small-town Harvest Queen tradition. These episodes build on the playful appeal of the idyllic setting while providing us with ample laughs and cozy moments.
Like many small-town dramas, you do have to suspend your disbelief while watching Hart of Dixie. The town of Bluebell has all the charm of Stars Hollow, but it is slightly more insulated from some of the painful social and cultural context of America’s South. We’re more aware of this small bubble since the Southern accents are pronounced, but it also emphasizes the show’s goal of being a comforting oasis in the maelstrom of modern life. It has no qualms about being unrealistic in its pursuit of whimsy, but that doesn’t make it any less sincere.
‘Hart of Dixie’s Characters and Romance Make It Worth Watching
Initially, Hart of Dixie can be accused of being overly saccharine or fantastical, but as the episodes progress, the show develops an underlying emotional nuance and maturity that grounds and complements the absurdity of it all. Bilson is at the heart of this, as she performs her role with quick wit and increasing vulnerability that makes Zoe easy to root for throughout the four seasons. She also shares riveting on-screen chemistry with all her co-stars, including the rare friendship between a man and woman that doesn’t cross any boundaries and remains as dependable as ever. (Lavon himself is a riot as the town’s mayor and ex-NFL player.) Zoe is also at the center of an obligatory small-town love triangle, one that stretches will-they-won’t-they to the limit in the most deliciously dramatic way, while still being nuanced with ideas of compatibility and timing.
We’re going to need an answer to that cliffhanger, Lauren.
Outside of Zoe’s amicable relationships is her rival, Lemon, who undergoes one of the best redemption arcs in the show. She begins as a stereotypical mean girl who is territorial about her town, but grows into a more multifaceted character. Without spoiling anything, Lemon’s arc is foreshadowed beautifully, and she learns to be part of the community in a meaningful way. Much of her appeal comes down to King’s performance, as she never loses sight of Lemon’s inherent ferocity and ambition but allows her to evolve into something more interesting, almost reminiscent of Emily (Kelly Bishop) in Gilmore Girls.
Hart of Dixie has all the ingredients that make a cozy small-town drama successful, so it’s a shame that it has been lost to time. Between the oddity that is Bluebell and the fun mishaps that manifest between the characters, this show is the perfect way to distract yourself from the daily humdrum that is life.
