It has been over twenty years since Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde. In that time, the public has moved on to other super cutesy movies like Barbie. Razor-sharp fashionista Elle Woods has faded a little into obscurity. The original film is still seen as a perfect time capsule of the early 2000s, and one of the best comedies for people of a certain generation. A third movie has been in the works since time immemorial. What no one wanted or needed seemingly was a prequel exploring a young Elle Woods during her time in a Seattle high school. However the Prime Video prequel series, Elle, more than justifies its existence with a star-making role from Lexi Minetree filling the iconic shoes of Reese Witherspoon. The show takes a couple episodes to find its footing, but by the midway point, feels like pure candy. Maybe a third movie can eventually materialize (please!), but for now, we have at least two seasons of pure bubbly goodness. Overflowing with 90s references, vintage outfits, killer tracks, and of course, at least two love triangles, Elle is a crowd-pleasing celebration of Legally Blonde… and a character whose obsession with fashion actually solves crimes.
Elle Woods and her family seemingly have it all. They live in LA, go on shopping sprees, and at school, Elle has eyes for the cutest boy despite having never been kissed herself. And then the unthinkable happens: Elle’s father (Tom Everett Scott), who has publicly botched a nose job for a soap opera starlet, becomes a pariah. In an effort to save their reputation by any means necessary, Elle’s father gets a job in Seattle, throwing a wrench into Elle’s perfectly laid out three point plan for junior year. Seattle is a polar opposite of LA. Every day, it rains, people dress in grungy skater clothes dull plaids, and no one at Rainier West High has ever heard of a winter formal.
Leave it to Elle Woods to transfer in, armed with her unique positivity and pink-forward perspective! The students initially react harshly to Elle’s appearance, especially being that she dresses in designer clothing and a bold color palette. There are a couple friends that she makes pretty quickly though. These include: Liz (Gabrielle Policano), an out gay student whose mother, Donna (Amy Pietz) works at reception and is beloved by the student body; Dustin (Zac Looker), a skateboarder with a passion for local issues, including getting funds for the school’s underpaid support staff; and Miles (Jacob Moskovitz), an adorable athlete who immediately catches eyes for Elle when everyone else is repelled by her existence. Of course, not everyone gels with the quirky new girl. Local bitch senior, Kimberly (Chandler Kinney), constantly hunts for a reason to prove why Elle sucks. She tries to embarrass her publicly, and makes it very well known that Seattle is not a costume. These people have their own unique identities separate from LA, and if Elle wants to win any of them over, she needs to adjust accordingly.
The biggest surprise is how naturally that fish out of water trope functions here. Dropping perfectly polished California girl Elle Woods into gloomy Seattle could have become a one-note joke, but instead evolves into the emotional centerpiece of the season. Rather than changing who she is to fit in, Elle slowly changes the people around her. Her relentless optimism never wavers, gradually transforming an entire community as she rallies behind a worthy cause.
When Elle and her friends accidentally uncover a potential embezzlement scheme involving their awful principal, Elle finds herself at the center of controversy. To make matters more complicated romantically, Miles already has a sweet girlfriend, Shannon (Danielle Chand), who takes a liking to Elle and immediately connects with her. With issues arising on a social scale, Elle still yearns to return to LA and back to her old life that’s moving on without her. Meanwhile, Elle’s mother, Eva (June Diane Raphael) becomes involved with a local politician, a mayoral candidate named Dean, played by the late great James Van Der Beek. The third episode is dedicated to him, marking one of the actor’s final onscreen performances in this debut season. Eva acts as a voice of reason, pushing Elle to pursue a potential internship at Cosmopolitan magazine that could open the door to a dream job. Wyatt Woods remains more of a fringe character that stays complacent throughout. It’s no wonder his wife goes through a bit of an existential crisis.
The season wisely avoids making Elle perfect. She regularly oversteps, misreads situations, and occasionally creates bigger problems while trying to solve smaller ones. Yet every mistake comes from genuine compassion, making her easy to root for even when she frustrates everyone around her. She slowly learns why Seattle deserves to be loved on its own terms. Lexi Minetree’s performance as Elle makes the entire show work. She effortlessly channels Reese’s earlier performances in the two Legally Blonde films. There are times when you forgot that isn’t a young Reese onscreen. Minetree is really that good! She has potential to become a massive star after this, given the immediate greatness of her performance. It takes a bit of time to build up the core friend group, but eventually, these characters make Elle into an ensemble piece. This extends to a great and memorable episode that’s a full scale tribute to The Breakfast Club. Episode 7 turns to full-blown Legally Blonde territory and is extremely satisfying.
Tonally speaking, the series is much more of a traditional high school show than expected. For this viewer, that was actually a major plus. I have a soft spot for high school shows, and had relatively low expectations for what I assumed would be a vapid and unnecessary extension. By the finale, Elle feels less like a prequel and more like a confident teen dramedy that simply happens to star a younger Elle Woods. Between that infectious soundtrack, endlessly pink aesthetic, and charming romance, it will sit nicely alongside Legally Blonde rather than merely living in its shadow. Bend and snap over to Prime Video for your new favorite obsession.
Follow Elle Woods to Seattle when the first season of Elle debuts in full to Prime Video on Wednesday, July 1st.
