As I said earlier in this thread, I think the first couple episodes seem a lot like this; rather cliche and over dramatized, but as you get a few more episodes in the story becomes really good.
Zendaya is a bit grating though I would agree with that. The actress for Jules is great though, plus Fezco is awesome, Nate is a psycho but played really well.
I think it's worth watching a few more episodes for sure.
Watched the second episode and I think it was better, especially in terms of the jock character. Still felt a bit cliche and that they did certain things for nothing more than shock value, but if it gets less pronounced from here on out, I don't think it's a bad way to introduce people to the different issues at play. The cliches aren't always a bad thing though. I liked the part where that new kid came into class and sat down next to the big girl. He's a recognizable actor and not at all sinister looking, but literally before anything I thought, "This is a school shooter, isn't it?" And then the show addresses that right away, which I thought was interesting.
Really happy that a lot of people are taking well to Hunter Schafer's character (Jules). You hear so much controversy nowadays about trans people getting passed over for trans roles (which I don't personally view as any kind of sleight as I think it should always be about the art-form, and whoever the TV show or movie-makers feel is the best choice for a certain role should land the role regardless of background), but this does a lot to combat the notion that trans people don't get parts because there aren't enough of them out there with the talent or notoriety to land the roles. First time acting and had direct input into her role; sometimes it's just about being given a chance. For as cliche as things get in this show, I think they've actually handled the whole trans angle with a lot of subtlety and nuance so far, when it easily had the chance to be the most sensationalized aspect of the show.
Wait people don't like Zendaya's acting in this? Why?
It's just her delivery for me. As I mentioned somewhere above, I've only ever seen her in the first Spider-Man movie and now this, and it definitely seems like she plays both parts identically. Sleepy and standoffish, and seems like she's trying too hard to be "eccentric"; it's something that makes more sense in this role though, I guess. Not going to judge too much because I've only seen a small part of what she does, but both characters I've seen have annoyed me.