Pontius Pilot: Melrose Place

THE GOOD: I didn't hate Katie Cassidy on Supernatural, but I also didn't mind when she was replaced with that chick from Wildfire. So let's just say I wasn't expecting to fall in love with her as Melrose Place's token bitch. And yet I totally did. I wasn't a fan of first Melrose incarnation so I don't know if Heather Locklear's Amanda had a heart under all that hairspray and menace, but Cassidy's Ella does and it beats only for Noah, her goofy filmmaker buddy. He's newly engaged to Riley, a sweet teacher who doesn't quite believe in him as much as his fierce publicist/manager/agent. I think the reason I love Noah and Ella the most is that they're the most fully formed characters; I know real life versions of them.

There are other promising characters. Auggie the chef is nice and brooding and though he seemed to love dead Sydney the most, he was also the one burning bloody clothes before we cut to credits. Struggling young doctor Lauren is starting down the slippery slope to whoredom, which is good since she has such an awesome bedside manner. And Michael's son David seems fun, even if he is an art thief, which is a little bit hilarious.

THE BAD: Oh Ashlee Simpson-Wentz. Maybe she'll be better after the pilot. Her character is the shoe-horned in new neighbor that finds dead Sydney in the pool. She then has an awkward Backstory Betty convo with Auggie about his sobriety and very oddly encourages Lauren to be a hooker. She basically comes off as a huge creep. And not in an "Ooh I wonder what her secret is" way, but like a "Please get killed off soon" way.

While I like Veronica Marsiness of the murder mystery, Sydney Andrews is no Lilly Kane. So far, she's just a pathetic cougar of a landlord who populated her old stomping grounds with a new generation of hotties in hopes of reliving her glory days. Though it showed foresight to rent to another crazy redhead before shuffling off the mortal coil.

THE VERDICT: DVR Season Pass.