The Quad

The Quad features some strong performances and isn’t afraid to plunge enthusiastically into the genre of nighttime soap opera.

Realistic it's not, though it's most certainly compelling (and sometimes more) thanks to a game cast and some propulsive, pointed storytelling.

College-set shows are nothing new, but The Quad proves there is still fertile ground to explore in terms of original storylines and drama, with the series serving up both with no problem. The show may not make you want to go back to school, but it’s certainly worth dropping in on once a week.

With just the pilot available for review, we’ll have to wait and see how Ms. Henderson and her fellow producers develop the potentially entertaining and provocative situations they’ve set up. In the meantime, it should be fun to watch Ms. Rose, who’s like a more human version of Kerry Washington in “Scandal,” and Mr. Santiago-Hudson.

In a way that can only be described as Rhimesian, The Quad burns through outrageous plot twists with a breezy disregard for plausibility. The series lacks the polish or stylistic panache of a “Scandal,” and its rougher edges can make some of the more outlandish narrative turns--think murder, assault and blackmail--seem both clunky and decidedly absurd.

The show earns points in its attempts to tackle hard conversations on race. But the writing makes the well-intentioned themes seem heavy-handed and devoid of nuance, despite great performances by newcomer Smith.