What is the series Elle on Prime Video about?

Elle is the prequel to Legally Blonde and takes place in 1995. The series follows sixteen-year-old Elle Woods, who moves to Seattle with her parents. There, she encounters new friends, bullies, and the search for her own identity, even before she starts at Harvard.

Is Elle a sequel to Legally Blonde?

No. Elle is not a sequel, but a prequel. The series shows how Elle Woods grows up before the events of Legally Blonde take place and tries to explain how she became the confident woman we know from the movies.

Who plays the young Elle Woods in the series Elle?

The young Elle Woods is played by Lexi Minetree. Many fans are positive about her portrayal, as she convincingly conveys the charm, energy, and presence of Reese Witherspoon's iconic character.

Is the series Elle worth it?

That depends on your expectations. If you're looking for a light-hearted coming-of-age series with lots of pink outfits and nostalgic 90s vibes, then Elle is definitely entertaining. If you expect a prequel that seamlessly connects to Legally Blonde, you might be disappointed as Elle's character development deviates from the original film in some aspects.

Why are some fans critical of the prequel to Legally Blonde?

Many fans feel that Elle undergoes an important part of Elle Woods' character development before the events of Legally Blonde begin. As a result, her personal growth in the original film feels less logical and less impactful to some viewers.

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Why we don't necessarily have to watch the prequel of Legally Blonde

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When the announcement came that Reese Witherspoon was coming out with a new Legally Blondee-series, I was jumping for joy. If there’s one movie I love, it’s that one. From Elle’s amazing personality and flair, the outfits and sets to the Harvard vibe and Jennifer Coolidge: I love it. So I immediately put on my pink bathrobe and got my fluffy slippers from the attic when Elle it finally premiered. Lexi Minetree is fantastic as Elle, but beyond that? Well… I find it a difficult story. Want a spoiler alert? Well: you might as well watch the original movie again, you’ll enjoy that more. We’ll explain why you can skip this series.

First of all: what is Elle actually about?

The new Prime Video series is set in 1995, years before Elle Woods records her iconic Harvard video. Instead of sunny Bel Air, sixteen-year-old Elle moves with her parents to Seattle, where she suddenly finds herself at a school where no one is waiting for her. She has to make new friends and learns to deal with bullies, crushes, and the feeling of not really belonging anywhere. According to the creators, this series is the perfect example of how Elle eventually grows into the confident woman we later see in Legally Blonde .

And honestly? That sounds good. Personally, I could use Elle’s strong confidence recipe. I knew what I had to do: years after I swore it off, do homework again. What has shaped her so much that she just signs up for Harvard and actually gets accepted? Lexi shows this perfectly as the younger lawyer. She is charming, has all of Elle’s habits and expressions down, the styling is of course pink, and the soundtrack is fun. Lexi is Elle. The series is easy to watch, but still, something is missing.

Illogically packaged in a pink jacket

Okay, look: the problem is not that Elle is a bad series. In fact, it’s not that at all. The series is well put together, the acting is good, the outfits look better than the leaked photos suggested, and the storyline is solid. But, big but: it’s not a logical prequel to Legally Blonde. In fact, it undermines the entire character development of Elle Woods.

In Legally Blonde is Elle’s story based on one big event: Warner dumps her. For the first time in her life, the blonde hears that she is not good enough. This is the push she needed to show that she absolutely is smart, pretty, and good enough. She turns her life around: she starts studying for her tests to be admitted to Harvard. Since Warner is going there to study, she wants to follow him. There she can show that she is indeed the right person for him. Once at university, she finds herself in a world where no one takes her seriously. Everyone thinks she’s a dumb bimbo who only gets her nails done and lies in the sun with her dog. She does that too, but Elle is much more than that. And she will show that. By not changing, but simply bringing out the best in herself, she proves that. That is the movie. But in Elle, something strange happens.

The intention is that Elle in the movie is still a naive girl who purely goes to Harvard to follow Warner. She doesn’t want to improve the world. Throughout the process, she learns a new side of herself and confidently carves her way through all the prejudices. In this new series, which takes place years earlier, that actually happens already. She moves to Seattle, where she is the odd one out. She has to adapt and learn to deal with people who underestimate her. Actually, she learns the lessons she should have learned later at Harvard here. She goes through the same development twice. Isn’t that strange?

This is how the series should have been

If you set aside the iconic films for a moment, then Elle is actually a fun and good series. But well. You don’t just want ‘a fun series’. You want a story that brings back the vibe and essence of Elle Woods. There’s nothing wrong with a coming-of-age series, but not in this way. And I’m not the only one who thinks so. Although the series is well received, many fans are critical. They share the same opinion I described above: the character development that Elle undergoes in the first film is completely inconsistent after this series.

But how should the series have been? That, dear reader, is a good question. Now, I’m not a producer, but if I understand anything, it’s Elle Woods and her fanbase. We could have made a much more interesting series without touching the origin story. Don’t move to Seattle, just stay in Los Angeles. They should have shown how she grows up as ‘the popular girl’ that everyone genuinely likes. How she discovers her love for fashion and how she actually became so confident. Of course, she can face some obstacles. Let her grow from an insecure teenage girl into a confident young woman on her way to becoming a great stylist, or something like that. A flashback to her youth is good, but in this way? It doesn’t work.

Don’t get me wrong: I had a great time. It was cute and exactly the vibe I was looking for. But as soon as the credits started rolling, I only felt like one thing: not season two, but immediately Legally Blonde putting on. And that actually says enough.