Season 1

Air Date: Wednesday, July 1st, 2026 on Amazon Prime Video.

Rating: [rating=4]

“I’m changing this place, and maybe it’s changing me too.”  Elle

Before Elle Woods was proving everyone wrong at Harvard Law, she was just a sixteen-year-old girl facing one of the biggest changes of her life.

It’s 1995, and right after celebrating her sweet 16, LA fashionista Elle Woods (Lexi Minetree) gets the kind of news no teenager wants to hear, her family is moving to Seattle. Can Elle survive life in a new city? More importantly, how will Seattle react to someone whose wardrobe is almost entirely pink?

Elle is Amazon’s prequel to the hit Legally Blonde films starring Reese Witherspoon. Created by Laura Kittrell, with Witherspoon serving as an executive producer, the series takes place six years before the original film and follows Elle through high school, showing the moments that helped shape the woman audiences would eventually know and love.

As a critic, I’ve begrudgingly learned from shows like Young Sheldon that prequels don’t have to match every detail of what came before them. What matters is whether they capture the heart of the original. Thankfully, Elle does just that. There are plenty of little nods for longtime fans, but the series never feels trapped by its own history. Instead, it tells a story that stands on its own while naturally leading toward the Elle we already know.

That starts with Minetree. Stepping into one of Reese Witherspoon’s most recognizable roles couldn’t have been easy, but she slips into the role like a pink pair of Gucci shoes. There were several moments where I caught myself doing a double-take because you could almost see glimpses of Witherspoon in Minetree. At times, it was almost as if they used CGI to de-age Witherspoon, not that she needs it. Minetree finds the familiar beats while still making this younger version of Elle feel like her own person.

One of the reasons Elle has remained such a beloved character is her ability to connect with just about everyone she meets. Even though she grew up surrounded by wealth and privilege, she’s never written as someone who thinks she’s better than anyone else. In the films, we saw that through her friendship with Paulette (Jennifer Coolidge). Here, that same quality shines through in her relationships at school. Some of those friendships probably shouldn’t work, but Elle’s kindness and genuine curiosity make them feel completely believable. It’s a big part of why audiences have always rooted for her, and Minetree understands that.

The series also gives us a chance to see the determination that’s always existed beneath Elle’s bubbly personality. Whenever someone underestimates her, she quietly goes about proving them wrong. The writers include plenty of nods to Elle’s future, but they’re woven into the story naturally instead of feeling like fan service.

That’s what makes Elle such a satisfying companion to the Legally Blonde films. Moments that once felt like movie magic, like Elle suddenly deciding to attend Harvard and somehow getting accepted, don’t seem nearly as far-fetched anymore. Rather than simply filling in gaps, the series deepens our understanding of a character audiences have loved for more than two decades.

The series also gives fans something they’ve never really had before: a closer look at Elle’s parents. Eva (June Diane Raphael) and Wyatt (Tom Everett Scott) could have easily been written as one-note wealthy socialites. Both talented actors make the most of the material they’re given. Instead of existing solely as “Elle’s mom and dad,” they are fully realized characters with personalities, relationships, and lives beyond their daughter. By the end of the season, they feel like people you’d actually enjoy spending time with.

This brings me to one of my biggest surprises of the series: the supporting cast. These aren’t just characters there to fill the space around Elle. Characters like her classmates, Kimberly (Chandler Kinney), Dustin (Zac Looker), Miles (Jacob Moskovitz), and Liz (Gabrielle Policano) are all given their own moments to shine. Each character has a storyline that extends beyond Elle’s, making them feel like more than supporting players. In fact, a part of me wishes the series was a few episodes longer so more of their storylines could be explored.

One area that deserves more recognition than it’ll probably receive is the production design. It’s not something I usually spend much time talking about, but it really stood out here. Los Angeles bursts with bright colors and energy, while Seattle is noticeably grayer and moodier without ever feeling lifeless. The contrast between the two cities immediately tells you where you are and subtly reinforces how out of place Elle feels. It’s understated work, but it adds a lot to the show’s atmosphere.

On a more bittersweet note, Elle also marks James Van Der Beek’s final on-screen performance. Appearing in a recurring role as Dean Wilson, Van Der Beek brings his usual charm to the series. The show does offer a tribute to his passing, though I couldn’t help wishing the show’s creators had included more, maybe a short montage of behind-the-scenes moments of him laughing and enjoying his final role.

Whether you’ve loved Legally Blonde since 2001 or are meeting Elle Woods for the first time, Elle succeeds because it never loses sight of what made the character so memorable in the first place. It’s funny, heartfelt, charming, and occasionally more emotional than you might expect. More importantly, it doesn’t just remind us why we loved Elle Woods, it gives us even more reasons to.

Season 1 of Elle premieres on Amazon on July 1, with a second season already confirmed.

For more on the series, check out the website HERE.

Photos: ©2026 Amazon Prime Video. All Rights Reserved.