Bluebell's Finest

The whole concept of a small-town, doe eyed girl who moves off to the big city, with even bigger dreams, and an even smaller set of belongings, has become somewhat of a stock plot in modern television. Bringing a refreshingly unique twist to this is CW11’s dramatic rom-com series, Hart of Dixie. The show takes place in the quaint, fictional country town of Bluebell, Alabama. It is here that our protagonist-feisty, loquacious, New York native-Zoe Hart is found, after inheriting half of the local medical practice. Zoe’s decision to pack up her fast-paced city life for the comparably sluggish, yet comical, town of Bluebell is fueled by her rejection for a surgeon fellowship, along with the shocking reveal that half of the practice was left to her by her, previously unknown, biological father.

There are no strangers in Bluebell; if the townspeople don’t know you, then they sure know your business. This perky, small-town community primarily consists of generations that grew up together. They are never short on kindness, or sweet tea, and their charm is as potent as in their preceding generations. Though it seems that this southern hospitality is not extended toward their new town resident, and medical practitioner. Zoe blows into town like a hurricane, bringing with her a fresh waft of big city air, and a ten-piece luggage set. Local residents don’t take kindly to this fast-talking interloper, and make no efforts to conceal their distaste. Dr. Brick Breeland, who ran the practice with Zoe’s father, outright refuses to work with her. This traditional, hardheaded, single father of two, tells her if she wants to practice medicine she’d better pack her bags because she did not have the skills to work there. Brick’s ‘lovely’ daughter Lemon, normally the embodiment of all things sweet, turns absolutely sour at Zoe’s arrival. Lemon jumps into scheming to get this intruder out of her town, and more importantly, far away from her fiancée George Tucker. The rest of the town eyes Zoe curiously, as she tries desperately to avoid familiarizing herself with town customs.

It takes a bit of time before the people of Bluebell feel at ease around Dr. Hart and allow her to treat them. In time, Zoe throws her “need to get out of this town” attitude out the window and for the first time sees her patients as real people, in some cases even friends. By the end of the first season, a definite change is seen in Zoe. She still possesses her witty, stream of consciousness manner of speaking, but she finally begins to embrace this new slow-paced life. Along with the help of her friends- Mayor Lavon Hayes, her grungy bad boy neighbor Wade, and Lemon’s fiancée George-Zoe discovers a part of herself that had grown quite fond of the small-town country life in Bluebell.