While the qualities.remain and the series doesn't stray too far from the source material, there are a few things.keeping it from being great. It's still pretty good, though.
But there is, for example, the extended use of what I call MTV-mode, meaning music videos going on for far too long with people staring at things, walking slowly toward nothing in particular and having a sook.
There are some plot holes that are revisited only to stay open, like our heroes puzzling about the keys and and running blindly into danger when they are just one door away from the guy who started it all, great-grandfather Locke. He's instead used as the worst form of deux ex machina, who is conveniently forgotten before and after he had his moment, even though he's hanging out a stone throw away and obviously has nothing better to do. There's Sam Lesser, who is obviously still around and not completely helpless, but also gets demoted to a one-time plot vehicle.
And there are still several moments where the script is a little too obvious and people have to act out of charater to move the plot forward, or come up with ridiculous plans so that certain key moments can happen, but since the whole thing isn't too complex and heavy to begin with, it doesn't stick out too much.
Which is one of the qualities, if you are looking for entertainment - it never gets too dramatic or too sad, and while it keeps you on your feet, it's certainly nothing that you will carry around and think about for days. It brushes on some more adult theme while keeping the teenage drama in check, but it never feels out of place or like it's only happening to draw the whole thing out.
For once it's a cast full of "teenagers" that I don't hate, mainly because they chose a pretty good set of actors. Nothing is oscar-worthy, but given the cringe that I normally get from this stuff it obviously did some things right, and Ashmore.and Stanchfield are pretty good.
The overall presentation is more than solid, and everything fits neatly together. The finale battle, drawn out over more than three episodes, may have been a little much, diving into a very extensive conclusion that is certainly cute, but also overdoing it, including a long mother-son scene that doesn't make any sense. The series does this kind of hear-warming, wholesome stuff pretty good, but gets lost in it as well.
The setup for the next season however is quite promising - if you are in for more of the same. Which I am, but I can also use the break.