Some Thoughts About Love, Victor Season 2

Yesterday, Love, Victor season 2 came out. If you follow me on Twitter or Instagram (both @mychelvandover), you'll know I have been posting about it a lot for the last few weeks. I was super excited for the season to come out, and it did not disappoint. After watching it last night, I took some time to process what happened (and there was a lot!) and arrange my thoughts. So, after some spoiler space, I'll write my thoughts about what happened and then I will comment about how whether or not I wanted to see happen actually happened. Without further ado, here we go...

So there are really 2 places I have considered starting: Venji and Isabel's reaction to Victor coming out. The thing is that the two are incredibly intertwined, so it is a little hard to separate them. I'll start with Isabel, because her reaction drives a lot of what Venji goes through.

Isabel is a very religious Catholic Latina and is conservative and that ends up spelling disaster. She and Victor have always been close (as we saw in season 1) and he has always been a mama's boy, so when he came out it completely knocked her off her axis. And she reacted very poorly. For a long while she refused to speak with Victor about it, insisted on calling Benji his "friend", made Benji feel unwelcome in the apartment, insisted Victor not come out to Adrian, did the whole "concerned mother" routine, threw away a dinner that she was making for Victor, Benji, Lake, and Felix (as well as Pilar) when she saw Venji kissing and made a lame excuse about burning it, stalked out of the room when Benji stroked Victor's arm, and just generally did everything she could to show how disapproving and unsupportive she was. All of this led Benji to be pissed and want Victor to push back more, but Victor was doing everything he could to salvage their relationship while pushing back when he felt he was able to. Add to that the time she walked in on them having sex, and things got so far beyond messy.

I so felt this. While I have never had a boyfriend, I did have a conservative, very religious Catholic mother who took quite a while to accept my being queer and pushed back against it somewhat. My mom and I were very close (honestly, pretty much the same as Victor and Isabel), so this was not a fun thing for me. I am not Latino, so I have no experience with that aspect of everything, but I do get a lot of what Victor was going through. A bit more on that later when I talk about Venji's relationship issues.

Anyway, the good thing is that Isabel did get better over time. I have no doubt that she loves Victor, but her refusal to support him came perilously close to causing a massive rupture in their relationship. The only reason there was no rupture is that Victor stubbornly refused to allow one to happen. He stopped confiding in her because of her actions, which is totally unsurprising. After all, if someone is not supportive of you and your relationship, why would you talk with them about it? And the less that is said about that priest, the better. When he and Isabel talked for the first time in episode 5, I had to pause the show, call my sister (who had watched through episode 5), and ask if it was a conversion therapy episode. She assured me it wasn't, so I was able to watch the rest of the episode, and the priest just got worse. He kept trying to get Victor to give up his "sin" and basically told Adrian that Victor would "not know God's love" (ie. he would go to Hell). This last part led to my favorite line of the season. Isabel confronted him in his office, told him that he was wrong and that she would love and support Victor, and ended with one of the greatest lines of dialogue ever. He told her to not give up on God and she shot back, "I'm not giving up on God. I'm giving up on you." She also quit her position as the Music Director of the church and found a more accepting (not sure about affirming) church.

After that, she was pretty good. She found Benji and apologized for what she did, which was important. And the reason it was important was that her disapproval and lack of support caused a massive rift between Victor and Benji. It wasn't all about her, but a lot of it was. Victor said he wanted to come out publicly with Benji as a couple to the school, but chickened out after his mom reminded him about how cruel kids could be. I want to give her the benefit of the doubt and assume that she was only trying to be helpful there, but it is really hard not to suspect that (on some level) she was trying to sabotage Venji. This delayed coming out led to some rumors about why Victor and Mia broke up (most ended up with her being cast as a slut) which led to Victor shoving someone who insulted Mia. Fortunately, that particular situation ended with Victor standing on a chair and proclaiming (in the middle of a hallway!) that he and Mia broke up because he was gay and that Benji was his boyfriend.

But that was the start of a pattern that kept happening. Victor would confront a new aspect of queer life and shy away from it, generally due to total lack of knowledge about it, which would cause him to pull away from Benji only to later have a talk with Benji about it while Benji listened patiently and helped him work it out. This pattern wore on Benji, and (I think) partially led to Benji's decision not to tell Victor that he was in AA, which led to a fight where Benji used his patience with Victor in a massively below-the-belt blow during an argument. I loved that Benji was being so patient with Victor, and that below-the-blow pissed me off. Benji knew that Victor was brand new and had a really hard time coming out before they got together, so if he wasn't ready to help guide Victor, then he should have said something. Don't get me wrong, Victor was no angel in the relationship. He hid things (mainly because he didn't want to admit he didn't know something) and didn't stand up for himself as much as he should have, but he was torn between his boyfriend and his mother. And when that happened, he defaulted to his stance of trying to keep the peace, which ended up causing some problems with Benji.

The biggest blow-up came after Isabel walked in on Venji having sex. Under any circumstance, that would be insanely awkward and nothing a parent would want to see, but Isabel's reaction to it and Benji's reaction to her just made everything a thousand times worse. She said that she didn't want them having sex with Adrian in the apartment, which Benji took (not irrationally) as homophobic. And I have to agree with him. If she had caught Victor having sex with a girl, I don't think she would have been as mad as she was. Don't get me wrong, she would have been mad, I just think that the fact that Victor was with Benji was why she reacted so much more strongly. And, as I said, she had long since forfeited any right to the benefit of the doubt. If she had been supportive in the past, Benji would have reacted less strongly, which would have prevented the fight between Victor and Benji about everything. While she was blowing up at Venji and Benji was blowing up at her, Victor was trying to calm them both down so he could have a chance to breathe and to figure out what to do. That led to Benji insisting that he and Victor take a break and led to Isabel visiting him to try and make amends and to get Venji back together.

Speaking of sex, I have to say that the whole cabin episode was sort of amusing, particularly the look on Victor's face when he saw the bottle of lube that Benji brought up sitting out. That was really, really funny. He was so panicked about the idea of having sex that he immediately tried to talk with Simon about it. That was a classic scene. Anyway, back to the rest....

I think the person I feel for most here was Victor. A lot of that is because I really identify with him and get why he was not pushing back against Isabel while Benji was there, but was pushing back against her when he had her alone or with Armando. He really wanted to preserve both relationships, but Benji seemed to be pressuring him to end (or at least radically alter) his relationship with Isabel and Isabel was sabotaging his relationship with Benji. Victor was trying to get the two most important people in his life to co-exist and neither one was helping out. I had sympathy with Benji until he started doing to Victor some of the same things Derek did to him last year. Benji said that Derek made him feel bad about being a romantic and this season he made Victor feel bad about loving basketball and wanting to salvage his relationship with his mom. Benji didn't seem to get how important both were to Victor and that was a part of their problems. And, like I said before, throwing his support in Victor's face during the argument after Victor found out (from Benji's parents) he was in AA was just cruel.

As for the whole AA thing, I am not super qualified to speak to that. My main thought is that I think Benji should have said something to Victor sooner. I do get that you should share things when you can, but when it is something that major, I have a harder time agreeing with the idea of not talking about it. What if they had gone to a party and Victor got his a beer or alcoholic beverage? That would have hurt Benji's sobriety and that would also have caused problems. On the other hand, I am a little surprised that Victor didn't think to ask about it since he knew that Benji had been drinking and that it culminated in his driving a car through a Wendy's. The other reason I think Benji should have said something was what Victor said to him, that Benji had been insisting on openness and honesty and hadn't shared this major thing with Victor. I definitely think Victor could have been more understanding about the whole thing, given that Benji had been so patient with him.

And now to the last of their problems, Victor telling Rahim that Benji had a drinking problem and was in AA. I so wanted to smack Victor for that one. He even said that he should not have told Rahim, and he knew that he was betraying Benji's trust. I do get why Victor said something, but it was entirely the wrong thing to do. Victor and Rahim had a fair amount in common. They both have conservative, religious parents (Rahim is Muslim) and they both are people of color (Rahim is Iranian). This gave them something to bond over, so Victor felt comfortable talking to Rahim. But telling him about Benji's being in AA was such a betrayal. And that was the final straw that led to the two of them taking a break.

Speaking of Rahim, I thought he was a great character. I was worried that he was introduced solely to cause problems between Victor and Benji, but he wasn't. He came out to Victor and leaned on him for some help sort of like Victor relied on Simon. I say sort of because their situations were definitely different. Rahim knew he was gay and never denied it the way Victor did. Mainly he just needed support and someone he could count on while he worked up the nerve to tell his parents that he was gay. He did end up being attracted to Victor which led to the finale scene where Victor rung someone's doorbell, but we don't know who. Some thoughts about that later. I definitely enjoyed seeing him and Victor out and about when they skipped school the day after Victor and Benji went on a break. It was nice for Victor to be able to do some things that he wouldn't normally do and it gave him and Rahim a chance to bond. It also led to a lovely scene where Isabel and Victor talked about why he didn't tell her that he and Benji were on a break.

So, now about other characters. Let's do some quick ones first:

Armando- I was really impressed with how quickly he was able to adjust to the new reality. I know it was hard for him at first, but he knew that he had to be supportive of his son and he did so. Seeing him attend PFLAG meetings was great as was his talk with Jack Spier (loved that Josh Duhamel was back!). I also loved that he made it clear to Isabel that she needed to be more supportive of Victor if there was a chance of the two of them reconciling. I was afraid that, given his reactions to things in the first season, he would react very poorly to Victor coming out. Fortunately, he didn't.

Pilar- Her reaction to Victor coming out was the third best reaction (Felix's was first, Adrian's was second). After Victor told her and their parents that he was gay, she paused for a few seconds, then walked right up and gave him a hug. That was great. She was also a lot less whiny than last season, which really helped. She did have a great line when she said, "Damn! Gay Victor has much bigger balls than Straight Victor!" after he confronted Isabel about her not wanting him to go to a cabin with Benji for the weekend. That made me laugh. I'm not sure how I feel about her and Felix together. Partly it's that I really like him and Lake together, but also there is the while fact that the two of them had more of a sibling relationship, so it feels weirdly incestuous.

Adrian- His reaction to Victor coming out was second only to Felix's. He wholly and unquestioningly supported Victor, which was cool enough. But when he asked why Victor had been with Mia (hey, fair question!), Armando compared it to the time that Adrian thought blueberry pancakes were the best only to have that opinion changed when he found French toast. So when he turned to Victor and told him that he was glad "you've found your French toast." I had to swoon a little. It was so adorable and such a great expression of support. And then there was the priest talking to him. I was happy with how Isabel let him know, in no uncertain terms, that Victor would be ok.

Felix- I love him and Lake together. Their main issue revolved around his mom and their life. I get why he didn't want Lake saying anything, but I also totally get why she did. His mom was not taking her new meds and it was obviously hurting Felix, so she wanted to make sure he could get some help. However, she promised not to tell anyone anything but told her mom, which led to her mom letting Felix know of another therapist they could go to, which led to a confrontation between their moms and Felix's mom being placed in a psych ward for a couple of weeks. That was another betrayal, albeit for very good reasons. However, I suspect that her betrayal was a part of the reason he ultimately chose Pilar. As for his attempts at manscaping in the 5th episode, that was just another really funny moment.

Lake- She has really grown since we first met her, She is thinking less about how things impact her and more about how they impact her and Felix as a couple. I do wish Felix was more the same, but I suspect that taking care of his mom was a little overwhelming. And if I was reading things correctly, she has Lucy (Andrew's ex!) interested in her. That could be fun!

Andrew- He is someone else who really astonished me. He has gone from being the obnoxious jock to being a genuinely good person. He does have his failures (his failure to stand up to the guys who refused to change in the locker room with Victor was a glaring one) but he was trying. And he was good with Mia and was actually pretty awesome to Felix. I'm surprised at how much I've come to really enjoy him.

Mia- And here is our last character study. I was surprised at how quickly she adapted to everything given how badly Victor hurt her. I get why she felt that she should be angry, but found it hard to be angry because the reason Victor hurt her was a part of his coming out process, which was a great thing for him. I do want to say that I wish he had validated her anger there a bit more. He did great at apologizing and everything and their friendship got back on track, but I wish that there had been something acknowledging that her anger was perfectly valid even as she was happy that Victor was being himself. As for her dad taking that job at Stanford, that was a big betrayal. He asked for her opinion and she gave it (albeit after saying ok), telling him that she didn't want him to take the job and move them because she wanted him to choose her over his job for once. The worst part is that he agreed and then went and accepted the job offer anyway. The season ended with her and Andrew driving to see her mom, who had emailed her in the penultimate episode.

So, now how what I wanted stacked up against what actually happened:

- Seeing Armando and Isabel's immediate reactions - Yes

- Making things right with Mia - Yes

- Seeing how he and Benji navigate his coming out - Yes

- Paring back on his needing advice from Simon- Yes, and the last episode had what looks like the last message to Simon

- Victor growing a backbone - Yes (Qualified, he still has more to grow, but it's a start)

- Tension between Benji and Mia over Victor - Nope

- Bit of time before Mia forgives Victor - Yes, although not as long as I expected

- Mia and Andrew ending up together - Yes, eventually

- Lake continuing her personal growth - Yes

- Felix not becoming shallow and a person affected by popularity- Yes

- Pilar improving her attitude - Yes, in spades

- Armando and Isabel getting their shit together - Sort of, I think

- Armando reacting badly to Victor coming out - Nope (totally off there!)

- Isabel possibly reacting badly to Victor coming out - I underestimated her reaction big time. I figured it would be hard, but it was so much worse than I expected.

So, I really hope they have a third season because I need to know a few things:

[1] Whose doorbell did Victor ring? I assume Benji or Rahim's, but it could have been someone else. I want it to be Benji so the two of them can be back together, but if it is Rahim, I hope both Victor and Benji think about what caused their problems to fix them.

[2] Why did Felix choose Pilar?

[3] Are Armando and Isabel back together or are they just hooking up now?

[4] Is Lucy interested in Lake?

[5] What will Mia and her dad do? And is she planning on just visiting her mom or staying with her?

Hope you enjoyed this! Let me know if you have any thoughts!

TV Schedule for Fall 2021

I haven't done this in a while, but here is my TV schedule for the fall, and it is *A LOT* lighter than in the past:

Sunday- Zip, Zero, and Nada

Monday- 4400 @ 9:00 pm on the CW (NEW)

                Good Doctor @ 10:00 pm on ABC

                Ordinary Joe @ 10:00 pm on NBC (NEW)

Tuesday- La Brea @ 9:00 pm on NBC (NEW)

Wednesday- Legends of Tomorrow @ 8:00 pm on the CW

                     Batwoman @ 9:00 pm on the CW

Thursday- Zip, Zero, and Nada

Friday- Zip, Zero, and Nada

Saturday- Zip, Zero, and Nada

Held until midseason- This Is Us, Superman & Lois, and Stargirl

This doesn't include the cable shows I watch, mainly on Food Network (although there are a couple on Freeform and TBS) nor does it include streaming shows such as Elite or Love, Victor, but this is most of it.

Wish me luck.

Love, Victor Season 2 Trailer

So the Love, Victor season 2 trailer dropped. I didn't see it on Hulu's Youtube page (I did see it in their IG story though) [UPDATE: Hulu put it on their YouTube page, go to https://youtu.be/S7iyAHFoih8], but I did find it here. It looks wonderful.  Here are some of my thoughts:

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[1] Victor and Benji seem to be going strong and Victor is really out. The only issue mentioned were Victor's worries about sex and his worrying about the "right way" to be gay. Apparently the basketball team is uncomfortable around him, but he is not "gay enough" for Benji's friends. I also have to wonder if Benji dumping Derek for Victor might also play into that.

[2] Victor has apparently learned how to stand up for himself, which makes me happy. He spent so much of season 1 worried about making other people happy that he forgot to make sure he was taking care of himself.

[3] Isabel is apparently going to have a harder time dealing with Victor coming out than Armando does. Which isn't a huge surprise given how close Victor and Isabel are. She needs to adjust a lot to this new information. She comes across as not doing well at all and I really hope that what we see here is just the worst, but I fear it isn't.

[4] Lake is totally fine with Victor and Benji, which is a little surprising given how badly Victor hurt Mia. Although she does keep up good relations with Mia, which indicates that Mia is (a) very understanding or (b) not willing to make Lake choose between her and Victor. Either one is light years ahead of where I thought we would be, so that is good.

[5] Speaking of Mia, I found it interesting that Andrew has a girlfriend in the trailer. Not sure how long it took to start dating someone else, but I was not expecting that. It is a good sign for him though. And watching Andrew talk to Felix about grooming "downtown Felix" was a total hoot!

[6] Felix and Pilar are continuing their friendship, which looks awesome. I just really hope they don't try and make her an obstacle of some sort for Felix and Lake. The two of them as friends would be awesome. And seeing Felix and his mom together was heartbreaking. He has to take care of here and given the notice on the fridge, they are having trouble.

I am super excited for the new season and cannot wait for it to start!

Some Thoughts About What I Hope to See in Love, Victor Season 2

 So I just finished watching Love, Victor for the 10th time (yes, I am a little obsessed, deal with it). This is my first time rewatching it since they announced that it will be coming back for Season 2 on June 11th. This time, I decided to rewatch with an eye towards what I would like to see in Season 2.

To refresh: Victor Salazar is a young man who moved with his family from Texas to Atlanta, Georgia after his mother had an affair (it seemed to be more emotional than physical) with his dad's boss and after his dad was fired for attacking his boss over the affair. Victor's sister Pilar is incredibly upset about moving and his brother Adrian doesn't really seem fazed by the move. Victor was relieved to be in a big city because he was starting to realize that he was gay and on his first day at Creekwood High, he heard about Simon Spier who came out as gay and kissed his now-boyfriend at a carnival in front of most of the school. He writes to Simon on Instagram (they never say for sure, but based on the look, I think that is a safe bet) about how he was hoping to start over and that, after hearing about Simon, he felt upset and unsure about what to do. On his first day, he met Mia, a popular and pretty girl who is also quite kind; Felix, his quirky upstairs neighbor who can be annoying at times; Lake, a petty and insecure friend of Mia's who Felix is crushing on; and Andrew, a jock who nicknamed Felix "Lone Stone", has a crush on Mia, and who Lake is crushing on. He also meets Benji, an out gay kid who Victor is instantly attracted to. Over the course of the season, Victor and Simon talk as Victor dates Mia and tries to deny his attraction to Benji. When he and Benji go on a trip to get the coffee machine from the coffee shop they work at fixed, Victor kisses Benji and then freaks out. Benji is none to pleased about it and decides to move to another store because he has a boyfriend who would not be pleased about what happened. Victor sneaks off to New York to visit Simon and meets Bram (Simon's boyfriend) and their roommates who show Victor that there is no one way to be queer and that they are in his corner. Victor comes out to Felix, who gives him a hug and assures him that nothing has to change, and then tries to come out to Mia only to have events stymie him. He takes Mia to a dance where she catches him kissing Benji (who broke up with his boyfriend) and she leaves the dance with Andrew. Felix sneaks around with Lake (at her insistence) and then breaks off what they have when she won't go public. At the dance, she asks him to come up front and kiss and dance with her, making them official. After leaving the dance, Victor and Pilar go back home where their parents tell them that they will be separating. Victor, who had planned on telling them he was gay, decided not to say anything to make sure that there was no more tenseness, only to turn around and tell them, "I'm gay."

Ok, there was obviously a lot that I didn't hit (there are 10 25-30 minute episodes), but those are the highlights. So now I want to go through each main character and say what I am hoping we get from them.

Victor- First off, I am hoping that we get to see his parents' immediate reaction to his declaration. The Spring Fling was at some point during his sophomore year and Season 2 is in his junior year, so I am assuming there is a time jump there. I want to see how they react, not just be told about it. Second, he needs to make things right with Mia. I get why he didn't tell her right away, but he waited way too long. He hurt her tremendously and he needs to make it right if he can. But he also needs to respect her choice if she tells him that she needs space. Third, I am really curious about how he and Benji navigate his coming out and dating. Mia was Victor's first relationship, so this should be interesting. I am hoping that they start to retire the Victor and Simon messaging each other thing because Victor does need to learn how to do this on his own. I would like to see him get advice periodically, but not several times an episode like he did in Season 1. Finally, I want Victor to have more of a backbone. In the first season, he kept doing everything he could to help his family keep peace at the expense of himself. He needs to focus on himself here and not so much on them.

Benji- In Season 1, Benji was mostly the object of romantic interest. He got some character development, but not as much as any other main character. We learned that his coming out was traumatic (he got drunk and crashed a car into a Wendy's just before coming out to his parents in a hospital) and that his ex-boyfriend was very much not a romantic while Benji is definitely one. Benji is going to be in the interesting position of having to help Victor navigate coming out while being in a relationship with him. I also suspect that there is going to be tension between him and Mia over what happened with Victor.

Mia- I really felt for her in the finale. I know that when I was coming out, the idea of dating a woman (to try and force myself to be straight) and causing her pain by coming out was my greatest fear. Victor did this to her in spades. I am hoping she can forgive him eventually, but I am suspecting that it is going to be a bit of a road back. I really hope that we don't come back and they are friends right away. Victor needs to make amends and I want to see him do that. I am also curious about how she will handle her father and Veronica getting married and having a baby together. She seems to be the character who all the drama happens to, and I hope that is not the case. I really hope she and Andrew do end up together because he does seem to care about her. Unfortunately, I am not sure how she feels about him. so unless she can actually care for him, maybe they shouldn't be together.

Lake- It was great to see the character who was presented as a popular almost-airhead has depth. I really grew to love her over the course of the season and she and Felix make a lovely couple. Of course, I love the odd couples like this (I also love Mouth and Rachel or Mouth and Brooke on One Tree Hill), so seeing them together was like catnip for me. I do not like the way her mother talks to her and beats down her self esteem. I think her mom thinks that she is helping Lake by "being realistic", but she is not. I really hope Lake continues on her path to being less shallow and less concerned with what other people think.

Felix- Felix is the type of character I love. He is quirky, cute, and fun. Fortunately, he is also not too neurotic or insecure. He has been an awesome friend for Victor and has really helped Lake realize how awesome she is (I say helped because she started on her own, he just helped the process along). I am hoping that he doesn't change for the worse from being around popular people, because that seems to happen to this type of character a lot. He just needs to keep being the awesome person he has been.

Andrew- For the first several episodes, I intensely disliked him. He used Lake to try and hang out with Mia, gave Felix a dehumanizing nickname years ago, and tried to embarrass Victor due to his socio-economic status. About the only person he didn't hurt was Mia. Where I came to start liking Andrew was after Felix told him off for what he was doing (bullying people by making them the butts of jokes or by humiliating them) and Mia let him know that he might be a good person deep down. I think Andrew truly did not realize how much damage he was doing, because he did try and change after that. I was impressed that he didn't tell Mia about Victor kissing Benji and that he declined to go into Mia's house after taking her home after the dance. He wants to be in a relationship with her and is willing to wait.

Pilar- Honestly, she is the character I like the least. She is whiny, passive-aggressive, and pretty much the most annoying character around. I get why she is the way she is, but that doesn't mean that I like her. I am just hoping that she grows and become less annoying and less passive-aggressive (or just less aggressive).

And I hope Victor's parents get their shit together. They were fighting all season long and did not seem to get how much they were hurting their kids until Victor called them onto the carpet about it. Separating is a good idea because they need time and space. I am also hoping that they handle Victor's coming out with good grace. I am expecting some stumbles and some mistakes, but I really hope we don't get anything major like him getting kicked out or something like that. Based on how Armando (the father) reacted to the idea of Adrian potentially being gay, I am expecting him to have the most trouble. Isabel (the mother) is closer to Victor, so I am hoping that she handles it well, but it is entirely possible this could actually cause her to react worse if she feels betrayed or something.

Anyway, I really am looking forward to season 2 coming out. Until then!

Some Thoughts about The Hardy Boys

I finished watching "The Hardy Boys" on Hulu the other night. I remember reading the books when I was younger, it was one of the series I really enjoyed. Along with Cam Jansen and Encyclopedia Brown, I would say they were some of my favorites. So when I heard about the series, I was pretty excited. I have to say that I feel a little let down. The series was ok, but not great. If it comes back, I'll watch, but I won't rush out to watch it. If it doesn't come back, that will be ok too. Which is more than a little disappointing to me.

It's been a long time since I read the books, so I can't comment on the accuracy of the casting, but I was not impressed by Rohan Campbell, who played Frank. I don't say this often, but his acting felt very emotionless when it came to romance. He was supposed to be interested in Callie, but there were no sparks of anything there. It was actually supposed to be a romantic triangle with Chet, but none of the relationships had any spark or anything. There was no chemistry, no desire, nothing to make me think that any of them were interested in each other. If it hadn't been for being told that they were interested in each other and for the obvious tropes pointing to a romantic triangle, I wouldn't have known there was anything romantic going on at all.

On the subject of romances, there were two potential relationships that were definitely present and I would actually look forward to seeing how they progress. One was Joe and Biff (a girl his age in this iteration) and the other was Trudy and Jesse (Biff's mom). In fact, for a while I was wondering if Trudy and Jesse were in a low-key relationship because there were definite sparks and chemistry going on there. It could have been just a great friendship, but there were things that made me question if that was all there was. If it comes back for season 2, I really hope that they explore that. Joe and Biff were fun and cute in that way that kids get when they know they are interested in someone but don't know how to handle it. Watching the two of them together was really cute. Again, it could just be a great friendship or it could be more, so that would also be fun to see more of.

I have some hope for Frank's character because, other than Chet and Cassie, his relationships felt pretty real. He and Joe had a fun sibling relationship and when he was with Trudy things felt real. This is leading me to suspect that the fault lies in the connection (or lack thereof) between him, Cassie, and Chet. They just need to either get rid of those actors or figure something out because they felt like the weakest links in the show. The other oddity was Phil. He was somewhat helpful, but mostly was just comic relief who occasionally came up with a good idea. I hope that they either develop him more or get rid of him.

One thing I do wish the show did better was explicitly state what time period they are in. I would say that they are in the 80s given the fact that there are walkmen, only landlines, older cars, and other visual clues, but there were some clothing and hairstyle choices that looked more modern (I will admit that my remembering of the 80s is hazy, so I could be wrong there). It felt almost like they didn't want to nail down a time period, but they still sort of did.

Overall, I enjoyed the show, but felt that there was a lot they could have done better.

Some Thoughts About Love, Victor

Stop me if this sounds familiar:

A teen drama with a protagonist who meets a sweet, popular character who is a love interest; another love interest; a jock who is an asshole; a quirky friend; a insecure person who wants to be popular; and other background characters.  Over the course of several episodes, the protagonist struggles with who they really like while also trying to fit in and live their life.

If you're saying that this sounds like a perfectly ordinary teen drama, you would be correct.  And Love, Victor has all of these.  What sets the show apart is that the main romantic pairing is a same-sex pair.  The ordinariness of the plot of Love, Victor is the very thing that makes it extraordinary.  Much like Love, Simon, the 2018 coming of age/teen rom-com film whose world Love, Victor is set in, the show sets out to be run of the mill with a same-sex couple as the primary pairing.  It has all the tropes and standard elements of the many, many teen dramas that proceeded it with that little twist.  And that is, as I said, what makes it so extraordinary.

I remember growing up and having characters coming out of the closet be a Sweeps moment.  It was a Big Deal.  So having a show where the character is known to be queer and the show is about them coming to terms with that shows the progress that has been made.  Don't get me wrong, we aren't at the Promised Land yet, but we have come a good distance.

The other thing that makes Love, Victor so great is that Victor is a Latino.  Most queer characters who are leading characters in shows or movies made by major studios (as opposed to supporting or part of an ensemble) have been white males.  There are exceptions to this (of course), but they have been just that, the exception to the rule.

I have to admit to a large amount of trepidation when I first heard about the show.  Early on, it sounded like they were going to turn the movie into a tv series, which would have been a major mistake.  When they announced that the show would have new characters, but set at the same high school, it eased a lot of my fears.  I loved that the show had Victor DMing Simon to get advice and to tell Simon what was going on in his life.  That gave the show a wonderful connection to the movie and allowed us to continue to be connected to Simon and Bram even though they weren't at the high school anymore.  In a similar vein, I loved seeing Ms. Albright as the vice principal in the first episode.  Again, it connected the show to the movie and gave us a very good reason for Victor to hear about and start communicating with Simon.

That being said, there were a couple of things I wish the show had done differently.  First, I was not particularly happy that the only options presented in terms of sexual orientation were gay/lesbian or straight.  There was no discussion that Victor might be bi or pan, which are very real orientations and are severely underrepresented on tv and in movies.  The other issue is a familiar one.  Michael Cimino, who plays Victor, is straight.  While he did an awesome job and obviously cares very deeply about how he presented Victor's struggles, it is always better to have a queer actor play a queer character because they can bring authenticity to the role and the struggle of coming to terms with who you are.

With that, I can't say there was anything else I was unhappy about.  The show had an episode that focused on the queer community and the way that the community really can be a family of people who want to cheer each other on and support each other as we work on coming out and figuring out who we are.  I also loved that Simon and Bram had roommates of various orientations, gender identities, pronouns, and gender presentations.  Again, representation matters.  When we can see people who are like us, or when the straight world can see the variety of people who are a part of the queer community, it helps everyone.  This is not to say that we don't have a way to go, but you have to start somewhere.

I think my favorite episode was the eighth episode where Victor went to New York to meet Simon.  That was the episode I talked about in the last paragraph.  It had great speeches from Bram who showed Victor that there are all sorts of people in the queer community, Justin (played by Tommy Dorfman) who explained how (for many, if not most, queer people) the person they showed to the world before they came out is a costume and how who they are after they come out is their authentic self, and then from Simon who explained to Victor why his roommates knew about what Victor told him.  The fact that Victor was able to admit why he was afraid to come out, which was followed by a group hug, was also wonderful, as was his admission at the end that that night was the best of his life.

Another awesome scene was when Victor came out to Felix and Felix admitted that he didn't know the perfect thing to say, but that nothing had to change between them.  That sort of unquestioning acceptance and affirmation is better than any long, flowery speech.  It was a short, simple declaration followed by a hug that let Victor know that he had at least one person in his life who would not turn their back on him.  It doesn't get much better than that.

I do have to admit to not being fond of the way Victor hurt Mia.  I will grant that he was not intending to be hurtful, but he hurt her deeply nonetheless.  I get why he didn't tell her when he was intending to, due to the fact that her father announced that not only was his girlfriend pregnant, but they were also getting married.  Throwing in the fact that he was gay would have made an already messy situation even messier, so I get the hesitation there.  Unfortunately, she discovered that he was gay on her own when she saw him kissing Benji.  That is never a good situation.

I really hope the show comes back for a second season because the way they ended the first is totally begging for another season.  Victor's parents announced that they are seperating, at least temporarily, and the episode ended with Victor announcing the fact that he is gay.  If we don't get to see how everyone deals with that, I will be really upset.

Overall, the show was well acted, Victor's struggles were eminently relatable, and the characters were developed in a way that allowed them to break free of some of the constricting boxes that characters are often thrust into.  If you like teen dramas, Love, Victor is well worth watching and enjoying.

Some thoughts on 13 Reasons Why *SPOILERS*

Last night, I finished the series finale of 13 Reasons Why.  I can honestly say that I really enjoyed the show, but I do know that there are a lot of people who didn't for various reasons.  Thinking about the show, I would say that, like the characters on the show, it was well intentioned but deeply flawed, messy, and problematic.  In other words, it was very, very human.

The show is definitely not a show I would recommend to everyone.  If you suffer from depression or anxiety, suffered sexual assault, or are easily triggered, it is not the show for you.  They do have warnings on the show about watching with friends or a trusted adult, but it is really heavy and can be emotionally draining.  And there are definitely scenes that are really hard to watch.

I think the biggest problem is that they didn't always handle storylines very well.  In the final season, they had Justin get HIV which progressed to AIDS in the space of a year or so.  Based of what I have read, HIV doesn't proceed quite that quickly, even if it is untreated.  That honestly seemed like it was more for shock than anything else and I cannot say that I appreciated it at all.  Also, there really wasn't a whole lot of groundwork laid for that, which is another problem.  Granted, there were the dark blotches on his face, neck, and back, which I have seen in other movies/shows where someone has AIDS, so that might have been them trying to hint at what was coming, but it still felt so sudden that it seemed to be more exploitative and not something that they really needed to do.

Another storyline that was problematic for some people was the arc in Season 3 when Bryce was trying to redeem himself.  Personally, I didn't have a problem with it because I believe that anyone who is truly sorry and tries to make amends can be redeemed.  Here the flaw was more in the execution and the fact that it was Bryce; a rich, white, cis, heterosexual male.  I do think that he truly realized that he had committed truly monstrous acts or enabled people to commit monstrous acts in his name, but he did seem genuinely sorry for what he had done and was trying to atone for it.  Unlike some people in real life, he didn't just mouth platitudes about how he was sorry, he seemed to truly mean it.  That being said, the fact that they didn't give Monty (a Latino) the same opportunity strikes me as tone deaf and not a good thing.

I can say that I appreciated the way that they deepened all of the characters after the first season.  Just like in real life, there are people who screw up in a major way, but they are not simply bad people.  Rather, they are products of their environment and don't always realize how hurtful their actions are.  Or they try and protect the people they love and end up hurting other people, either on accident or on purpose.  Like I said, flawed and messy.  None of the characters could really claim the moral high ground.  Each of them made some rather shocking actions that caused a lot of damage.  For example, Clay took a picture of Tyler naked and spread it around school to get revenge (he said it was justice, but it was truly revenge) after hearing about how Tyler had taken pictures of Courtney and Hannah kissing.  There are so many more I could cite, but I won't.

I also appreciated that the show did have several queer characters and people of color (some of whom were also queer).  That sort of representation is a good thing and, in every case except one, the person was accepted and embraced by the people around them.  I will say that having Alex kiss Zach and get a boyfriend in the last season (he never defined his orientation) was a little odd because there had been no indication in prior seasons that he was into guys at all.  I don't know if they decided to have him be queer between seasons 3 and 4, if it was a long-term plan that was never indicated, or if it was something that Miles (who is in a relationship with Connor Jessup, but has never defined his sexuality that I know of) pushed for, but it was so sudden that it also felt a little exploitative.  He had only ever indicated that he was interested in Jessica in the past and had never looked at guys or anything, so it could have been prepared for a little better.

As I said, I did appreciate the series overall and definitely enjoyed it, but that doesn't make me blind to its flaws.  I am sure there may be flaws that I either missed or didn't see as flaws, but no one sees everything.  If you think the show is for you, I would give it a look.