TV Retrospective: "Pose" - Season 1

Billy Porter
Over the course of eight episodes, Ryan Murphy's new show about the drag queen scene created a new world that hasn't been seen on TV, or at least on any significant network with any reverence or budget this big. Following up the excellent second season of American Crime Story that explored the conflicted life of assassin Andrew Cunanan, Murphy has proven to be the vital voice of LGBT entertainment in 2018 with an earnestness and vulnerability that doesn't betray the group's history, but embraces it amid the familiar struggles of AIDS and homophobia. Even more than American Crime Story, Pose was a show that knew where to mine sadness from and explore the socioeconomic struggles of people who existed on the fringes of American society. However, as the finale suggests, it isn't their true definition. It's the ability to find confidence, family, and significance despite the struggles while dancing in lavish outfits as pop tunes blare. Pose was a show that showed the complexity of a community that hadn't gotten treatment this personal before, and in the process created one of the most vital shows of the year.
From the outskirts, the idea of Murphy making a show about drag queens seemed almost farcical, especially given his less-than-subtle series like American Crime Story and Scream Queens that were entertaining at times for how off-the-wall things went. Would the show simply be an excuse to watch the MC Pray Tell (Billy Porter) get sassy and critique everyone who stepped on that runway? Yes, that is more of a feature than a bug. Yet what the show is more interested in is not just how flamboyant the people who twirl around to adoring fans, but the struggle to feel a deeper acceptance, especially given that the people outside of those walls are harsh, unable to accept them as more than deviants. As long as Pray Tell complains that a drag queen isn't woman enough, it's done more to strengthen them and make them someone who can handle the pressure. Pose may center around the delightful flamboyance that is excellently shot with gorgeous outfits and witty dialogue, but there's the in-between, the life of the people who try to win.
This is specifically true of the people who make up "The House of Evangelista," lead by Blanca "Evangelista"Rodriguez (MJ Rodriguez): a transgender woman who has her own struggles regarding transition surgery and steady income for her apartment. The family is one adopted and formed from the outcasts who have been rejected by their families, unable to make it without some support base. While the show is sold as one about drag queens, there's also a general exploration of late-80's queer life, such as Damon Richards' (Ryan Jamaal Swain) struggle to be respected as a dancer; or Angel's (Indya Moore) conflicted relationship with a Wall Street tycoon Stan Bowes (Evan Peters). Without falling into tropes, the show becomes one centered around family, whose vulnerability isn't just whether they have somebody that loves them, but the rise of the AIDS epidemic and sex trafficking that feels all too real. Still, the tough heart of Blanca tries to keep the family together, and it becomes the endearing center of the story.
Despite all of this, what makes the show work is how it treats every small endeavor as feeling normal. Yes, the economic struggles were real - but the show frames it more as a tale of lower class struggle that isn't unlike many other dramas. While the AIDS epidemic is often unique to queer stories, the show paints it as Pray Tell's personal struggles to move on with the death of a loved one. Even the affair between Angel and Stan is painted more as the typical blackmail struggles of an unwanted mistress. True, painting it from Angel's side makes it tragic because of her transgender background, but what's novel is the show's ability to try and find understanding as to why Stan cheated on a loving family. There's a misery in conventionality, and even his wife (Kate Mara) tries to reach out and understand. The show doesn't totally remove the separation of heterosexuals from homosexuals, but it tries to bridge a gap that has some power, adding a new perspective to dramas of this nature.
The show is abundantly sad at times, but it's also one of triumph. Because the House of Evangelista is one that supports each other, small things like getting a pair of shoes for Christmas suddenly holds deeper emotional resonance. Even if the world is attacking them and there's no sign of happiness, they are there for each other in small ways. There's a struggle to maintain a happy and stable lifestyle, especially knowing the struggles that everyone faces. While the queer struggles may be new to TV, Murphy's ability to frame it in a more familiar and human light causes the struggle of transgender characters to feel natural - and all with a welcoming sincerity. No matter what, the family at the center will be there to guide and lead to a better future, even as it seems uncertain that any hope lies there.
It's why the final episode didn't have a grand cliffhanger or any big emotional hooks - at least in the last 30-40 minutes. Instead, it took all of the drama from the prior seven episodes and set it aside for what matters most to Pose: winning Mother of the Year, the year's biggest drag queen show. To see the characters who had been through the wringer this past season being allowed to laugh and share in the positive energy of people in that room reflects just what value the drag community has to each other. It's the chance to be yourself and have fun. It doesn't matter what happened to you, so long as you respect each other in that room. It's what makes them stronger on the outside, where the world is only going to continue being cruel. The feeling that Pose will always have Pray Tell (whose own struggles throughout the season give Billy Porter's performance more depth) comes to be expected because of how important he is to that show. Without him, the show wouldn't be nearly as fun.
There have been a lot of LGBT series throughout the decades, especially since the late-80's when this takes place. However, there's something incredible about Murphy choosing to make a show centered around transgender characters that is both personal and authentic while also feeling accessible to cisgender audience members. This is a show that feels important not because of its subject matter, but because it proved that transgender actors can lead drama and gay stories can be told without seeming foreign. Yes, the show highlights struggles from the LGBT community of the 80's, but it's only one factor of the bigger picture. The fact that it's not a goofy show where everything is flamboyant is itself a miracle, as it found a heart and soul that makes it yet another one of Murphy's best series to date. He's currently at the height of his powers and he's doing it to full effect. With the second season green lit, one can hope that the show only continues to explore this world with honest and fun, and more importantly: dancing.



Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5

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