Scene from Pose |
Following a jubilant first season, Pose's choice to open the first episode of its second season with Pray Tell (Billy Porter) visiting his boyfriend's gravesite - a hole with boxes of bodies pointlessly dumped - felt like a stark contrast. The series had jumped to 1990, putting itself at ground zero for the AIDS epidemic and the rise of Madonna's vogue culture. It was a great moment to be part of the ballroom scene, but it came with the typical astigmatism of homophobia and the "gay disease." It's the perfect push-and-pull for the FX series to truly prove what it's capable of, especially as protests get dragged onto dance floors, breaking up people's time with reminders of how many in the LGBT community are dying. Every episode in the first half of the season practically opened with this gloom as characters attended funerals. It was a dreary setting and one that didn't feel like victimhood because of how celebratory the rest of the show can be.
Yes, death was a major factor in Pose this time around. Every episode ended with quotes from historical figures meant to provoke audiences to react, calling to action for modern causes. However, that is to ignore what made the rest of the show downright revolutionary and unlike anything else on cable right now. It's more than a show about ballrooms and AIDS. It's a show that posits a cast of predominant transgender and queer actors in major roles, being allowed to live their own dreams and experience the joy within the community. There's even an episode where their bodies are celebrated as they put on swimsuits and hit the beach. The show has done a lot to show the complexity of LGBT life without sacrificing any heartbreak or joy. More than anything, this is a season that showed the struggles as something honest and real. Pose was one of the most human shows of 2019, and all it took was reminding audiences that no matter how bad things get, there will be a family there to support you. It's a message that more than ever feels crucial.
An easy criticism that can be lobbied against this season is that there wasn't as much focus on the ballroom culture. The show had built itself on this community coming together to celebrate vibrant fashion, master of ceremonies Pray Tell being catty to everyone who dared walk down the runway. There was a sense of fun to the first season, even as it allowed the characters to explore economic strife and discrimination. This season featured a few episodes that either made the ballroom scenes a minimal part of the season or totally ignored it altogether. While it's a spectacle that gives the show an authenticity, what they chose instead was something that gave more significance to those moments. The balls needed to feel special, and it was only in pulling away from that it began to feel crucial to the show's infrastructure.
Everyone in the second season evolved in some major way. While the season starts with yet another falling out with the demanding crank Elektra (Dominique Jackson), it manages to slowly find a reason to bring them back together. For the most part, Elektra and her House of Abundance start the season as the opposing house, serving as a foe for Blanca (M.J. Rodriguez) to face off against as she pursues her dream of opening a salon. Even then, Elektra is someone who gains sympathy as she goes through an S&M storyline that features accidental murder and a slow revelation of why she is so confrontational. In fact, it becomes crucial to a memorable scene in "Life's a Beach" where she confronts a woman trying to kick her out of a high-end restaurant. By this point, she has earned back the affection for Blanca, proving one thing that was unexpected at the start: you can be annoyed by your peers, but at the end of the day there's value for a community that sticks together.
Which is crucial to the umbrella that hangs over the show. AIDS is a threat that leads to several funerals. It makes Pray Tell a vulnerable mess, realizing his own mortality as he continues to put on a positive face publicly. There's a sense that he's alone, unable to be the person that the LGBT community needs. While the younger characters are caught up in promoting ballroom dancing as Madonna brings "Vogue" to the masses, the older one is worried about their inability to live. These two worlds collide for most of the season, causing delusions of youth to power relationships and divides within the family. However, it also leads to one profound revelation between Pray Tell and Blanca: there is a need for the elders to lead. By learning from their mistakes, they can hope to teach the next generation to be smarter about their actions.
The act of solidarity starts to form around one of the most profound episodes of the season, which is jumpstarted by the unlikeliest of characters. Candy (Angelica Ross) has always been seen as a punchline, last seen wielding a hammer at Pray Tell for giving a bad score. However, "Never Knew Love Like This Before" reassess her as a martyr figure in a powerful way. When she is tragically killed, everyone begins to wonder what the value of fighting each other really means. Candy's death becomes the symbol of why negativity shouldn't be allowed. In the following episode, "What Would Candy Do?" her death comes back in conversation by forcing characters to question the value in turning to violence. She is a grim reaper of sorts, returning to Pray Tell in the hospital as this threat of the afterlife. It's an inspiration to keep moving forward, living a valuable life.
If there's anything that's wonderful about Pose is that it slowly unravels the problems of a family as something that's natural. In "Revelations," Pray Tell is seen dating Ricky's (Dyllon Burnside) ex, which leads to a fight that serves as some of the meatiest, most melodramatic acting moments from the entire cast. It leads to everyone going their separate way, where Ricky moves to Europe and starts his own house. It's bittersweet to watch everyone form their own careers, leading to the bittersweet reality of an aging family. At some point there is a need to leave the nest and live your own life. As far as sad things go, it's one of the more beautiful things that the show has done, especially since everyone comes back for the finale, realizing the value of solidarity.
This was a season that not only reflected how a community overcame differences to work together, but it also proved that AIDS wasn't their defining trait. As much as it lead to protests and never went without some discussion per episode, there was a sense that the LGBT community was normal. In "Life's a Beach," the show pulls an unprecedented move by allowing the transgender characters to embrace their bodies, wearing swimsuits and allowing Blanca to fall in love with a lifeguard without there being any major drama about it. There's the power to the joy in this scene, even if nothing exceptional happens. It shows that everyone is allowed to be happy, even if there's the threat of something going wrong.
Which is what makes the show so groundbreaking in the subtle ways. The finale spans satisfying conclusions for every character. Even Blanca, who has been riddled with AIDS, is allowed to have a triumphant moment in the ballroom as she sings the National Anthem while standing up out of her wheelchair. The simple act symbolizes how she'll stand up for the joys and freedoms she's been provided by this country. Sure, it's at times frustrating to the community, but it's given her a chance to live among this great community. As love stories and careers also get resolved in meaningful ways, the show begins to set itself up for the future as Blanca finds a new family of homeless children looking for a place to be accepted. It's the perfect way of showing that family is chosen and that those that love you will never truly go away.
Pose has used its two seasons in ways that put in a unique position. It was able to be activism as well as entertainment. As one of the first major shows to depict the transgender community by its own voices, it manages to create one of the most satisfying portrayals in TV history. With a great supporting cast, every character contributes to creating a family that is there for each other, and in complex ways. It isn't always a love-fest nor is it a pity party. It's one that feels more grounded than even heterosexual alternatives. The LGBT community feels richer for having this show to reflect the optimism in their lives, presenting it to the masses and show that there's far more than what the stereotypes suggest. Can the show maintain this quality of output with another season? It does seem likely, though it does put the characters in odd positions. What is there to do now that the characters are jet-setters and models? Hopefully something even bigger and wilder, but also more exciting and illuminating.
Overall Rating: 5 out of 5
Everyone in the second season evolved in some major way. While the season starts with yet another falling out with the demanding crank Elektra (Dominique Jackson), it manages to slowly find a reason to bring them back together. For the most part, Elektra and her House of Abundance start the season as the opposing house, serving as a foe for Blanca (M.J. Rodriguez) to face off against as she pursues her dream of opening a salon. Even then, Elektra is someone who gains sympathy as she goes through an S&M storyline that features accidental murder and a slow revelation of why she is so confrontational. In fact, it becomes crucial to a memorable scene in "Life's a Beach" where she confronts a woman trying to kick her out of a high-end restaurant. By this point, she has earned back the affection for Blanca, proving one thing that was unexpected at the start: you can be annoyed by your peers, but at the end of the day there's value for a community that sticks together.
Which is crucial to the umbrella that hangs over the show. AIDS is a threat that leads to several funerals. It makes Pray Tell a vulnerable mess, realizing his own mortality as he continues to put on a positive face publicly. There's a sense that he's alone, unable to be the person that the LGBT community needs. While the younger characters are caught up in promoting ballroom dancing as Madonna brings "Vogue" to the masses, the older one is worried about their inability to live. These two worlds collide for most of the season, causing delusions of youth to power relationships and divides within the family. However, it also leads to one profound revelation between Pray Tell and Blanca: there is a need for the elders to lead. By learning from their mistakes, they can hope to teach the next generation to be smarter about their actions.
The act of solidarity starts to form around one of the most profound episodes of the season, which is jumpstarted by the unlikeliest of characters. Candy (Angelica Ross) has always been seen as a punchline, last seen wielding a hammer at Pray Tell for giving a bad score. However, "Never Knew Love Like This Before" reassess her as a martyr figure in a powerful way. When she is tragically killed, everyone begins to wonder what the value of fighting each other really means. Candy's death becomes the symbol of why negativity shouldn't be allowed. In the following episode, "What Would Candy Do?" her death comes back in conversation by forcing characters to question the value in turning to violence. She is a grim reaper of sorts, returning to Pray Tell in the hospital as this threat of the afterlife. It's an inspiration to keep moving forward, living a valuable life.
If there's anything that's wonderful about Pose is that it slowly unravels the problems of a family as something that's natural. In "Revelations," Pray Tell is seen dating Ricky's (Dyllon Burnside) ex, which leads to a fight that serves as some of the meatiest, most melodramatic acting moments from the entire cast. It leads to everyone going their separate way, where Ricky moves to Europe and starts his own house. It's bittersweet to watch everyone form their own careers, leading to the bittersweet reality of an aging family. At some point there is a need to leave the nest and live your own life. As far as sad things go, it's one of the more beautiful things that the show has done, especially since everyone comes back for the finale, realizing the value of solidarity.
This was a season that not only reflected how a community overcame differences to work together, but it also proved that AIDS wasn't their defining trait. As much as it lead to protests and never went without some discussion per episode, there was a sense that the LGBT community was normal. In "Life's a Beach," the show pulls an unprecedented move by allowing the transgender characters to embrace their bodies, wearing swimsuits and allowing Blanca to fall in love with a lifeguard without there being any major drama about it. There's the power to the joy in this scene, even if nothing exceptional happens. It shows that everyone is allowed to be happy, even if there's the threat of something going wrong.
Which is what makes the show so groundbreaking in the subtle ways. The finale spans satisfying conclusions for every character. Even Blanca, who has been riddled with AIDS, is allowed to have a triumphant moment in the ballroom as she sings the National Anthem while standing up out of her wheelchair. The simple act symbolizes how she'll stand up for the joys and freedoms she's been provided by this country. Sure, it's at times frustrating to the community, but it's given her a chance to live among this great community. As love stories and careers also get resolved in meaningful ways, the show begins to set itself up for the future as Blanca finds a new family of homeless children looking for a place to be accepted. It's the perfect way of showing that family is chosen and that those that love you will never truly go away.
Pose has used its two seasons in ways that put in a unique position. It was able to be activism as well as entertainment. As one of the first major shows to depict the transgender community by its own voices, it manages to create one of the most satisfying portrayals in TV history. With a great supporting cast, every character contributes to creating a family that is there for each other, and in complex ways. It isn't always a love-fest nor is it a pity party. It's one that feels more grounded than even heterosexual alternatives. The LGBT community feels richer for having this show to reflect the optimism in their lives, presenting it to the masses and show that there's far more than what the stereotypes suggest. Can the show maintain this quality of output with another season? It does seem likely, though it does put the characters in odd positions. What is there to do now that the characters are jet-setters and models? Hopefully something even bigger and wilder, but also more exciting and illuminating.
Overall Rating: 5 out of 5
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