Peacock’s “Queer as Folk”: A TV Review

Catalyst event at new Peacock’s strange how people It is a terrible act of violence. Midway through the first episode, an unidentified gunman enters a New Orleans gay club called Babylon and opens fire on a crowd of attendees. Most of our leads are among them, and for the rest of the eight-episode season, they struggle with their long-standing guilt and grief, the incredible way their lives changed that night, with the holes it left in between. Their community.

Despite the heavy premise, the series as a whole is remarkably light. Of course, here and there are painful excavations of trauma or the same tearful moments of joy. But for the most part, the series allows its characters to be as dirty, goofy, sexy, or serious as before. And their refusal to define their lives through this tragedy feels like a gift, not just to the characters, but to an audience that has heard many stories like this, or perhaps even opposes such horror.

Stephen Dunn strange how people Named after the groundbreaking “reenactment” of Russell T. Davis’ gay drama it dates back to the turn of the millennium, and fans of the original will occasionally notice an Easter egg or catch echoes of certain characters or plot points. But no prior knowledge of the previous series (or the American version that followed soon after on Showtime) is needed to make these series. The debut episode isn’t kidding around painting a scene of tough, rocky New Orleans nightlife centered on the charismatic, but somewhat hypocritical, eldest son Brody (Devin Way).

For about half an hour, we follow Brody as he zigzags through town to get back to his old friends and make new ones. About a dozen main characters appeared at this point, each representing another nodal layer in their interpersonal connections. It happened before filming and also the birth of twins to Broad BFF Ruthie (Jessie James Keitel) and her partner Shar (CG) on the same night. Between the sheer amount of information conveyed in the first episode and the necessary changes in tone due to the story, it can all be off-putting, even overwhelming.

Fortunately, by the second or third episode, the show switches to a more comfortable channel once all the necessary groundwork has been laid. Expansion strange how peopleThe actor has several disadvantages. Some repetitive characters, like pointless drag queen Bussey (Armand Fields), end up feeling like props in other people’s stories, and we can only hope they include more stories in future seasons. And even more prominent characters like Mingus (Fin Argus), is strange how peopleA loving teenager is more developed in some areas than others. (The series gives them two high school friends, neither of whom have distinct personality traits.) But their diversity allows the show to explore a wide range of stories from multiple perspectives.

Keep in mind that a large portion of them involve the usual soap opera about who is secretly dating, lying, or in love (and many of them include Brody’s ex, Noah, who is spiritually touching). tricksJohnny Sybil). A love for chaotic personalities means we’re rarely more than half an episode away from arguing or kissing for no reason. strange how people An itch as predictable and satisfying as any prime-time drama about attractive, charismatic people who spend a lot of time drinking together.

But there’s also the story of Ruth, a trans woman who struggles with the fickle sexual urges that plague her senses. And that Mingus had mixed feelings about returning after a gunfight interrupted his first performance. What about the specific challenges that men with disabilities face in the gay dating scene, like Julian (a much-loved Ryan O’Connell, as well as writer and co-executive producer) who has cerebral palsy, or Marvin (Eric Grace, a sharp-witted performer) , but tactile), bilateral amputation.

Both strange how people And their characters are absolutely allergic to anything that could be considered tragic porn, inspirational porn or a training moment. The gang shuns strangers who think they’re just “brave” to survive, refuses to make distressed calls to loved ones for therapy, and turns a blind eye to “Babylon, Babyl-Strong” events hosted by an annoying acquaintance. they. They spread “Mary Pitt is a fake gay vibrator, but like, mean.”

Instead, his idea of ​​commemorating the dead involves fun parties that provide the opportunity, as Basei puts it, “to remember our friends not as characters but as dirty adults we knew and loved.” strange how peopleA candid approach to sex scenes: This is a series that starts with two men walking excitedly around the TV and happily taking any opportunity to admire their favorite ass, toned breasts or even, sometimes, their socks. A reflection of the same disrespectful soul.

But if stupidity or shyness isn’t really the case with the series, sensitivity is. Unlike a sincere image of desire or drugs, it is strange how people Aims to avoid traumatic material. In the first episode, gunshots are less visible than expected: we have angry facial expressions and gunshot sound effects, but we largely retain long shots of gory action or mutilated bodies. In the episode, which depicts Ruth and Brody’s friendship during their teenage years, every mention of Ruth’s dead name is heard. Such a choice is like a calm but firm statement of the show’s values: pro-sex, pro-compassion, anti-violence, anti-transphobic.

The premiere episode ends in fantasy. In a slow-motion montage lit in pink and sprinkled with candy, we remember that fateful first night as it should have been: Mingus celebrating his first drag performance, Brody and Marvin cheering, Ruth and Shari hugging. About his newborns, Noah has his date Dadius (Chris Renfro) against the wall. This is a vivid and painful summary of what was stolen the night the sniper entered Babylon. The rest of strange how peopleThese flawed, defiant, sometimes outrageous but charming individuals are fondly reminded of everything they weren’t.