If nothing else, I think that we can all say we have perfected our TV binging techniques. We’ve gone through our Tiger Kings and our Queen’s Gambits, but also know when and what kind of media comfort food we want (and need) at different times of the day. I’m sure most of us have gotten in a few good rewatches on childhood favorites, too, while we doom-scrolled our way through those quarantined months.
So it’s with that in mind I wanted to offer — with the emergence of spring — some lighter bi fare.
For the life of me, I can’t remember where I got this suggestion from (most likely a discussion in a bi social group on Facebook), but I thought I would explore some non-American fare for this edition of the Unicorn Scale. So with that in mind, let’s turn our iridescent, mythical-creature eyes onto the 2018 Indian TV comedy, Four More Shots Please!
Before I delve into this any further, I should give a few disclaimers, but this is a little different from when I’ve done so before. Yes, there will be SPOILERS in this article, but I’m gonna break precedent and say upfront I adored this show, and you should go watch it right now and then come back and read why I loved it.
As far as content warnings, there is definitely mature stuff going on but nothing that merits much of the big traumatic warnings of the past. For those who are used to English-only fare, they should note that the show uses a hybrid of Hindi and English, so setting up closed captions early on is advised. Ooh, also, if you are new to this column, I suggest checking out a description of the metric I’ll be using to gauge the queer representation here, or our Media Entry of the series here.
OK, that should cover most of it. Let’s talk about why this is such a frikkin’ good program.
Four More Shots Please!, whose first two seasons are available to stream on Amazon Prime, is the smash-hit comedy covering the personal and professional lives of four young women in modern Mumbai. Think an Indian, updated version of Sex and the City but with far more nuanced characters. And today, we are going to focus on the glory that is the character of personal trainer Umang “Mangs” Singh (Gurbani Judge, billed as Bani J.).
What I Liked:
What DON’T I like about Umang (and this whole damn show)?
Even the trailer of the show is completely unafraid to use the term “bisexual” (which regular readers know is a thorn in my side). The show, including Mangs and her friends, have no problem using the term with pride. We have a woman of color at the forefront of the show — a fully realized character, at that.
Umang also has more of a masculine vibe, which is a lovely departure from most of the femme presentations we see in American media. But Mangs is just cool, man. She reminds me of about a dozen of my queer friends — straight-shooting, funny and smart in equal measure, and unapologetically herself at every turn. While one of the major arcs of her story throughout the first two seasons is focused on her love interest (and eventual fiancée, Bollywood superstar Samara Kapoor (Lisa Ray)), this is not the only side of her story we get to see. Nor is she relegated to the "gay best friend" trope, where she is only there to support the main characters but not have her own internal emotional journey.
Far too often in the realm of bi representation, we get a coming-out arc, another overdone cliché, or familial strife (though that’s here, too). But in this, we get to see Mangs fall in love, get closure with her childhood crush, have a pretty damn happy relationship, and also keep herself from getting lost in a relationship due to the mangled priorities of her partner.
Typically we get only one facet of these journeys for character development in a queer character. But for once, we get ALL of these ideas and more. Umang is bi, her character is not entirely about being bi, but it’s an important part of her story.
Umang is better realized than most other bi characters out there — and is still a vital part of the cast and gets her due attention outside of her bisexuality, which is pretty much never played for shock value or to pass moral judgment on her. And she’s a key element to one of the biggest successes the platform has ever had in India, meaning millions not only love it, but want another season. American content makers need to sit up and take notice.
What I Didn't Like:
I literally have no notes when it comes to Umang. There are some other parts of the show I can take umbrage with, but with bi representation, they really got this right.
The Rating:
I don’t know who recommended the show to me, but thank you! One of my favorite things about this job is discovering wonderful, balanced bi content and making sure it gets on the radar of others. And this is up there with Good Trouble as far as great bi representation — which anyone who asks me for recs know is about the highest compliment I can give.
Skip the cosmos — grab some tequila and strap in for the most delightful binge I’ve come across so far in 2021.