In the day and age of streaming services, people have a wide variety of platforms to enjoy from home. HBO's history of critically acclaimed shows that never compromise substance for entertainment explains my affinity for the network. The Sopranos, The Wire, Westworld, My Brilliant Friend, and Game of Thrones exemplify the network's commitment to excellence when it comes to series.
In recent years, HBO has been at the forefront of distributing shows that explore teenage angst and how it pertains to the queer experience. Euphoria and We Are Who We Are both come to mind with the first exploring drug addiction (among many things) and the later examining fluid sexuality on an American military base in Italy.
The trend continues in a show titled Generation (2021) (stylized as Genera+ion). The series focuses on a group of Gen Z high schoolers. They form a strong bond built upon their queerness and pushback against heteronormativity. Zelda and Daniel Barnz, the creators of Generation, took a more lighthearted approach than some of HBO's other offerings, so the show is a dramedy that maintains a comedic tone. However, it still manages to touch on familiar topics such as sexism and biphobia.
Like Euphoria, Generation uses its different characters to focus on particular issues throughout the show. For example, Riley (Chase Sui Wonders) shows us the experience of a bi teenage girl who has to cope with living under her indifferent (and borderline dysfunctional) parents. There's also Nathan (Uly Schlesinger), a young bi man whose journey of exploration puts him at odds with his religious and conservative mother.
Overall, Generation tells us familiar stories. However, the show does an adequate job examining questions surrounding life, love, and family, thanks to an ensemble cast. Ultimately, the audience gets to hold hands with the series' colorful characters as they figure out their desires in our contemporary society. Please be warned that SPOILERS are ahead, and if you are unfamiliar with our rubric, you can brush up here.
What I Liked:
One thing I appreciate about Generation is the way it examines how biphobia might intersect with sexism. We see this particular issue play out in the relationships between Nathan, his sister, Naomi (Chloe East), and their mother, Megan (Martha Plimpton). Nathan is initially closeted but eventually comes out as bi. Throughout the show, he hooks up with various people of different genders before he finally understands himself.
However, Megan, whose love for God comes second only to her obsession with her family image, is very uncomfortable with her son's bisexuality. Megan's anxiety is put at ease momentarily when Nathan begins dating Arianna (Nathanya Alexander), Naomi's best friend. Naomi is angered by her brother's decision to date Arianna, but she is even more pissed off about her mother's glee about Nathan dating a girl.
Naomi calls out Megan's problematic ways in a tense exchange when her mother drops her off at school. Megan naively says, "I think maybe Nathan's finally figured out what he wants." Naomi doesn't hold any punches in her response: "So you want him to hook up with Arianna, so you can think that he's not the gay part of bi. You just don’t want him to hook up too much." She continues and explains the double-standard of Megan's parenting when she shouts, "It is literally so unfair. You wanting them to hook up when you know you'd chew me for the same exact thing. It is so hypocritical!" I think this was a brilliant moment for the show's writers because it highlights two things at once: biphobia and sexism.
First off, Megan doesn't accept nor understand her son's bisexuality, and she would rather see Nathan date a girl to appear heterosexual. Secondly, Megan doesn't favor her daughter dating anyone because she follows the trend: "policing daughters but praising sons" for doing the same thing. The scene is short but holds a lot of weight because it questions two irrational notions common in society.
Of course, Megan's response to her daughter is as hollow as her thinking. She says, "It is not hypocritical...God is my judge here." Another thing that I appreciate about Generation is how often characters use the word bisexual throughout the show. So many times, a program would have bi characters or a lot of bi behavior, but the dialogue falls short of mentioning the word. However, Generation does a great job of including the term in conversations.
What I Didn’t Like:
One thing that I felt could have been different is the way characters delivered conversations at times. Generation touches on many issues, and the main characters are supposed to reflect the inclusive nature of Gen Z. It manages to do that quite well. But sometimes, it felt like conversations in the show were taken directly out of viral Twitter threads.
It would have been a lot better if the writers had the characters express these ideas differently instead of making every other statement by a character seem like an unproblematic and informative punchline. This issue doesn’t hurt the show, but it does give the watcher plenty of cringy moments.
The Rating:
Generation is unapologetically bi. Many of the characters depict the good and bad experiences that come with being bi. It manages to do this while examining the generation clash of old and new ideas surrounding sexuality in modern times. Because of Zelda and Daniel Barnz's willingness to tackle various issues in their show, Generation gives the audience an updated glimpse into the lives of queer teenagers. Therefore, I give the series a solid rating of four unicorns.
Comments
Facebook Comments