We’ve been meaning to get around to this for the longest time, but then Pride happened and things got a bit hectic. We loved both the 2000 American version of the Showtime Series, filmed right here in Toronto, and also the original 1999 Channel 4 Series. I remember distinctly sneaking downstairs into the living room while Mom and Dad slept, and watching it with the volume down low late at night. The Series meant so much to me growing-up because there weren’t many LGBTQ+ characters on TV and here I was immersed entirely in these fictional worlds, waiting eagerly for the next episode. If only they knew the way they’d pave eventually for LGBTQ+ Storytellers today and the conversations they would enable in a generation to follow. And here we are today with a new reimaging of Queer as Folk from Peacock, speaking to yet another generation.
At the center of this new Series are Brodie (Devin Way), Noah (Johnny Sibilly) and Mingus (Fin Argus), our new Love Triangle. Brodie returns to New Orleans after quitting Medical School, reuniting with his ex Noah and the two have some unresolved issues in their relationship to work out. Their lives are intertwined further and changed irreversibly when tragedy strikes at a night club where their friend Daddius is shot to death. Trauma Queens, if you will. Brodie and Mingus narrowly escape death. And the Series focuses on how these central characters cope and navigate the pain of loss, ever-present Homophobia in the community they live, and also the dynamics of their own strained relationships with themselves amongst themselves. We meet also Ruthie (Jesse James Keitel.. a relative of Harvey) who is a Trans woman navigating the tragedy also and becoming a new mother with her partner Shar (CG). And yes, the baby is Brodie‘s.
In many ways, this new Series is louder and prouder than its Predecessors, but the humour is just as biting and cruel, true to brand. And it isn’t just gay white men at the center of this world. We get so involved with these characters and their complicated lives that we forget just how diverse this Cast actually is. The Series goes a layer deeper in its exploration how these characters process grief and the post-trauma. Tonally, they get it right, self-aware of its own cynicism towards things like those using the tragedy to serve themselves, but it becomes heartfelt where it matters and is appropriate. We see and hear the course-corrections it makes, necessitating a reboot today, whether it be calling-out misgendering or acknowledging disability.
We love Sibilly from HBO Max’s HACKS and are thrilled he gets the space to flex his craft here as Noah, who knows Brodie is wrong for him but welcomes him back into his world. This is a great introduction to Way as well who carries much of the weight as the Series’ Protagonist. He’s flawed and figuring it out and that’s what keeps us invested. But how about this Supporting Cast? Familiar faces like Kim Cattrall as Brodie‘s quirky mom is a real treat, as is Juliette Lewis as Mingus’ mother – also eccentric, but both undeniably cool. And yes, we think we recognize Ed Begley Jr. as Brodie‘s dad!
Though QUEER AS FOLK premiered late June, it’s not too late to get caught-up on STACKTV. New episodes air in Canada Sundays 9 PM ET on Showcase.
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