Giving me a Complex...
I spent a week catching up on The LA Complex, thanks to crack peddlers disguised as friends, and OMG FANDOM, WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU? It never fails to amaze me when shows with canon gay get overlooked as fandom migrates to places where they can throw any two characters together and claim it's the slashiest thing ever. (Yes, that was a gripe about Hawkeye/Coulson, but I digress...)
Like other Canadian shows, The LA Complex is effortlessly multiracial and LGBT-inclusive. And what I think really amazes me is that it has unlikable female characters who *aren't* bitches. There's a diversity of how women are portrayed, but they're not The Designated Bitch of the show, like you would find in an American show. Raquel is not Abby is not Sabrina is not Beth. Although I think Sabrina and Maggie from Saving Hope could totally compete in the Negging Olympics. Do they *ever* say anything positive? And the guys are equally flawed. Nick's a doormat and a bit of a douche, Connor is a hot mess and Kal...oh, man, Kal. THIS is where I wish slash fandom could be: watching this charismatic, scary, broken man navigate his way through acceptance of his sexuality and a career in hip-hop.
I give you the end of TLAC episode one, which was a major jaw-dropper for most viewers (I accidentally called it from a mile away):
I could write an ode to Andra Fuller's arms.
It's ironic, but Tariq and Kal remind me a lot of QAF's Brian and Justin, despite being completely different. There's something that happens later in the season that, in particular, recalled something in B/J's relationship despite, again, being drastically different. It's this very "wow, you're broken, and he's too young and too good for you...so please end this train wreck" vibe, and I think The LA Complex does a much better job of depicting that and the fallout than QAF did...and setting up a redemption arc for Kal that works so much better than Brian's spiral of ego-driven crap that made me bail out well before the series wrapped.
The CW is airing two episodes of The LA Complex back-to-back tonight. I am absurdly happy about that. GLEEFUL, even. Basically the only thing I have to look forward to.
Like other Canadian shows, The LA Complex is effortlessly multiracial and LGBT-inclusive. And what I think really amazes me is that it has unlikable female characters who *aren't* bitches. There's a diversity of how women are portrayed, but they're not The Designated Bitch of the show, like you would find in an American show. Raquel is not Abby is not Sabrina is not Beth. Although I think Sabrina and Maggie from Saving Hope could totally compete in the Negging Olympics. Do they *ever* say anything positive? And the guys are equally flawed. Nick's a doormat and a bit of a douche, Connor is a hot mess and Kal...oh, man, Kal. THIS is where I wish slash fandom could be: watching this charismatic, scary, broken man navigate his way through acceptance of his sexuality and a career in hip-hop.
I give you the end of TLAC episode one, which was a major jaw-dropper for most viewers (I accidentally called it from a mile away):
Click to viewI could write an ode to Andra Fuller's arms.
It's ironic, but Tariq and Kal remind me a lot of QAF's Brian and Justin, despite being completely different. There's something that happens later in the season that, in particular, recalled something in B/J's relationship despite, again, being drastically different. It's this very "wow, you're broken, and he's too young and too good for you...so please end this train wreck" vibe, and I think The LA Complex does a much better job of depicting that and the fallout than QAF did...and setting up a redemption arc for Kal that works so much better than Brian's spiral of ego-driven crap that made me bail out well before the series wrapped.
The CW is airing two episodes of The LA Complex back-to-back tonight. I am absurdly happy about that. GLEEFUL, even. Basically the only thing I have to look forward to.