Pose Season 1 Review

Major Spoilers are included in this season review. Please read with caution.

On August 14, 2020, I finished Pose’s eight-episode first season. I had been watching this groundbreaking show sporadically throughout July and August with my little brother, giving each episode my undivided attention. Watching this series validated, changed, and challenged my initial viewpoints on media representation for queers and trans people of color. I learned—and unlearned—a lot about this amazing community.

Pose—created by Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, and Steven Canals—is centered around New York’s Black and Latinx LGBTQ and gender non-conforming ballroom scene during the 1980’s. The main characters are dancers and models who compete with each other for trophies and recognition within this underground culture.

What made this series truly groundbreaking is how the queers and trans people of color are at the forefront while the white characters are on the side, the exact opposite of what we’re used to in today’s media representative. The queers and trans people of color in Pose are also portrayed by real trans actors in addition to hiring trans writers and directors—Our Lady J and Janet Mock—for the behind the scenes representation.

“You know what my life is like,” Stan tells Angel. “It’s boring. It’s stupid. Every movie, TV show, ad in a magazine shows you what my life is like. Only chance I’m gonna get of understanding your world is if you show me.”

What Stan told Angel—a trans woman of color—cleverly defined the message behind Pose and Stan—a white character. Representation in our media is imbalanced. Stan can see himself in media without even trying while Angel wouldn’t have a positive deception or any deception at all during the 1980’s.

Unlike most trans and queer narratives that are normally built on top of trauma and tragedy, the first season flipped the script and allowed hope to seethed itself into the storylines. The characters are multi-layered beyond their identities, and they find their joy and strength in Houses—chosen families that compete together in the ballroom scenes. The ballroom scenes are also super fun to watch.

While tragedy and trauma aren’t completely excluded—there are episodes centered around transphobia, rejection, the AIDs Crisis, and ignorance—those experiences were used to strengthen the main characters’ motives to be more themselves and to win more trophies. Also, to live life and have fun!

I would highly recommend watching Pose if you hadn’t already yet. I’m about to dive into season 2 soon. The show’s also been renewed for a season 3. Thanks for reading this season review, everyone! I’ll see you all later on the ballroom floor.