Super surprised and cheered that POSE is renewed-- I love that a rare show like this can find a devoted audience in this day and age.
On the other hand, wow was that a bitter pill of an episode last night! I guess they wanted to sink each and every character to the lowest ebb in her arc so that next week's finale can give some of them a reprieve and therefore a temporary happy ending. Even the ballroom "Category is.... BIZARRE" sequence seemed dark-dark-dark with barely any screen time for our beloved Billy Porter, just to deny us the glitter and glamour of their usual walk-offs.
I'm ready for rainbows and unicorns in the finale, however unlikely that may be...
I thought that the last episode was one of the weaker ones. Part of it had to do with the actress playing Electra who just isn't a very good actress. And the subplot about one of the children selling drugs did not leave much of a punch. I was thinking the same thing about Porter not having much screen time and how much I missed him.
On a good note TV Guide this weeks had the program in it's Cheers section saying that it should be nominated for Emmys. They loved the Home duet.
I just had to make room on the DVR, and the season finale is on tomorrow night, but thank God that they were mostly able to fix the story flaws in the early episodes. I binged on the past 5 eps and I am AMAZED and in tears at times with the wonderful performance Billy Porter is pushing through his SOUL. For every young LGBTQZ and millennial person, this should be required viewing , showing what it must have been like to live through the late 80's, HIV/AIDS, and coming of age and awareness. I'm so glad it was renewed for a 2nd season and one more thing, agreeing with Kad and others....Can we just GIVE BILLY PORTER AN EMMY AWARD RIGHT NOW??? (Plus what other producer is able to showcase that hospital scene with two full songs, including "Home" ?? on broadcast TV??
CarlosAlberto said: "If there is one show this year that deserves to be called overrated...it's this one."
Sorry you find it overrated. I’m sure the many trans people finally seeing themselves portrayed with truth and dignity on screen don’t find it overrated at all.
The plot and characters are very very strong, with most of the cast pulling their weight rather well.
There are some technical problems of pacing/editing in the show, there's no point denying that. The episodes are far too long, and sometime the dramatic tension is gone because of unnecessary dead silence.
I love Elektra the character, the actress and writers are channelling likes of Crystal Labeija in their portrayal but they're missing the mark big time. Owing to what someone above already said - Dominique Jackson is not a good actress. I hope Ryan Murphy, as he has in the past, actively works with her for Season 2 to improve her skills because she is the weakest link in the cast.
Having said all of that, Pose cast's rendition of Home is probably the best I have ever heard (and I have heard far too many). I was feeling heavy just because of the added context to the song, before MJ, Our Lady J, and Billing F***ing Porter completely destroyed me by their singing and musicality.
Caption: Every so often there was a rare moment of perfect balance when I soared above him.
Valentina3 said: "I love Elektra the character, the actress and writers are channelling likes of Crystal Labeija in their portrayal but they're missing the mark big time. Owing to what someone above already said - Dominique Jackson is not a good actress. I hope Ryan Murphy, as he has in the past, actively works with her for Season 2 to improve her skills because she is the weakest link in the cast.
ADORE this show so much, but 100% agree with the above... its something in the way she enunciates certain words? i dont know. its weird. certain times when shes speaking it pulls me out of the moment.
robskynyc said: "Valentina3 said: "I love Elektra the character, the actress and writers are channelling likes of Crystal Labeija in their portrayal but they're missing the mark big time. Owing to what someone above already said - Dominique Jackson is not a good actress. I hope Ryan Murphy, as he has in the past, actively works with her for Season 2 to improve her skills because she is the weakest link in the cast.
ADORE this show so much, but 100% agree with the above... its something in the way she enunciates certain words? i dont know. its weird. certain times when shes speaking it pulls me out of the moment."
I think the actress is unable to inhabit the character so it is coming across as a caricature. She simply needs acting lessons. She has the physicality and a sense of detachment but she is the missing the core.
I had the same thoughts about Ms. Jackson's performance for the first 2 or 3 episodes and then at some point I realized that back in the 80's I met, through friends, a few Elektras. I don't think she is hitting the nail right on the head but she is very close.
I love Pose so much, from the first few minutes of the pilot. Love all the different story lines, and the cast is wonderful. A few need serious acting lessons (Elektra, Lulu, Candy). You can tell who the veteran actors are, who have been acting professionally for a very long time, especially the ones who are classically trained. Billy Porter blows everyone else away. Brilliant show!
I just wish we had seen more of the cast on talk shows and red carpets leading up to this season. Porter seems to be getting the most exposure. It was nice to see MJ interviewed this past week on network tv.
I thought it was a very good season opener as well. It reminded me how much Act Up did for AIDS activism. There was also a larger theme at play that was along the lines of live life to its fullest for you never know what the next day will bring and you do not win the lottery if you do not buy a ticket.....that sort of thing. I love Billy Porter.
Glad they covered that. Also Porter's character's reaction to it was done well especially knowing how hard the black community was hit by AIDS. There was a short amount of time that it was reported that the black community was immune. (I kind of wish they had alluded to that in season one. They may have) The black community was not really involved when it started. we knew about it though.
The song "Vogue" was a big deal. I think they over did its importance just a bit. I remember when it came out critics said she was a bit late to the game but it was a monster hit and anthem. It was a nice touch to see one of the original dancers from the video at the end of the episode.
The first half hour was a bit hard to take. I lost a lot of close friends back then. They really did a nice job of covering that time and moving the storyline forward.