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Category is … Fierce television drama.
That’s exactly what Ryan Murphy’s new FX series Pose is. And it’s certainly no coincidence that FX chose the month of June to debut the series being as it is regarded as LGBTQ Pride Month. So you may have guessed now, if you weren’t sure before, that the series takes place in the LGBTQ community. It does, specifically 1987, New York City, smack dab in the middle of the ‘Ballroom Culture’ and the scourge of AIDS, at a time when the disease was considered (a) a ‘gay’ disease and (b) a death sentence. But not to worry, Pose is not going to wallow in despair as characters we get to know suddenly get sick and die.
Pose is more a celebration of community and family, in good times and bad, and how people who have no real families of their own make families of their choosing. The series kicks off with a quick introduction to the House of Abundance, a ragtag group of gay, lesbian and transgender people who live, eat and sleep for the ballroom. This House is headed by Elektra (Dominique Jackson), addressed by her ‘children’ only as ‘Mother.’ And mother is a fierce queen, focused solely on her House being the champions of the ball even if it means a bit of larceny to get the absolute best outfits for the occasion.
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One of Elektra’s children, Blanca (MJ Rodriguez), has just been given her diagnosis that she is HIV+. Fearing that she’ll leave this world without making her mark, Blanca betrays Mother — at least in Mother’s eyes — to break from the House, get her own place and start her own House, hoping to eventually take on the House of Abundance and make a name for herself. But to be a Mother, she needs children and one practically falls in her lap in the form of Damon (Ryan Jamaal Swain), a 17-year-old whose just been thrown out of his parents home for being a ‘sissy’ dancer and having a gay adult magazine in the house. With no money and nowhere else to go, he accepts Blanca’s offer to live at her new place but what he really wants to do is dance. And she is determined to make that happen, for him and for their House.
Pose sets up these key characters expertly and immerses the viewer into the ballroom culture, also dispelling the notion that Madonna originated voguing. Every time Pray Tell (Billy Porter) announces ‘Category is …’, the music pumps and the walking and posing begins. It’s quite exciting and entertaining, and I have to admit that I believe I have the 12″ vinyl record for every song played on the first episode. Of course, this all sets up the rivalry that is to come between the House of Abundance and Blanca’s newly christened House of Evangelista.
It’s not going to be all fun and voguing though. The spectre of AIDS hangs over the story with Blanca’s diagnosis to the warnings to be safe to the memories of friends already lost to the disease. There is also another character who will figure prominently into the story, Stan Bowes (Evan Peters). Bowes, who has just accepted a job with a certain New York City businessman with a golden toilet, has been cruising a particular area of the city, his eye on one specific girl, Angel (Indya Moore) … who comes with a little something extra (of which Stan remarks is not so little). But Stan is married with children and will struggle with his identity. He enjoys his celebratory evening with Angel, but when she appears outside his new office (after being rejected for a job at a shop in the building), Stan reacts with anger, emphasizing his marriage and children. But after taking his wife Patty (Kate Mara) to the top of the Rainbow Room for an anniversary dinner, he’s right back out there hooking up with Angel again. The question is, how long will his struggle continue and will Patty find out before he’s ready to tell her?
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Pose is a bold endeavor that will be telling stories of people mostly invisible or disregarded on network television. The show has already made history by including the largest number of LGBTQ actors on television. But the story is just larger than the LGBTQ community. Anyone who’s ever felt like an outsider can relate to these stories. It’s not just about the struggles a trans person goes through, mentally and physically. In fact, the show goes to great lengths to not make the show about being a trans person, it’s just about being a person, period, and all the ups and downs that come with life. It shows the value of a family, even if it’s one of your own choosing, and that can apply to anyone who feels they reside on the outside of the world looking in. Pose does not rely on sensation for its storytelling, it looks deep into the human condition. It’s serious, but it’s funny, it’s exhilarating yet heart-wrenching. It features a bold, new group of actors, fresh faces not really seen on TV before, and it’s one of the most fiercely original shows to come along in a while. But it succeeds because it’s relatable. You don’t have to be gay, lesbian, bi, transgender or queer to understand the struggles. For many viewers, this show will speak their truths, and hopefully in the long-run will allow others, especially in today’s political climate, to understand just why equality for all matters so much. Pose will entertain and hopefully educate as well.
Pose airs Sundays at 9:00 PM on FX.
What did you think of the premiere? Give us your thoughts in the comments section below.
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