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Pose gave us a history-making episode this week behind the camera with ‘Giving and Receiving’ the first television episode to be written by two transgender women, Janet Mock and Our Lady J. And it was a devastating episode set at Christmas but instead of the Ghosts of Christmases Past, Present and Future hovering over the story, it was the Spectre of Death as more and more people are dying of AIDS. The opening scene was particularly difficult to get through, especially if you’ve been touched in some way by this terrible affliction, with Pray Tell and Damon’s dance teacher Helena St. Rogers (at this point strangers who have no idea of their personal connections) in the same hospital elevator to visit two separate people in the advanced stages of the disease. For Pray Tell, it’s another in a long line of boyfriends, and a dance student of Helen’s who is suffering from the advanced stages of the illness that also includes dementia (and knowing one of my best friends suffered like that was almost unbearable to see on screen).
We don’t know if Pray Tell’s friend made it through Christmas, but we do know Helen’s student passed away and it seems that news had a major impact on her emotions which she unleashed on Damon after he showed up late for a class. Damon, who really is more like an adolescent than a 17-year-old, really wants to dance but he really wants to be part of the Evangelista’s walk at the upcoming holiday ball. So while he’s focused on choreographing the performance for the ball, he’s letting that distract him from his studies. Helen isn’t having any of his excuses, particularly as she looks down on the ballroom world, and lashes out at him for wasting his time, time that isn’t guaranteed to anyone. The end result was that she threw him out of the class, and then called Blanca to let her know what happened.
Blanca was none-too-pleased about the situation and banned Damon from attending the ball, completely ruining Christmas for him. In particular the first Christmas where he felt he could be himself surrounded by a ‘family’ who loves him for who he is. He did lash out but eventually realized that he messed up and Blanca was right, but if he doesn’t apply himself 100% at school, he will be cut at the end of the semester. There could be more distractions ahead as Damon finally let Ricky know that he was ready for sex, a kind of Christmas present for Ricky, but we’re left to wonder (and worry judging from the preview for next week) if Damon followed Blanca’s advice about using protection.
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Stan isn’t facing the Spectre of Death, but he is facing situations that could destroy his family. He stupidly decides to buy jewelry for both his wife Patty and his side piece Angel — who also got an apartment as a Christmas present — while shopping with his daughter … who is a blabbermouth. Patty was already concerned about Stan’s constant late nights at work, especially after his smarmy boss Matt (who wasn’t too thrilled that Stan went over his head to present an idea to the Board about giving their boss cameos in any shows or movies they produce or sponsor) pays a visit allegedly there to deliver gifts. Finding Patty home alone, Matt first lets it slip that he’s not making Stan work late — and then tries to walk it back when he realizes his faux pas — and then tries to slip Patty the tongue, and more, but she pushes him away right before Stan walks in the door. But the idea that Stan is having an affair weighs on her until she explodes on Christmas morning, giving her mother (played by guest Christine Ebersole) even more ammunition to dislike Stan. But, knowing he made a mistake at the jewelry store (probably when the clerk insinuated that he knew who the two gifts were for), Stan had the necklace and bracelet boxed together, relieving for the moment Patty’s concerns about the affair.
But for Angel, who asked Stan to just come and spend an hour with her on Christmas in the new apartment, this ended in tears and trashed Christmas cookies because there was no way he could leave his family on Christmas Day after that incident. But … was he ever really going to visit her? My guess is no and Angel is just setting herself up for more heartbreak. But, she still has Mother Blanca and her Evangelista family behind her and she’d be better off staying closer to them than to Stan, because their story will never have a happy ending.
It wasn’t all doom and gloom though. We got a wonderful bit of comedy with the House of Abundance and Elektra’s girls. As Elektra’s children started listing what they’d like for Christmas, the matter of Elektra’s sugar daddy came up (and we’ll meet him next episode) which is a very touchy subject. Everyone seems to think Elektra is on some kind of free ride but she lets them know in no uncertain terms that she scrapes and scrimps for every penny she gets, and every penny is accounted for, so they all need to be thankful for what they get.
With that being said, Elektra learns that she’s at the top of the list for a sex change operation by a colleague of her former doctor but it’s going to cost. So under the guise of trying to get money for Christmas gift, Elektra and her girls attempt a heist of a Salvation Army collection bucket by tackling a bell-ringing Santa and his elf, with Elektra clad in some not very subtle bright red fur. Yes, they took money meant to help the less fortunate, but it was still hilarious to behold. In the end, they made off with $2300 and Elektra promised the girls they’d be getting what they want for Christmas … and then she promptly took the cash and used it as a down payment on her operation.
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The episode ended up an upbeat but melancholy note as Blanca attempted to cook a turkey, which ended up in flames and tossed out a window, so the House of Evangelista and Pray Tell ended up having a family dinner at a Chinese restaurant where everyone got the gifts they wanted (and one has to wonder how Blanca afforded the lavish gifts, including a pair of red pumps for Angel to make up for the pair she stole as a child that got her, or him at the time, in trouble with her parents) which brought everyone to tears of joy, but they all face an uncertain future. Blanca won’t tell her children about her HIV status, Damon is risking his dream and his life at this point, Pray Tell is on the verge of losing another in a long line of friends and lovers, Angel has a harsh reality ahead, and Elektra may face the wrath of her children and her benefactor by proceeding with her operation. This was a heavy episode filled with so much authenticity thanks to Janet Mock and Our Lady J.
As a side note, if you’re unfamiliar with the ballroom culture depicted on Pose, check out the documentary Paris Is Burning which is currently streaming on Netflix. The film was produced in the same year as Pose takes place, 1987, so it will give you more insight into what is being depicted on the series.
Pose airs Sundays at 9:00 PM on FX.
What did you think of this episode? Give us your thoughts in the comments section below.
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