HBO
I’m really enjoying how We’re Here has been progressing over the course of the five episodes that have been broadcast so far. Each opening segment seems to be getting more and more elaborate, giving the Queens a chance to have some fun before getting into their therapist modes. Last week they landed in the desert like beautiful aliens and this week they turn up in the forest of Ruston, Louisiana with variations of hunting garb and wildlife. The duck on Bob the Drag Queen’s head is hilarious (and be sure to look at the back of the wig too). And once in town, they do the usual stumping for the upcoming drag show and stop in a local bakery where Shangela attempts to describe to someone on the phone the various available pastries. It doesn’t go well.
But they waste little time in getting down to business with their new drag babies. Bob teams up with Stacy, a male firefighter (with a self-described unisex name) and straight ally who wants to use his influence in the small town to make the LGBTQ community feel welcome, because as we’ve come to learn just because you don’t see them doesn’t mean they aren’t there. (The number of people who turn up to the shows in drag are often surprising.) Stacy has always been an ally but getting into drag may be just a bit outside of his comfort zone so it’s up to Bob and his team to ease Stacy into a pair of high heels and take him through the choreography. One thing that fascinates Bob about Stacy is the beard, something Bob is very excited to work with.
Eureka teams up with Lynn, an out and proud married lesbian who suffered a horrific motorcycle accident that basically tore off her left arm and leg. Now trying to adjust to the prosthetics — which sometimes are just too cumbersome for her to deal with — Lynn wants to reclaim her independence. Even with the tragedy of the accident, Lynn does have a silver lining — that’s how she met her wife who was a nurse on duty the night of the accident. Making her drag king debut, and this makeover is a first for Eureka, Lynn really hopes for one thing: to wear the cowboy boots she was wearing the night of the accident. With the prosthetic leg, she has not been able to pull the boot on and the heels have caused some balance issues. It’s up to Eureka to find a solution to that problem so Lynn can give the performance of a lifetime.
HBO
Shangela, who for me is the real heart and soul of the show, meets with her new drag daughter Jose. Jose has the most emotional journey this week as he’s been dealing with issues between himself and his mother, whom he claims does not accept his homosexuality. Jose has had to ‘butch it up’ not just at work, for fear of losing his job, but for his mother’s sake as well so she isn’t harassed by the people at her church, which then comes back on him. This self-censorship has put a huge rift between Jose and his mother, and Shangela needs to get down to the truth of the matter. Having a sit down with Jose, his mom and sister, his mother seems quite honest when she tells Shangela that she’s always supported Jose, from the time he came out at 12 to the present. Jose sees things quite differently and after the meeting, even Shangela is questioning Jose’s mom’s sincerity. Was it all for the cameras? Will she come to the show? Jose does have a good group of friends, in particular Jer’Mario who is Jose’s protective ‘big brother’. Since the two are so close, Shangie wants Jer’Mario to join them in the number and … someone may have found their calling. Just sayin’.
In the four previous episodes, the Queens and their drag daughters have rarely interacted but in a small town like Ruston, the trio learns that their babies do actually know each other. Stacy was on duty the night of Lynn’s accident, and Jer’Mario grew up with Stacy. It was a nice moment to see all of them interact at a group gathering.
While not as deeply emotional as the previous episode, this week’s We’re Here is still inspirational and the performances are amazing. There’s one point where protesters crash the show that had my heart in my throat for a moment but you’ll have to tune in to see what happens. I’ve said before that I hope they do some kind of follow-up episodes at some point because I want to know how the experience has affected not only the subjects but the towns, and I really want to know if Jose’s mother was sincere and his perception was all a misunderstanding … or if she’s shady AF.
What did you think of this episode? Tell us in the comments section below!
Share this post
