September 28, 2017

Transparent: Season 4


Feels like the luster's worn off of Transparent quite a bit, and honestly? I think I find it to be an easier show to watch now than I once did. Make no mistake - I'm aware of how monumental and important the show was in its first couple of seasons, and even how important it still is, in normalizing and humanizing LGBTQIA characters. (Wait, hang on. L yes, B yes, T obviously, Q for sure, but have we seen G? We've probably seen G and I just can't remember it, right? But have we seen A? I don't think we've seen A. Hell, BoJack Horseman has shown us more A. And as for I, oof, I'll be honest, I can't recall if we've seen I, but I also am not fully aware of how we'd be able to tell I from T when it comes to some of these characters without asking rude, probing questions.)

Okay, so as I was saying, I just think this is an easier show to watch as a pretty clever and very sex- and identity-focused family comedy. You know what I never really noticed before? How Jewish this show is. Like the Judaism was sort of hiding in the shadow of the transgender stuff all these years. Holy smokes, more than half of this season takes place in Israel. And I love that. I love how this isn't just a show about "one" thing, you know? It's also a show about a deeply dysfunctional family, or moreover, an entire family of deeply dysfunctional people. But like, thanks to the weight Transparent shouldered in 2014 and 2015 in breaking so much important ground, it can just sort of relax a little and be a funny comedy in 2017. Does that make sense? I hope that makes sense. Like it's definitely a sloppier and messier and less poignant show, but that's okay! It's also kind of quietly a funnier and easier and more relatable show.

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