'Queer as Folk' Review: Peacock's reboot series is authentic and shows how LGBTQ stories should be told
In the early 2000s, we saw ‘Queer as Folk’ taking American viewers by storm and giving them a new perspective on the LGBTQ+ community. It was ground- breaking and one of the things that made it iconic was the sex scene between two men. It was the first time that such a scene made its way to US viewers. A show like this only comes once in a lifetime. However, Peacock made sure that the millennials also get a taste of what an amazing story about the LGBTQ+ community looks like.
The reboot version of ‘Queer as Folk’ is one of the several television series to start its season with a warning about violence after mass shooting incidents in Uvalde, Texas. It surprises me sometimes how writers are able to foreshadow these things and mirror the culture with such storylines. In the Peacock series, we see a group of diversified people from the LGBTQ community trying not to live their lives in fear. However, tragedy strikes in the first episode itself, when an unknown man wreaks havoc by killing several people via automatic rifle.
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The event changes everyone’s life and the rest of the season is all about exploring the consequences of living through trauma. This is when the show feels like it’s telling some of the most relevant stuff to the world. As the first episode introduces us to the interesting character and their complex relationships, the makers offer viewers a high-spirited portrait of the queer community and take us on an emotional journey that’s going to hit people very hard, especially members of the LGBTQ community.
The series also shows how a story about Queers from the 21st century should be told.
As far as acting is concerned, Fin Argus as Mingus and Devin Way as Brodie are undoubtedly the soul of the series. They give nuanced performances and the way their relationship evolves in the series is something that you’d be most proud of. Meanwhile, Kim Cattrall and Juliette Lewis are phenomenal as guest stars.
On the other hand, Jesse James Keitel has once again shown that she’s a force to be reckoned with. She plays Ruthie with utmost precision and the results are extraordinary.
CG (Shar), Ryan O’Connell (Julia), Johnny Sibilly (Noah), Eric Graise (Marvin), and the entire cast have given career-defining performances. Their acting skills take the show to a whole new level.
However, the most amazing part of the show comes when it depicts real-life issues. An issue like drug-use are dealt with strongly in the show and is equally jarring. Apart from showing these already-discussed issues, ‘Queer as Folk’ reaches greater heights when it explores the bigger contemporary themes in the LGBTQ community.
All in all, the reboot version of ‘Queer as Folk’ manages to create a name for itself for being a bit different than the original one, but there are some similarities and I didn’t mind that. We would love the show to return for another season because there are a lot of problems that the LGBTQ+ community experiences nowadays and they can be addressed in the coming editions.
'Queer as Folk' will be streaming exclusively on Peacock on June 9.