The second season of Love, Victor was released not long after the first in the UK, it had been about a year in the US. The cliff-hanger of season 1 is about to be resolved, so in the series’ first exciting episode
Perfect Summer Bubble
We pick back up right where we left off, with Victor telling
his parents and Pilar that he’s gay, Pilar is the first to react, hugging her
brother. Armando starts asking the questions including “when did you decide
this?” a question with some of the right intentions, but entirely the wrong
choice of words. Replace ‘decide’ with ‘discover’ and it’s a better question.
Isabel on the other hand says nothing and avoids the subject entirely when
asked, calling them to bed to talk about it in the morning. Roll credits
We then skip ahead 10 weeks, and all of that was summer
break apparently. Is school system weird in America, does the summer break
start right after the spring formal? [OK, information tells me this might
actually be a thing, carry on] Anyway, time for a regularly scheduled Simon
update, they’re a little more reserved with these this season.
Basically, Isabel is still cold on the subject of Victor
being gay, refusing to even call Benji his boyfriend. It’s a little better with
Armando, though he’s not exactly thrilled about the separation, especially
since he’s the one moving into a new place. Still, it’s not all bad, Felix is
working with them at the coffee shop, Lake is still on good terms with them
whilst Mia is… away being a camp counsellor. And of course, he’s with Benji,
which makes him happy (for now)
School is starting up again soon, and it’s time for the
awkward discussion of what they’re going to say. Victor is okay with being more
open about their relationship, which makes Benji happy. It’s the last weekend
before school starts and rather than watching a docuseries of human
trafficking, they agree to go to a Lake and start a bonfire, legally I hope. Lake
asks that it’s done on a Saturday because…
“Hos before homos”
I feel like the writers of Riverdale snuck in and added this
line. Please never do that again, spoiler alert, she’s gonna do it again, just
not in this episode. Victor invites them to his house to try his mother’s
famous pollo guisado, and also as a test run, Benji hasn’t been around to
Victor’s house since they started dating.
Mia arrives home a day early, having to get used to photos
of Veronica around the house. Unfortunately, her room is kinda full of baby
stuff at the moment. Adrian is taken to Armando’s place but is quickly bored as
Jumanji is apparently problematic as Jack Black plays a woman. That’s Welcome
to the Jungle, watch the original Robin Williams one if that idea offends you
(incidentally Jack Black is not playing a woman, he’s playing a male avatar
co-ordinated by a female player, that’s like saying me playing me playing a
game of Lara Croft: Tomb Raider is problematic) Armando asks Adrian what he’d
want to make the place more fun.
Isabel is busy preparing the food, but upon seeing Victor
and Benji kiss outside decides to throw away all her delicious food and try and
get them out the house, even offering to pay for it. Much to her chagrin, they
elect to get takeout delivered. Making it more awkward is when Mia calls Lake
and we get treated to this phrase
“Queens before peens”
Alright, get the writers of Riverdale out of the office
before they give someone a secret twin brother or something. Lake invites Mia
to the bonfire and Mia decides to think about it. Inside it’s awkward as hell,
Lake should’ve taken the opportunity and made a break for it, but as it is,
she’s stuck with the awkwardness.
Pilar tries to force some conversation between Benji and
Isabel by remarking that he’s in a band and plays piano, Victor adding that
Isabel is now the music director at the Saint Frances Church. Hope it pays
well, they were facing financial issues even before the separation, now between
them they’re paying for 2 different houses. Isabel puts a stop to the intended
conversation starter, and starts conversing with Felix.
After a while, she excuses herself from the room entirely
and they decide to head to the bonfire, I mean, at least wait for the Pizza?
Armando and Adrian have bought a turtle but Adrian wants there to be 2 tanks,
so Heather, the turtle, can be housed with both of them. Adrian justifies that
without this he’d have to miss both his father and the turtle so without 2
tanks, he doesn’t want the turtle at all. This ultimately gets Armando to relent.
Mia gets some Chinese takeout and bumps into Andrew, we see
that he’s rocking a new Girlfriend named Lucy, she was apparently one of
Benji’s friends although this is the first and last time that’ll be brought up,
after this encounter, Mia looks for directions to the lake. Armando brings
Adrian and the turtle back as he and Isabel wonder if they’re doing the right
thing.
Benji tries to comfort Victor over everything, his advice is
that he and Victor are all that matters, their parents and school is all just
noise. Pity that noise is still pretty loud. Mia arrives but seeing her friends
having a good time without her and especially Benji and Victor kissing only
makes her feel more isolated so she stops short of joining them. Isabel is
praying at the church whilst the guys are letting of fireworks. Mia opens a
care package from Andrew and finds a message saying ‘I want to be with you’
Felix asks Victor if he can continue working at the coffee
house past the summer, claiming that dating Lake isn’t cheap but coming into
his apartment we can see something more serious is afoot, as his mother is
having one of her depressive episodes and is barely moving. The rent is past
due. Victor tells his mother to refer to Benji as his boyfriend.
It’s a solid episode to set up the drama to come.
Rating 7/10
Coming up:
- Mia is presented with a s’more;
- Armando looks around on the internet;
- And Victor stands on a Chair
Day One, Take Two
Simon finally responds to Victor’s message, or possibly a
new message saying he’s proud of Victor announcing his relationship at school.
Unfortunately, this is where Isabel steps in, warning him that kids at school
can be unkind to people who are ‘different.’ Another of these of these
conversations that you could argue came from the right place, but man is the
language giving the wrong message at this point.
Felix is given a final extension on payment of the rent
until Friday, in exchange for expired ADD pills. Pilar notices Felix talking
with the Landlord. It’s interrupted as Victor walks right by them as they head
to school. Lake takes Mia to school, driving like it’s a Fast and Furious film
except, you know, with less spaceships. Fast 9 is on my list, I promise.
Lake is concerned that Victor and Benji’s relationship being
publicised might make the gossipy school of Creekwood get the wrong end of the
stick. Victor is preparing to out himself when he sees Mia, and tries to strike
up conversation, it goes better than you might expect in that was incredibly
awkward and not a complete debacle.
Next people up to talk to him are the bro-y-est people I’ve
ever witnessed so naturally not the people you want to come out to first.
Victor only admits they broke up, but claims it was because they were long
distance over the summer, and the boys immediately assume she cheated on him,
when it was actually the other way around.
This starts to get on CreekSecrets where it’s wildly
misconstrued and yeah… this is where reality ultimately leaves you in a no-win
situation. Victor shouldn’t have to out himself, but to do so at this stage
leaves Mia taking the fall for their breakup. Rumours circulate and none of
them look good for Mia.
Lake catches wind of this fast, but it hasn’t reached
Victor’s ears yet. Benji gives his take, this may seem scary but it’ll be worth
it in the long run. Lake rushes to Mia and shows her what’s been going on. And
at this point the bro from earlier comes up to Mia with a smore. Victor stands
and shoves the guy to the ground, which is still not the angriest I’ve ever
seen him.
Mia’s not in the best mood after that day, but an
interesting invite from her father to a gala perks her up a little. Meanwhile,
Isabel and Armando have to talk to Victor, the Principal had called them about
the shove. Victor’s been let off at school with detention, and despite
everything they know that it was a gallic effort in defence of Mia, so they’re
not that angry. Victor on the other hand is still royally pissed off, having it
out with his mother over what she said that morning, and the rather unfortunate
subtext behind it.
And yeah, this is not a good for Isabel at all. Mia isn’t
having a great time at the gala, she was promised one-on-one time with her father
but for him it became just as much a networking event. There she meets Tyler,
and she claims to be a Freshman at the college studying art. He’s there for the
food and the wine, Mia asks to do something fun with him, and he invites her to
a wine and cheese party with his friends.
Felix is outside the building doing homework as Pilar comes
out to… get some fresh air I guess. Felix reveals to her that his mother is
having an episode that’s lasted longer than usual, she can’t get out of bed and
she’s lost her job. Felix has been trying but he’s $200 short on rent. Pilar
gives him money from her summer job to cover the difference. She claims the
Billie Eilish tickets she was saving for had sold out.
Mia spills her secrets to the cheese and wine party, telling
them all about Victor though I don’t think mentioning him by name. They
sympathise with her and it’s sympathy she’s desperately needed. She gives Tyler
her number before leaving, making them officially an item, whilst she’s lying
about her age. I can’t be the only one feeling uncomfortable right now.
Victor tells Benji about it all that day, and reveals his
father took him to a strip club after he told them he was gay. That’s the least
he did, but all that for another time. If anything, though, hearing how easily
Benji shut it down only makes Victor feel worse, apologising for not being as
brave. It’s actually a nice scene. Benji at least accepts that Victor needs time.
Armando arrives at the house the next morning to pick up
Adrian, he mentions that after scouring the internet, he found a support group
for parents with gay kids that has a place in the area meeting every other
week.
The next morning, Victor wants to talk with Mia. She amazing
cool about the whole affair, maybe finding a new lease of life after the cheese
and wine, her not being angry about any of it is a plot point they'll address
later. Pilar talks to her friends, one of whom we’ll be seeing more of quite
soon and tells him she can’t afford to go to Billy Eilish anymore, she lied
about the tickets being sold out.
Victor decides to do what he should have done yesterday,
standing on a chair and loudly proclaiming that he’s gay. We finish with a
thank you from Victor to Simon for showing him how to be brave.
The setup was neat but the payoff was stretched out for
other subplots to interject, not necessarily a bad thing though.
Rating 7.5/10
Next up:
- Armando eats a doughnut;
- Lake doesn’t know Mandarin;
- And Mia throws up
There’s No Gay in Team
In another message to Simon, Victor talks about how people
have reacted to him coming out, complete strangers have gone and given him the
“I’m not homophobic, I’m an ally” speech or asked him about his skin routine?
What?
But a more unsettling news comes when Coach Ford needs a
word with him. To put a long babble mercifully short, some of players are now
uncomfortable changing with Victor and Coach Ford is offering him a Coach’s
office to change and shower in private as a compromise. Victor is told to
consider it as we cut to credits.
Mia meanwhile is practicing her art and talking to Tyler,
she says she’s in an off-campus warehouse when she’s actually in the high
school art classroom. Lake bursts in and luckily Tyler doesn’t hear him and Mia
is able to explain it quietly. Mia asks what he’s up to and Tyler invites him
to a college party on Buck Row.
It’s one of those parents with gay kids meetings and who
would be running it today than Jack Spier, Simon’s father. He disappears in
season 3 as they untether themselves from Love, Simon, but I do think Jack should
have stayed and it was a pity he didn’t.
Felix is still doing homework to make the rent, and it may
pay more the coffee house did as he claims he can pay back Pilar, Pilar offers
him someone to vent to if he ever needs it. Lake comes to tell him about the
party but he’s swamped with all the homework he’s doing. He confesses that he’s
doing the homework, but says it’s for DJ equipment which… okay…
Victor tells the gang, still minus Mia, about the incident
this morning, with all of them agreeing with Victor. Victor tries to talk to
Andrew, Andrew won’t tell Victor who it was, advising that the best way to
change their mind is on the court.
Back and PFlag, after a pretty quiet start Armando tries to
talk to Jack, but he’s busy at the office, he invites him to get a beer
tonight, which Armando agrees to. At practice, Victor does his best to be, as
Andrew put it undeniable. Mia arrives at the party but with no sign of Tyler,
or of Lake and Felix, without that, her only comfort is in the alcohol. Felix
is still doing his homework business, as Lake is frantic about getting to the
party.
“Chicks before Dicks”
After practice, Victor changes with the others, but is
hearing whispers from the others regarding him changing with them. Back at the
party Derek makes his last appearance in the show. At the pub, Armando vents to
Jack about Pansexuality. Just wait till you hear the other types of sexuality
there are, and there are more than you might think, look up demisexual. Jack’s
advise for talking to Victor is simple, don’t make every conversation about his
sexuality, they were always lovers of sport so start there.
With Lake on the verge of kicking Felix out for the night,
it’s become clear to Felix that the truth is the only option. Adding to his
woes is that the internet was cut off for non-payment so he has to do the
homework here. With the truth out, Lake offers to help. Victor talks with Benji
who admits he’s not surprised about what Victor had to go through. Their
conversation is interrupted as Benji gets a message from Derek about Mia.
Victor heads over the party as Mia is so drunk she throws up
and is the one who has to take her home. Felix gives Pilar back her money and
tells her that he’s told everything, and you can tell she’s kinda upset about
that. At Mia’s house, Victor and Mia have a proper talk, not that Mia’s likely
to remember much of it.
The fact is though, Mia, who has every right in the world to
be mad at Victor and not want his happiness, is more supportive of him than
members of his basketball team. This gives Victor food for thought. As Victor
leaves, Mia tells Tyler that she’s a junior at High School. He decides not to
break off their relationship in spite of the red flags that would raise.
Armando gives Victor a gift of Vintage Air-Jordans but the
timing couldn’t be worse as Victor tells him that he’s quite the basketball
team. Something that itself should have been a conversation starter but I think
ultimately wasn’t.
It’s a solid episode and it’s clear the show is shying away
from the humour that rarely worked with me.
Rating 8/10
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