TV Review - Love, Victor: Season 2

This is yet another example of a TV series whose first season didn't impress or even intrigue me all that much, but the second season represents a vast improvement. Almost every problem I had with the first season, this season rectifies, somewhat. There is another problem that the series loses focus, as it feels it needs to maintain narratives and plot lines for all the characters introduced last season. It does so perhaps to fill out an order of ten episodes. By doing that, the series maintains a diversity of characters who can appeal to a variety of demographics. However, this is on its face a series about a young gay teen dealing with the aftermath of his coming out, as he explores his first same-sex relationship. That should be enough, but there is a circle of friends that the show feels it has to continue to juggle episode after episode. There are times when that's appreciated and other times it feels like padding or dragging from the main story.

Michael Cimino reprises his role of Victor Salazar, a teenage basketball player who has moved to a new high school in Atlanta, Georgia, from where he was raised in Texas. He's Latino and has recently come out as gay to his parents. In fact, that's how the first season ended. This season picks up immediately after Victor came out to his parents after also deciding that he was going to pursue a same-sex relationship with a teenage musician at his school. It's his first such relationship. He's nervous and anxious because he feels like he doesn't know what to do or how to handle things that arise. At the same time, he has to deal with his homophobic mother who loves him but is having trouble accepting her son's homosexuality.

George Sear reprises his role of Benji Campbell, the boyfriend to Victor. He plays music in a band. He also works along side Victor at a coffee shop. He's been openly gay for a longer time than Victor. He's also clearly more experienced with certain things and he's also more aggressive and less anxious when it comes to expressing his sexuality. He's not flamboyant or anything. He's just more open than Victor. He's also more willing to be confrontational, whereas Victor isn't. This causes some tension. Benji seems a bit older than Victor but not much older. Yet, Benji is revealed to have had a substance abuse problem into which this series doesn't really delve but does become an arbitrary point of contention.

This season starts off strong with the issue of Victor and Benji trying to be together, both casually and intimately, and things getting in the way. Most of their obstacles come from Victor or his mother. I wish the series had focused more on that, but it can't help but veer off into various directions or diversions. However, even its focus on Victor and Benji had its stumbles, not intentional stumbles but bad storytelling on the part of creators Isaac Aptaker and Elizabeth Berger. For example, Episode 4 is all about Victor and Benji trying to have intercourse. There are all these scenes of the two going at it, moments of them ripping off their clothes, but something or someone keeps interrupting them. Later, in the episode, Victor says he's nervous about having sex, but what did he think would happen in all those moments before they were interrupted? It makes no sense that he would say he's nervous about sex after he nearly had sex three times and showed zero nervousness and probably would have gone through with it, if not for the interruptions.

Anthony Turpel (No Good Nick and The Bold and the Beautiful) reprises his role of Felix Weston, the best friend to Victor who lives in the same apartment complex as him. The confused storytelling of Episode 4 does provide a lot of opportunities for Turpel to show off his comedic chops, as the series this season feels more comedic overall. In the initial episodes, Turpel and his relationship provides a lot of comic relief, a lot of it is awkward, sexual or toilet humor, but it's rendered funny through Turpel's cool acting. If anyone is familiar with MTV's Teen Wolf (2011), Turpel is a less hyper version of Dylan O'Brien's character. Fortunately or unfortunately with less queer-baiting!! Despite the humor and sweetness his character brings, Felix's presence and story line does drag or distract from the main story, and sadly, he would be a character I would cut.

Rachel Hilson (This Is Us and Rise) plays Mia Brooks, the ex-girlfriend of Victor with whom he broke up because he realized he was gay. Victor's story line with Mia in the first season was the source of a lot of my frustration with the first season. Even though Hilson is a beautiful and wonderful actress who is terrific and nails all of her moments, the character of Mia is another one I would have cut. Her role adds an interesting African-American family and diversity to this series in that regard. Unfortunately, Victor being a gay Latino is enough diversity. More is certainly appreciated but in this case not needed.

Bebe Wood (The Real O'Neals and The New Normal) plays Lake Meriwether, the girlfriend to Felix and the best friend to Mia. In a series about a young gay teen, she's the best character. She's smart and funny. Wood steals every scene she's in. She's wonderful. Of all characters I would cut, she wouldn't be one of them. If I cut Felix and Mia, it would also be logical for her to go, but she's too good a character and the performance is too great. Plus, the series reveals that Lake might be a member of the LGBTQ community, as opposed to Felix and Mia who are clearly straight. A couple of clever lines from Lake include "ho's before homos" and "let's ditch these gays like a corporation after pride month." A reference she makes to Olivia Jade is also funny.

The series tries to tackle serious subjects with Felix and Mia, but they then become so far out of the orbit of Victor that they start to matter less. Mental illness and parental abandonment are serious issues, but the series almost goes out of its way to keep them separate from Victor, even when it makes no sense and actually only makes Victor seem more self-absorbed. For example, Episode 6 has Felix dealing with his mom who has a mental illness. The series never has Victor really engage with that at all, despite Felix being Victor's best friend. Victor never even meets Felix's mom in this season.

Mason Gooding (Booksmart and Ballers) plays Andrew, a jock and basketball player who is a teammate of Victor. He's another character I would cut. He has one good episode, that of Episode 3, which is the episode that deals with homophobia in the locker room. Given the recent announcement of Carl Nassib who came out as the first openly gay player in the NFL, it's a topical and relevant subject. Only, I wish the series had addressed the topic of transgender athletes in high school sports because that's really the current hot button topic. The series is a little behind the curve, but other than this episode, Andrew is rather pointless in this narrative, as Victor abandons his interest in sports. Andrew is ostensibly Mia's boyfriend but that amounts to not much.

The second half of the series mainly is about juggling two love triangles. The one involving Felix is a bit lame. The one involving Victor is interesting and occasionally engaging, but there are issues with it that don't get addressed. For example, Victor is obviously dating Benji but another student at his school shows up half-way through and it's obvious that he's going to be the third wheel. Anthony Keyvan (Generation and Alexa & Katie) plays Rahim, a more effeminate, gay kid from a Muslim family. He asks Victor for advice about coming out and they become instant friends. Yet, it becomes so clear where the series is going with this character. If the series had fleshed out Rahim more, it might have been better, but we don't even see Rahim coming out to his family. It happens off screen. The issue of thinking that the person you meet in high school is going to be your soulmate without any exploring or dating hits a brick wall here, in a series that feels like it's still working in a Disney romance venue. Thankfully, this season finally acknowledges that Grindr and gay bars exist but instead of opening up the presence of gay men, this series still limits them.

Ana Ortiz (Devious Maids and Ugly Betty) rounds out the cast as Isabel Salazar, the mother to Victor. Her character has the most compelling arc of any character. She loves her son, but she's awkward and uncomfortable. Mostly, her issues stem from her religious connection. She's a Catholic who attends church regularly. She's real friendly with her local priest who's really homophobic. Seeing her navigate her religion with maintaining a loving and accepting relationship with her son is by far the strongest part of the series.

Rated TV-14.

Running Time: 30 mins. / 10 eps.

Available on Hulu.