During this year’s Pride, much of the LGBTQ+ community and its allies are stuck celebrating indoors instead of the usual parade-filled festivities. One way to celebrate, especially for college students a bit distanced from the drama that goes hand-in-hand with the high school experience, is to binge the brief yet sweet Hulu series “Love, Victor.”
Originally a Disney+ series, “Love, Victor” is a spin-off of the 2018 too-picture-perfect movie “Love, Simon” that follows Simon Spier (Nick Robinson) as he navigates both the fictional Atlanta-based Creekwood High and his sexuality. “Love, Simon,” while innovative for unabashedly representing LGBTQ+ issues on the silver screen, does little to discuss the nuances of the community it aims to represent. It is Simon’s anonymous pen pal who, throughout the film, has issues that feel genuine and not made palatable for a predominately straight audience — race, religion and family issues should have instead been at the forefront of the protagonist’s experience as opposed to that of the side character. In fact, the protagonist of “Love, Victor,” loveable Victor Salazar (Michael Cimino), calls out Simon’s experience as unrealistic within the first moments he is on screen in the new Hulu show and, as a first impression, made me very hopeful that the new series would improve on what “Love, Simon” starts.
“Love, Victor” is a teen drama featuring Victor as he moves from Texas to Atlanta and enters the world of Creekwood High one year after “Love, Simon” takes place. While much of the plot centers around Victor’s experience at school, his home life with his Colombian American family adds depth to what could easily have been another in a long list of forgettable shows of the same genre. The show leans more toward the rawness of “Never Have I Ever” and away from the trashiness of “Riverdale.”
Through the pilot episode, I was taken by the charm and familiarity of “Love, Victor.” The return to the familiar Creekwood High, as well as some returning guest characters such as the drama-teacher-turned-vice-principal Ms. Albright (Natasha Rothwell), helped ease the hectic exposition that accompanies the genre.
Quickly, the new characters took the spotlight and distinguished the show from its source material. Mia Brooks (Rachel Hilson) is a refined and witty counterpart to Victor’s excitability and awkwardness, while Felix (Anthony Turpel) makes a goofy addition to the team as Victor’s upstairs neighbor and best friend. Both Mia and Felix feature their own growth through the series, but what motivated me to stay with the show was learning more about how Victor’s sexuality influences his whole life, not just how he thinks about relationships.
“Love, Victor” surprised me in its nuanced portrayal of Victor’s sexuality throughout the show’s plotline. Victor struggles to transfer into a new school in the middle of the year while being treated like the “new kid” and by the first day, slides into Simon Spier’s DMs to ask the legendary hero of Creekwood High for help in dealing with his sexuality-related conundrums. The series develops at a natural pace, with the end leaving me wanting more from the characters I became attached to over the 10 half-hour episodes.
One major issue I have with “Love, Victor,” and many other shows representing members the LGBTQ+ community, is that Cimino himself is not gay, yet represents a gay character. This is also an issue I have with Robinson in “Love, Simon.” It was upsetting to learn that Hulu’s spin-off of the film did not move to correct this casting mistake. According to an interview with People magazine, Cimino consulted not only a gay relative but friends in the LGBTQ+ community to effectively perform the role, but this is only a concession of such an oversight. While “Love, Victor” shows teens today that it is okay to be who you are, I wish more media would do the same with actors and actresses that identify and truthfully represent the characters they play on screen.
“Love, Victor” ventures away from other cookie-cutter high school dramas because of its existing exposition from the popular movie “Love, Simon” and its take on Victor’s struggles with his sexuality in other aspects of his life, such as those with friends and family. For anyone willing to relive the cringe-worthy moments of teen drama and romance, “Love, Victor” is worth the watch.
Grade: B+
Joel Lerner (20Ox, 22C) is from Johns Creek, Georgia, majoring in environmental science. Outside of the Wheel, his interests include theater, music and books. If you want to strike up a (seemingly endless) conversation with him, just mention “Doctor Who” or TikTok. Contact Lerner at joel.robert.lerner@emory.edu.
While I understand where the desire to have gay actors portray gay characters come from, it doesn’t bother me in the slightest that the actor playing Victor is straight. I totally buy him as the sweet, smart—slightly awkward, but very cute— Victor.
As the mom of a teen boy that proudly and confidently came out to me as gay at only 13 years old , and being both of us invested in watching the series , I can see the hope and excitement in his attitude when he jumps and reacts to everything the main character goes through . I am sure it would have been great news and very encouraging for him to also know that the gay characters are real life gay young men as he is , it would have given him more confidence and a feeeling that there are more like him out there , which , living in middle America , he does not feel at all . So yeah, I do feel they should cast real gay people to play gay characters and I just explained the reasons why .
It’s about the story. I don’t have a problem with a straight actor playing a gay character in a film that is not about the gay experience. But it better validates the story when a movie about the gay experience is portrayed by someone who is close to the experience. I don’t want these movies to be just a fantasy to the audience. I want the audience to understand that the experience is relatable.
Not really sure why the author repeatedly uses “LGBTQ+” as a synonym for “gay.” “LGBTQ+” is a political contrivance which tosses together many groups which have nothing to do with gay or LGB people people or our issues. It would not serve gay audiences if the producers stuffed the show with asexuals, hermaphrodites or transgenders.
As for the casting issue, I think Cimino does an outstanding job and having the best actors do the best job is what best serves gay audiences. I note that on Star Trek: Discovery, they cast 2 gay actors to play 2 cay characters in a relationship, and yet those performances lack chemistry and energy. So the sexual orientation of the actor does not determine his performance.
Lies! Just kidding but I do disagree with your assessment of my favorite gay couple on TV. They have a deeper relationship than what we usually see in movies. They don’t have the honey glow of victor and Benji but the warmth of a banked hearth. I’m very glad they are on the show. I think that both view points can be right. Having Victor played by an out teen would have had a deeper impact on gay youth going through similar growing pains but also Cimino has totalled nailed this role and I can’t imagine the show without him playing Victor.
While I do think anyone can play any role but this is not one of those projects and we’re not there yet. This is Disney first investment of producing an LGBTQ show with a queer character as the lead so it would be appropriate to cast an actual gay actor for this honor. It is a slap in the face as Hollywood has a long history of casting straight actors in LGBTQ roles or having no queer actors in an LGBTQ show/ movie. Like it or not the straight actor playing Victor is the face for the queer community. It is a false hope that queer people can live successfully and proudly when the actor portraying Victor is straight. It sends a message that LGBTQ people can be seen but only if a straight person does our representation. NOTE it’s a queer character representation not an actual queer person diversity. And a straight actor consulting his gay cousin somehow validates him taking the role?? No be a real ally and let a gay actor take on that role so he can tell his story and represent his community. Like how would it feel if Disney casted a white actor to play Black Panther and call it diversity and making the claim that anyone can play anything? So it’s sad that season 2 didn’t recast him or do a new story with an actual queer actor in the lead. I want LGBTQ youths to see themselves (as in actual queer people) in the media like I didn’t have. The only out gay actors I had were Sean Hayes and Chris Colfer. And that wasn’t that long ago.