Queer as Folk

For many years, queer film and television focused on tragedy: homophobia, the pain of coming out, unrequited love, and AIDS.

Now that all things queer have become widely normalized and ubiquitous, this reboot reaches back six years to exploit the true horror of the Pulse shooting - to Make Queer Tragic Again.

As in its previous versions, the self-obsessed characters still have the emotional and sexual maturity of 13-year-olds.

But the most galling scene shows them mocking a celebrity who exploits the fictional tragedy for media attention - in a show that exploits a real tragedy for media attention.

I came to this series with a positive bias; I loved the earlier Brit and US versions. I just can't figure out what this series is trying to be. So far, it's a collections of stereotypes (promiscuity, flamboyance, emotional over-the-topness). As a gay man myself, I don't identify with any of these characters. What is the point of this show? To portray our LGBTQ+ community in the worst possible light?

It is really not necessary to go into detail but this remake of QaF is just like all the other 202X remakes of bigger brands. It's a show featuring a queer group of people in New Orleans with the name Queer as Folk. But other than the name the show has nothing to do with the other two shows.

On the surface they may share similar storylines but only on the surface.

There's no depth to it. The characters are very very shallow and can't be compared to there counterparts from previous incarnations.

The dialogue is as expected flat and shallow like in all new shows these days (Star Trek Discovery and so on) In short: this show is a mess and a waste of time and effort.

So most of what I have to say has been said, but my rage and disappointment are so great that I'm going to express it regardless.

The original UK QAF was life-changing. We'd never seen anything remotely like it before. We looked at those characters and immediately knew who in our community they represented. It was gritty, real, honest, beautiful, sexy, shocking, incredibly acted, and legitimate. Quite possibly one of the most impactful TV shows of all time.

The 2000 American reboot did away with the grit, reduced the characters to mostly caricatures, and dumbed it all down a notch or two. But it was light-hearted, fun, funny, cute, struck a nerve in a good way a time or two, and had the remarkable Sharon Gless in it. It was easy to watch and hard not to enjoy.

This. This 2022 abomination. It is absolute unforgivable dreck. You start with a cast that represents every fringe group imaginable, not because it makes sense in the story or because any community on Earth is represented in those proportions, but purely because in 2022 if you don't then somebody will claim oppression and cancel you. The bigger problem: when you pick actors for a TV show, it's probably a little important that they can act. Not a consideration for putting this mess together. Then you reinforce everything that's wrong with the world by basing the show on the thought that everyone in the LGBTQ community is a victim (and boy does everyone in this show truly believe they are a victim). And a hard drug addict. And an idiot. And sleeps with their mother-in-laws and boyfriend's brothers. It mirrors my feelings about pride parades that display floats of men in leather beating and degrading themselves while saying, "here's the gay community" to the world. To whoever created this: the community does not look or act like this anywhere on the planet and this nonsense does not represent any self-respecting gay, lesbian, trans, or queer person.

The entire, completely unrealistic plot of this incarnation seems only to say that everyone in the world who isn't straight is a complete train wreck: incapable of a meaningful career, stupid, unworthy of friendship, liars, addicts, cheaters, sex fiends, miserably unhappy, hateful, victimized, and dying of AIDS. My god, did nobody watch this while it was being made and point out that it's actually a vicious attack on the community that reinforces the worst tropes, stereotypes, and lies in the world?!

There's sex sprinkled throughout, but it serves no purpose in the story and is utterly the most boring, disinteresting sex ever recorded. The characters are so repulsive you don't even want to look at them. QAF 2022 made sex a turn-off. How's that for an accomplishment?

The only character who showed even a glimmer of being able to display a human characteristic was Julian, but sadly Julian was played by the worst actor in the show. Unwatchable-bad. There is not a single good line of dialogue in any of the eight episodes written. The sets are drab and boring. They did nothing right.

Another reviewer here used the word "vacuous." That is an excellent word. It should not be watched because it serves only to lessen us as humans by portraying us as animals. If this gets a second season, there is no justice in the universe. I had to click 1 out of 10, but QAF 2022 is truly the most zero program ever aired.

I saw an "if you liked this, you may be interested in..." recommendation while watching QAF and started watching Heartstopper. The production team for QAF should really have a look at it to see what LGBTQ television should be in this day and age. Heartstopper was sweet, real, beautiful, kind, good, touched my heart, made me happy-cry, and gave me hope for the world. It was everything QAF should have been but failed completely at.

Irredeemable dreck. That's what this QAF is. Stay far away!

I'm ashamed for everyone involved in this.

The original UK series from 1999 was ground breaking but this, is a bit of a hot mess in comparison. It's like the production is demanding that every letter of the alphabet, and every colour of the rainbow be squished into each and every episode. There are more stereotypes than you can poke a stick at. Have the makers of this show ever heard the phrase, less is more?