Is the first episode of Channel 4's "It's A Sin" SINcere or SINful in its representation?

 

As a fan of director Russell T Davies and his ability to craft characters made me feel that whatever way the first episode went; it would be well written characters. It certainly isn't his first rodeo. Queer As Folk as relevant as it will always be seems to fade away the more years go by, and even Russell's work on Cucumber and Banana from 2015 also seem oddly old as the face, and the pace of LGBTQ+ experience continues to run in bounds and strides among Millennials and now Generation Z who expect to be represented well, consistently, and properly. Gone are the days are well all just "happy with what we can get"! It is a new world for us all seize what we deserved in the past of when It's A Sin was set and what we deserve now, and always.

So, onto my perspective on the slice of the act that is It's A Sin. Sometimes gay characters can fall into the pitfall of binge carbon copies of each other but that's not what we're served on a gay London scene platter. These young people are vastly different and are all at different stages of exploring the world of sexuality. Nice. Cracking start so far. We meet Ritchie who has moved to London for university who attends clubs, and rapidly sleeps around confidentially and seems to be a fish in water for the London scene. Colin is a clean-cut reserved boy from Wales who longs for a boyfriend but doesn't pursue it, merely takes sneak peeks at men and has moved to London for a new job at an up-market Savile Row store. Roscoe is a boy escaping the wrath of his deeply religious African family and culture. I'd say these are the three we see the most of in the first episode, though there are many more I am sure we will hear more from later.

Films and television have covered being gay in the 80s and the aids crisis a lot. This is a fact and made me feel anxious that another one would be stale. This isn't to say that there aren't recent, fresh takes on a very important period in the last few years. One great example is BPM released in 2017. (I truly recommend a watch if you haven't). But It's A Sin feels different from the get-go and isn't hitting too many stereotypes as it leads us through the narrative. It doesn't glamorise every gay experience in a rose-tinted way because yes, it is a very romantic, fulfilling time getting to finally getting to live your truth but sexual experiences can be messy and I appreciate that from Russell T Davies. This is shown when Ritchie encounters his first-time and Ash, brash as anything tells him truthfully that "Your ass. It needs a good wash." Nothing like the reality being presented more, eh? I feel like that is great especially when young LGBTQ+ people are watching dramas and relying on them for accuracy to shape their perspective on who they are and how their lives are going to be when they are older.

What is a gay drama without Neil Patrick Harris working at Saville Row, slick and donning a moustache? He becomes a mentor to Colin and takes him under his wing by helping him normalise his feelings especially by introducing Colin to his home and his partner of decades Pablo. The relationship is sweet, non-toxic and a realistic portrayal of the different ways you can come to accept yourself with the help of others. We see Colin get a pep in his step from this, as do we see in Ritchie who has made a female best friend who he takes home with him to help "come out" to his family. Spoiler-alert: you think that he is going to come out as gay but, really, he tells his parents he is switching from a law degree to a drama degree. There is humour in that because as a viewer you sigh with relief, but also see it as a stepping stone for Ritchie because his parents are still very angry about this. I like that it shows that it is not just sexuality, but gender-norms which were a huge struggle at the time.

The fact that it is set in the eighties isn't thrown at our faces like Luke-warm water. It doesn't dominate everything like some period dramas can do. In fact, the show delivers it in ice cold doses in a glass and a kiss on the cheek every time they do. It's organic, and natural. Every scene is easy and pleasing on the eye and I was looking forward to every frame. We slowly see Colin lose touch with Henry (Neil Patrick Harris) who has become ill alongside his husband. We watch this unfold with a slow knot of unease build up in our stomachs. Contextually, we know what this means, but the world and Colin have no idea as to event is about to have its firm grip around the population. Colin doesn't give up and eventually is able to visit Henry in hospital and we see lots of tender exchanges that come from this but that is all I will say about that to prevent spoilers!

All the characters meet together towards the end of the episode in a dysfunctional but a warm introduction to what life can be for Colin. Roscoe is almost the leader of the pack and their flat is called 'The Pink Palace' and it is a busy, safe place that hosts crowds. It takes Colin barely five minutes to ask if he can rent a room there. Seeing all the different personalities come together is heart-warming. Starting to see their daily life together begin and seeing them all get ready in the morning is homely and feel-good. I can't wait to see more of that and see this develop more. Each episode seems to jump two/three years in time which is going to be a really fascinating experience and the way things change dramatically between each jump will be interesting to see.

See ya next time,

The Serial Television Watcher