Hulu's "Love, Victor" Returns Just in Time for Pride

quotMom Dad I39m gayquot Victor says voice shaking waiting for a response He receives an immediate embrace and quotI love youquot from his little sister Pilar Isabella Ferreira but his father Armando James Martinez is in shock and confused asking quotWhen did you decide thisquot That39s a question often posed when someone is coming out suggesting one39s sexuality is a choice Victor39s mother Isabel vulnerably and wonderfully portrayed by Ana Ortiz is at a loss for words After suggesting everyone get some rest and they speak in the morning we then jump ahead 10 weeks to the end of summer Victor his schoolmatecoworkerfirst boyfriend Benji George Sear his dorky but loveable neighbor Felix Anthony Turpel and his girlfriend Lake Bebe Wood have become a tightknit group while Mia Rachel Hilson Victor39s ex who was heartbroken after catching him and Benji in a kiss amp8211 is now a camp counselor out of stateArmando and Isabel have separated and he hasamp160moved into a new apartment He is hilariously cringeyamp160in his growing acceptance of Victor39s coming out Isabel on the other hand is internally devastated She refers to Benji as Victor39s quotfriendquot barely even speaks to her son and could not be more uncomfortable when he visits their home for the first time She39s anchored herself in her faith and religion seeking a place of solace and relief when her world feels like it has been turned upside down I find it especially interesting that the writers made Isabel the unaccepting parent when we39ve often seen that role go to the patriarch of the family usually embedded in bigotry and machismo It39s Victor and Isabel39s relationship and growth this season that stands out for me and I applaud Michael Cimino and Ana Ortiz for their fantastic performances in their rolesWe actually see a tremendous amount of character growth and complexity in season two more so than the first season not just from the Salazars but also Victor39s friends Felix and Lake39s budding relationship is put to the test when Felix is forced to be a levelheaded grownup and care for his ailing mother while trying to balance school and a parttime job The series has continued to avoid falling into the pit of teen romcom tropes with popular jock Andrew Mason Gooding who has become less of a jerk to Victor and Felix and has done some soul searching and growing up during his summer off growing closer to his old flame MiaWhile season one focused mainly on Victor discovering who he is while being the new kid at school and juggling his crushes between Mia the most popular girl at school and his out and proud coworker Benji this season switches gears and highlights the aftermath of Victor39s coming out in a very raw and emotional but grounded and relatable way Sure we can all just hope and wish that no one will give a second thought to a loved one revealing their sexuality to them but it doesn39t happen that way nor should it always be depicted that wayWhen I first saw Love Simon the 2018 film directed by Greg Berlanti which shares a universe with Love Victor I was still quotin the closetquot I related to Simon in that he wanted to come out but feared the unknown having no idea how the people around him would react based on how other LGBTQ people he knew were being treated Just over a year after seeing the film I myself was outed to my parents When I was confronted I was of course emotionally devastated and furious at the person who outed me but when I got back home and told my boyfriend what had happened I felt a slight sense of relief I had already told everyone that I wanted to know except for my parents Sure this wasn39t how I wanted them to find out nor did I appreciate being blindsided on my first visit back home after moving out for the first time but I felt a massive weight lift off my shoulders I was out And I was proud Scared still but proud It made Victor39s entire experience so reflective of my realityLove Victor champions so much of the experience that LGBTQ youth go through especially those that are BIPOC and come from families that are deeply religious or are part of heteronormative cultures It brings a muchneeded balance between the tragic tales of perseverance and happygolucky depictions of LGBTQ coming out stories Those experiences are anything but binary Sometimes one parent is more accepting than the other Sometimes they39re entirely accepting but a sibling barely tolerates itMore often than is acceptable teens and young adults are forced out of their homes and estranged from their families after coming out Love Victor shows that there can be struggle without trauma Season two continues to showcase these experiences in a wonderfully relatable and grounded way I wish I had queer characters I could really relate to on television and in movies when I was younger but I39m so glad that Victor and Simon came along when they didSeason two of Love Victor begins streaming June 11th on HuluClick the social buttons to share this content with your friends and colleaguesThe opinions and points of view expressed in this content are exclusively the views of the author andor subjects and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNet Inc management or associated writers

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Hulu's "Love, Victor" Returns Just in Time for Pride

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Juan Ayala

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Hulu's "Love, Victor" Returns Just in Time for Pride

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