'Genera+ion' has something to tell us.
Something is changing in the series of adolescents. High school dramas are taking on a complexity that goes beyond choosing a dance partner. But the good news lies not only in the deployment of a wide range of topics to be discussed, but also in the diversity of the characters that play them . That's why today international pride day and taking advantage of the premiere of its second part, it is time to talk about one of the series that has best handled this issue: Genera+ion.
Genera+ion arrived at HBO Spain on March 11 of this year . In a short time, it has been in charge of demonstrating that this platform knows what it is talking about when it comes to teenagers. Euphoria fans know that the story of Rue and Jules was responsible for paving the way for a genre that, although it has been going on for years, cried out for an image wash.
The peculiarities of this series begin from its very creation, title attributed to Daniel Barnz and Zelda Barnz . The coincidence in their surnames resides in their relationship as father and daughter . However, what at first may turn out to be one more piece of information becomes important when you are informed that the idea began to haunt Zelda's head when she was only fifteen years old and she directs it, currently, when she is nineteen.
It is at this point that the pieces of the puzzle begin to fit together. A series based on the problems and solutions of a group of friends from Generation Z it could only have been masterfully written by someone belonging to it. And, again, this generation, belonging to the early years of the 2000s (despite the controversies regarding the start and end date), redot the i's to more than one adult.
'Genera+ion' is a series for teenagers, but not like the others.
And it is that, perhaps therein lies the key to change. The new teen series are no longer about our adolescence . Our Peter Pan syndrome makes us continue hooked on them as if we were still fifteen years old, but their setbacks no longer have to do with us, but with a new wave of young people who have a lot to say, more than that, to shout . And above all, from whom we have much to learn.
SEXUAL DIVERSITY
Genera+ion is about a group of high school friends who face a series of personal and individual problems, but especially one common one: a conservative society that does not let them grow . Their names are Chester, J, Arianna, Naomi, Delilah, Greta, Nathan, and Riley, and they make up a gang that champions sexual diversity.
In this case, the plot enjoys an optimism that makes you smile about the characters of the age range to which the protagonists belong. Homophobia and transphobia have no place between them and their sexuality is as clear as they wish. . Respect is one of the most important pillars of the gang, but not because it is imposed, but because for them it is innate. They do not question whether they should or not, they know that diversity is the basis of a healthy society.
Its protagonists are young, but no less informed for that.
In this group of friends, there are those who have their definition very clear, and those who do not believe in the existence of labels. . As Riley answers when asked if he has ever dated a girl: "No, but you know, if she's sexy, that's enough for me." The important thing is that they have no room for judgment , to think about what the system has imposed as good or bad. simply, are dedicated to being who they are.
Genera+ion gives visibility to homosexuality, transsexuality or bisexuality , the latter, one of the groups that causes the most controversy in those who do not want to see or understand. But not only to the different orientations or sexual identities, but to love in a 360º vision, as is the case with polyamory or the simple fact of being 17 years old and not knowing exactly what you want, because that's fine too.
But maybe The best thing about this Generation Z is its power of information . And perhaps it is for this very reason that they do not fall into absurd traps of intolerance. The protagonists are between 16 and 17 years old, but you will hear them converse and debate with compelling reasons about non-binary gender, cisgender or heteronormativity . Not only do they know what they are talking about, but they are willing to fight it. His claim power is relevant and notorious.
“Ultimately, being binary poses a problem: stay or go? Isolate or celebrate? [...] The binary scroll forces you to choose. Inside or outside? So if you can't be in, you have to be out. And the binary wins”, two of the protagonists chat among themselves. The young people of Genera+ion combine the typical qualities of any adolescent (go out to party, flirt, buy clothes...) with constant questioning of identity.
They are all different from each other, but they share the same problem: the society that surrounds them.
They also have room for the Drag Queens, to make homoparental families visible and even to mention problems of today as serious as the suicide rate in queer adolescents. With a repertoire of issues that covers such a necessary and thematic diversity, the premise that we announced at the beginning is gaining more and more strength: Genera+ion is about teenagers, but it is essential for young people and adults.
THE SHOCK WITH SOCIETY
As the plot progresses, the viewer realizes what is the wall that prevents them from moving forward at the earliest ages. What good is it for the new adolescence to be formed and have a better education if we continue to curb their impulses through a conservative system?
Genera+ion puts the cards on the table in this matter with one of the close-ups: Chester is sanctioned in high school for wearing a top. No one looks at him, no one judges him and no one bothers him, except an institution which underscores his act as a violation of the dress code. That's the moment when the series exposes you to the first shock with a sad reality.
And they not only represent the problems with the exterior, but also those that entail the most headaches: the ones that happen at home . Parents who lack empathy or families who prefer to start a mental struggle with their children, before accepting their bisexuality, in this case. A lack of understanding that makes teens feel more at home with their friends than at home.
Every day is a good day to start 'Genera+ion', but especially today.
Genera+ion is a source of learning, a visibility tool and, of course, a loudspeaker for claims . There are still three episodes left to finish the second part of the first season. The first two will premiere on July 1, and the last one on July 8. But while, It is a good day to start the marathon of a series that will hook you, precisely, as a teenager.
Once you start it, you won't be able to stop.