Forever 'A supporting new Black coming-of-age stories' watch - Musing:[WATCH ON: Nettyflix/ 8 eps]

SUMMATION: Reunited as teens, two childhood friends fall deeply in love, experiencing the joy and heartache of a first romance.

MUSING:  After settling in on my thoughts...I am finally ready to give my review!

Mara Brok Ali, [best known for her works as a screenwriter/producer of beloved series, 'Girlfriends', 'Love Is...' and working in tandem with her partner to bring the popular DC fave 'Black Lightening'] has stepped back into the TV game, this time streaming by tapping into the Gen x book lit world and bringing forward a beloved...but controversially loved story[due to it's topics and descriptions] for a new generation.

NOTE: I will be using the literary genre terms:

YA = Young Adult [ages:12-18]

NA = New Adult [ages:18-25]

Based... no, a reimagining of beloved YA/NA author Judy Blume's popular book 'Forever', has been refreshed, given a new youthful lens with two teens representing a new demographic: Black teen culture. When Judy's book came out, I was not even old enough to read it, so I never had any connection to this particular story; however, seeing the trailer made me excited. Why? I've been advocating for years with my gripes about how Black Love in pre-teen/teen and New Adult stories are basically being ignored, or erased in film, and in general. Especially when authors are putting in the work and telling our stories. I became excited to see two teens shown with clear pov's, who actually hover in each other's social circles. 

Teens with a diversity of friends (okay, really there wasn't any diversity here, except the usual default, and that did bother me, even in the context. I had BIG thoughts about that...but I understood it.). Teens who are both dark skin and brown skin and attracted to each other in all the levels that come with it (friendship-wise, then romantically, then given an old school pure first love at that!!). I LOVED seeing that reflected all in that trailer. And then I watched the series. 

Bay-be...Mara continues to give us BLACK LOVE in every nuance, be it in its innocence. Or its community. Be it peer relations, be it family relations, and isn't shy about having the characters present this vocally and with their actions. THAT made me proud.



So, beyond all that...the story. I'm not going to get into deep diabtre thinktank convo about how this story moved me. It honestly didn't. The series did...the story didn't [and yes, there's a difference]. However, I enjoyed it for what it was, a lovely coming-of-age YA story with one of my fave leads, Lovie Simone.' I also connected with it, as I knew that I would, due to shared experiences, absorbing the nuances in the background (via the world shown, the styles of clothes, books shown, secondary character vibes, etc.), and that's what watching or reading YA/NA stories does. I also was upset with how paritular topics were handled to the point that I wish that they had used something else as a catalysis instead of what is, now, becoming a trope of use in YA/NA, but...again...this is not being directed for my consumption, so I just mind my business.

As of now, this story has been greenlit for a second season, and I am super excited for that! I can't wait to see where it goes, because as far as I know, with the book, this first season did stay true to the spirit of the first book in every way. I hope we get more romance-y tropey and even dare I say give us Black K-drama romance tropes! I wanna see rain and umbrellas, standing across the street looking at each other with doe eyes. I wanna see dodging white trucks and eating at Black bodegas. DO IT! ALL!

Let's cross our fingers and hope for...Forever!

P.S. I loved TH outta Wood Harris! His character is definitely in the same vein of an outline of how I write.

RATING: 4 out of 5 cellphones with hearts: 📱💕📱💕📱💕📱