What I’m Watching: Generation (Season Finale)

Generation: Season 1, Episode 16 “V-Day” (B+)

As of this writing, this show has not yet been renewed for a second season, which makes me very sad given that it’s very possible this will be the last we’ll ever see of this show, though I hope not! I liked the pivot in this episode to fully narrative storytelling, dispensing with everyone’s perspectives to tell a full story that still got interrupted repeatedly by teenagers being idiots but at least managed to get us through a few conversations. Bo pinpointed Chester being more excited by the idea of being with him than actually liking him, and, after that prompted Chester to lose all of his inhibitions, I was proud of Nathan for standing up for himself and not just taking the opportunity to indulge in Chester’s drunken loneliness. He even defended himself to his mom when she told him that she knew the truth. I’m relieved that Sam picked up the phone when Chester called and that someone – presumably Sam, but we won’t know unless we get a second season – showed up to ensure that he didn’t let his strongly-felt misery overcome him. Mark and Megan have had problems, we know that, but he could not have picked a worse time to suggest that they separate, which is sure to make for an awkward car ride home and a tremendously uncomfortable process of figuring out what that looks like. It was sweet that Cooper was all in with Delilah, though that did mean some heartbreak for Naomi. The relationship that’s always been the most interesting is the one between Greta and Riley, and though Lucia tried to express her feelings to an unenthralled Riley, they finally got the chance to talk and say most of what they needed to. Greta acknowledging that she can’t do the physical stuff but that she loves Riley got a warm and receptive response, and I don’t think she’ll actually mind the one thing that Riley still didn’t get a chance to tell her if it ever does come up. I so hope that this isn’t the last we’ve seen of this show and that it earns some much-deserved Emmy attention for the first half of this season.

Season grade: A-
Season MVP: Justice Smith as Chester

What I’m Watching: Generation

Generation: Season 1, Episode 15 “L’Amour” (B+)

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I love watching this show but I really wish that we got to see more in a given episode, especially considering that this is the second of two episodes airing together and we’ll have to wait until the standalone finale to find out how all of these supremely awkward conversations happening just as the camera was clicking went. It was sweet to see Chester and Bo having a wonderful Valentine’s Day together, but that all fell apart when they went to the pre-party, where Chester went to great lengths to show how he and Nathan were fine, something that doesn’t seem to be true given the way that he looked at him, and how Megan responded to the presence of her son’s alleged ex with a new boyfriend so soon after their supposed breakup. To her credit, she’s not dumb, and she figured out pretty quickly what was going on, much to Riley’s chagrin since she couldn’t help but confirm it since her head was in a very different place. Her dad’s girlfriend really is trying, but that’s not something Riley wants, and I so want to know what it was that Greta was about to say before Megan swooped in and interrupted them. It was good to see Nathan stand up for himself to Riley when he found out that she hadn’t told him something very important, but of course he ended up just apologizing for his anger moments later. As if there wasn’t enough discomfort, Cooper chose an absurd time to confront Delilah about what he now knew thanks to the clueless Naomi, and even though that might not bother him, the fact that he knows will surely upset her.

What I’m Watching: Generation

Generation: Season 1, Episode 14 “CLICK WHIRR” (B+)

There’s something simultaneously appealing and frustrating about the in-depth focus this show has on its characters, since it means that certain episodes don’t actually feature most of the cast or drive the story forward for all but one highlighted protagonist. I do think that Riley is one of the strongest and most interesting characters on this show, and so seeing her stay up all night after receiving potentially life-altering news was a recipe for strong and compelling drama. Sam did his best to approach the situation delicately, explaining what he had learned and that he thought there was more going on. Her interaction with Greta was particularly volatile since she came in hot, Greta responded in kind, and the statement she made about Riley’s problems was ignorantly reductive. Presumably, they’ll both apologize, but their communication hasn’t been superb up until this point. Nathan was a much better source of comfort, since all she had to deal with at his house was Mark talking about oriental stir fries and Naomi being very high on pain medication after a dental appointment. That latter state of mind did have adverse effects in that she blurted out the truth about Delilah to a stunned Cooper, which is sure to have implications for the entire friend group. Megan was unexpectedly sympathetic to a child who wasn’t her own, offering Riley support, though what she needed most was the friendly reassurance she got from Chester once he finally turned his phone back on and showed up to be there for her.

Interview with Abe: Generation

As Emmy voting is underway, I’m delighted to share some of the interviews I’ve been able to conduct with contenders across all categories. 

For HBO Max’s “Generation,” here’s creators Zelda and Daniel Barnz. Click through to read the conversation we had for Awards Radar.

What I’m Watching: Generation

Generation: Season 1, Episode 13 “There’s Something about Hamburger Mary’s” (B+)

This episode felt different because it spent more time than we’ve seen recently with Megan, who got called up for karaoke after she took Nathan up on spending their mother-son date night in a way that he would enjoy a whole lot more than her. I like that the rarely seen Mark pushed her to go with him, spinning it that he invited her to go while she interpreted it as a dare, and that the constant metaphor of the boat made her uneasy and irritated. Her episode-ending rendition was indeed awkward, but it was a show of enthusiasm for her son’s life choices. We didn’t even get any commentary about the thruple her daughter is involved in that Arianna’s parents pointed out was very exclusionary of the third best friend of the two girls participating in it. The adult who got to shine the most in this half-hour was Ana, who gave a great speech and got to really be herself in front of anyone. Lucia was right to realize that Riley was into her, whether or not it was not being into girls or just not being ready for a romance, and it’s a shame that Greta finally working up the nerve to tell Riley how she felt came at the same time as her getting picked up by someone else to go home. The look on Chester’s face when he had to sit in between Nathan and Bo and pretend to be fine with things said so much, and while it wasn’t necessarily right for Nathan to ask him to do that when he was on a date with someone else, Bo was correct in observing that Chester probably wasn’t doing the right thing either by leading someone on who he knows is in love with him.

What I’m Watching: Generation

Generation: Season 1, Episode 12 “The High Priestess” (B+)

I feel like we haven’t seen much of Arianna lately, and this episode certainly cemented how she feels like there’s no one in the world who’s paying attention to her or who truly understands her. Lashing out at her dads after they bought her light tampons and complaining about being suffocated by male energy indicated her true frustration, and I think that some of that was alleviated by the opportunity to have the coven together with Delilah and Naomi. Deciding that they were going to go to the dance together was a great way to feel connected, and that quickly burst when Naomi had the idea for her and Delilah to become a thruple with Cooper, not realizing at all that they were completely ostracizing Arianna and even forcing her to photograph their new exclusive club. She took out her rage on the guy who dared to ask her to the dance, deeming all men parasites, and I’m really not sure what could transpire now which would make her feel any differently. I did enjoy the awkwardness of Megan trying to elicit sympathy from Joe and Patrick about what she was going through with Nathan, and how Joe pointed out that what she was trying to stop him from being was exactly what they were: gay. There hasn’t been all that much exploration of Delilah’s feelings post-giving birth, and finding out about the Panda Express rumors brought all that back in a way that’s sure to come up again soon.

What I’m Watching: Generation

Generation: Season 1, Episode 11 “Absolute Zero” (B+)

It’s interesting to see how the two relationships that Greta is sort of trying to get going are imploding before they even begin, mostly because of her reluctance to do anything or to define them despite clear interest from both prospective partners. Inviting Lucia to come over for dinner after she pulled away when Lucia touched her hair seemed like a clear signal that she wanted to pursue that one, and it couldn’t have been worse timing for Riley to show up announced and end up being invited for dinner by the clueless Ana. It was certainly awkward that Riley showed up with flowers not for Greta but for Ana, and Lucia telling Riley that she didn’t know she was invited was a rather biting way of indicating her displeasure with her being there. The fact that the two of them have this shared secret is likely to ruin both relationships once Greta inevitably finds out, though again, Greta really is moving slowly, and Riley is allowing herself to become way too invested in this rival romance. Ending with the science experiment was a great way to convey Riley’s frustration, something that only built this episode after her would-be stepmom tried to encourage a friendship she has no interest in ever forming. Chester and Bo seemed to be headed in a good direction, even if the way the two of them interact with the world still doesn’t seem to be all that similar or compatible, but they’re still giving a shot for the moment.

What I’m Watching: Generation

Generation: Season 1, Episode 10 “Built for Pleasure” (B+)

Watching this show makes me want to reach through the screen sometimes and shake these characters to make them see the clear opportunities for happiness that they’re missing. Riley was annoyed at Chester for trying to force her back together with Greta, and she was about to hold her hand in the backseat, which would have been a great example of taking things slow, but then she decided not to do it and that was it. I did enjoy the way that Greta responded to Lucia asking her if she could kiss her and that she followed that relatively friendly and well-received rejection with a request for a ride home. Her mom’s sudden return is likely to throw everything into chaos, and Riley is probably going to find out about her budding romance with the worst possible person right as she’s going through that. I was excited to recognize Isaiah Standard, who plays Ben on “Good Girls,” as the trans brother of Delilah’s new crush, and it’s good to see this show doing representative casting. Nathan seems to be fine with the reality of how Chester sees him, and he was more upset that Chester was angry at him for encouraging him to text Bo. I’m still not sure that I see them as a couple since I think I’m much more in favor of Chester and Nathan getting together, but who I am to tell these characters that all the romantic choices they’re making are wrong? It’s much more fun and frustrating to watch them realize it on their own.

What I’m Watching: Generation

Generation: Season 1, Episode 9 “Deepfake” (B+)

I’m so glad that this show returned so quickly for the back half of its first season since I was worried that, in this new age of tremendously delayed production delays and reversed renewals, we wouldn’t actually get to see more new episodes. I like that the same characters are still in focus but what they’re going through is a bit different, starting with Chester. He was so excited about and overinvested in hiss date with Bo, who was interested in completely different things and then went ahead and vomited while Chester was talking to him and after Chester made a big scene falling into vomit on the rink. When he finally got to the party and Nathan apologized for the voicemail, I thought he was going to say that he had never heard it, but instead he acknowledged right away that he did but that he didn’t feel that way about him. Why he thought it would be a good idea not only to accept Nathan’s request to pretend to be his boyfriend but to go as far as making out with him in front of his mom is a mystery, since there’s no way Nathan will be able to leave all that as just him being a friend. We did get to see a bit more of Riley’s mom, played by Alicia Coppola from “Jericho,” and how fractured their relationship is, explained in part by her father’s much younger girlfriend. Riley and Greta almost had a moment to talk but that’s obviously going to be far off, and Riley is doing her best to make waves with her schoolwork and ensure that she spends plenty of time with Sam now that Chester is no longer seeing him.

What I’m Watching: Generation (Mid-Season Finale)

Generation: Season 1, Episode 8 “The Last Shall Be First” (B+)

It’s good to know that this show will be back for more episodes since its first season is split into two halves, and sixteen episodes feels like a very generous and worthwhile count that will only be increased once this show is hopefully renewed for a second season. I like that we got a quick fast-forward from the main events we had been seeing to the quick flashes to the future bathroom birth rather than go through all of the time that happened in between. Chester really did not seem like himself, wearing traditional clothing and walking around understandably dejected after Sam told him that he would be working with a new guidance counselor, and it was very sweet to see his teammates rally for an International Chester Day by taking their shirts off and getting him to smile and do the same. He made a new friend who is unfortunately going to distract him from looking at Nathan in the way that he sees him, and I’m not sure if listening to that long, meandering voicemail is going to change any of that. Nathan did do a formidable job of standing up to his mother when she saw the video and called to proclaim her intent to go “Old Testament,” and I’m eager to see how his newfound confidence changes him. We only saw a few lingering shots of Greta in the rearview mirror, but it seems that Riley isn’t ready to move on and there may be hope yet for a romance between the two of them. This show is very well-done and has terrific characters, and I look forward to its return at some point in the near future.

What I’m Watching: Generation

Generation: Season 1, Episode 7 “Desert Island” (B+)

This was an episode of harsh truths, ones that hit its characters hard and are going to be hard to walk back. The brief scenes of a mall bathroom birth haven’t been all that informative since we’ve only seen a few of the characters, and it’s definitely possible that one or multiple of them won’t be in the same state of mind at that point (or alive at all, though I really hope that’s not the case). Rather than tell any of his friends, Chester opted to profess his affection directly to Sam, who was rightfully horrified when he was clued in to the fact that Chester was the one who had been messaging him, and it’s good that Sam coldly shut down the desert island question, even though Chester took it very badly. Similarly, a game of truth-and-dare was enough for Arianna to realize how Nathan felt about Chester, and now Arianna is almost certainly going to be aligning herself with the other sibling again. Greta and Riley getting roomed together seemed like the perfect opportunity for romance, but the speed at which Riley moved rubbed Greta the wrong way, and her response had an even more detrimental effect on Riley, who went ahead and did exactly what Greta had called her out for with someone else. While it was much less serious than anything else that happened in this episode, the sight of someone gratuitously licking a toilet bowl was very off-putting, especially during a pandemic and since that scene actually had to be filmed.

What I’m Watching: Generation

Generation: Season 1, Episode 6 “The Wheels on the Bussy” (B+)

After an episode set in different locations with the same three people, it was nice to have an opportunity to see everyone in close quarters for the whole time, keeping themselves busy on a bus ride that predictably led to much tension and angst. Before we got to that, Nathan just doesn’t know how to not get his sister angry at him, and Naomi crashing into a few trash bins because Nathan and Arianna hooking up in the back distracted her was understandable. Megan wasn’t at all helpful in what her daughter perceived as a hypocritical lecture, and Greta also got a shock related to her mom that threw her off. Getting a fake ID that wasn’t a great match didn’t help matters, and Riley really should learn to pick up more on the impact of her actions. By the end of the episode, they seemed to be doing quite well and getting very close after Riley finally moved to sit with her following her making a new friend at the bus stop and getting photographed by Riley. Chester seemed very shaken by Sam grabbing his arm when the bus got a flat tire, and he’s very close to revealing his crush to someone – probably Greta or Riley – and saying it aloud is likely going to make it all too real for the older and theoretically responsible member of that would-be couple. Never Have I Ever is never a good game to play, and Naomi and Nathan were very cruel to each other in a way that was clearly just entertaining everyone else but really stinging in their vicious hurling of personal secrets.

What I’m Watching: Generation

Generation: Season 1, Episode 5 “Gays and Confused” (B+)

This episode felt much more grounded in the moment and three specific characters than the ones we’ve seen before, aside from a brief introduction where the father was identified and he showed up with a shopping cart to help transport the baby out of the bathroom. If this show had a lead, which I’m not sure it does, I’d say it would be Justice Smith as Chester. He’s a grounding force, even though he does seem singularly intent on destroying Sam’s life by implicating him in sending inappropriate pictures to a minor without knowing it. Chester got exactly the responses he wanted from Sam with the shirtless selfie and an acknowledgment that he was falling in love with someone he wasn’t supposed to “as we speak.” Hopefully that won’t end as destructively as I’m predicting it will. Riley seems fully aware of how Greta feels about her but equally uninterested in typical relationship descriptors. The idea of “hooking up” with a girl is far more plausible and logical to her than the concept of dating. After a visit to Greta’s home that found her more embarrassed than anything and her two friends charmed by everything that humiliated her, the end of the episode felt rather tame, with Greta in bed smiling next to Riley, an intimate if unexpectedly understated moment. I like that this show seems to be more about its characters than about what happens to them, intent on following their personalities and journeys rather than any predetermined arcs that might more typically fit a TV season.

What I’m Watching: Generation

Generation: Season 1, Episode 4 “Pussy Power” (B+)

As if the teenage generation on this show wasn’t interesting enough, it’s riveting to learn about the adults. We hadn’t previously seen much of Martha Plimpton’s Megan aside from a few clues about her straight-laced nature on the boat, and this was a formidable opportunity to see just how she interacts with the world. Going off on accommodating gluten allergies and diabetic needs in the meetings was pretty intense, and I enjoyed her strong reaction to her daughter’s use of the term “you do you.” Things got infinitely more uncomfortable when Mark invited Joe and Patrick over and launched into a diatribe against Brad Pitt’s more sophisticated filmography and then dismissed the notion of bisexuality when they explained that it didn’t necessarily mean that he was doing every wild thing imaginable. Nathan managed to get his sister angry again by going to make out with Arianna, who he of course asked if she enthusiastically consented, and I’m sure that will complicate the dynamic between those three going forward. Chester is really pushing to get into Sam’s personal life, and his affirmation of Chester’s big speech at the GSA is not going to make those boundaries any more secure. I don’t think the point of this show is to highlight the fragile and potentially dangerous nature of student-staff relationships, but some accusations of inappropriate behavior seem inevitable, particularly because Chester does nothing to hide his attraction towards his guidance counselor and Sam hasn’t been shutting it down in an emphatic or clear manner.

Take Three: Generation

Generation: Season 1, Episode 3 “Toasted” (B+)

We got some more clarity on who it is having the baby in the mall bathroom, though even Delilah doesn’t seem to know all that much about how it happened. We saw an earlier moment between Arianna and Delilah on the boat that explains a bit of their relationship, but otherwise we’ll have to settle for shots of Arianna shouting about reparations while she’s taking a stack of cups and running through the mall with an inflatable tub from Target. The most magnetic and watchable moments of this episode featured Naomi and Nathan, who weren’t being particularly subtle about their penis-inspired rift and chose to resolve it during their toasts at an occasion meant to celebrate their other sibling as she was getting married. Nathan hearing from Arianna that he doesn’t “give off gay vibes” was enough to push him to confront Naomi in a very public forum after she alluded to qualities she would appreciate in a loyal sibling, outing himself as bisexual to everyone gathered there in the process. Jumping into the water and being saved by Chester was a positive and dramatic ending, at least. Martha Plimpton’s mom is quite a character, and I enjoyed the brief appearance of Sam Trammell from “True Blood” as their father who has evidently fed into their complicated family dynamic. Greta and Riley’s romance seems to be developing relatively well, even if Riley doesn’t seem aware of the emotional impact her hooking up with Pablo had on Greta. Chester’s pep talk was helpful, even if he got a little off-course in the process.

Round Two: Genera+ion

Genera+ion: Season 1, Episode 2 “Dickscovery” (B+)

This second outing didn’t disappoint, trapping all of the characters – or at least most of them – together in a classroom so that they could bond a little bit and let their best and worst traits show. The relationship that’s developing between Chester and Sam is definitely way too intimate, and Sam pretending that his family was Chechnyan to elicit backpedaling from him was just one indication that he feels he can take a more hands-on approach to relating to students that’s surely going to get him in trouble. I couldn’t figure out where I knew Sam from, and it turns out that actor Nathan Stewart-Jarrett played Tony in “Four Weddings and a Funeral” and starred in a memorable episode of “Soulmates” opposite Bill Skarsgard. The rest of the characters seem to have worked their way into tricky situations, though for the moment Arianna has actually avoided any controversy despite her uproarious statements that she continues to qualify as inoffensive because of her two gay dads. Riley seems very open to a friendship at the very least with Greta, and she didn’t dwell at all on the embarrassing series of text missteps Greta fired off earlier that morning. Nathan may have appeased Naomi by deleting the hickey picture of her, but that birthmark on the penis that her boyfriend sent him a picture of seems to have gotten them both into plenty of trouble. It’s not quite as dramatic as, say, having a baby in a mall food court bathroom with a security guard claiming to be an expert on menstrual cycles outside, but this show has plenty of ground to cover in multiple moments in time. I’m in for episode three and beyond.

Pilot Review: Generation

Check out my one-minute take on every new pilot, which is embedded below and you can also watch by subscribing to movieswithabe on YouTube.