What I’m Watching: We Are Who We Are (Series Finale)

We Are Who We Are: Season 1, Episode 8 “Right here, right now #8” (B)

I’m always wary of getting into limited series because, unlike shows that may or may not be renewed for successive seasons, there exists a very low chance that the story will continue past its prescribed end. While the trend has recently been for more anthology or returning limited series, I think the best we can hope for when it comes to this is that the “Call Me By Your Name” sequel actually gets made so we see more of Luca Guadagnino’s cinematic vision. I was disappointed that we only saw two of the characters in this hour aside from a brief introduction to say goodbye to a few others. This show has been both fascinating and frustrating, presenting immensely intriguing characters and exploring some of them satisfactorily while ignoring others. Maggie telling Sarah that she had to have the Poythress family moved because of Richard’s behavior at the end of the last installment led to that being a set decision at the start of this one, something that neither of his children were happy about and weren’t trying to hide. Taking two trains to a concert was an odd ending for Fraser and Caitlin, and the experiences they had with other people that should have been wonderful and transformative then led to them making out, realizing that maybe they do feel romantically for each other, something they had previously denied. Britney’s expression of affection for Caitlin was also a surprise, and I suppose it’s just further evidence of this show’s title, showcasing characters who just want to be who they want to be, and may not even have any idea what that means just yet. I’ll definitely be watching these young actors to see what they do next, and wondering about what happens with all the supporting players and adults we didn’t get to see in this closing hour.

Series grade: B
Series MVP: Jordan Kristine Seamón as Caitlin

What I’m Watching: We Are Who We Are (Penultimate Episode)

We Are Who We Are: Season 1, Episode 7 “Right here, right now #7” (B)

This was a very long episode, running at least fifteen minutes longer than the rest and moving at a typically glacial pace. The content was different, of course, providing our young protagonists with a dose of reality that couldn’t be reversed like a breakup or a drunken, destructive night spent at an empty home. Britney coming in to the gym and sobbing made it painfully clear, if there was still any doubt, that Craig was one of the three soldiers who was killed, the bad news that Sarah had received at the end of the previous episode that came just as Trump’s election was announced. Fraser was not at all sensitive to the loss that everyone was going through, and he seemed to understand the impact of his callousness only when Sam didn’t want him to come with them because his mother, according to him, was responsible for Craig’s death. I’m glad that Caitlin acknowledged that it wasn’t true, an opinion that was not shared by her father, who made quite the scene and very publicly disrespected her authority. Maggie wasn’t apologetic at all about her affair with Jenny, something that has apparently happened before, but she was resolute about the need to transfer them away since Richard was never going to be able to fall in line and follow her orders. Fraser stopping by Jonathan’s was a worrisome development, but at least he seemed to set his own boundaries and leave before things got too crazy. I’m not sure what kind of resolution we’ll get in the finale but I’m curious to see what happens in the time we have left with these characters.

What I’m Watching: We Are Who We Are

We Are Who We Are: Season 1, Episode 6 “Right here, right now #6” (B)

There is no question that the adults on this show have complicated relationships with their children and don’t always make the most obviously sound choices when it comes with how to interact with them. Sarah certainly has boundary issues with Fraser, and she was extremely supportive of him going on what felt a lot like a date with a thirty-year-old man. Jonathan isn’t as clueless as he’s making himself out to be, inviting a woman who appears to be his girlfriend on their “date,” a term he didn’t correct when Fraser used it. Since Fraser is supposed to be only fourteen on this show (actor Jack Dylan Grazer just turned seventeen), it’s worth flagging that dynamic as inappropriate, something Maggie raised as a concern right away. Nothing overly objectionable happened, and Fraser came home feeling like it was the best day. Caitlin had a more restrictive experience with her father on their hunting trip, and he didn’t mince words when he asked her about dating someone who he was very sure was gay. I appreciated the blunt honesty that Sarah employed toward the end of the episode in recognizing that Caitlin wanted to grow up to be a male soldier, prepared with paperwork and all. I’m sure that’s an idea her dad isn’t open to hearing at all, and he’ll likely blame the boss he already doesn’t like much for making his daughter think about it. Ending with Trump’s victory was depressing, and the incoming administration may not feel quite as warmly about someone like Sarah commanding a military base.

What I’m Watching: We Are Who We Are

We Are Who We Are: Season 1, Episode 5 “Right here, right now #5” (B)

This episode was considerably faster-paced than the previous one, though that’s not saying all that much. It’s interesting to see which of the romantic relationships we saw brewing are actually turning into something, and also worth remembering the considerable age differences between some of the characters, namely Fraser and Jonathan. Dancing intimately with his crush wasn’t enough to convince Fraser not to talk to his mother, but taking Caitlin shooting was apparently the proper motivation for him to give her the silent treatment. Shaving her head so that she could look more like a boy is going to have profound effects on how her father, family, and friends see her, and it turns out that Giulia knew all along that she was a girl, something she was not happy to discover. What evidently started that wasn’t so clear early on is the affair between Maggie and Jenny, two women who feel out of place and utterly ignored by their partners. They’re not being particularly discreet about it, and Danny is already away that something might be up after he saw them spending time together in public. Richard was furious when Sarah forced him to apologize on behalf of his men, and if he finds out that their wives are sleeping with each other, he’s going to be considerably angrier than anyone else. Knowing that information could boil over at any point makes watching this show a tense experience, though we may also not see any of those characters for a while given the ever-shifting focus and range of players.

What I’m Watching: We Are Who We Are

We Are Who We Are: Season 1, Episode 4 “Right here, right now #4” (B-)

This episode was definitely intoxicating – matching the state of most of its characters – but it also felt like a slow and unnecessarily delirious hour. I kept wondering when the Russian owners of the home that was being used so freely by all of these teenagers would return home and be startled, not to mention furious, to find so many intruders inside, freely drinking and vomiting all over their fancy furniture. But, like other times when characters recklessly cross streets and don’t get hit by cars or buses, that’s not what this show is about. These characters will face other consequences – or won’t – will be felt later, most likely in Danny’s regret about drinking so much and completely losing control. Craig, whose proposal was the catalyst for all of this chaos, knew exactly what he was doing, and calmly got up the morning after the wild adventure to report for duty and leave this life behind. It seemed inevitable that Britney and Sam would hook up, though he didn’t appear to be in a great mental state when he walked out of that bathroom where Fraser had just gone to visit him. I like that Fraser immediately told Caitlin when someone else kissed him, and that she told him never to do it again, something he agreed to without any hesitation even though they’re never going to have a sexual relationship. I’m intrigued by all of these characters and want to see more of them but a quicker pace with slightly more dialogue would be appreciated in subsequent episodes.

Take Three: We Are Who We Are

We Are Who We Are: Season 1, Episode 3 “Right here, right now #3” (B+)

This show is certainly not fast-paced, but that’s also because it manages to pack so much and so many relationships into just one hour. We moved straight from Fraser giving Caitlin clothes to them being inseparable best friends, spending all their time together and not judging each other for anything. They’re all for exploring gender identity, preparing to shave Caitlin’s non-existent mustache and commenting on whose rear ends they’re looking at when they caught each other staring. Fraser seems determined not to engage in any sort of sexual relationship even if everyone already thinks that’s what’s happening, and Caitlin doesn’t seem to care either way. We did see an interesting bond start to form between Jenny and Maggie, two characters who are often on the sidelines with their spouses and children taking up more space than them. I thought that there might be a romance brewing there, though it’s hard to tell with any of these dynamics whether there’s sexual tension or if there’s just a platonic closeness that indicates being truly seen in a way they haven’t been in a while. It was definitely unfortunate that, after wandering for the night with Caitlin and getting punched by her brother, Fraser found his mother dancing with Jonathan, his crush, in a way that seemed much more than friendly. Their relationship, like Caitlin’s with her father, is deeply complicated, but this is going to make things much worse in a way she likely doesn’t even realize. Caitlin’s nonchalant reaction to being dumped is pushing both Sam and Britney away.

Round Two: We Are Who We Are

We Are Who We Are: Season 1, Episode 2 “Right here, right now #2” (B+)

This episode felt different than the first hour, mainly because we followed someone else and only got to see Fraser in the few moments where he had interacted with Harper in episode one. There was plenty to unpack before that we didn’t quite get resolved, and that’s even truer here as all of the relationships Harper has with the people in her life were introduced. Her brother Danny wants to connect with his religion but still goes out and parties with everyone, while his friend Craig is protective and caring in a much gentler way. Sam just doesn’t quite get her even though he’s very much into her, and she and Britney are close mainly because they don’t seem to judge each other at all. She doesn’t relate at all to her mother, while she and her father are close in a way that makes them seem much more like siblings than anything else. Seeing him order MAGA hats for them to wear secretly in the house was jarring, but it’s just one of the many things about the people on this base that’s contradictory. Fraser isn’t one who makes judgments but he also doesn’t ask questions, and the gift that he got for Harper could signal that he is like her and willing to accept her for whoever she is and wants to be, even if he can’t express that. I’m curious to see more of the two of them interacting together now that we’ve gotten, presumably, as much backstory as we’re going to get for the moment before their paths start intertwining more and more.

Pilot Review: We Are Who We Are

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.