Transparent

[zivvie]

This Amazon original series, available on Amazon video (and free for Prime members), is fantastic. Jill Soloway, the creator and one of the show's writers, based the show on her father's experiences of coming out as trans. Transparent has received critical acclaim and has consistently fabulous acting, writing, and directing. Is anyone else a fan?

[prisma]

I really, really enjoyed it. The whole crazy messed up family. Everyone in it was good.

Jeffrey Tambor did a great job, in my opinion. Not to criticize Caitlyn, but the bombshell reveal of that Vanity Fair piece really does skew the conversation toward looks and appearance. Caitlyn seems to be aiming for that unattainable beauty (pretty consistent with the Kardashian lifestyle), but Transparent presents a much quieter struggle without so much glitz and glamor. I learned a lot from it.

I think my favorite funny part was when Maura came out to his younger daughter (Gaby Hoffman's character) when she was rolling on E.

[kostgard]

I love this show. And I think it has pulled of quite an achievement since most of the characters actually aren't that lovable, and yet I still care about what happens to them.

[ladyboy]

Jun 4, 2015 18:07:26 GMT -4 kostgard said:

I love this show. And I think it has pulled of quite an achievement since most of the characters actually aren't that lovable, and yet I still care about what happens to them.

This is very true. I don't really like any of them, yet I want to keep watching and I'm invested.

[enzaemily]

I just watched this, in a day and a half, last week. I just loved it. I thought it was smart, real, funny and deeply amazing. I gotta tell ya, I remember Jeffrey Tambor waaaaay back when he played the psychiatrist in that one episode of Three's Company (aging myself here...I'm 44) and I kind of always kept my eye on him because he always popped up everywhere. And I freaking LOVED him as George Bluth. So when they announced him as playing the main role in this I....kind of thought it was horrible casting (even though I love him) because I JUST could not see him being or taking the role that seriously. Boy was I wrong! Every movement, mannerism....he is amazing. I actually completely forgot all about his other characters. The only other actor that made me forget about a previous famous role is Julia Louis-Dryfuss. I watch her on Veep and forget all about Elaine Bennis. Jeffrey is the same. George Bluth who?

[kostgard]

Jeffrey Tambor is killing it playing Maura. And in interviews it is clear that getting her right is very important to him.

[prisma]

According to this article, it'll be back in the fall for its second season. Season 2 isn't listed on any of the actors' imdb entries, though, which makes me wonder. It really is amazing how the show was ahead of the curve considering all that's gone down with Caitlyn Jenner recently.

I really enjoyed Season 1, so I'm looking forward to more.

[zivvie]

Alexandra Billings, (former Chicago actress!) who plays Maura's friend Davina, has posted on her Instagram that they began shooting Season 2. On imdb.com, a Season 3 is listed as well. So we have lots more Pfefferman craziness to look forward to.

And 11 Emmy nominations, too!

[kostgard]

I think I read yesterday that season two will start streaming in December.

[kostgard]

Amazon dropped the first episode of season two on Monday (before premiering the rest of the season on December 11th), so I watched it last night. It appears that season two will be just as good as season one, with even more fantasies/hallucinations/detachments from reality.

Nothing really spoilery, but the episode included a flashback to 1933 Berlin, with who I assume are Pfefferman ancestors before they came to the US (the opening credits now includes a shot of the Statue of Liberty) to, I'm assuming, flee the horrible stuff that was happening to Jews in Germany at the time. The most interesting tidbits from the flashback are that it is clear that Maura is not the first Pfefferman to blur the gender lines (calling back to her line in season one that it "runs in the blood") and Bradley Whitford was amongst the people in the 1933 flashback scene. Don't know if that means we'll see Marc/Marcie again, or if he'll remain in 1933. The final shot of the episode was of Ali, and one of the Pfeffermans from 1933 was sitting next to her - unclear if Ali could see her (she's the one who seems to usually have these hallucinations) or if she was just visible to the audience. I'm intrigued by what Jill Soloway is trying to explore here.

Beyond that, the Pfeffermans are as entertainingly effed up as ever. And the episode confirmed my belief that despite being the "responsible" one, Sarah is actually the most effed up, and that Ali, despite being a disaster who is in her 30s and has zero direction in her life (and is prone to hallucinations) is the least effed up - or rather, is the only one in her family who is aware of how effed up she and the rest of her clan are. The others are all a little too self-involved to see it in themselves. There was only one dangling thread left over from season one that kinda surprised me with how it carried forward to season two.