Chester is the star of the high school water polo team. Riley, a bit rebellious, is passionate about photography. Greta is very introverted and gradually learns to gain self-confidence. The twins Nathan and Naomi cultivate cow love… The character gallery of Generation, which arrives this Thursday on myCanal, is a priori commonplace for a series teen.
The difference is that the vast majority of these protagonists belong to the LGBT community (lesbian, gay, bi, trans). And, unlike other models of the genre, including those that are centered on queer themes or leave them a large place (Love, Victor ; Sex Education…), Straight figures are relegated to the background, or, at least, do not monopolize space and intrigue.
As the inclusion of LGBT characters nags, sometimes opportunistically, serial creation, Generation – also known as the spelling Generation + ion – is exemplary in its way of delivering realistic representations whose in-depth psychological depth makes it possible to thwart archetypes.
A screenwriter of the character age
The plot is set in Anaheim, California, and centers on the romantic and friendly relationships of several high school students. Parents sometimes appear in the scene, including Megan, the mother of the twins, completely overwhelmed by this Generation Z navigating between Instagram posts, discourse on systemic oppressions and attempted troop (a couple to three).
If the whole is as relevant as it is convincing, it is largely thanks to its singular duo of screenwriters. Zelda Barnz, 19 today and 17 at the time of the first draft, and her father Daniel wrote with four hands. She’s a lesbian, he’s gay: their respective experiences have obviously nourished their work. “She was telling us these hilarious Rainbow Alliance stories [une association réunissant les élèves LGBT et leurs alliées] from his high school. She told us about those who only came there to find someone to flirt with and very funny positions taken at these meetings. We were discussing this universe and we said to ourselves that it could be a very interesting universe for a TV series, ”said Daniel Barnz in February at Hollywood Reporter. The idea won over Zelda and came to fruition when Lena Dunham hit the track. The creator of Girls had contacted Daniel and her husband Ben to discuss possible projects: they brought Generation on the table, she agreed to get involved as a producer.
Vulnerability after exuberance
“We wanted to make sure we chose actors and actresses who really look like teenagers, who look like high school kids,” Zelda Barnz insisted on the creative process, still in the columns of the Hollywood Reporter. “She always brought us back to the question:” Does that sound realistic? “, Confirms her co-writer and father. We have seen portrayals of teenage sexuality on TV but a lot of times in real life the sexuality is unsettling or you have sex which can be awkward or funny and takes place too quickly and in overly lit rooms. This is what we have always sought to achieve in this series: what seems real? “
Like the charismatic Chester – embodied to perfection by Justice Smith – who plays the provocative by arriving at high school in a crop top but gradually proves to be much less sure of himself than he wants to suggest, Generation, gradually makes lie the exuberance marking the first episodes to reveal the characters in all their vulnerability.
This choral series does not abandon any of its characters and alternates the points of view from one episode to another or even sometimes within the same episode, showing a scene from several different angles and bringing us to another. understanding of events. She thus shows the different facets that make up adolescence, brings touches of nuance here and there, lets spleen or melancholy arise. It only helps us become more attached to the characters. Heartbreak: we will not find them in a second season, HBO Max, the American channel which produced it, having chosen not to renew Generation. This will therefore join Angela, 15 and Freaks and Geeks in the very closed club of teen series that have become cult over the years. They share the paradox of having grasped the Zeitgeist, the spirit of their time, while being (probably too much) ahead of their time.