HBO’s Genera+ion Showcases Queer Representation

Genera+ion, HBO’s latest hit series co-created by the father-daughter duo Daniel Barnz and Zelda Barnz tells the story of a group of teens in high school exploring their sexuality. 

The eight-episode show features Chester (Justice Smith), a queer student who enjoys wearing crop tops and power statements on his freshly painted nails. Chester is joined by Riley (Chase Sui Wonders), who tries to set him up with her friend Nathan (Uly Schlesinger), Nathan is a closeted bisexual who lives with his sister Naomi (Chloe East) in an uptight and religious family. 

Another prominent character is Greta (Haley Sanchez), the daughter of an undocumented immigrant who has feelings for Riley but is hesitant to start a relationship with her because she fears her mother will not approve. They are all friendly with Arianna (Nathanya Alexander), whose vocabulary consists of offensive language and off color jokes that she thinks are OK to say because she has gay dads. Arianna’s character is juxtaposed with feminist advocacy concious Delilah (Lukita Maxwell), who is forced to reveal a secret she has been hiding, which kicks off the plot of the show. 

The show has memorable episode titles such as, Dickscovery, Pussy Power and The Wheels on the Bussy. Genera+ion explores environmental issues, racism, classism and biphobia, but what distinguishes it is that queer characters are at the center of the story and occupy the majority of the ensemble.  

It’s refreshing to see how the show’s queer characters are not constantly ridiculed by their peers. Chester is respected and admired by his water polo teammates and other students at the school. 

When he walks by a group of his teammates in a crop top and skirt, they just say ‘hey’ to him. It may seem like a simple thing but the scene resonates with anyone who has felt they couldn’t be themselves when they were a teenager. 

Genera+ion portrays a mostly realistic view of being a teenager in the United States. It shows the mundaneness of constantly having school shooting lockdowns and the sheer panic of having a crush on someone and not knowing what to do. 

Although a specific date hasn’t been set, the second half of Genera+ion will premiere later this year.