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Tales of the City, a review



Tales of the City


There are more and more shows helping to demystify the LGBTQ+ world. This show was the first one to do it in the 90s, and now it returns with this fantastic miniseries. 

The backstory introduces us to different generations of the LGBTQ community, each facing their own problems and offering the public a wide range of perspectives.

I had zero knowledge of the story, the book, and previous adaptations, other than knowing they exist. You definitely don’t need to know them to get into the story and love it.

Anna Madrigal


Anna Madrigal (Olympia Dukakis) is a 90-year-old lady who built a haven for all in the middle of San Francisco. Anna takes care of everybody, as if they were her children, “because they are,” she says in one of the episodes. 

That alone makes her an amazing character, impossible not to like, but that’s not all.

Throughout the show, you’ll know the real and sad story of Anna Madrigal. It is a reminder for all new generations of how the LGBTQ community has suffered over the years. I, personally, loved the flashback episode set in 1966.

HIV


You can’t ignore the significant part that HIV and AIDS had in LGBTQ+ community history, especially in the 80s. Shows like It's a Sin are particularly focused on this topic, and Tales of the City couldn’t ignore it either.

Michael, or they call him, Mouse (Murray Bartlett) is HIV+, and through his character, one more subject is demystified. We follow him to a doctor's appointment, where we get many answers about this disease. 

The doctor's explanations are very enlightening about the current state of the illness and how everything has, fortunately, evolved in a positive way. 

Generational shock


As I mentioned before, the show offers an interesting perspective on the problems faced by different LGBTQ generations. Mouse and his young partner, Ben (Charlie Barnett), who are around 20 years apart, illustrate the huge gap between generations. 

At a dinner party with Mouse’s friends, Ben alerts the guests to some pejorative vocabulary used by the older men. The criticism wasn’t well-received. 

For them, Ben and his generation had an easy life because of their fight and their sacrifices. I believe the answer one of those men gave to Ben says it all: “When I was 28, I wasn’t going to dinner parties, I was going to funerals.”

With no doubt, the best scene of the show.


Shawna


Shawna (Elliot Page), on the other hand, wasn’t very interesting. 

I believed, from the beginning, that she was supposed to be the main character, so I built up some expectations. However, I found her a spoiled young lady, and many of her attitudes annoyed me.

“Light” Dramas


Many problems are not fully explored, or are mentioned only in passing. 

That made some scenes more superficial than they should be. This fact was probably the downside of the show.

“Tales” now, and then


Revolutionary when it first aired on TV in 1993, Tales of the City still has an impact on new generations.

In a more open-minded world, they were able to have a real transgender person acting on screen without it being a problem. It’s a step forward and improves the quality of the final result. 

Obviously, the show is not perfect, but it is a beautiful story.

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