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Journey With You (Chinese Series)

By Golu
I've always had kind of a love hate relationship with Chinese historical BLs. Some are genuinely excellent, but then there are others that cram in so much plot that keeping track of all the layers of betrayal and scheming gets exhausting, and I end up checking out mentally. Part of the issue is also just how much content is out there in this space, so something really has to stand out to keep me hooked. In this case, the production value is genuinely impressive, top tier stuff, but story wise, I just couldn't bring myself to actually care about these characters. There's a ton of political scheming and backstage manipulation running throughout. Somewhere in the middle of all that chaos, a hostage ends up falling for his own Prince Charming. The show runs eight episodes, each around 50 to 60 minutes long. After spending three years guarding the border, Fifth Prince Yin Qi gets called back to the capital because of a secret letter, only to end up walking straight into a deadly...
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We Three Queens: Season 1 & 2 (Canada) (Web Series)

By Golu
Three unconventional housemates - a daycare worker, an escort and a senior widow - navigate relationships and existential crises while supporting each other through mishaps and getting high together. Apparently this was an article that occurred in a magazine based on which the film makers decided to turn this into a fun fledged series. The show has been 2 seasons of 5 and 6 episodes respectively averaging at a 10 minute duration each.

Ian, a day care worker running an after school program and his boyfriend Lamar (a nurse and a prostitute) move in with a scrappy old widow Delores in her house. The first season focuses more on the adjustments these three people are doing to be with each other, while getting to individually know them better. Ian gets berated by angry mums from the daycare he works at; Lamar meets a client he escorts for but the hookup goes sideways; and Delores has a private lesson with her choir director that gets steamy. Then pillow talk between Ian and Lamar turns into an existential crisis and the three meet for dinner, where Delores gets stoned and lifts the mood. It's only in season 2 we are told that Delores' husband died and her son left house when he saw his mom with another man. Ian is still the lost young man, who refuses to grow up and is just happy with whatever little. Lamar, Ian's boyfriend, is actually bisexual and besides being a nurse, he also does sex work and one of his biggest client is this woman Linda. Because of Lamar's job, the couple keep having issues. In season 2 we see that Delores falls in a grocery store and slowly realizes the agin process is real and how long can she be alone. She truly believes that these two boys are her family but when her sister visits her, she makes Delores see the truth. There is an awkward meeting with Linda and her husband with Ian-Lamar which eventually turns into an awkward foursome proposition by the husband. Season 2 also focuses on continued individual growths of these folks, while Ian starting to wonder if Lamar really loves him or not.

The show is an offbeat comedy of sorts that neither feels boring but also doesn't make you laugh out loud. You just watch it with stoic expression hoping something big or major should happen, but it never does. Even in the last episode when Lamar needs to tell the truth to his father, even that episodes is missing the spark that you would expect. The way Lamar balances work and sex work could have led to many funny situations but it never does. It is still not clear what is Ian's deal and why is he estranged from his family. The background stories are missing here. The show just wants tis to focus on the interpersonal relationship of these three individuals. The actors do a good job with whatever material has been provided to them and the short episodes keeps the fun alive and never lets things get boring. Having said that, the proceedings also never go very exciting either and in the end the show ends up being just another show with a promising plot but not a fully developed screenplay. (5/10)
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