It’s been nearly a decade since Brian Jordan Alvarez released his most viral video, What actually happens when gay guys see other gay guys and straight people aren't around. He’s been on Hollywood’s radar for the past decade, with memorable appearances in mainstream projects like Will & Grace (the revival) and M3GAN. But Hollywood is at long last viewing the comedian as a lead character, and it should come as no surprise to his diehard fans that it’s through a project he created himself – FX’s English Teacher.
(Steve Swisher/FX)
Evan Marquez (Brian Jordan Alvarez) became a high school teacher to inspire the minds of future generations. Unfortunately for him, working at a high school is a lot like being in high school all over again. But while life with his fellow teachers may feel like The Breakfast Club, the realities of being an educator in 2024 come with unique challenges that no amount of foresight could’ve prepared a hot, thirty-something single gay man for.
English Teacher instantly sets itself apart from ABC’s Abbott Elementary through its cable-network TV-MA language allowances and high school setting. There is otherwise some thematic overlap, including this show being much more of an ensemble piece than its title would suggest. Both shows also tackle decidedly modern issues that educators face. But outside of the language use and occasional talk of sex, English Teacher manages a tone that feels almost wholesome. Like Abbott, English Teacher is a feel-good comedy that manages to tackle some big issues in a really comfortable way.
Set in Austin, TX, the show takes on a microcosm of issues from a blue city in a red state. The show instantly addresses the elephant in the room – the sexuality of its main character – through a pilot plot about a parent having Evan investigated for kissing his then-boyfriend in front of students the previous year. The poignancy with which the show debunks groomer narratives is refreshing, as is the way it handles a litany of other hot-topic issues, including guns, hypersensitivity, and adults trying to keep up with the rapid pace at which teenage cultures shift in an eternally online generation of students.
(Tina Rowden/FX)
If you’re a built-in fan of Brian Jordan Alvarez, the character of Evan very much plays to his strengths, as does his longtime collaborator and real-life bestie Stephanie Koenig (Lessons in Chemistry), who plays history teacher Gwen Sanders. If this is The Breakfast Club, then Gwen is undoubtedly “The Princess,” and Evan is “The Rebel.” Filling the role of “The Jock” is the PE teacher Markie Hillridge, played by Sean Patton, who is a breath of fresh air. “The Weirdo” is, ironically, the school’s guidance counselor. Rick, played by Carmen Christopher (The Bear). And who better to be “The Geek” and the one trying to get everyone to follow the rules than the school principal, Grant Moretti, played by Enrico Colantoni (Veronica Mars).
Adding to the modern-day The Breakfast Club vibes is a stellar 1980s soundtrack. Each episode comes with a fun needle drop that calls seemingly simpler times to mind. And yet, to echo Oprah Winfrey’s recent speech at the Democratic National Convention, English Teacher marches forward with a clear mentality that “We’re not going back.” For all the comedic moments it mines from student subplots, it genuinely depicts the graduating classes of the 2020s as being a kinder, more welcoming, and more inclusive world than the adults who can’t escape high school got to experience. It’s a feel-good testament to the forward march of progress.
I give English Teacher 5 out of 5 chest-to-wall handstand push-ups.
English Teacher premieres Monday, September 2nd, with two back-to-back episodes at 10/9c on FX, with individual episodes airing that same night and time on subsequent Mondays. Episodes will be available to stream on Hulu (and Disney+ for bundle subscribers) the day after they air.