(Photo credit: Tereza Cervenova/Hulu)
Hulu is quickly becoming the place to go for fans of British humor. Earlier this year, they brought over two seasons of the hilarious series This Country and now we are treated to a new series called The Bisexual. Unusual for a British series, it debuts here just one month after its UK premiere as a co-production between Channel 4 and Hulu.
Leila and Sadie have been together for ten years when Sadie pops the question, but Leila has an existential crisis and counters the proposal with a suggestion that the two take a break. Single for the first time in her adult life. This causes her to have to redefine herself as a bisexual woman, something that has been difficult for her to come to terms with for a very long time. And because the whole situation isn’t awkward enough, Leila and Sadie are partners in business and still have to see each other everyday.
There aren’t many shows that star an LGBTQ character, although representation is pretty standard now in supporting roles. What sets The Bisexual apart from series like Queer as Folk or The L Word? Well for starters, it’s a half-hour comedy, not an hour-long drama. There’s a little bit of drama, but finding comedy in the discomfort of exploring one’s own sexuality is the main thrust of the show. It’s also virtually unexplored territory, with many misunderstanding what it means to be bisexual, even within the community.
(Photo by: Tereza Cervenova/Hulu)
The series stars its creator, Desiree Akhavan, as the main character. She plays an American expatriate and this makes the series a little more accessible to American audiences who may not understand the British-isms on display. But the main comedy comes from her friend Deniz, played by Saskia Chana. She’s the only guaranteed laugh in all six episodes from this debut season.
In just six episodes, The Bisexual shifts storytelling methods to connect you with all of the central characters. If it has one flaw it’s that it establishes itself as being about Leila and then begins to divert to other people in her life. The scenes without her, or that aren’t about her, feel like needless filler and slow things down.
This series is rated TVMA and it contains most of the elements that you would expect from that rating, including language and nudity. It’s a show about a woman rediscovering who she is as an individual and exploring both sides of her sexuality. It’s not for everyone and it really has a specific audience in mind, which is caters to on every level.
I enjoyed The Bisexual more than I thought I would, but I didn’t love it. With so much competing for your attention just on Hulu alone, it’s hard to recommend this over more entertaining content readily available. But members of the LGBT community should give it a chance, particularly those that need a reminder that not all bisexual individuals use that label as a stepping stone to fully coming out as gay or lesbian.
I give The Bisexual 2.5 out of 5 stars.
The Bisexual debuts on November 16th