AJ and the Queen: Season 1
January 12, 2020 3:08 PM - Season 1 (Full Season) - Subscribe
A down-on-her-luck drag queen travels across America in a van with a tough-talking 10-year-old stowaway. Starring RuPaul, created by Michael Patrick King. Airing on Netflix.
I thought it started out rather weak, but grew stronger as the season progressed and they moved past all the very clunky exposition. Once I started viewing it as a campy throwback to 80s-style movies, I enjoyed it a lot more. The writing could have been stronger, especially in the early episodes, but wasn't nearly as bad as I feared. (I thought we might be in for a full season of Drag Race "acting challenge"-level episodes, which would have been excruciating. In the end, there's just enough of that to be entertaining, and feel like a wink and a nod to RPDR fans without excluding other audiences.)
RuPaul has said this was a very vulnerable project for him, and I can see why. As An Old myself, I like seeing portrayals of older adults as romantic and sexual beings, and there are some interesting nuances in the various characters and relations that emerge over time.
The pacing is slow in spots and AJ is written a bit inconsistently, and I wish the blind best friend were played by a real disabled actor, but in general it was a fun romp.
posted by Superplin at 10:30 AM on January 13, 2020
RuPaul has said this was a very vulnerable project for him, and I can see why. As An Old myself, I like seeing portrayals of older adults as romantic and sexual beings, and there are some interesting nuances in the various characters and relations that emerge over time.
The pacing is slow in spots and AJ is written a bit inconsistently, and I wish the blind best friend were played by a real disabled actor, but in general it was a fun romp.
posted by Superplin at 10:30 AM on January 13, 2020
and I wish the blind best friend were played by a real disabled actor
Me too, this really bothers me!
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 9:26 AM on January 14, 2020 [1 favorite]
Me too, this really bothers me!
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 9:26 AM on January 14, 2020 [1 favorite]
Once I started viewing it as a campy throwback to 80s-style movies, I enjoyed it a lot more.
I'm glad I read this before watching the show. It also kind of reminds me of those awkward guy thrown into a situation with a kid kind of thing that was popular in the late 80s/early 90s, like Curly Sue or Uncle Buck. It's kind of fluffy but with a good soul. Not perfect by any stretch but generally inoffensive and entertaining. It's fun seeing Drag Race alums.
posted by urbanlenny at 10:58 PM on January 17, 2020 [1 favorite]
I'm glad I read this before watching the show. It also kind of reminds me of those awkward guy thrown into a situation with a kid kind of thing that was popular in the late 80s/early 90s, like Curly Sue or Uncle Buck. It's kind of fluffy but with a good soul. Not perfect by any stretch but generally inoffensive and entertaining. It's fun seeing Drag Race alums.
posted by urbanlenny at 10:58 PM on January 17, 2020 [1 favorite]
I just finished the season last night, enjoyed it overall. Loved the Marc Singer/Adrienne Barbeau pairing. (And, has Adrienne Barbeau actually had a mastectomy, or was she just wearing a binder? I'm not getting any hits on a web search for news about it, but maybe it was news and I just missed it?)
posted by oh yeah! at 4:05 AM on January 19, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by oh yeah! at 4:05 AM on January 19, 2020 [1 favorite]
The season ending was a roller coaster for me- I loved episode 7 but had a lot of cringe at episode 8. "Ha ha, everyone thinks I kidnapped this kid" - YOU DID. Maybe it's the parent in me, it was hard to get past. And then what's with bringing in Jane K as a brand new character for episode 9? Couldn't even bear to watch it; it's too late to bring in somebody new!
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 9:45 AM on January 22, 2020
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 9:45 AM on January 22, 2020
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posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 7:04 AM on January 13, 2020 [1 favorite]