Any trailer starting with “You Get What You Give” by the New Radicals instantly grabs my attention. The anthem — known by many from “Surfs Up” or the cover from season three of “Glee” — is an instant serotonin boost. This perfectly captures the themes of FX’s newest show “English Teacher”.
Creator Brian Jordan Alvarez stars as Evan Marquez, a queer English teacher at a public high school in the suburbs of Austin, Texas – a blue city, in a very red state. He emphasizes this divide by pointing out that kids are less “woke” now, with his best friend and history teacher, Gwen Sanders, even saying one of her students told her she needed to teach “both sides of the Spanish Inquisition.”
Episode one follows Marquez’s troubles when Principal Moretti, played by Veronica Mars’ Enrico Colantoni, informs him that he is under investigation due to a complaint made by a parent. The alleged crime? Kissing his ex-boyfriend in front of students. Obviously, an absurd attack, but the kicker is the fact that the parent’s now graduated son is gay. Of course, Marquez’s first thought is that the parent truly believes he has “turned her kid gay.”
Like most 20-minute comedies, the conflict is neatly resolved by the end of the episode.
The show features a dynamic cast made of teachers and students, each with contrasting personalities that perfectly highlight the generational differences between millennials and Gen Zers. It is a refreshing show, unafraid to tackle nuanced cultural questions.
Episode two centers on a powderpuff football game — - tradition in which cheerleaders and football players swap roles. Marquez is called in as a mediator for the LGBTQ+IA2S alliance, which opposed football players dressing as women for laughs. He rebrands the tradition as drag, enlisting his friend from college, Shazam, who is played masterfully by the iconic Trixie Mattel. Shazam teaches the players to “go full out,” instilling a sense of self-confidence and passion for the tradition.
Some viewers dismiss this show as just another “woke” Hollywood project, using conservative views for laughs. While it does poke fun at certain conservative ideas, it also humanizes them. Shazam, the lovable drag queen, is also a felon, stealing printers, chargers and a framed portrait of Principal Moretti (a random kleptomaniac need). A hero-esque character turned into the perfect conservative talking point, serving as a reminder that we truly contain multitudes, even if our multitudes include stealing ferret food.
“English Teacher” is not your typical workplace sitcom like “The Office.” The show takes place in an environment where casual homophobia runs rampant, with Marquez saying how he doesn’t want to be “the gay guy fighting for young men’s rights to dress up like girls.” It is a show for everyone and a reminder that we all need to laugh sometimes. And if you’re a fan of ‘80s anthems, this show has your back.
New episodes of “English Teacher” will air on FX every Thursday night, with episodes available to stream on Hulu each Monday.
