At the same time, English Teacher doesn’t pander to the trope that a story needs to be just uplifting without being too conventional in its representation of queer perspectives.
In one episode, drag queen superstar Trixie Mattel appears to be teaching a group of teenage boys how to perform in drag. It’s a beautiful scene where the boys skate in heels and put on a show for their peers (which of course made me cry).
But there’s Brian Farkas, who plays Trixie, who steals supplies from the school and pockets some of the kids’ cell phones when they’re not looking.
This is a momentary axis of genius comedy that might come off as condescending in tone, as if drag performers simply exist in a vacuum for inspiration, and the English language It’s a switch that teachers can easily turn on and off.
The series deftly takes Mickey from Gen Z’s woke culture, but its most effective scenes come when one of her students suffers from asymptomatic Tourette’s and what she describes as a self-diagnosed “Kayla Syndrome.” This is a scene where he claims to be.
Sure, this show has its moments of genius.
It’s okay, not everything is perfect. There were a few mistakes, and one episode about gun violence felt out of place and perhaps a little underplayed. And while I mostly enjoy Evan, I hope a potential season 2 features more of the other weird characters with commanding backstories.
Nevertheless, it’s a very promising start for a show that feels like a cool shower on a hot summer day, and one that will keep us laughing until 2025.
“English Teacher” is available to watch on Disney+.
Featured image: Disney+.
