When I feel like I’ve watched everything that has LGBTQ + content in it, I always realize that I’m really just considering Netflix and HBO. Unfortunately, there are fewer streaming services available in Hungary than abroad, but that doesn't mean you can't access that kind of content. *wink* These three series will help you break the Netflix-HBO hegemony a bit, so far only one season is available per show, but each is perfect for binge watching.
Vigil
Let’s start with this BBC One series starring Suranne Jones. She plays Anne Lister in Gentleman Jack, so this fact alone drew me in. But besides the fact that she plays the main character, it’s a relief that the story is enjoyable, too! There is a murder on a submarine called ‘Vigil’, which requires the help of Scottish police. The submarine cannot anchor off shore because it is working to prevent nuclear attacks, so Amy Silva (played by Jones) is forced to travel on the ship and thus solve the murder case. Kirsten Longacre (Rose Leslie) helps her from the mainland. Each episode ends with you starting the next one right away, and until the last part I couldn’t figure out who the actual killer is, which is a pretty good result from a TV show. Of course, the LGBTQ+ line is present, but the whole production is put together simply very well. By the end of the season you will even come to terms with the Scottish accent.
Girls5Eva
Yes, this is a valid title from the Peacock streaming service provider. It all started with hearing Sara Bareilles on the radio in 2011. I fell in love with her voice, and my feelings have remained unchanged ever since. What changed was that she became not only a singer but also a Broadway actor, she wrote a successful musical and then starred in this Meredith Scardino series (she also produced Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt). The story deals with reuniting a one-hit girl’s band from the 2000s. The show features music from the early 2000s and the amazing caricature and reality of that period. There’s of course LGBTQ+ content and the show’s incredibly funny. Since one of the producers is Tina Fey, her kind of humor characterizes the episodes which I adore, but it may not be your cup of tea. The members of the band are played by Busy Phillipps, Paula Pell, Renée Elise Goldsberry and Sara Bareilles and their performance is amazing. A second season is coming, too!
The Girl in the Woods
This adaptation of a youth novel is also from Peacock. I guess I’m a little too old for this one, but it’s still worth binge watching. Carrie (Stefani Scott) escapes from a mysterious cult and finds herself in a small Oregon town where, with the help of Tasha and Nolan, she manages to hide from her pursuers. As it turns out, the cult-like colony is protecting a door to another world deep within the forest and Carrie has been the guardian. Now that she has left her post, terrifying monsters can infiltrate our ordinary world. Carrie’s sweetheart, Sara, has remained with the sect, so the trio of Tasha, Nolan and Carrie are trying to save people from the monsters that are already at large. It’s the usual “let’s save the world” teenage story. The show is a bit scary but not crappy and Nolan’s non-binary character makes it bearable. I didn’t have too high hopes for the series, but I finished it and I have no regrets.
Translated by Emese Balog
