Che Che – Google

A nice weekend binge watch discovered after the season's end. My biggest reservation: early foreshadowing --> predictable plot twists --> consistently rushed, tearfully muted happy endings. The regular support characters were production DEI check marks with zero depth. The best surprise was the introduction of Jensen Ackles as Colter's long estranged "older" brother Russell. The actor's signature humorous demeanor was on full display, making the season's penultimate episode tolerable. I found the two actors casting rather odd considering Justin Hartley is +year older IRL. Production took great pains to depict Russell - despite the character's own present day black ops contract career - as a somewhat tech clueless, obtuse Gen Xer. Meanwhile Colter is this vibrant, charmingly clever yet humble, young-end Millennial who - along with his crack PC support team of other generations - quietly, quickly and efficiently carry out self-assigned tasks leaving no trailing mess or bad reputation, which makes everyone's backstory feel fall flat. But even so, I'll gladly watch the second season during its broadcast *if* Ackles becomes a regular, they make the other characters more engaging, and tighten up each episode's story line structure.

"faux-woke" is a better description of this whitewashed, revisionist, fantasy for MAGA apologists or "woke" dilettantes. The film Grease (1978) main criticism is it glossed over class, ethnic, gender and heterosexual tensions *between* white communities; so to appeal with socially liberal 70's Disco era enthusiasts and traditionalists. Except for the film's anachronistic theme song, its premise and story line was comparatively more realistic by far. This show's embarrassingly idealized opening theme song flagrantly misrepresents 1950's society where sexism, racism, homophobia were ingrained in that era. This defined and dictated acceptable public and private behavior through laws and WASP cultural norms. Visible minorities and open queers were barred from attending, teaching or an equitable presence with hetero-normative whites. The idea teens had low risk sexual freedom is ridiculous because few safe, reliable contraceptives existed. The Pill was still in *early development* in 1954 and condom availability comparatively scarce. I gave up halfway through episode 1.