Hey everyone! First of all, I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. I'm really excited to talk about what's been going on in Andi Mack, so let's get into it!
Andi Mack made history when it became the first American Disney Channel show to feature a gay storyline. Instead of queerbaiting us, the writers blessed us with a canonically gay Cyrus, who is crushing on a taken Jonah, even though he has a girlfriend himself. One of the most important scenes in the season premiere was when Buffy assures Cyrus that being gay doesn't make him any different from the rest. A lot of homophobic adults threw child-like temper tantrums over this, but I'm just happy that questioning kids can get the representation I never knew I needed when I was a child.
While it's heartbreaking to see Cyrus pine, Andi and Jonah finally getting together makes me super happy. As an Asian girl without Eurocentric features, it's such a rush of validation to see the Asian protagonist get the guy by being her awesome self. Also, the way the two care about each other is endearing. Honestly, I don't understand how you can hate Jandi, even if you ship Jyrus (which I do, by the way). They're just kids!! I don't even care if they end up breaking up and becoming platonic bffs; them being together right now is all that matters. I do have some issues with the way that Jonah only hangs out with Andi's friends and not vice versa, and how we haven't even seen them hold hands, so I hope the writers will address that in future episodes.
Aside from her first boyfriend, Andi must deal with her family issues. Bex rejects Bowie's proposal, much to Andi's (and even Celia's) disappointment. Bex insists that the only thing gluing them together is Andi, which pretty much broke everyone's hearts
Meanwhile, Buffy must deal with the sexism of the school basketball team's captain, TJ after track season finishes. It's a boys-only team, with Buffy being the exception. TJ refuses to pull his head out of his ass, sacrificing potential points just so Buffy won't get the ball. It's great to see Buffy standing up for herself. Buffy has never been afraid to say what she thinks, which is great, but in some scenarios, it teeters on being rude.
My biggest qualm with the show at the moment is the writers' insistence upon making Amber the stereotypical mean girl. Amber hasn't been doing too well - aside from being dumped by Jonah, her father lost his job, her parents have been fighting about money, and she isn't doing too well at her own job as a waitress at the Spoon, the diner Andi and crew often eat at. Andi is willing to give her a chance, much to the chagrin of Buffy, Cyrus and even Bex, and to Jonah's encouragement. Buffy gives several vivid metaphors of the situation, all of which come down to horrible people always staying the same in nature. And she's right - Amber ends up doing a complete 180 when she sees Jonah calling Andi, leaving her stranded on the top of the ferris wheel and ditching her when the police arrive. To me, Amber's transformation back to mean girl felt out of character, and pitting the two against each other over a boy is just lazy. I don't understand why they can't just be friends - they were having a great time together before Jonah was mentioned!
Overall, however, it's refreshing and just plain fun to watch a show where all races, sexualities and genders are celebrated. The Mack family is firmly planted in their Chinese roots, as we got an entire episode centered around Chinese New Year celebrations and traditions. (I'm not sure why it's January-February in Andi Mack land while being November right now, but whatever.) Cyrus' sexuality doesn't get ignored entirely after one episode, and the characters continuously support each other and protect each other from injustice. I'm really happy with how the second season is turning out, and I truly encourage you all to give it a shot. You definitely won't regret it.
Next week: the big Arrowverse crossover. While I definitely don't condone Nazis, and am grossed out by the fact that recently outed sexual harrasser Andrew Kreisberg played a large part in the event, I am very excited for the Olicity-Westallen double wedding. My faves are finally getting hitched!
Extras that didn't make it in:
- Jonah Beck is my precious bi son, and we must protect him at all costs.
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