AJ and the Queen: A swindled drag queen embarks on a fund-raisingcross-country road trip with an acquired child in tow after having been defrauded of his life's savings by his 'boyfriend'.

https://youtu.be/FfvnMu0maM8

This is very much a one-man show(case). It would be mean to call it a vanity project but it does have that aspect tbh. Ru Paul created, co-wrote and stars in it and after the first few episodes I was in doubt as to whether to continue as I felt I could see the plot and character liness clearly signalled; Ru P would arrive at a venue, there would be plenty of bitchy dialogue with the local queens (which Ru P would invariably win), the relationship with the child would develop and the child’s mother would probably appear and they may even be reconciled.

But I did persist (he persisted…) and am glad I did as while those plot elements did actually come to pass, they were done in a thoughtful and far more engaging way than I feared. the relationship between AJ and Ru P was well shown - and the fact that AJ was very young added to the impact of this (and ones sympathy for them). Yes at times (well, very often) it did become VERY sentimental but I could cope with that as there was often a nice touch of astringency added. Less easy to accept was the rather heavy-handed emphasis on almost everyone encountered ‘learning to love themselves and developing themselves,, largely under Ru P’s tutelage , deliberate or otherwise. Contemporary dramatic cliches - not in themsleves bad, but rather lumpenly and simplistically dealt with and with a certain ‘necessary tick-box’ quality about them.

I did feel the conclusion was rarher rapid and certanly had the feeling that a continuation - if not of the main plot elements, then of the major characters - was likely/expected. But the series was cancelled after this firts series which may explain that - and I am not sure that there would have been a lot of traction with a continuation, unless it went it a totally different direction.

But an enjoyable view nevertheless

Pose. Series 1: Powerful and wholly engaging series on the world of Ball gay culture in NYC from late 80's

The Woods: Polish-set thriller where traumatic events at a summer camp are finally resolved many years later