On this chapter of The Queerest Things I Watched Last Week, just when thought I would have nothing queer to write about this week, Ayana from Woke season 1 saves the day.
- Woke – Season 1 Episode 5 “Oaktown Get-Down” [Live]
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I really thought I wouldn’t post an article today. It was Saturday and I hadn’t watched anything with queer in it yet. My wife and I watched the movie I’m Thinking of Ending Things (WTF was that??) and tried Coastal Elites (nope). After that I needed a brain cleanser, so we started the new Hulu series Woke. Not only did we love it, it also had a main lesbian character.
Woke season 1 is about a black cartoonist named Keef Knight (based on series co-creator Keith Knight) whose strip, Toast and Butter, appeals to a mainstream crowd. The strip is about to go into wide syndication and Keef is on the verge of reaping the rewards of his success. He meets Ayana, a reporter for The Bay Arean, and she makes a comment on the strip’s social commentary. Keef doesn’t agree and tells her he likes to “keep things light.”
Later, when flyering for his panel at a local con, the cops swarm Keef and throw him to the ground. It turns out they mistook him for a robbery suspect and let him go, but after that incident, he is forever changed. Now he’s woke and no matter what he does to try to go back to “sleep” he can’t.
The show creatively uses animation to have objects like a trash can and a Sharpie talk to Keef. It’s really topical and funny and we binged all of Woke season 1 in 2 days.
I totally thought Keef and Ayana were going to hook up. Ayana helped Keef go from “keeping it light” to getting real. But the show surprised me in episode 4 when we learn Ayana has a girlfriend.
I love the fact there was no big coming out or, “Surprise! Gay!” scene. It was revealed in a completely organic way.
In episode 5, Ayana invites Keef to present his new work at the Salon du Noir she’s throwing in Oakland. Keef’s roommate, Clovis, a typical womanizing dude character has his eye on Ayana and tries to chat her up at the event.
“Bitch, I’m gay.” needs to be a t-shirt.
Ayana has other problems to deal with, like her recently former girlfriend kissing on a new girl in front of her.
Ayana trying to hold it together while MCing the salon is hilarious.
At the end of the night, Ayana is still fuming over her ex and Clovis runs her through a little visualization exercise to get over her.
Even though he asks her if she’s still gay at the end, the two of them form a buddy friendship. I like lesbian/str8 guy friendships portrayed in the media because it’s definitely a thing that happens a lot in real life.
It turns out Ayana is not totally innocent in the ending of her relationship, but you’ll just have to watch Woke season 1 to find out how.
This week: Wow, there is nothing on the TV schedule this week. I may have to watch something I haven’t seen off the LezWatchTV binge lists.
