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Gay people don't exist beyond coming out. At least that's what television and movies lead you to believe. Narratives about a gay man on film usually revolve around the coming out experience, and nothing more, no further exploration of what it means to be queer, what it means to find a community of people you can relate with. That's not to say there aren't gay side characters that exist in relationships, but beyond say Looking or Queer as Folk, there are very few shows or movies that center a queer character beyond the coming out experience.

This series didn't seem as genuinely sweet as the film it spins from. At the same time, it retells the story of Love Simon but without the resolution, all too neatly ending on a pathetic cliffhanger that once again makes coming out as gay the biggest deal. It's a big part of a gay man's life, yes, and our coming out story is often the foundation of our identity, but it does not define us, and we exist beyond coming out, and this whole narrative of the build up to the coming out is just too drawn out.

The series doesn't even allow any of the other queer characters a story beyond their coming out, you catch a glimpse in the New York episode, but lives are relegated to the sidelines in aid of helping Victor come to terms with his feelings. They're used as props rather than actual people, and considering the otherwise great development of characters, the New York cameos felt as flat as anything. I'm not sure if these characters will appear again, but they seemed visually diverse but nothing deeper.

Also, I found it very obvious that Nick Robinson, as Simon, only filmed a couple of scenes and they were VERY badly green screened (most notably when he was cheering Victor on in a bar, isolated from his boyfriend for absolutely no reason). I'm pretty sure this would have all been filmed before social distancing, so I guess they either didn't have the money to have him in the same room as other cast members, or didn't figure out a good schedule. I think I would have much rather had a series about Bram and his life in New York, which could have been with Simon learning how privileged he was in his experience, and sidelining him rather than making him some omnipotent gay sage.

There's a very obvious path I can see the second season taking with Mia forgiving Victor and them returning to being friends. I don't know how much this happens outside of movies, but in my experience, the girl I dated never spoke to me again when I came out. I hurt her, and I apologized, but she didn't forgive me, nor did she need to in order to be a good person. We both led our separate lives from that point and the only times I'm really reminded of her are when I watch coming out stories and have to remember all the lying and deception I perpetuated.

Victor all but wins over Benji without consequence, his best friend is supportive of him, and even the mild bully character Andrew lets him off lightly. They neglect Mia and all of her development by now framing her tale as one of recovery from a relationship, rather than her having autonomy, and it is disheartening. I'm getting rather tired of watching the exact same narrative of a guy having to make it through dating a girl in order to realize he's gay. Yes, it happens, and I've lived it, but I am well aware that it is in no way the only story of coming out, and there are far more interesting ones to tell.

Well acted, decent script, good characters, just nothing of real guts or consequence. Every reveal fell flat, and everything seemed so predictable. In one sense it's nice to finally have a show like this, a predictable, light-hearted romcom-esque show centering a queer character, but it does nothing with it. I'm hoping that now it has moved to hulu from Disney+, it will actually explore sexuality with more punch.

I only hope that the second season develops these characters further and provides actual conflict, because it apes the movie in just how glossy everything ends up being, despite the opening episode careening into a minor rant about the film's path. I was excited for this series from that setup, that it would mean we saw a different side to a coming out story than the all-accepting, but it didn't follow through.

Cuffs had a hard job. It set out low in people's expectations as they compared it to The Bill. I'm not old enough to have watched The Bill, so I can judge Cuffs on its own.

The show itself is gripping, intense and surprisingly funny. Cuffs weaves together a whole cast of unique actors and actresses in a variety of different roles whilst showing that the police aren't always successful.

In its first season, Cuffs tackled a lot of issues that are relevant in today's society such as mental illness, homophobia, domestic abuse and so much more.

Cuffs is such a great show to watch, it never feels slow and it never feels rushed. Each character gets their time in the frame and there is great depth to all of them. There wasn't a single episode which didn't make me laugh and I feel it is the best BBC drama produced in a long time.

If the (only exciting in the last episode) 'Doctor Foster' is supposedly worthy of a second series, then Cuffs should have ten more series already in production. The stories tie together nicely and there aren't any dull moments in this show.

Would recommend to anyone who's bored of the usual BBC dramas that don't have the pace and guts that this one has even before the watershed.

Cuffs is great. Don't let it end so soon.