While this show didn't deserve the negative impression it got from the first trailer put out by Netflix, there are still some significant problems in my opinion. Q-Force simply isn't that funny--at best good for a small chuckle at times, with jokes that are occasionally borderline uncomfortable. The show claims to be representative of the LGBTQ+ community, but is almost entirely centered around the first two letters (supposedly Stat is a trans character but the show never acknowledges as much, which seems strange for a show so upfront about the other character's identities). This creates the awkward dynamic of the show rapid-firing these jokes as if they were universally relatable to the community, but really they are meant for a very specific subset--usually cis gay men involved in the scene. I guess I just didn't find it to be relatable from a humor standpoint. Hell, Patti Harrison is quite literally my favorite comedian at the moment, and I can't think of a single moment in this show where her character matched the absurdity she is known for. I expected more!
My biggest gripe is with the character Buck, the idiotic straight man that is sent to watch over the "queers," and is meant to be a counterpoint of sorts. It's like the creators really did say "the A stands for ally!" Why! Why does a show meant to celebrate LGBTQ+ people need a straight character in the mix that constantly spews homophobic nonsense as if they were comedic moments! Nothing Buck contributes is clever, they're bottom-shelf homophobic jokes that I've heard from the straight men my entire life since middle school. They don't challenge his statements or redeem the character, but just let whatever he says pass and expect the audience to roll their eyes and move on. What is this supposed to do for an audience that is likely queer? I did not enjoy a single part of David Harbour's inclusion in this space, and I have to imagine Buck's presence in the script took time away that could've been used to represent another queer identity. Hell, it's called Q-Force! Give us asexual, bisexual, intersex, nonbinary representation, not homophobic straight men! Buck is a huge, huge miss for me.
All in all, it feels like they were afraid to make this show too gay so as to make it inaccessible for a cishet viewer, which is a shame. For example, they tease V as having a romantic relationship with her partner Caryn, but later reveal that they meant work partner (and aren't you a fool for thinking otherwise!) They're halfway there, I simply don't get why they didn't take it all the way. It could've been great. 5/10.
Review by MaxBlockedParent2021-09-06T00:25:07Z
While this show didn't deserve the negative impression it got from the first trailer put out by Netflix, there are still some significant problems in my opinion. Q-Force simply isn't that funny--at best good for a small chuckle at times, with jokes that are occasionally borderline uncomfortable. The show claims to be representative of the LGBTQ+ community, but is almost entirely centered around the first two letters (supposedly Stat is a trans character but the show never acknowledges as much, which seems strange for a show so upfront about the other character's identities). This creates the awkward dynamic of the show rapid-firing these jokes as if they were universally relatable to the community, but really they are meant for a very specific subset--usually cis gay men involved in the scene. I guess I just didn't find it to be relatable from a humor standpoint. Hell, Patti Harrison is quite literally my favorite comedian at the moment, and I can't think of a single moment in this show where her character matched the absurdity she is known for. I expected more!
My biggest gripe is with the character Buck, the idiotic straight man that is sent to watch over the "queers," and is meant to be a counterpoint of sorts. It's like the creators really did say "the A stands for ally!" Why! Why does a show meant to celebrate LGBTQ+ people need a straight character in the mix that constantly spews homophobic nonsense as if they were comedic moments! Nothing Buck contributes is clever, they're bottom-shelf homophobic jokes that I've heard from the straight men my entire life since middle school. They don't challenge his statements or redeem the character, but just let whatever he says pass and expect the audience to roll their eyes and move on. What is this supposed to do for an audience that is likely queer? I did not enjoy a single part of David Harbour's inclusion in this space, and I have to imagine Buck's presence in the script took time away that could've been used to represent another queer identity. Hell, it's called Q-Force! Give us asexual, bisexual, intersex, nonbinary representation, not homophobic straight men! Buck is a huge, huge miss for me.
All in all, it feels like they were afraid to make this show too gay so as to make it inaccessible for a cishet viewer, which is a shame. For example, they tease V as having a romantic relationship with her partner Caryn, but later reveal that they meant work partner (and aren't you a fool for thinking otherwise!) They're halfway there, I simply don't get why they didn't take it all the way. It could've been great. 5/10.