Pose Final Season TV Show Review: Closure and a Lasting Legacy
Pose has been a show that has been eye-opening for me in many different ways. It introduced me to the heartwarming and exciting history of ballroom culture in the late 80s. And more importantly, it shined a light on the marginalized and beautiful stories of trans and gay people, who fought for their communities and fought against the AIDS pandemic. The final season, like the two seasons before it, continues to be filled with touching moments and character growth. It is also very much a means to an end - many episodes are dedicated to wrapping up stories and providing closure. Because our characters are no longer so immersed in ballroom and performing all the time, it feels like their goals have evolved from winning trophies into winning at life. This final season is definitely fulfilling, but not my favorite season. When I think back on some of my favorite moments and episodes of all time, I would more so reference scenes from season 1 or season 2. But nonetheless, I think everyone in this production did a fantastic job finishing out such a game-changing show. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who loves stories about hard-hitting issues but also fun and immersive drama.
SPOILER ALERT
This season is very much a season of understanding and closure. We see Elektra’s humble beginnings and how she chooses to reconcile with her past. We also get to see Pride Tell’s beginnings and how he is forced to reconcile with his sickness and his future. I think my favorite scenes of the season were related to Angel and Papi’s wedding! As cheesy as it was (oh my god were Papi’s vows cheesy…), I loved the process of seeing Angel choose her wedding dress and the fear she felt going to officially register her marriage. I thought the ending of Blanca’s story arc was really fitting and it was really satisfying seeing Blanca be a “house grandmother.” She has always been the angelic character who has a strict moral compass and a heart of gold, and seeing her achieve her nursing goals, find love, and find purpose in her life is definitely the only way her story can reasonably end.
Pose the final season is ultimately a satisfying, albeit a bit predictable, ending to a great show. I think that while it might not be as memorable as the first two seasons, it did the important job of tying up final loose ends and giving our characters the happy ending and the closure that they all deserved.