Ralph's Dad realizing he is gay.
Ralph's Dad: Gay? I thought you were vegetarian!

Ralph was a young man who had it all, but lost it as soon as he came out to his father. This is his story of trying to find love in a hopeless place.


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Ralph was a young man who had it all, but lost it as soon as he came out to his father. This is his story of trying to find love in a hopeless place.


Network
Netflix
Director(s) Fernando Mendonca
Writer(s) Fernanda Brandalise
Air Date 11/9/2018
Introduced This Episode
Junior Lucas Gama

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For My Father, For My Family: Ralph, Junior

Though you’d think Ralph was out like Patrick and Donizete, he actually wasn’t. In fact, his dad seemingly thought he was a vegetarian to explain his behavior. However, upon learning the truth, he is out! Leading to, in desperation, Ralph deciding to go to Reverend Sandoval’s conversion camp. A place where he meets Junior, the reverend’s son, who he becomes close with. Not to the point of dating, but it seems like he may become one of the few guys Ralph can hang out – that are his age.

Commentary

Ralph claiming his gayness.
Ralph: I don’t feel gay, I am gay. And nothing can change that.

I gotta say, though it didn’t hit hard, you have to appreciate the bait and switch this show is doing. Advertise flamboyant gay men in drag looking like the PowerPuff Girls and swap in serious issues the community is dealing with. Including conversion therapy just to figure a way, or show a way, they are trying to be what their parents want. For it seems just this one thing about them, which they wish would be loved and accepted, is getting in the way of the love and acceptance they thought they had their whole life.

With all that said, I think Junior is either Bi or maybe isn’t as masculine as his dad wants him to be.

Coming Out & Breaking Out: Donizete, Patrick, Ralph, Reverend Sandoval, Champagne, Goldiva, Jezebel, Junior

In order to get the permit she needs to perform, Goldiva needs all the girls to sign a petition for her. Problem is, by force or by volunteering, they are in the conversion camp. Thus leading to Champagne assigning Patrick and Donizete to infiltrate the camp in a more conservative drag costume. However, thanks to Jezebel’s kids, they get caught. Luckily, Ralph sees them in the distance and with being touched by the idea they came to rescue him, he transforms, helps them transform, and saves the day.

Oh, and Goldiva shows up with the permit she needs and also the paperwork to note Reverend Sandoval’s camp has been shut down.

Commentary

Goldiva showing up to the conversion camp and announcing a pool party before it shuts down.

I wonder what Patrick and Donizete’s stories are, in terms of when they came out. Also, if the show may build up what caused Reverend Sandoval to become as he is? For he isn’t a big enough villain to fear humanizing him would destroy the character. If anything, he seems so real you have to wonder if he has is multi-dimensional or is just supposed to be a hateful figure? A comical one, who notes real men don’t wipe their behinds, but still.

You Haven’t Seen The Last of Me: Goldiva, Lady Elza

You remember Lady Elza right? She is largely absent in the episode but pops in at the end to kidnap Goldiva.

Commentary

Lady Elza prepping to kidnap Goldiva.
Lady Elza: Did you really think I wasn’t going to show off my ass in this episode?

Perhaps one of the main issues which come from this show presenting a serious issue, and then surrounding it with jokes, is it sometimes feels unbalanced. You get Ralph presenting a real-world issue a lot of guys have, but then that gets combined with Donizete’s antics. It’s a weird balance that, frankly, I don’t know how to take.

On one hand, as said above, you have to love the bait and switch. Yet, on the other, if you’re going to do a bait and switch, you have to make sure what you switch in is consistently on point. I wouldn’t say how Ralph’s situation got handled matches Patrick’s. While things began in a very real way, with him getting kicked out, it wasn’t like we heard the story of other guys in the conversion camp. Goldiva didn’t relate to her fans and even with Ralph deciding to just see Patrick and Donizete as his family, in lieu of his father and sister, it just didn’t pack the same punch.

On The Fence

  1. Assuming there will be a pattern of us getting a serious issue which is paired with comedy to lighten things up, I hope they are better balanced than this episode.


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