Love, Victor
Episodes and My Ratings:
Ratings are IMDB scores
1. Welcome to Creekwood (8.1/10)
2. Stoplight Party (8.1/10)
3, Battle of the Bands (8.3/10)
4. The Truth Hurts (8.3/10)
5. Sweet Sixteen (8.8/10)
6. Creekwood Nights (8.3/10)
7. What Happens in Willacoochee... (8.9/10)
8. Boys' Trip (9.2/10)
9. Who the Hell is B? (8.9/10)
10. Spring Fling (9.2/10)
Percents are my opinionated score
My Rankings
1. Boys' Trip (97%)-This artistically fantastic and stunningly created episode really brings out what makes Love, Victor so amazing that you are not restricted to be one thing, but should be embracing who you are really are whether that is severely different from others or similar. Not only are the guest performances and references to Love, Simon inspiring, but they are beautifully written in a way that allows Victor to really discover who he is and see how other and unfamiliar parts of the world are. The community aspect to the show really brought this episode up for me as it is supportive, wise and motivational all at the same time. The side story is also amazing as it is about being who you are as well and not being ashamed of who you are in love with or your status in high school. The flow of the plot is exceptional as is the outstanding artistic elements such as the production design, cinematography, costumes, makeup and hair which combine to make this the best and most effective episode of the series.
2. Spring Fling (96%)-It was a tough call between Boys' Trip and the season finale as both as so essential to the storyline and allow for major character development for Victor, but even though this episode is also beautifully written and motivational, it lacked the artistry and genius expansion into the world which made Boys' Trip so special. This episode is fantastic also though as Victor finally begins to grasp who he is and attempt to solve the various problems going on including Benji and Mia. The writing and pace of the episode is sloppy in the best way as each plot is delicately wrapped up and each character gets a small shot to shine while everything leads up to the giant cliffhanger ending that is sure to make you want more. I particularly loved how this episode ended as it is encouraging and inspirational to see Victor truly embracing himself finally (supported by Michael Cimino's stellar acting) and with this superb writing and the closure but openness that is constantly happening, this episode was another success for the series.
3. What Happens in Willacoochee... (93%)-In the end of this episode, I was practically close to tears because of the way the writers designed everything and how that moment with Victor and Benji is so climactic and heartbreaking at the same time. Michael Cimino's acting really stood out to me in this episode as he expertly manages the restrain, complexity and desire that Victor feels throughout the end and his showcase at one of the very last scenes stunned me to my core and felt like a punch in the gut especially with how much the character has been building up to finally embrace himself. I loved the character and relationship development not only between Victor and Benji but between everyone as they really make the characters seem more human in a way that is only due to the masterful writing throughout the series. This is a big and heartbreaking episode that finally feels like Victor is getting closer to admitting who he truly is but does struggle with the side stories as really Victor and Benji's storyline feels like the only crucial part, however, the amazing acting and emotional writing all make this a must-see episode to a fantastic series.
4. Sweet Sixteen (92%)-Another episode that centers towards Victor's character development (where the show succeeds the most) as the chaotic birthday party approaches that will most definitely explode at any moment. With tensions between Victor's parents, his grandparents arriving and his devastated sister, this birthday party was going to blow up from the start, however, I was actually very impressed with how the writers chose to approach the story as they turn the party into a creative form of acceptance, family and love instead. The scene where Victor stood up to his grandparents for Benji and Derek was also a beautifully created scene that continues to craft the supportive and inspirational environment the show desires. Lake and Felix's relationship is also interestingly teased here which sort of shows how unpredictable and sloppy the show can be at times, but also shows how amazingly different the show is in the comedy/drama genre. The writing is unique in this episode and is almost brought down by itself and the large abundance of characters at times as it can't really mesh their storylines together well even for a birthday party, but the episode continues the top tier acting, stunning character development and comedic but encouraging tone on heavy subjects that has been built up, making this another stellar entry into the Love, Victor show.
5. Who the Hell is B (92%)-In Love, Victor, I rated the top five episodes above 90% which shows how crucial and amazing this show can be and although this episode is slower, it is finally the moment when Victor knows who he is and begins to reveal it to the world which is exceptionally done and really represents how fantastic the character development is over the course of 10 episodes. Felix's reaction to Victor coming out was perfect and symbolized the strength in their relationship while the complexity of Mia's character in this episode reveals why her character is written so well. Lake's mother was also a nice addition as it reveals why Lake is so obsessed with the status idea with Felix and while this may seem annoying, it is sadly realistic and creative. This episode slows down the rapid pace which mostly benefits it but also works against it as many of the moments are uneventful and need depth to live up to the previous superb storylines especially involving Victor's role in the show. But, I was thoroughly impressed with how innovative and different the writing is as it conveys serious topics in a comedic yet entertaining way despite flaws in the building each storyline which brought this impressive 5th episode up.
6. The Truth Hurts (88%)-This episode dives deep into Victor's family as we explore his parents' relationship and the shocking personal issues that came between and how it has affected everyone in the family including not just Victor but his sister who struggles the most. It's a well-done episode that knows what it needs to do and achieves the goal correctly while just appearing quite vague and fixated on details that could have been cut to develop the central storyline about Victor and his family more. But, the character development and storyline feel like the first time in the show we are introduced to more advanced plots that drift from the traditional high school experience and become more unique. Plus, the acting is continuously growing on me and becoming much better than it was when the series started out almost as if the show is finally finding its footing and growing to be even better.
7. Creekwood Nights (86%)-Creekwood Nights feels both like an uneventful and filler episode but also crucial to the storyline at the same time as we embark on Mia and Victor's relationship to a more personal level. As Mia is pushing him to take their relationship to the next level, Victor is very hesitant obviously and while this is a traditional high school story that is too typical for such a groundbreaking show, the story is handled carefully and in a relatable way that will inevitably be supportive towards others in similar situations. Lake and Felix's relationship is also a fun and new thing that will entertain audiences and provide the freshness that makes this show so great and unusually fantastic. The overall writing for this episode is what brings this episode to number 7 as it provides a twist on a timeless teenager tale, but does create a storyline where not much is crucial to the overall story and is more filled with side ideas that are still made in the most entertaining and captivating ways possible.
8. Stoplight Party (86%)-Another classic tale of popularity troubles in high school sets this typical storyline close to number 7 and only really set apart by the weaker side storylines happening in this episode that seem to lack real depth but serve to introduce new storylines in the season. As the second episode in what will be a stellar show, it was bound to be slower and have a weaker start, but the traditional high school storyline didn't feel as innovative as it should have been especially with the advanced and emotional topics the show covers. I was however impressed by the acting in this episode as it would be really easy to act like a traditional teenager in this show especially by Victor's character but Michael Cimino brings new life to the written character and makes him completely different than what I originally pictured him in this episode, helping the character development tremendously and bringing this episode above the pilot. This episode is a typical high school drama episode with the popularity status struggle and the bullies that are trying to destroy you and although the show will eventually drift apart from it soon, this episode struggles to find its tone and pace which sets the still great episode further back.
9. Welcome to Creekwood (85%)-The pilot episode is a traditional pilot episode to a high school comedy/drama and never really drifts away from the new kid in school storyline until the ending which is the main thing that constantly kept annoying me as the show barely separates itself. Even though it might not be extremely creative, the show does this plot exceptionally though, and introduces how mature the writing will be and what is to offer in the season as more of a teaser than a full-on pilot episode. The acting also is mostly well-done but feels too traditional as well as even Victor's character seems too familiar and doesn't introduce anything new (and this will all get much better throughout the series) while the other high schoolers seem more like they are copying how high schoolers should be instead of establishing their characters in the show and building the plots for each one. This episode is still very great and a comedic yet fun introduction to the characters and the complex story we will see but plays it too safe at times and struggles to embrace the show it wants to be even in the pilot episode which is supposed to introduce everything.
10. Battle of the Bands (84%)-This episode of Love, Victor really advances the story, characters and relationships in one way which brings this past 80% but at the same time feels too much like a filler episode in all the other aspects. While Mia and Victor's first date is interesting and all the side stories remain entertaining, this episode is the weakest both in writing and entertainment as it feels very uneven in pace and combining all the stories going on especially involving Victor's family. Even though it is the weakest episode in the show, it is not a weak episode and does provide a great representation of Victor's first date and him struggling to accept who he really is despite every sign leading him towards that way which definitely introduced the tone and environment of the series which the previous episodes lacked, therefore it's not the weakest by a long-shot, but very close to the other episodes in the bottom half of this list, but just doesn't stand out as much as the others despite the continued excellence this show brings.
Technological Scores
Directing: 85%
The directing throughout Love, Victor greatly emphasizes the writing on the show and really reveals the strong acting for the most part but while it shines in this department, the consistency of the show is weaker especially in the beginning as the first episodes don't have extremely effective tones but are attempting to find their place instead. But, as the show develops, the directing gets much better and creates a compelling, motivational and moving narrative like few other shows in the year.
Writing: 98%
The writing for this show is truly stunning and an imaginative yet contemporary style of storytelling that is vital as it tells a story that is not consistently represented in television in a relatable and personal way that teenagers can easily connect with. The beginning does start out quite slow with almost too familiar of a writing style in the high school comedy/drama genre, but the show slowly becomes much more advanced and the writing stands out as unique, involved and mature which makes the way the show is written and developed throughout Victor's journey a remarkable achievement and stellar work of art.
Acting: 91%
The acting for this show might start out quite limited and the typical style of acting we're all used to for a show or movie like this, but when the characters are each given more substance especially the side characters, their acting stands out and reveals how deep each actor is actually into their complex character. Michael Cimino stands out greatly especially from episode 5 onward as the role of Victor was already quite difficult, but Cimino escalates the character greatly with the variety of emotions, expressions and styles of dialogue into something completely different that works remarkably with the show.
Cinematography: 83%
Most contemporary shows are going to have the normal type of cinematography and it is not that the cinematography is bad for the show, but the stylistic cinematography that is different just doesn't mesh with the theme of the show. In Love, Victor, that is mostly the case as the cinematography is not bad and is good but the unique cinematography that we are all looking for just couldn't match with the high school genre. However, I would have loved to see the camera zoom in on characters at times to really capture the emotions and expressions in more detail as this would reveal much more about the actor and the character themselves.
Music: 89%
The abundance of songs used here and the main theme song is quite catchy and a feel-good song that directly matches with the tone of the series and I was really impressed with how a show like this exaggerated its music to mean something deeper than just the background. It's not as artistic or detailed as some other shows, but given the theme and environment of the series, I was impressed with the gorgeous yet simplistic score used and the many musical songs (full of LGBTQ+ audiences!!) that really highlighted the purpose and meaning of the show to new levels by making every scene feel more emotional and effective.
Casting: 87%
The casting is great for the series as each character is met with talented actors that consistently bring new levels of detail and complexity to their characters and fill descriptions near perfectly. I only think that designing roles full of characters that are supposed to be high schoolers and casting people who are slightly older could have been handled better, but that again is extremely common for the industry and a complaint I have for many shows that involve younger characters.
Editing 89%
Editing is another success for this show as almost all scenes have importance and meaningfulness to them while developing the plot and character development greatly. In the beginning, when the show was discovering itself, the editing was sloppy at times, but it greatly gets overlooked by how amazing and purposeful the rest of the editing in the series is. This includes the spectacular prom scenes, the birthday party scenes and all of the New York scenes that are quite fantastic.
Costumes: 83%
The costumes are average for most of the series and aimed to look like high schoolers which it mostly succeeds in, and those are good for the most part and a great addition to the series. I especially loved the return of Simon's jacket in the series, but the New York scenes brought this score up substantially as the costumes are beautiful and something unique that we weren't expecting in a show about high school, adding some freshness to an already amazing series.
Cast/Crew
Cast:
Michael Cimino.......................Victor Salazar
Rachel Hilson..............................Mia Brooks
Anthony Turpel.......................................Felix
Bebe Wood.............................................Lake
Mason Gooding.................................Andrew
George Sear...........................................Benji
Isabella Ferriera.........................Pilar Salazar
Ana Ortiz..................................Isabel Salazar
James Martinez...................Armando Salazar
Mateo Fernandez....................Adrian Salazar
Keiynan Lonsdale..................................Bram
Lukas Gage...........................................Derek
Mekhi Phifer............................Harold Brooks
Sophia Bush......................................Veronica
Tommy Dorfman....................................Justin
Nick Robinson.............................Simon Speir
Charlie Hall...........................................Kieran
A.J Carr...................................................Teddy
Beth Littleford......................................Barista
Leslie Grossman..........Georgina Cunningham
Ali Wong......................................Ms. Thomas
Kayla DiVenere.......................................Jenny
River Gallo...............................................Kim
Crew:
Isaac Aptaker.............Creator/Executive Producer
Elizabeth Berger.........Creator/Executive Producer
Jason Ensler..............Director/Executive Producer
Rebecca Asher............................................Director
Pilar Boehm..............Director/Executive Producer
Anne Fletcher..............................................Director
Todd Holland...............................................Director
Marty Bowen............................Executive Producer
Jay Karas.....................................................Director
Michael Lennox...........................................Director
Adam Fishbach..........................Executive Producer
Anu Valia.....................................................Director
Wyck Godfrey...........................Executive Producer
Wyck Godfrey...........................Executive Producer
Amy York Rubin....Director/Co-Executive Producer
Becky Albertalli..............................................Writer
Danny Fernandez............................................Writer
Isaac Klausner..........................Executive Producer
Jess Pineda.....................................................Writer
Jeremy Roth...................................................Writer
Brian Tanen.....................Writer/Executive Producer
Adam Londy..............................Executive Producer
Nick Robinson..........................Executive Producer
Pouya Shahbazian......................Executive Producer
Jen Braeden.............Writer/Co-Executive Producer
Shawn Wilt.................................................Producer
Shelia R. Lawrence.......Writer/Consulting Producer
Aaron Fink.............................Associative Producer
Marcos Luevanos.......Writer/Supervising Producer
Jillian Moreno................................................Writer
David Smithyman.......Writer/Supervising Producer
Siddhartha Khosla....................................Composer
Lauren Culjak...........................................Composer
Mark Schwartzbard.......................Cinematographer
and many many more:
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Storyline:
"Victor is a new student at Creekwood High School on his own journey of self discovery, facing challenges at home, adjusting to a new city, and struggling with his sexual orientation. "
Love, Victor centers around the complex character of Victor as he struggles with self-acceptance and self-discovery as he must fully embrace everything about himself including his sexual orientation. While dealing with his own personal struggles, he will also be forced to adapt to the new high school they moved to as well as his parents' own previous issues that will shake up his life. This messy yet inspiring journey reveals how self-discovery and sexual orientation isn't always a straight line but is more complex in life in a unique and deeply emotional or personal way.
Would I Recommend?
Love, Victor is a crucial show for today's world and I can't really imagine a reason why anyone shouldn't watch this show as it illustrates a journey of self-discovery and motivates people to be who they truly are despite the obstacles that might be included. It's not difficult to watch either as it is still essentially a comedy series that just mixes in heavy subject matter and uses them to create an inspirational and beautiful story that I can't really imagine any decent reasons to why anyone would 100% dislike the show. I would recommend this show to everyone as it will open the eyes of many and guide many others who are in a similar situation to Victor especially in high school. But, I especially recommend this show to high schoolers in general as it is a necessary show to watch in today's generation so we can prevent further discrimination and hatred in these environments and truly understand on a more personal level the difficulties people like Victor face and what they are struggling with. Therefore, it is an amazingly crafted and absolutely crucial, entertaining and funny show to watch at any time with the family or by yourself, making it even more powerful and effective.
Overall/Review:
Love, Victor is the emotional story of a teenager's journey to self-discovery and conveys a meaningful story that will surely impact others and support people in similar situations. The show revolves around Victor and him adapting to a new school that just so happened to be the same school from the movie Love, Simon, or Creekwood High School. However, Victor struggles tremendously with understanding who he is especially his sexual orientation (as the show expertly and proudly portrays love is not a straight line always which I admired greatly) and definitely knows he is not like every other teenage boy (despite him trying to tell himself that), but still wants to fit in especially in a new school and refuses to admit to himself the truth. However, when he learns one day about a teenager at the high school who came out as gay and kissed the boy he liked in front of everyone named Simon, he is able to relate to someone and open up about how he is feeling. The best thing about Love, Victor is the realistic and personal writing that seems to have a lot of depth to it especially involving the later episodes as the way every storyline is handled feels extremely relatable and as if there is a more personal touch to it. However, the show is quite slow at the beginning and feels too defined almost as if the writers tried too hard to set the high school environment to where everything comes out corny almost instead of conveying the plot. While the story develops though, the writing amplifies and becomes something truly special as we finally get more insight into Victor's character and what he is feeling while also exploring more about who he is in an artistic way.
While the movie Love, Simon is about someone who knows they are gay and is struggling to tell others who he is, this show (at least the first season) is more about the main character attempting to realize who he is and that makes this show much more down to earth and connectable for a range of audiences. I was impressed with how they handled the show as they drifted away from the traditional teenage drama shows and re-imagined the traditional ideals of popularity or dating to be actually effective in a storyline and help audiences connect more.
The main problem with the series is the abundance of side stories and characters that at times seem insignificant and struggle to define themselves individually as they end up becoming the background in Victor's hugely complex storyline. Victor's parents are a crucial side storyline that was handled expertly by the writers as it shows the emotional toll that parents' marriage issues can have on children, but the story fades in and out throughout the series especially in the second half and needed more depth to seem more effective and really help the plot flow smoothly. In addition, Lake and Felix's story is beautiful and sweet, but all the build-up in their relationship for the beginning of the show seemed unnecessary and almost like it left Lake and Felix doing nothing for the majority of the show, but just to fill the time that should focus on Victor's friends and family. Mia's story is intriguing and probably the most meaningful side storyline of the bunch due to the effect on Victor and the overall storyline, but I actually wanted more about Mia and to see some greater character development for the character as the story also fades in and out throughout the series and should have had more substance to reach its full potential. But that said, I did love the idea of Victor having a girlfriend in this series as it was a pivotal event for him to see who he is and seeing how this not only affected Victor but also Mia was a genius move from the writers that a multitude of teenagers can connect to greatly while watching this show, making it that much more relatable and unique.
The character development in this series is spectacular and really stunned me starting from the fourth episode onwards because in the beginning of the series, I felt Victor was this one-dimensional character who was supposed to be complex but the writers didn't know how to do that yet and as they developed the intriguing plot more, his complexity was able to rise and shine towards the audience. While side characters lack the same complexity given to Victor (especially from his own sister, Pilar), the main character is Victor, and the show centers on him so if the show can successfully do that, it still proves itself to be both moving and purposeful. The acting develops and improves throughout the series when each character gets more to work with as originally they all seem like the stereotypical high school type (popular boy/girl, the "less-popular" people or the bullies), but the show cleverly avoids this for the later episodes and smartly uses the massive character development to help each of the actors improve and use the substance to give far more emotional and advanced performances. Michael Cimino stood out to me greatly as his role in Victor started out simple and escalated but Cimino always conveyed how much Victor was struggling whether through dialogue or emotions and that sort of personal acting when you have barely any connection the written character is difficult and reveals how talented or mature Cimino can be. The directing is substantial or crucial throughout the show but doesn't stand out to me much as it is overshadowed by the powerful writing or great plot crafted by the writers. This plot continues to captivate and engage the audiences with most of the episodes (again the beginning of the series struggles in this department and comes off quite weak, uneventful or not meaningful enough at times) and really never drags on or rushes, but continues a steady pace (excluding the outstanding episode Boys' Trip and Spring Fling) which mostly helps the show with consistency but also at times left me wanting more from some episodes including more eventful storylines that could mean so much more than what is portrayed in the episode.
Overall, Love, Victor is truly stunning in the majority of departments for a teenager comedy/drama and really shows how powerful and meaningful television can become especially as this show is bound to help some teenagers and their struggles towards self-discovery (which is essentially the main point of the show). The acting is great, the supportive tone and environment created which are vital to any show that is supposed to help people is perfect in this series and the writing is something truly special that I have really no words to describe how personal and amazing it can be. While it suffers from a slower start or short season and at times confusion in some other storylines not including Victor (Victor's storyline is handled fantastically), it is an inspirational, encouraging and sweet show that anyone who is struggling with who they are especially sexual orientation should watch as it will ultimately affect your lives greatly and really will change anyone's perspective towards the subject which makes it one of the most significant and best new teenage comedy/drama shows of the year.
Rotten Tomato Score: 93%
IMDB Score: 8.2/10
Rating: 93%
*Love, Victor is available to watch on Hulu and is rated TV-14
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