Transparent is a drama with a twist of comedy. The pilot and first season is available on Amazon Prime. Jill Soloway has outdid herself with this show because it is so earthly, original, and put together perfectly. She could not have chosen a better cast and crew to bring her characters to life.
Do not mistake the name to being the true meaning of the show because it is about a man, parent, friend, and ex-husband, Mort Pfefferman (Jeffrey Tambor) trying to become his own.
Mort is trying to transform himself into Maura and gently break the news to his three children; Ali (Gaby Hoffmann), Sarah (Amy Landecker), and Josh (Jay Duplass). Mort found the perfect opportunity to reveal his new transgender identity to Sarah when he accidentally walked in on her and her lesbian lover as they were having a private moment in the bedroom. She readily accepted his decision to become Maura but she is so caught up with her recent separation from her hubby, Len (Rob Huebel) and her rekindled love relationship with Tammy (Melora Hardin) that she selfishly focuses on her own situation. Sarah is having a midlife crisis and having difficulty with her own sexuality.
When Maura came out to his beloved daughter Mia she pretended to accept it but had some deep emotional breakdown. She started seeing her father as a totally different person and began reflecting back to her childhood to find the true reasons why she was depressed, jobless, and angry. She finds herself in need of Maura’s money more than his fatherly love and he continues to give it to her because he feels guilty that he was not there more for her physically and emotionally when she was a child.
Maura has more difficulty explaining things to Josh. Maura finally finds the opportunity to explain the Josh that he is transgender, even though he is trying to be supportive and acceptive of his father’s decision he begins to question his own sexuality. He has always found himself caught up in one promiscuous relationship after another until he meets Rabbi Raquel Fein (Kathryn Hahn). He immediately tells himself and others that he has found the love of his life, but does he really just want her to save him from going down the same road as his father and sisters.
The acting is superb and all of the actors are perfect for their roles. These are not the glamorous actors like you would normally expect to see. They are just like most people with cellulite, self centeredness, sadness, happiness and questions about their own sexuality. No plastic surgery or Botox to cover their imperfections. This is a must see show and I give it nine stars and hope to see each character develop into his own.
Jay Skelton is a fan of all television shows and movies. He tries his best to keep up with the latest foreign television shows and movies. Jay loves skinny dipping in the dark too.
