Grand Army: Raw but Unfocused

Netflix

Release Date: October, 16, 2020

Many series have sought to capitalize on the high stakes dramatics of adolescence and many have been successful. Then there are shows that fit the aforementioned description while also shedding any filters that may have existed to allow for a more raw, and controversial, presentation of teenage trials and tribulations. TV series like Degrassi, Skins, Sex Education, Misfits, Euphoria, and Thirteen Reasons Why have use the adolescent/high school setting to share the realities of life without the rose-colored glasses. Grand Army seeks to finds its name amongst that list, as it mimics the raw and sometimes unkind nature of Skins and mixes in the sociopolitical focus of real world taboos in the same vein as Thirteen Reasons Why. The show appears to want to find a near perfect balance between the sociopolitical horrors of the world and the inner-demons plaguing high school adolescence. Through the first three episodes of Grand Army, my interest is peaked, however, I think that trying to balance those two focuses may leave both aspects of the show lacking.

Like many of the series noted above, Grand Army follows a diverse cast of teenagers who all attend Grand Army high school in Brooklyn, NY. Unsurprisingly, each character appears to represent some stratosphere of the sociopolitical climate: poverty, racism, terrorism, homophobia, immigration, feminism, etc. There are at least five primary characters that the show follows and each episode provides a decent deal of jump around so that you get some piece of everyone's story. I enjoy the few times when many of the primary character are in the same location or are interacting with each other, as one their own, their stories can easily feel disconnected from each other and can end up giving the show more of an anthology feel.

To remedy that, Grand Army also introduces a number of large scale events in the background, such as a terrorist attack, to help maintain the connections between the characters. Unfortunately, what I feel ends up happening is the two storytelling devices (the overarching events and the character's individual arcs) feel separated and in competition with each other. When one event ends, it gets forgotten as the stakes of the next focus are revealed. There is simply too much at one time, leading to an over saturation of emotional ties, which inevitably ends with something feeling diluted.

With that being said, I think the individual stories for the characters are pretty compelling and interesting enough for me to want to continue the show. I actually quite like the show, despite the fact that it tries to throw too much at you. In the first three episodes, you get character storylines related to slut shaming, discrimination, racial/ethnic identity, sexual exploration, living in poverty, homosexuality, and terrorism (among other issues). Then, to further expand on how those issues are impacting the characters, you get the interactions and squabbles between them. The show has a lot of potential if it would do one thing: let the characters' stories carry the plots. Let their interactions and struggles remain the forefront. That's what I end up feeling connected to, not the external event that they now share amidst their own personal demons. Not trying to focus on every character each episode wouldn't hurt either, as there is really uneven character development throughout. Joey (who I would consider the main character if I had to choose one) and Sid have both been in all three episodes. I can tell you a lot of Joey, her family dysfunctions, her traumas, and even about some of her ideologies, but all I can say about Sid is his family has strict expectations.

It's not perfect by any means, but if you want raw, unfiltered teenage drama and aren't easily turned off or triggered by sociopolitical focusing, then give Grand Army a shot. But understand, this is a serious drama through-and-through. There is very little humor to be found here and with the current state of American politics, this may not be the show for you right now. I would say get through the first three episodes if you do decide to give it a shot, because it wasn't until the events at the end of third episode that I felt connected enough to a character to want to see how they pull through.