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"This season will be filled with all of the love, the laughter, and tears that you have come to expect from the Evangelista family."
Well, like all good balls, it seems Pose is coming to an end.
After two seasons that saw the show make history for its inclusion and portrayals of Black and brown LGBTQ+ communities, FX's Pose has announced its final season.
"Good morning, America. I'm Steven Canals co-creator and executive producer of Pose," Canals said in a video posted to Twitter. "Our audience has been so incredibly supportive of the show and I wanted to tell you directly that our new season, which debuts on FX on Sunday, May 2 will be its last."
\u201cA message from executive producer and co-creator @StevenCanals on the third and final season of #PoseFX, premiering May 2.\u201d— PoseFX (@PoseFX) 1614952837
Pose premiered on FX back in 2018. At the time it made history for its inclusion of Black and brown queer and trans talent both onscreen and off. It featured actors like Mj Rodriguez, Indya Moore, and Dominique Jackson in starring roles as well as others like Billy Porter and Ryan Jamaal Swain. The first season provided a look into the LGBTQ+ community of the 1980s, namely by way of the then-burgeoning ballroom community. This lineup played opposite Evan Peters, James Van Der Beek, and Kate Mara who represented a sort of "white establishment" in New York City.
A creation of Canals as well as executive producer Ryan Murphy, and writer, director, and producer Janet Mock, the second season narrowed, shedding Peters, Van Der Beek, and Mara to put the focus squarely on the rest of the ensemble. Pose quickly became a show centering on the lives of Black and brown trans women, telling their stories in nuanced ways, weaving in historical narratives often having to deal with the then-growing AIDS epidemic. It was through the experiences of writers like Mock and Our Lady J that authenticity was brought into the show. The series was often hailed for this.
Billy Porter became the first out Black gay man to win an acting Emmy for his portrayal of Pray Tell in the show.
Season three of Pose was announced just as season two began. The ongoing global pandemic caused a start-and-stop on production, and reportedly could endanger kissing scenes as well as the ballroom component of the show, which relies on having upwards of 100 actors in a room.
"It was a very difficult decision for us to make but this has been an incredible journey and we have told the story that we wanted to tell, the way that we wanted to tell it." Canals continued. "Although we know you'll be sad to see the show go, this season will be filled with all of the love, the laughter, and tears that you have come to expect from the Evangelista family. I, along with my television collaborators, never intended on changing the television landscape. I simply wanted to tell an honest story about family, resilience and love."
"We love you, and we hope that you'll join us in celebrating this final season," he finished.
On the set of season two, Murphy foreshadowed this impending end in an interview with Out.
"To me, the show has always been about the demolition of a community that refused to be silenced," Murphy told us at the time, saying that its final season would take place between 1995-96 when antiviral drugs were developed to help fight HIV. "The show is really about a group of marginalized people saying, 'I have a right to be here.'"
After season three premieres on FX, it is likely to premiere on Netflix as have previous seasons.
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Mikelle is the former editorial director of digital for PrideMedia, guiding digital editorial and social across Out, The Advocate, Pride.com, Out Traveler, and Plus. After starting as a freelancer for Out in 2013, he joined the staff as Senior Editor working across print and digital in 2018. In early 2021 he became Out's digital director, marking a pivot to content that centered queer and trans stories and figures, exclusively. In September 2021, he was promoted to editorial director of PrideMedia. He has written cover stories on Ricky Martin, Miss Fame, Nyle DiMarco, Jeremy O. Harris, Law Roach, and Symone.
Mikelle is the former editorial director of digital for PrideMedia, guiding digital editorial and social across Out, The Advocate, Pride.com, Out Traveler, and Plus. After starting as a freelancer for Out in 2013, he joined the staff as Senior Editor working across print and digital in 2018. In early 2021 he became Out's digital director, marking a pivot to content that centered queer and trans stories and figures, exclusively. In September 2021, he was promoted to editorial director of PrideMedia. He has written cover stories on Ricky Martin, Miss Fame, Nyle DiMarco, Jeremy O. Harris, Law Roach, and Symone.
