It’s official. The L.A. Complex has been cancelled. After just nine short months, the Canadian show that featured the most interesting and addictive-to-watch masculine black gay characters has been laid to rest in both Canada and The United States. Many would argue that the show was put out of its misery as it suffered from extremely low ratings. In fact, the United States debut on the C.W. in April scored the lowest ratings for a broadcast drama premiere since ratings began.
As many critics agreed, the show was pretty decent. It featured a wide array of three-dimensional characters that really seemed to be struggling with their careers. Except for Kaldick King. He was portrayed as a violent one-note angry black man in the first season and was portrayed as an emasculated head case in the second. As we’ve stated before, the show wasn’t perfect. The gay storyline in the first season featured many stereotypes and the second season falsely asserted that closeted/discreet gay men were suicidal and self-destructive.
However it was still very hard not to watch. Most of the credit goes to Andra Fuller. In addition to his handsome appearance, the actor demonstrated that he was one to watch in the future. His performance as an openly heterosexual actor portraying a closeted Gay character was probably the best that we’ve seen to date. Now that the show is over, it brings up another question…will it be the last?
Most gay films, TV and web series we’ve seen that feature black gay men are what we would consider “Masculine Light.” The characters are either pretty soft or the actors who portray them are feminine guys doing their best to “butch it up.”
I would even go as far as to say that, in the past, Heterosexual actors portrayal of masculine Gay men have been more realistic than those of actual openly gay men themselves. From Will Smith (Six Degree of Separation) to Matthew St. Patrick (Six Feet Under) to Michael Kenneth Williams (The Wire), actors that identify as heterosexual seem to be the best at playing “masculine gay.”
However the reality exists that many heterosexual black actors fear taking on gay roles even though there are many that have done it without any negative consequences. Added to that, many (truly) masculine gay/bisexual men fear taking on gay roles because they are closeted, discreet or afraid that the gay role will typecast them for the rest of their career.
– Nick D
Nick Delmacy
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Sad the show ended but when you have so many negatives the numbers don’t add up and sadly the boys with the money look at the bottom line. In this digital age everything is WIDE OPEN so you have to wonder, as a producer, if it is worth the trouble of producing your work when in the end it will become free food on parasitic websites.
The producers also made a concerted effort of trying to not define the show as a black ‘gay’ show by including what I call a lot of 90210 type characters. The storyline was weak and frivolous, typical of the generation and culture, but when that happened it destroyed a good plot. What could have been more interesting if the writers and producers dug into the hip hop community even more ,exploring all the possible angles and issues that affect that culture, opening up the industry and showing it for what is is- a nicely packaged homogenous party where sex and rock and roll are anybody’s business.
Freedom of speech is not free if the writer cannot speak. Kaldrick Kane had a message that no one wanted to hear. But like all things in life what goes around comes around. Kaldrick will be back, maybe not as Kaldrick Kane but in another character in the same exact situation. The hip hop community is a community built on sand. The waves to wash that foundation away exposing its dirty secrets are only a breath away.
Wow 100% with the article. It’s sad than the good shows are canceled.
I don’t think Kaldrick’s character was stereotypical. He was being angry and hypermasculine for that rapper image and to avoid suspicion of being gay (I see this all the time), he was acting out because he didn’t know how to handle his emotions (I’ve def seen that), and he was a head case because he was heartbroken (I’ve been that).
What killed L.A. complex was the characters around Kal and Tariq. Had it been a gay series, it would have survived a little longer.
The > L A COMPLEX < tv show had a very strong and intesting story line which was Kal & Tariq. It definitely would be a good hot cable show if they included nudity as well. With the scandal on the show Empire now happening , the dream would be to add that character [ Kal ] to the story line with same wonderful actor Andre Fuller. I always thought that should have been done since the Empire show started. So lets all email Mr. Lee Daniels and request for this to happen. This type of story should end like it did. We want more , we want more , we want more.
I’ve been asking what is happening to the LA Complex ,now I know. I strongly disagree. The parties involved should just chill and look at it again and I’m sure they’ll think differently. You cannot leave me hanging like this. I need to find out if Kal and Tariq found a way to reconcile their love for each other.