Apple for the Teacher?

The 8-episode first (and possibly only?) season of the TV series English Teacher was released months ago in October... which was about the time I actually watched it. I figured that the moment to blog anything about the show had passed. But recently, the series has picked up nominations for several awards, and so is tiptoeing back into the discourse. Now's my moment!

English Teacher is the story of high school teacher Evan Marquez (I'll bet you can guess his subject). The series mines laughs from how the professional and personal aspects of his life mix (and sometimes don't) as a gay man living in Texas and teaching kids. There are also fun jokes about "these kids today," bureaucracy, advocacy, and more.

The show is the brainchild of comedian Brian Jordan Alvarez, who created the show for himself to star in, writes most of the episodes, and even directed a couple. Sometimes, when one person stands this much at the center of a piece of entertainment, you get a strange vanity project. (And there's an occasional hint of that here. For example: Alvarez really wants you to know he works out.) But also, a project like this can be so personal that you can't help but come away with it with a unique perspective you may not have thought about before. English Teacher is definitely that. For a show that's fundamentally a comedy (with jokes that do make you laugh), it's notable just how much the show has to say -- both directly in dialogue, and by inference.

If you're part of an older generation, you've probably thought about how different school would be for younger generations: a world where any otherwise fleeting social embarrassment might be preserved by cell phone forever. Have you given as much thought to the teachers working in that environment, whose worst moments might also become internet fodder? English Teacher does.

It reflects a lot on what it means to be an out gay man teaching teenagers, including LGBT+ youths who might (or might not) be looking for a role model of sorts. To what extent should Evan Marquez be performative for the sake of helping kids... and how much is he being someone he's not, just because it feels expected? And if some bigoted parent or school district regulation is dictating to him just what he should be or do -- how much is he actually offended, and how much should he be obligated to fight the principle of the thing?

I think elements like this make English Teacher more than just another sitcom. They also really make the case for why representation matters; these topics can't help but come up, with this character being who it is. But also, the show isn't always about these things. There's plenty of sitcom hijinks of characters being their own worst enemies. And Brian Jordan Alvarez has surrounded him with a solid cast to play those characters. Two fellow teachers are both fun foils, Stephanie Koenig as Gwen and Sean Patton as Markie. And Enrico Colantoni plays the much put-upon school principle, bringing the driest of wit to the proceedings.

I have assumed that not hearing about a season two of English Teacher, this many months later, is not a good sign. And yet, there's been no cancellation announcement either, and perhaps the recent award nominations might move the needle? If it's only ever these 8 episodes, I still say English Teacher is worth a shot. I give it a B+.