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Season 1 – Pose

Play trailer 3:27 Poster for Season 1 – Pose Jun 2018 Drama Musical Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
96% Tomatometer 84 Reviews 88% Popcornmeter 500+ Ratings
"Pose" is a drama spotlighting the legends, icons and ferocious house mothers of New York's underground ball culture, a movement that gained notice in the 1980s. After receiving life-altering news and losing her first real home, Blanca starts her own "house," a self-selected family that provides support to LGBTQ youth rejected by their birth families. Making television history, "Pose" features the largest cast of transgender actors in series regular roles, as well as the largest recurring cast of LGBTQ actors ever for a scripted series.
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Pose — Season 1

Pose — Season 1

What to Know

Critics Consensus

Charged with energy, poise, and confidence, Pose pirouettes between artistic opulence and deliciously soapy drama to create a fresh new addition to Ryan Murphy's lexicon.

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Critics Reviews

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Ari Autostraddle 10/23/2021
Pose proved to me what I already knew - when trans women of color are centered, the stories told are bound to be rich and fulfilling. Go to Full Review
Jonathan P. Higgins, Ed.D. Bitch Media 11/05/2019
Beyond the show's snappy one-liners and exploration of the pain that queer people of color endured in the '80s, Pose also navigates an important conversation about the important role that trans women of color play in the lives of queer men of color. Go to Full Review
Carol Midgley The Times (UK) 03/22/2019
4/5
I just wanted it to cut to the story...But when it did it revealed, beneath all the vogueing, archness and bitchy one-liners, a deep, beating heart and a soul in pain. Go to Full Review
Stephen A. Russell sbs.com.au 03/05/2025
Packed full of magical moments Go to Full Review
Michael Cuby them. 09/26/2022
In many ways, Pose, as a whole, could be described as “a show about chosen family.” Go to Full Review
Katherine McLaughlin VODzilla.co 03/13/2021
10/10
This revolutionary LGBTQ show about New York's 1980s ballroom scene slays in every category. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Devin F. @Miskiboy04 Jun 4 Ive been watching this show since 2018 when I was 14. I was first coming out as bisexual. This show introduced me to what aids were and what ball room was *never heard of both until the show* and ot has helped me learned and understand alot of this. I have genuinely seen this show 71 times and it still makes me cry and and makes me learn something new we w everytime I watch it. Or sometimes ill learn the same thing but for a different perspective as a reminder ti always keep an open mind. See more Sam P @laniakea Apr 14 Pose attempts to tell the story of New York's 1980s ballroom culture but undermines itself at every turn. The writers frequently put contemporary queer vernacular into the mouths of characters who would never have spoken that way, jarring badly for anyone familiar with the era. Sloppy continuity errors and implausibly successful story arcs feel more like modern wish fulfilment than authentic period drama. Ryan Murphy's sentimentality is cranked to insufferable levels and the acting ranges from competent to cringe-worthy. There is something compulsively watchable about it in a trashy soap opera kind of way, and Billy Porter brings genuine theatrical presence. But ultimately Pose is a manipulative melodrama that sacrifices authenticity for sentiment. The insultingly tidy finale reduces a genuinely tragic chapter of queer history to a feel-good fantasy, culminating in Blanca dispensing fortune cookie wisdom outside a ball. Each season is worse than the last. See more Ricardo R @RT27110402 05/01/2025 gage so so so harded my my See more Z Y @RT48734483 02/25/2024 The story is nicely constructed, but I struggled to grasp the charm of that specific culture. Perhaps it's just too different from my own background. See more Michael L @thatMichael5 11/28/2023 A thoughtful and well considered representation of lives lived on the fringes. See more 03/16/2022 Ryan Murphy really did an amazing job in showcasing the ballroom culture in New York City during the 80's. Pose ultimately highlights the underlying themes of this underground scene and everything that came along with it. There are visible intersections between the characters that should be addressed. Throughout the show it was revealed that there were people of different social status. It was almost certain that the white characters were mostly wealthy and of higher class. Rather than all BIPoc, were being presented as broke in a lower social class. Diving deeper into intersectionalities, the people who attended the Balls in Ballroom were of the LGBTQ+ community. They have created such a safer space than they would be experiencing out on the streets. Actresses, Indya moore, Mj Rodriquez, Angelica Ross, and many more play transgender women both on an off set. They truly shape the way of what Black trans women go through in New York during the 80's. Most of the time these women would result in having to work by selling their body and enacting in sexual acts. Most of the time since they are Black Trans women they would often time get turned a blind eye on certain work or jobs, basically forcing them to do sex work to live their daily lives. It's a very dangerous way to earn money but the community knows the people and works together to be safe. According to the article Navigating Intersecting Identities…"Sex workers who identify as transgender experience the intersections of social, cultural, and institutional stigma, and face discrimination on systemic, institutional, and interpersonal levels due to their gender identity" (Capous-Desyllas & Loy). With that being said, with their gender identity they ultimately have a harder time just trying to earn a living. We can see a moment where Indya Moore, also known as Angel Evangelista, breaks the social barrier of the heteronormative world and was accepted into the world of modeling. She was ultimately introduced to corruption as well and the unnatural relationships between photographer and clients. This does not mention how we see the opposite intersection of White cis men and women. Living normal day to day lives assisted by their corporate jobs. Evan Peters, also known as Stan Bowes, shows this higher class lifestyle as a Heterosexual white man. Later finding out that his perfect life was just not enough and he ends up having an affair with Angel Evangelista. See more Read all reviews
Pose — Season 1

My Rating

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Episodes

Episode 1 Aired Jun 3, 2018 Pilot In 1987 New York, Blanca Rodriguez pursues her dream of becoming a house mother after receiving a devastating medical diagnosis; Damon Richards moves to the city with aspirations of joining a dance company. Details Episode 2 Aired Jun 10, 2018 Access Blanca is denied access to a popular bar, leading to a purposeful feud; inexperienced Damon learns the truth about love and sex when he is asked on a date. Details Episode 3 Aired Jun 17, 2018 Giving and Receiving The House of Evangelista celebrates the holidays and prepares for the Snow Ball in spite of Angel's lack of holiday spirit; Elektra contemplates undergoing an affirming medical procedure. Details Episode 4 Aired Jun 24, 2018 The Fever Candy's insecurities about her appearance are heightened when she is criticized at a ball; Blanca worries when Damon and Ricky have a medical scare that threatens to tear them apart. Details Episode 5 Aired Jul 1, 2018 Mother's Day Blanca is forced to reconnect with her estranged siblings after the death of her mother. Details Episode 6 Aired Jul 8, 2018 Love Is the Message Pray Tell organizes a cabaret for the AIDS ward at a local hospital. Details Episode 7 Aired Jul 15, 2018 Pink Slip Blanca makes a startling revelation about Lil Papi that changes the House of Evangelista forever; Elektra rethinks her means of survival when the House of Abundance is evicted from their apartment. Details Episode 8 Aired Jul 22, 2018 Mother of the Year The ultimate showdown takes place at the Princess Ball, as the House of Evangelista battles against the House of Ferocity and Mother of the Year is decided. Details
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Season Info

Director
Ryan Murphy, Gwyneth Horder-Payton
Creator
Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, Steven Canals
Executive Producer
Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, Steven Canals, Nina Jacobson, Brad Simpson, Alexis Martin Woodall, Sherry Marsh, Erica Kay
Screenwriter
Janet Mock, Ryan Murphy, Our Lady J, Brad Falchuk, Steven Canals
Network
FX
Rating
TV-MA (V|L|S)
Genre
Drama, Musical
Original Language
English
Release Date
Jun 3, 2018