Q-Force – Season One [2021]

Good queer shows are a rarity. But Q-Force is one of the good ones, even when it relies heavily on stereotypes.

Have you ever wondered what happens when queer people make an animated super spy show? Q-Force is what happens. A gay jock (Sean Hayes), a butch lesbian (Wanda Sykes), a twink drag queen (Matt Rogers) and an angry goth lesbian (Patti Harrison) join forces to sabe the world and prove to their super-secret-spy-agency that they deserve real missions.

Sadly, it’s not all rainbow and glitter. The show relies heavily on LGBTQ+ stereotypes instead of to Netflix’s wide audience that gay people are more than pop culture and Instagram.

This LGBTQ+ spy cartoon absolutely has its heart in the right place. Unfortunately, it’s also not very funny and that is more of a problem. In its opening episodes, you can see the jokes coming a mile away. It’s particularly sad when you have Wanda freaking Sykes on your cast! If you can’t right jokes, she’s there! Let her do it. She’s a comedy genius.

It’s particularly sad that some episodes felt more like scrolling through the drafted tweets of Gay Twitter Comedians or sifting through the outtakes for a gay podcast, instead of an actual funny script. Every other sentence in a conversation involves a name-drop of a pop star or actress and a catty observation about them without making sense.

However, I would love to see second season with a new team of writers. Most of the cast members deserve better. Plus, there’s just something good here that deserves a better treatment.

Should you watch it?

The show is a somewhat typically bumpy start for a comedy trying to find its voice, or at least trying to find out how to make that voice funny. There’s something good there, but it needs better writing.

Where can I watch it?

You can stream the first season of Q-Force exclusively on Netflix.