TV Review: Netflix’s Grand Army Is The New Degrassi

I went into Netflix’s Grand Army both excited and trepidatious. Whenever I see teen dramas that center around People of Color, especially in locations like BK, Chicago, or The BX, they usually involve us crying over surrounding poverty and violence. Of course, that is one reality, but the truth is every person/ location has a bunch of realities. There is who we are with our family, our friends, our admirers, and in our heads. That is four realties in one person, and I am sure there are more, but the key to being young is that for every reality you have a dream. Out October 16, Grand Army thrives above its own tropes and even crazy scenarios by showing that no hardship in life can kill the dream of it, especially when you are young.

Immediately, Grand Army felt like Euphoria doing an episode of Degrassi; two shows that have iconically dominated the perceptions and truths about being young in the 2010s. Similar to Euphoria, Grand Army captures that teens are INCREDIBLY connected, and, more than ever, are like tiny adults confronting issues of sex, violence, money, and systemic prejudice. Add on that all these massive, learning experiences are happening between IG selfies and Tik Tok challenges, and what you have a cast of kids that are really mature for their age but never wise enough for the world. What a combo, right? Through characters such as, Odessa A’Zion’s Joey, Odley Jean’s Dom, Maliq Johnson’s Jayson, Amir Bageria’s Siddhartha and Amalia Yoo’s Leila audiences begin to understand that strange dynamic.
Grand Army | Official Trailer | Netflix

Teens these days are smarter and more informed for their age, but wisdom is a tricky spirit because it doesn’t require you to be old as much as open. Each character is struggling to open up even to themselves. Siddhartha is confronting his sexuality, facing off with “indigenous”/ asian prejudice, and trying to get to a school. The same can be said for Dom whose impoverished family pressures her to be an adult while trying to figure out how to set up her entire future before math class. Jayson is trying to comprehend how he can survive in a world the triples its punishment towards black boys, and Leila is trying own her sex drive while having no clue about sex. Finally, there is Joey whose vibrancy feels dimmed by a tragic, cab ride from hell. Now, here is where Grand Army totally gets its “Degrassi” on.

Ever discussed an abortion while in 11th grade during terrorist attack? Me neither! Part of our youthful fascination with Degrassi’s soapiness is that it felt truly unreal. Every character felt tangible, whether likable or not, but went through 20 million life-changing moments all within a few days or rather a 20 minute episode. Still, we ate it up because life is a ripe blend of real fantasy and dramatic surrealism, which Grand Army does embody. Created by Katie Cappiello, there is a lax, conversationalist between characters that feels easy and truthful. Our younger generations never stop talking and commenting because, we were raised with so much information, we were bound to have opinions. Luckily, this cast is so raw and talented you pour into their idiosyncrasies and ideas about life.
Grand Army | In the Studio with Visual Artist Dr. Fahamu Pecou | Netflix

I was recently talking to my friend, because I have one (lol!), and I was saying how our generations are always discussed in terms of social media and our constant access to knowledge. Yet, I had realized that we never NOT have an opinion. We are over-exposed: not simply in terms of using posts as open diaries or putting up enough pictures of ourselves to be used by a Catfisher. Our politics, dreams, and morals are on blatant display constantly. Even NOT using a hashtag can frame where you stand in the world. Grand Army dissects how that vibe/ fact trickles into our everyday life, and why future generations will be so powerful; we are no longer taught to keep to ourselves or that prudence is never showing where you stand. These kids STAND!