I’ll admit it: I watched Skins, that British series about teens partying, doing drugs and having sex (among other things). Sometimes when I’m feeling dramatic, I miss it. But at 23 I feel a bit old and weird watching a show about high school students. Class, a web series released this month that was created by three Black men, is the answer to that urge for millennial drama. Tarik Jackson (@reekspeaks), Steven Caple Jr. (@stevencaplejr), and Salim Lemelle (@salimlemelle) present a diverse cast that tackles controversial issues on college campuses in eight short episodes.

These topics range from drug use and drug dealing to having a gay roommate. They include things such as taking drastic measures to fit in with the rich kids and overusing social media. I must include a trigger warning though, because the series starts with a rape that becomes the central point of the plot.

Despite having heavy moments like this, the series is funny at times and well-acted. It’s visually appealing and the editing is great. One thing I really appreciated is how the Black characters weren’t defined by their race or stereotypes. We need more representations of our community just living life like everyone else, and this series delivers that.

It does have its problems, however, as most media does. Because it takes on a lot in such a short amount of time, some plots and characters aren’t as developed as they could be. There’s also a pretty gross frat depicted, and a lot of misogyny and homophobia comes from them. These statements might not be reflective of the writers’ opinions, but it could be perceived that way or make some viewers uncomfortable.

Those, however, are just my views. I admire my fellow Black creatives and encourage you to watch the first episode below (the rest of the episodes can be found here), and form your own thoughts on this new series.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=QefsKy9LALklist%3DPLrfvRQPJZBBwefMebaLky6ADXVvGb3yVY

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