Love, Victor
Love, Victor is an American teen drama web television series created by Isaac Aptaker and Elizabeth Berger, inspired by and set in the same world as the 2018 film Love, Simon. The series premiered on June 17, 2020, on Hulu. It is produced by 20th Century Fox Television, with Aptaker and Berger serving as showrunners.
| Love, Victor | |
|---|---|
 Logo | |
| Genre | |
| Created by | Isaac Aptaker & Elizabeth Berger |
| Based on | Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli |
| Starring |
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| Narrated by |
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| Music by | Siddhartha Khosla |
| Opening theme | "Somebody to Tell Me" by Tyler Glenn |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 10 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) |
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| Producer(s) |
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| Cinematography | Mark Schwartzbard |
| Editor(s) |
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| Running time | 24–31 minutes |
| Production company(s) |
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| Distributor | 20th Television |
| Release | |
| Original network | Hulu |
| Original release | June 17, 2020 – present |
| Chronology | |
| Preceded by | Love, Simon (2018) |
| External links | |
| Website | |
Michael Cimino stars as Victor, a teen from a half Puerto Rican, half Colombian-American family living in Atlanta, alongside George Sear, Rachel Hilson, Bebe Wood, Anthony Turpel, Isabella Ferreira, Ana Ortiz, James Martinez, Mason Gooding, and Mateo Fernandez. Nick Robinson, who starred as the titular Simon in the original film, produces and narrates the series. Filming began in August 2019 in Los Angeles.
In August 2020, the series was renewed for a second season.
Premise
The series focuses on a new student at Creekwood High School, Victor. The series follows his journey of self-discovery: facing challenges at home and struggling with his sexual orientation. He reaches out to Simon when it seems too difficult for him to navigate through high school.
Cast and characters
Main
- Michael Cimino as Victor Salazar:[1] A new student at Creekwood High School, struggling with his identity surrounding his sexual orientation and adjusting to a new city[2]
- Rachel Hilson as Mia Brooks:[1] Victor's smart friend who has a quick wit and an easy laugh[3]
- Anthony Turpel as Felix Westen:[1] Victor's awkward new neighbor who seeks to befriend him[2]
- Bebe Wood as Lake Meriwether:[1] Mia's social media-obsessed best friend[2]
- Mason Gooding as Andrew:[1] Creekwood's cocky and popular basketball-loving jock[2]
- George Sear as Benji Campbell:[1] Victor's openly gay, confident, and charming classmate who he takes a liking to[2]
- Isabella Ferreira as Pilar Salazar:[1] Victor's anxious younger sister troubled with her new life[2]
- Mateo Fernandez as Adrian Salazar: Victor's little brother[2]
- James Martinez as Armando Salazar: Victor's father, a blue-collar man who works hard for his family[2]
- Ana Ortiz as Isabel Salazar: Victor's mother who is under a lot of pressure after a move to a new city[4]
Nick Robinson, reprising his role as Simon Spier from Love, Simon,[2] mostly appears via voice-over, narrating Simon's messages to Victor. Robinson appears as Simon in person in the eighth episode.
Recurring
- Lukas Gage as Derek, Benji's boyfriend.
- Mekhi Phifer as Harold Brooks, Mia's father.
- Sophia Bush as Veronica: Mia's father's new girlfriend, who runs a non-profit organization for women[5]
- Beth Littleford as Sarah, the manager of the coffee house where Victor and Benji work
- Leslie Grossman as Georgina Meriwether, a local news host and Lake's mother
- Ali Wong as Ms. Thomas, Creekwood's sex education teacher
- Abigail Killmeier as Wendy, Felix's date to the Spring Fling
- Charlie Hall as Kieran, one of Andrew's close friends
- AJ Carr as Teddy, another one of Andrew's close friends
- Kayla Divenere as Jenny, one of Victor's classmates
- Andy Richter as Coach Ford, P.E. teacher and varsity basketball coach
Guest
- Steven Heisler as Roger, Armando's former boss with whom Isabel had an affair.
- Keiynan Lonsdale as Bram Greenfeld, Simon Spier's boyfriend. This character was introduced in Love, Simon, played by the same actor.[6]
- Katya Zamolodchikova as herself, performing at the gay club Messy Boots in NYC[6]
- Tommy Dorfman as Justin, Bram and Simon's roommate[6]
- Natasha Rothwell as Ms. Albright, vice principal at Creekwood, previously the school's drama teacher. This character was introduced in Love, Simon, played by the same actor.
- Terri Hoyos as Natalia Salazar, Victor's grandmother
- Juan Carlos Cantu as Tito Salazar, Victor's grandfather
- Jason Collins as himself, playing basketball with a group of gay men
Episodes
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | Prod. code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Welcome to Creekwood" | Amy York Rubin | Teleplay by : Isaac Aptaker & Elizabeth Berger | June 17, 2020 | 1CFG01 |
| Victor and his family move from Texas to Atlanta. Victor's younger sister, Pilar, resents having to leave her old life and boyfriend behind. Victor quickly becomes friends with the unpopular Felix, who lives in the same building. At school, Victor meets the well-liked Mia and her best friend Lake and develops a crush on openly gay student Benji. Victor is invited to join the basketball team but clashes with another member of the team, Andrew, who ridicules Victor for being seemingly poor. Victor learns about Simon Spier's coming out story at Creekwood and messages him via social media, who replies that he is there for Victor if he ever needs to talk. At the Winter Carnival, Victor sees both Mia and Benji but, wanting to fit in, decides to ask Mia to ride the Ferris Wheel with him. | |||||
| 2 | "Stoplight Party" | Jason Ensler | Brian Tanen | June 17, 2020 | 1CFG02 |
| Victor has been catapulted into popularity after going on the Ferris Wheel with Mia, who is starting to have feelings for him. Mia and Lake plan a "stoplight" party, where students wear colors according to their relationship status. Victor begins working at a local coffee shop where Benji also works, Brasstown, in order to make money to join the basketball team. At the party, Victor struggles to fit in. Felix pines for Lake, who instead likes Andrew. At home, Pilar breaks up with her boyfriend back in Texas, while Isabel and Armando face marital problems. Victor shares a tender moment with Mia and messages Simon that he might like her. | |||||
| 3 | "Battle of the Bands" | Pilar Boehm | Jen Braeden | June 17, 2020 | 1CFG03 |
| Victor asks Mia out and plans to take her to a Battle of the Bands being hosted at Brasstown. Lake asks Andrew to go with her to the competition, who agrees in order to spend time with Mia. Benji and Victor bond while working together, and Victor learns that Benji will be performing at the Battle of the Bands. Worried that being around Benji will distract him from his date with Mia, Victor instead chooses to take her to an art exhibition, where they share their first kiss. Victor and Mia eventually end up catching the end of the Battle of the Bands, and Victor's crush on Benji grows after watching him perform. However, it is revealed that Benji has a boyfriend, Derek. Lake discovers that Andrew is in love with Mia. Meanwhile, Pilar helps her mother Isabel by setting up a Facebook account for her, and is shocked when a man named Roger R. sends a friend request to the new profile and starts flirting with her. | |||||
| 4 | "The Truth Hurts" | Michael Lennox | Marcos Luevanos | June 17, 2020 | 1CFG04 |
| Pilar, suspicious that Isabel is having an affair, is heartbroken. She shares the news with Victor, who does not believe that their mother would cheat but is persuaded into setting up a meeting up with Roger from Facebook by pretending to be Isabel. Victor sees Roger in person and is shocked to discover that he is the former boss of their father, Armando. Victor and Mia bond over Mia's sadness at the fact that her father is dating a new woman and moving on from her mother. At a basketball game, Victor confronts his parents about Isabel's affair and learns that Armando is already aware of it. Pilar and Victor are shocked to learn their family moved to Atlanta to help their parents recover from the aftermath of the affair. | |||||
| 5 | "Sweet Sixteen" | Anne Fletcher | Sheila Lawrence | June 17, 2020 | 1CFG05 |
| The Salazars have not been close since the confrontation the previous week, upsetting Victor. Simon warns Victor to make time for himself, while Victor shares he hopes to figure out his identity. Victor's sixteenth birthday is coming up and a party is being thrown. All of Victor's extended family and friends are coming, including Mia and Benji. Felix and Lake bond while running an errand for the party. At the party, Victor's grandparents accidentally see Benji and Derek kissing, which angers them. Victor and Isabel stand up for Benji. Mia and Pilar bond over their respective family struggles. Victor and Mia kiss and declare they are an item. Armando warns Victor that Adrian might be gay and that he is not happy about it. | |||||
| 6 | "Creekwood Nights" | Anu Valia | David Smithyman | June 17, 2020 | 1CFG06 |
| Mia and Lake discuss Mia's relationship with Victor. She wants the relationship to be more than it is and is interested in sex after the class takes sex-ed. Benji is coming up on his first anniversary with Derek, where the two bond about how they are romantics. Victor confides in Benji that he is a virgin and is hesitant to have sex with Mia. Benji shares that if he can do it, anyone can. Nervous, Victor brings Felix with him, much to Mia's chagrin. Benji plans a nice evening for Derek, but he isn't happy with it. Felix and Lake kiss for the first time. Lake suggests that Victor is gay, so he tries to force himself to have sex with Mia. Ultimately he cannot, and says he is old fashioned. She accepts this. Simon tells Victor he is not attracted to Mia and to end things before they get hurt. | |||||
| 7 | "What Happens In Willacoochee" | Jay Karas | Danny Fernandez | June 17, 2020 | 1CFG07 |
| Victor is viewing dating Mia as a chance to be normal. Mia asks him to attend a fundraiser with him and he accepts. Andrew pines over Mia at the fundraiser. Lake tells Felix that their hookup never happened, but Felix later realizes he wants to seriously date Lake. Benji and Victor are forced to take a road trip to repair the coffee machine of their work when it breaks. Felix bonds with Pilar, who gives him advice on Lake that later impresses her. When Victor learns that he could stay that night with Benji and sees this as a chance for him to figure out his sexuality, he tells Benji that they must stay in a motel overnight for the coffee machine to be fixed. At the motel, Benji reveals he came out because he almost died one-night drunk driving while trying to deny his sexuality. Benji tells Victor he is easy to talk to and is happy they are friends. Later that night, Victor kisses Benji who pushes him away as he is still with Derek. Horrified, Victor texts Simon who reassures him about who he is. Benji suggests they don't talk about the kiss. | |||||
| 8 | "Boys' Trip" | Todd Holland | Brian Tanen | June 17, 2020 | 1CFG08 |
| Victor takes a trip to visit Simon in New York City, where he is shown around town by Simon's group of accepting friends (Simon himself is in a party out of state). This annoys Mia as Victor is once again leaving, so she grows closer to Andrew and away from Victor. At detention, Andrew and Mia learn that Lake and Felix have been hooking up. Embarrassed, Lake upsets Felix by saying she wants to keep their relationship quiet. Mia tells Andrew she wishes he would be a nicer person, but she still cares for him. While at a drag party, Simon's friends accidentally let slip to Victor that they are all aware of Victor's situation at school and with Benji. Simon shows up and explains to an angry Victor that he needed his friend's guidance to help Victor navigate his world. Victor reconciles with Simon and his friends, who help Victor realize that they are all here for each other and he has people who accept him. | |||||
| 9 | "Who the Hell is B?" | Rebecca Asher | Jeremy Roth & Jess Pineda | June 17, 2020 | 1CFG09 |
| Victor comes out to Felix, the first person he's told. Victor is distraught to learn that Benji, due to the kiss, will be working elsewhere. Simon advises Victor to write a letter to Benji and see if he will understand him better and his mistakes. Isabel and Armando continue to fight, which upsets Victor and Pilar. Felix continues his romance with Lake and learns that she has an overbearing mother. To make her feel better he tries to tell her that he also has a stressful at home life, but she still does not want to be seen with him due to her mother's standards. Felix decides to break up with Lake. In Victor's backpack, Pilar finds a note to B, unaware that it's Victor's note to Benji. | |||||
| 10 | "Spring Fling" | Jason Ensler | Teleplay by : Jillian Moreno Story by : Isaac Aptaker & Elizabeth Berger | June 17, 2020 | 1CFG10 |
| Benji gets Victor's note but tells Victor that he needs his space. Victor plans to take Mia to the Spring Fling and tell her the truth the day after. Felix and Lake go to the dance with separate partners, but end up reconciling and kissing in front of the whole school, their relationship now public. Felix accidentally tells Pilar that the note was about an incident on Victor's work trip. When Pilar questions Benji about it, Derek overhears; Benji and Derek break up after. While talking to Victor, Benji confesses Derek didn't make him feel good like Victor does and that he wants to be with someone who does, and they kiss confessing their feelings for each other, which Mia witnesses unbeknownst to the two. Victor, to protect his relationship with Benji, promises him he will come out to everyone eventually. When Mia confronts Victor about his kiss with Benji and questions whether he liked her, he asserts that parts of their relationship were real. Pilar confronts Victor about him cheating, but he insists that he still is the same person. Comforted, Pilar and Victor head home, where their parents announce that they will separate. Despite the news, Victor comes out to his parents. | |||||
Production
Development
In April 2019, Disney+ gave the 20th Century Fox Television–produced show – based on the film Love, Simon – a straight-to-series order, with the writers of the original movie, Isaac Aptaker and Elizabeth Berger, attached as showrunners.[7] The show would focus on brand new characters and would be set in the same world as the movie.
"Love, Simon is a powerful story embraced by critics and audiences alike for its universal messages of authenticity, love, and acceptance. We are honored to partner with the talented team at 20th Century Fox Television to bring this new chapter of a beloved story to Disney+, continuing the personal and uplifting narrative that captivated fans of the original film."
— Agnes Chu (SVP content, Disney+)[8]
In February 2020, the series was retitled Love, Victor and moved to Hulu, with a scheduled premiere date in June 2020, making it the second series – after High Fidelity – to move from Disney+ to Hulu.[9] In April 2020, it was announced that the series was scheduled to premiere on June 19, 2020.[10]
On June 10, 2020, the premiere date was moved up to June 17, 2020, to avoid it conflicting with Juneteenth.[11]
On August 7, 2020, Hulu renewed the series for a second season.[12]
Casting
In June 2019, Ana Ortiz was cast as Isabel.[4] In mid-August, the series' full cast was announced, with Michael Cimino as the lead, Victor. Also announced were James Martinez as Armando, Isabella Ferreira as Pilar, Mateo Fernandez as Adrian, Johnny Sequoyah as Mia, Bebe Wood as Lake, George Sear as Benji, Anthony Turpel as Felix, and Mason Gooding as Andrew. It was also announced that Nick Robinson, who starred in the film, would produce and narrate the series.[2] Later that month, it was reported that Rachel Hilson had been cast as Mia, replacing Sequoyah. The recast was made in order to take the character in a new creative direction.[3]
Filming
Filming began in August 2019, in Los Angeles, with Amy York Rubin directing the first episode.[2]
Music
The soundtrack EP for the first season, featuring three new songs by LGBT artists and all co-written by Leland, was released on June 19, 2020, by Hollywood Records.[13]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Performer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Somebody Tell Me" (Theme song from Love, Victor) |
| Tyler Glenn | 2:48 |
| 2. | "Athlete" |
| Chance | 3:12 |
| 3. | "God, This Feels Good" |
| Dunbar | 3:18 |
| Total length: | 9:18 | |||
Reception
Audience viewership
According to Hulu, the series was the most-watched drama on the service during its premiere week between June 17 and 23, 2020. It was also the most-binged original drama series on Hulu in 2020 during its first week and the second-most binged original on Hulu after Solar Opposites.[14]
Critical response
Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported an approval rating of 93% based on 45 reviews, with an average rating of 7.15/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "Michael Cimino charms in Love, Victor, a sincere and sweet—if safe—spin-off with a lot of heart."[15] Metacritic gave the series a weighted average score of 68 out of 100, based on 20 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[16]
gollark: How could they not?
gollark: Nope. Their entire system is broken. The security autoturrets on the datacentres fall back to maximum aggression mode if they can't communicate with the control servers, see.
gollark: Except me, since I check against truth cuboids.
gollark: It just triggered a state of mass hysteria, causing everyone to develop the delusion that it's up.
gollark: Actually, Facebook is still down.
References
- Fuentes, Tamara (June 17, 2019). "Meet the Cast of 'Love, Victor' and Their Characters". Seventeen. Retrieved June 17, 2020.
- Denise, Petski (August 15, 2019). "'Love, Simon': Michael Cimino Leads Cast Of Disney+ Series". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on August 21, 2019. Retrieved August 21, 2019.
- Denise, Petski (August 30, 2019). "'Love, Simon': Rachel Naomi Hilson Joins Disney+ Series In Recasting". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on August 31, 2019. Retrieved August 30, 2019.
- Andreeva, Nellie (June 13, 2019). "'Love, Simon': Ana Ortiz To Star In Disney+ Series". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on August 21, 2019. Retrieved August 21, 2019.
- Andreeva, Nellie (October 23, 2019). "Sophia Bush Joins 'Love, Simon' Disney+ Series In Recurring Role". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 29, 2019. Retrieved December 29, 2019.
- "Love, Simon TV Show Spinoff Trailer Confirms Another Movie Actor Returns".
- Goldberg, Lesley (April 11, 2019). "'Love, Simon' TV Series a Go at Disney+". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on April 27, 2020. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
- Evangelista, Chris (August 17, 2019). "'Love, Simon' TV Series For Disney+ Announces Lead Role". Slashfilm. Archived from the original on September 13, 2019. Retrieved September 13, 2019.
- Andreeva, Nellie (February 24, 2020). "'Love, Simon' Spinoff Series 'Love, Victor' Moves From Disney+ To Hulu, Sets Launch & Opens Season 2 Writers Room". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on April 21, 2020. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
- Iannucci, Rebecca (April 27, 2020). "Love, Victor: Hulu Sets Premiere Date, Releases First Sneak Peek — Watch". TVLine. Archived from the original on April 27, 2020. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
- Andreeva, Nellie (June 10, 2020). "Hulu Shifts 'Love, Victor' & 'Taste the Nation' Premieres In Observance Of Juneteenth". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 10, 2020.
- Iannucci, Rebecca (August 7, 2020). "Love, Victor Renewed for Season 2". TVLine. Archived from the original on August 7, 2020. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
- Wass, Mike (June 18, 2020). "Disney Rolls Out 'Love, Victor' EP Featuring Isaac Dunbar". Idolator. Retrieved June 21, 2020.
- Harnick, Chris (June 30, 2020). "Turns Out Love, Victor Felt Quite a Bit of Viewer Love on Hulu". E! Online. Archived from the original on July 1, 2020. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
- "Love, Victor: Season 1 (2020)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved July 21, 2020.
- "Love, Victor: Season 1". Metacritic. Retrieved June 17, 2020.
External links
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