The L.A. Complex should be very pleased with itself,
because its second episode “Do Something” just ended with
a wonderfully shocking moment: Tariq ( Benjamin Charles
Watson ) making out with gangster rapper King
Kaldrick ( Andra Fuller)! Better yet, Tariq’s subplot was
buried beneath the other (straight) romantic dramas and
audition woes, and so the final zinger came as even more of
a shock.
While Abby and Raquel spent the episode facing off for the
coveted “Hooker” role on the procedural Cause of Death – as
well as who gets to give Connor some afternoon delight in
his trailer — and Nick obsesses over what he’s doing wrong
with women, Tariq was showing Kal around Los Angeles. Not
because Kal doesn’t know the town, but because in order to
work with someone he has to know something about them
first. Even though Kal easily loses his temper when Tariq
fails to bring him to cool spots, he warms to the younger kid
when Tariq confesses that the reason he doesn’t have any
“ins” in Hollywood is because he’s from Canada.
Then, the last scene: After a day of getting to know Tariq,
Kal lets him in to his apartment to play him a record while
they brainstorm his album. The soulful music is pulsing and
Kal is up in Tariq’s face snapping, “Do something. Do
something!” And right when you think it might devolve into a
fistfight, they start making out. (Start at 11:30.)
I literally pumped my fist and hissed, “Yes!” I was so
psyched to see The L.A. Complex go right for the throat in
terms of a daring romantic plotline, as opposed to hemming
and hawing over an attraction the fans might think is in their
heads. Consider that it took 90210 three seasons for Teddy
to gingerly test the waters of homosexuality, whereas by the
second episode you have an out character in the middle of a
hot-button topic: Homoeroticism in the rap industry.
Remember that Canada has already seen the season finale,
which means we have to avoid spoilers but also means that
the actors have already done press about the show’s
shockers. TV Fanatic expressed skepticism that this might
just be a ratings ploy, but based on an interview that Andra
Fuller did with Examiner when the Kal/Tariq hookup first
aired, I think the show is going to take this plotline seriously.
(Again, it’s Degrassi creators Stephen Stohn and Linda
Schuyler , so of course they’re going to treat it with respect.)
“The thing that’s so appealing to me about playing this
character is that I get to show my range. I get to be so
explosive and so angry, and then in the next scene, I’m
showing my tender moments and vulnerability. That’s the
appealing side of this character: I get to show both sides all
in one day.”
We already saw that in 1×02: During one of their tender
bonding moments, an overzealous fan snaps a photo of Kal
and Tariq… at least, until Tariq strides over and smacks the
poor boy upside the head. That was your first hint that Kal
is stressed trying to give off this tough-guy image; the fan
happened to catch the moment that he put his hand on
Tariq’s shoulder.
Another great facet about Tariq’s character is that up until
that last moment it didn’t even occur to me that he might
be queer. However, that will become a sticking point in Tariq
and Kal’s relationship, as Andra Fuller told Examiner :
“He kind of admires Tariq. Tariq is out, and he wishes he
could be also, but he can’t. This guy’s a hip hop superstar.
He’s the Jay-Z, Kanye, Lil Wayne, all wrapped into one.
This secret is so detrimental to his career. Literally and
figuratively he can’t afford for his secret to escape.”
Like Chris Colfer ‘s character in Struck by Lightning, Tariq’s
sexuality doesn’t define him—but now it’ll lead to an
interesting plotline. Especially since some vague spoilers
indicate that in 1×06 their secret will come out in the studio
and possibly end their relationship.
Seriously, how can people hate this show?