By: Karly Burns, Fact Checker; Mason Mattu, News Writer; Izzy Cheung, Arts & Culture Editor; Petra Chase, Editor-in-Chief
A love letter to XO, Kitty — Karly Burns, Fact Checker
For those who love coming-of-age romance tropes, XO, Kitty will have you feeling butterflies. This spin-off of the To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before trilogy follows Kitty (Anna Cathcart) as she looks for her very own Peter Kavinsky (Noah Centineo). Kitty’s journey for love takes endless twists and turns that left me blushing and wanting more. Her first destination for love begins with Dae-heon (Choi Min-Young). Kitty decides to surprise him in Korea at The Korean Independent School of Seoul (KISS), but sees him holding hands with Yuri (Gia Kim), a girl hiding her sexuality due to the control of her famous parents. I can’t deny the excitement I felt when Yuri came out to her friends, a feeling I’m sure many queer hearts can relate too.
What begins as confusion and heartache transforms into Kitty’s yearning for love. This feud leads her down an enemies-to-lovers road in which she falls for Yuri. Kitty is encompassed by the many conflicting emotions that come with a sexual awakening, and even has a sex dream about Yuri. As a queer person, my heart was bursting with excitement to see Kitty explore her bisexuality. What stops Kitty from following her heart is that Yuri’s heart has fallen for someone else.
Kitty’s path trails down to Min Ho (Sang Heon Lee), a boy who shows his dislike for Kitty since day one by nicknaming her the “Portland Stalker.” He is portrayed as the series player, as he charms every girl that lays eyes on him (and I can say the same for myself) except for Kitty. Through each moment together, we see Kitty and Min Ho start to tolerate one-another. Their story has me waiting in suspense for them to finally break their sexual tension. Waiting for season three has me grasping my love letters, hoping Kitty finally reaches the path that leads her to love.
A love that stands the test of time — Mason Mattu, News Writer
Outlander is the story of Jamie (Sam Heughan), a Scottish dissident against the British from 1743, and his one true love Claire (Caitríona Balfe), a British nurse from 1945. When Claire accidentally travels through a mystical set of stones on a trip to Scotland, she is sent back in time to 1743. Throughout the series, the couple experience life in pre-revolution France, fight on the side of the Americans in the revolution, and are separated from one another for years.
If you’re starting to get disinterested after all that history, let me tell you that this show is probably the single best romantic television show. Jamie and Claire’s story is one of intense loss, loyalty, and true perseverance. Although their marriage was initially arranged for her safety, Clarie quickly began to develop emotions for Jamie. The reason I call Outlander a story of heart-wrenching romance is because viewers are forced to see the separation of Jamie and Claire multiple times throughout the series.
When thinking of a moment that shows the eternal bond between Jamie and Claire, I think of when they meet for the first time after being separated for 20 years. Whenever the couple is apart for an extended period of time, you feel as though someone close to you has left. It doesn’t even feel like a show about time travel — it feels real.
While this show is known for its sex scenes, and there is definitely a lot of physical chemistry between Jamie and Claire, I see the show more as a tale of emotional romance. I am a big history nerd, and the fact that Outlander combines both history and romance led me to digest the true message of hope and perseverance that the show oozes.
A comfort relationship in my comfort TV show — Izzy Cheung, Arts & Culture Editor
Brooklyn Nine-Nine was my comfort show in high school, and to this day, I love turning on an episode to remind me of old times. The best couple by far is that of captain Raymond Holt (Andre Braugher) and Kevin Cozner (Marc Evan Jackson) (and their adorable corgi, Cheddar). As a gay Black police captain, Holt faces a lot of hardships throughout his career, resulting in his serious personality. He relies on actions rather than words to profess his love for his husband. The show portrays their wedding in a quick flashback that isn’t more than 10 seconds long, with the two men not even holding hands as the minister announces that they’re married. When asked to tap into his emotions to write a wedding speech nearly 20 years later, Holt writes a haiku — “marriage is a contract / between two adults / of different families.” He sees no problem with this because, in his brain, that’s what it is. This is because Holt sees things predominantly in black and white, and the same mindset goes for his husband. It’s exactly why he and Cozner are perfect for each other — both profess their love for one-another in the same stoic way. It’s a type of love language that you’d think wouldn’t work out, but for them, it just does. Emotional expressions are rare for these two, only because their perception of intimacy is different from the norm. One of the only times we see Cozner display his emotions in the show is when he defends his husband from his colleagues after they insult Holt’s career. For some couples, intimacy requires physical proximity and poetic words of affirmation; but for Holt and Cozner, a simple handshake is more than enough to know one another’s feelings. Their relationship is a great reminder of how intimacy can be more than just physical.
Love between cultures
Like many people, I watched the second season of Mo as soon as it came out last week. Mo centers around Mo (Mohammed Amer), a second-generation Palestinian refugee in Texas, getting by without status and his family’s delayed asylum hearing. In addition to the dark comedy laying bare the US’ treatment of refugees, what makes this series so beautiful is its portrayal of intimacy. From Mo’s perspective, he keeps his struggles secret from the women in his life because he needs to protect them. He also processes his emotions and trauma in self-destructive ways to avoid showing weakness. Flashbacks hint at this being due to wanting to make his late father proud and honour his legacy, on top of the added pressures of grinding in an individualist, capitalist society. Throughout the series, you’re rooting for him to recognize his own worth, and it’s cathartic to see him realize what’s truly important from conversations with his mother (Farah Bsieso). She reminds him of his cultural heritage and the resilience of Palestinians, and that this can be found even in the act of making and sharing handmade olive oil.
Maria wants a partner, not someone to take care of her, and this is something they navigate through honest discussions. Maria is a Catholic Mexican and Mo a Muslim, and while we do see how their different religions and cultures cause challenges, at the end of the day they have a mutual understanding and respect for each other. The positive portrayal and nuances of an intercultural and interreligious relationship is refreshing to see on screen. It’s beautiful to see their two cultures come together, even in how Maria speaks to him in Spanish, with Arabic terms of endearment sprinkled in.
