Entertainment Extra

2 ENTERTAINMENT EXTRA By Rachel Jones TV Media S trike a "Pose," the Emmy- winning drama is back with a new episode of its third season, and after two other seasons exploring New York City's under- ground ballroom culture, the LGBTQ-focused drama is bound to send audiences on a wild ride. Following the announcement of a shortened, seven-episode final season, co-creators Ryan Murphy ("Glee") and Steven Canals ("Dead of Summer," 2016) are prepared to tell the story they most want to tell. Episode 3 airs Sunday, May 9, on FX. For those who haven't yet tuned in to Season 3, there are some major changes. The time frame jumps from 1991 to 1994 as Blanca (MJ Rodriguez, "Saturday Church," 2017) shifts her focus from ballroom to moth- erhood and a relationship with Christopher (new actor Blaine Alden Krauss). The AIDS crisis has reached devastating heights by this point and has become the leading cause of death among young people. Facing the epidemic head-on, Blanca starts working as a nurs- ing aide, while Pray Tell (Billy Porter, "Like a Boss," 2020), who was diagnosed with HIV in Season 1 along with Blanca, starts experiencing sudden health problems. Members of House of Evangelista, an under- ground ballroom group, must also contend with a new house in town, House of Khan. Aptly named "The Trunk," the upcoming episode follows Elektra (Dominique Jackson, "Chick Fight," 2020) and Blanca as they scramble to dispose of a trunk in Elektra's closet. Circumstances make the matter urgent, as Elektra is unjustly arrested and she does not want law enforcement to find it. So what's in the trunk, Elektra? Perhaps revisiting one of the series' most shocking deaths gives us a hint (spoiler alert for anyone not finished with the sec- ond season). In Season 2's "Butterfly/Cocoon," Elektra, who had been secretly working as a BDSM mistress, had to dispose of a client's body after he acciden- tally overdosed. In no way was the death Elektra's fault, but she felt it best to dispose of the body herself. With the help of Candy (Angelica Ross, "Claws," 2017) and Ms. Orlando (Cecilia Gentili, "The Trans Literacy Project," 2016), Elektra jams the body into a suitcase and brings him up into her apartment. They don't wrap the body in burlap or tarp — no, they put him in a cocoon filled with lye; a pleather cocoon, to be exact. As you can imagine, this scene isn't your ordinary get-rid-of-the- body scene. It's flashy, jazzy and chock-full of happiness. This sur- prising attitude stands in stark contrast to the reality of Elektra's social situation, one shared by many of the charac- ters in "Pose." As members of the underground house scene, the LGBTQ community and the Black and Latinx communities, they are not just part of a sub- cultural phenomenon, they also face levels of discrimination that a white cis-community struggles to understand. Elektra and the others are also at an immediate disadvantage due to racism, transphobia and homophobia, with Elektra now facing assumptions based on her skin color, sexual orientation and gender identity. There's a lot to unpack from Elektra's trunk. Whether it's the contents of a pleather cocoon or the intricacies and scars of dis- crimination, she definitely doesn't want the law to see what's inside. Yet, the Black and Brown transfeminine bodies that have occupied the space on our television screens for two years still sparkle — and we do get to see what's inside. "Pose" is Canals love letter to the late-'80s/early-'90s ballroom culture in NYC and the people who participated in it. Finding a home in underground courts — ballrooms — made for royalty, they dance, perform, dress up and define their space. Elektra puts it best: "Balls are a gather- ing of people who aren't wel- come together anywhere else." Through brilliant storytelling and honest casting, we finally see a portayal of underrepresented peoples in pop culture. "Pose" has been a source of LGBTQ visibility despite many attempts by society to render it invisible through policy, misrepre - sentation and jest. The show has featured more trans actors play- ing trans characters than any other series in television history. Porter, with a career spanning almost 30 years, is the first open- ly gay man to win an Emmy. Janet Mock ("Hollywood"), one of the show's writers, is the first trans woman of color hired for her position on a TV series. She is also the first transgender woman of color to write and direct a TV episode. The show is understand- ably the pride of Disney, which owns FX. YMCA 2 x 2" Pear Tree Gallery 3 x 2" On the Cover A scene from "Pose" The final season of 'Pose' continues on FX Chase Center 3 x 2" American Legion Post 60 2 x 3" Thrifty Muffler 2 x 2.5" 230 Burlington Avenue Logansport 574-992-8038 Tired of Shopping Around for THE Right Mechanic? BRAKE SPECIAL $89.95 PER AXLE. FOR MOST CARS AND TRUCKS Give us an opportunity to earn your business! "We do it Better for Less!"

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