Sorry You Had to Be Born
Okay, I’ll say it: I’m old. Well, generationally old. Old enough that I can feel the difference between myself—a so-called geriatric millennial—and Gen. Z. HBO’s genera+ion may have only lasted a season, but it gave us life. Episode 8, the finale of what ended up being part one of season one, concluded the story of a teen giving birth in a mall. An interesting trope to choose, and even more satisfying was the ways in which it felt fresh. No babies in the bathroom at prom here. Interestingly, the chief difference, in my mind at least, about teen dramas of my day (RE: the 90s!) and genera+ion is the way the principal characters rally around each other.
For example, Chester, our colorful lead, has found himself curious about a new boy named Bo, who he was oblivious to until this point. Bo and Chester’s relationship in this episode, and perhaps the story writ large, is akin to She’s All That. Only there are no bets, no “you were there the whole time”s. Chester is already interested because Bo is different. Bo didn’t have to change is outfit to be noticed; he just had to be in the right place at the right time being himself.
But it’s not just kids versus the world that makes this show special—and this episode in particular. The drama is also internal, but I guess after being born into a climate crisis and post-capitalist society, who kissed who and how are we going to overcome a surprise pregnancy sorta just seems easy. Or they make it look that way.
It’s the kinda show I wished I had growing up.
Do You Wanna Be Neutral?
This is a question posed early in the episode, and I think it’s an important one. All of these kids played their parts in the overarching birth drama. All had duties to perform, small and large, in order to help the girl whose whole life changed during a trip to the mall. We should all be so lucky to have a small army help us during our own trials.
Crazy Psycho Crying Happening Right Now
“The Last Shall Be First” culminates in the group dropping the newborn off at a fire station. Before they do, there’s one last ritual to perform. Just as they all played parts in the narrative of the birth, they all, like unwise Magi, leave gifts for the child. I won’t give them away, but I will say they’re thoughtful, perfect, and right.
And here’s where I know I’m of another generation. I cry here. Every time. The kids steel themselves to do what they have to. To close the narrative circle, which as we’ll discover in the part 2 finale is an important theme for them as well. I have the luxury of tears. My generation’s gift is nostalgia, while theirs seems to be fatalism, though they wear it well.
But you know what? We’ve also circled back on our own tropes here. First, the kids were alright. Then, the kids were not alright. And now? Now I think the kids are good, and I for one can’t wait to see what they do next.
D. M. Dunn (he/him) works as a publishing director in Bloomington, Indiana. He’s currently pursuing his MFA in fiction part time. His most recent publications, can be found at Button Eye Review and mutiny! magazine. Connect with him on Twitter @dmdunnwriter.
