Laverne Cox’s new show Clean Slate is the feel-good, heartwarming queer show we desperately needed. The story follows a trans woman, Desiree (Cox), who hasn’t spoken to her father Harry (George Wallace) in 23 years. She returns home to Alabama after experiencing a tumultuous breakup and losing everything in New York.
But there are two issues—her father doesn’t know she’s trans, and now she has to restart a life in a state where progressiveness isn’t really a thing.
Desiree is a complex yet lovable and humorous character. When she gets to reconnect with her father, we initially get a hilarious, natural understanding of their loving yet bickering relationship. We get to see her father come to terms with who his daughter truly is, and it’s a relief that the show manages to sidestep the trans trauma plot in favor of something kinder.
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A sitcom from Laverne Cox about a trans woman returning to her Alabama hometown? We’re unbelievably seated.
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The show does a stellar job of walking the viewers through one Black trans woman’s experiences as well as the tricky relationships between queer people and their sometimes supportive, sometimes aggravating parents. Clean Slate even touches on the lack of acceptance from Black elders in the church, emphasizing the importance of found families while shining a light on trans dating woes and voter suppression in Black neighborhoods. This is the kind of show we need: something that can balance tough conversations without sacrificing its light-hearted, sweet nature.
And did we mention the side characters are everything? There’s Desiree’s best friend, Louis, played by D.K. Uzoukwu, a closeted church choir director. There’s also Jay Wilkison’s Mac an ex-felon with a daughter, Opal (Norah Murphy.) The two work at Desiree’s father’s car wash, and if you’re interested in a slow burning romance, Mack and Desiree are IT! We’re also so happy to see Black acting legends like George Wallace and Telma Hopkins return to the screen.
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