Sorry, I’m a bit late on returning to The Bold and The Beautiful’s story about Maya, who we now know as a transgender woman.
It’s not exactly an apology, but I have to say, Rick and Maya’s conversation about it, which happened in late May, was a beautiful thing.
I mean, seriously beautiful.
(apologies for the shaky quality)
That was a surprise, and I applaud B&B for making that moment happen.
I still have reservations, as I expressed in my initial post, about the way it was all done. Even setting the But It’s A Soap factor aside, this was a lot of spectacle for something which shouldn’t be treated as a spectacle for our entertainment. It’s someone’s essence and someone’s life.
I will not back down from my criticism on that point.
I’m glad that this shows different textures in the characters of Rick and Maya – making the audience see their vulnerabilities – and I’m sure the upcoming scenes with Maya and her parents will also explore those themes.
But I think the way to really honor Maya as a character….is to allow her to be a flawed person. A bitch. Someone who makes things happen.
A recent TVInsider interview with Bradley Bell has him calling Maya the show’s “next leading lady.”
Let’s hope he means a new Stephanie, and not a new Hope!
But in all of the criticism, I do have to say that it’s phenomenal that Maya – a transgender woman of color – could BE that character on a daytime soap in 2015.
In an era where shows seem to either approach stories with extreme caution, or run to the other extreme and burn bridges for quick eyeballs, B&B’s commitment to the character and the story is a fine thing indeed.
A | THOUSAND | OTHER | WORLDS 