It's A Sin Review: HBO's Series On AIDS In London's LGBTQ Community Does Little For Its Fearless Characters

Available On: Lionsgate Play (India)
Duration: 5 Episodes / 45 Minutes
Language: English

Plot: Set in the 1980s, It's A Sin explores London's fearless LGBTQ Community with a mysterious disease looming over their lives. As the decade passes, and they grow up in the shadow of AIDS still they're determined to live and love more fiercely than ever.

Review: The show set in the 1980s bravely puts AIDS at the centre while following members of the LGBTQ community in London. However, in the midst of the heartache and the death looming over, the makers do not give a fair shot to the young and fearless characters. It's A Sin begins in 1981 with Ritchie (Olly Alexander), a law student heading out to the heart of London. At college, he meets a sweet confident girl Jill (Lydia West) who helps him find the courage to pursue his true passion for theatre.

On the other hand, Roscoe (Omari Douglas) runs away from his Nigerian family that hoped praying will turn him straight, and Colin (Callum Scott Howells) starts his new job at a tailor shop. After months of spending time in the small gay community, all end up crossing paths. The group comes up with an easy no bounds living arrangement for themselves by renting the whole unit for the five of them, including friends of Jill and Ritchie.

The first two episodes of the five-part series gives the character a chance to take chances, live wild and bold after years of having to hide themselves. For the first time, Ritchie and Roscoe are free to express and feel with passion, which they do fearlessly. However, the bold choices are grim with the mysterious illness spreading across the water in the land of the free (US). The illness is spreading with a new name - as the disease that makes the queer sick.

Meanwhile, Collin spends his time trading stories with work friend Henry and his boyfriend of 30 years, Juan Pablo. Through work, he gets a chance to visit New York and he brings back magazines and helpful information about the illness at Jill's request. However, it is not enough to keep her friends safe. She tries her best to warn everyone however, most look at it as the government's way to shame the queer community and refuse to accept it until they are forced to witness it themselves.

It's A Sin means well by giving the characters a chance to express themselves however, the choices are only used to justify the consequences later in the series. The show also explores the impact of the shaming brought to the queer community, and the fight the community brings against the authorities but by then it is too late to highlight the struggle.

The screenplay treats each character as a sub-plot with AIDS at the centre but gives the central plot little exposure hiding it behind closed rooms, much like the patients were hidden at the time. With a topic as vast and unexplored as AIDS, the five-part series does little justice to its characters. Never mind, using the marginalised characters as helpers on the sidelines. They end up coming to the aid of the leading white characters that are either martyrs or triumphant winners.

Overall, It's A Sin is a start, but it is not one of the best works by multi-BAFTA Award-winning writer Russell T Davies' (Queer As Folk, A Very English Scandal, Years and Years, Doctor Who).