There is no shortage of shows about dating in New York City, but Wallflowers adds a refreshing (and much needed) twist to the Manhattan rom-com: a support group for the hopelessly and eternally single. In a city of over eight million people, that's a lot of romantic repression.
The ensemble cast features a tight knit group of thirty-somethings ranging in personalities, from the relationship-phobic to the social media-obsessed. All come together under the guidance of Janice (Christianne Tisdale), the sassy, modern master of love. Where was she when we needed her?
This season introduces Alex (John Halbach from EastSiders!) as Bryce's (Patch Darragh) new love interest. But in the same vein as The Outs and EastSiders, Wallflowers portrays gay relationships organically, without, as H. Alan Scott wrote, making gayness "the only defining characteristic."
Writer-director Kieran Turner articulated this sentiment perfectly to the Huffington Post:
"There are straight, gay, and bisexual characters. But they're characters first. I wanted to explore what all these different types of people go through in their search to find love...I really despise stereotypes of any kind, especially gay ones. They're insulting and reductive and I feel like sometimes our creative community relies on them way too heavily in order to get a laugh. I think we're better than that and we've moved past it."
Wallflowers is available on Stage 17, a new platform for Broadway and theatrical artists -- and the rest of us who enjoy good storytelling. The first episode in Season 2 premiered earlier this month, but all of Season 1 is still available.
Whether you're a new or returning wallflower, watch the first two episodes of Season 2 below, and then join the support group here.
Episode 1, "The Invaders:"
And episode 2, "The Match Game:"
