In the premiere episode we meet Evan, a dedicated teacher played by star and series creator Brian Jordan Alvarez. During lunch, he shares with his colleague Gwen (Stephanie Koenig) that his students seem “not into being woke anymore." At the same time, gym teacher Markie (Sean Patton) goes off on a rant against Communist China but is quickly shut down with a reminder of “No politics!”
Evan's ex-boyfriend Malcolm (Jordan Firstman), with whom he still occasionally ends up in bed, was once a colleague. Meanwhile, new teacher Harry (Langston Kerman) seems like a potential romantic interest in Evan’s view, though the prospect fills him with comical anxiety. This stems from a past incident where he was prohibited from dating coworkers after a student’s mother complained about Evan and Malcolm kissing in front of her child, an issue raised years later.
This is a fantastic pilot. It's brisk and engaging, clearly establishing the high school setting. Parallels can be drawn to Abbott Elementary, though here the kids are older and we see the world through Evan's perspective. Both teachers and students are portrayed as flawed, though students can be a bit more intimidating.
The themes are highly relevant for present times, and it's great to see casual conversations address sensitive topics with such nuance, all while maintaining a playful and humorous tone.
The episode introduces a range of characters who will drive the show forward. Overall, it sets the stage for a light-hearted, entertaining series that isn’t afraid to tackle challenging subjects.
Episode 2 of English Teacher opens with Evan once again rushing to work, running late. He’s intercepted by a group of boys participating in Powderpuff, an event where girls play football and boys dress as cheerleaders. Despite his numerous reservations, he agrees to discuss the situation with Mark.
Later, Evan heads to the field, where he finds Gwen ‘assisting’ Mark with coaching the girls' football team, as they had requested a female coach. Evan brings up the cheerleader issue with Mark, but Mark directs him to Principal Grant. Grant then throws Evan a curveball, revealing that the real issue is a protest from the LGBTQIA+ alliance against Powderpuff.
Evan talks to the students, who argue that the football players are treating the gender-switching as a joke rather than with sincerity. Evan’s solution is to bring in Keith (guest star Trixie Mattel), an old friend who performs as a drag queen. He hopes that Shazam (Keith’s drag persona) can inspire the boys to embrace drag more genuinely. The boys agree to have Shazam as their coach.
Meanwhile, the girls teach Mark how they don't feel safe in the outside world, giving him a podcast to listen to. He does so, and he and Gwen decide teaching the girls self-defense is a much better use of their time than football.
On the day of the football match, the boys take the field in full drag! They express their gratitude to Coach Marquez and perform their entire routine to enthusiastic applause from the crowd. They even include Evan in their final dramatic move, the death drop.
The dialogue is quick, clever, and engaging, with characters exchanging sharp, witty lines. It’s crafted with respect for people, identities, and ideas. Evan remains a delightful character, whose enthusiasm drives many of the events. English Teacher is a vibrant new sitcom, and here's hoping the subsequent episodes maintain this level of humor and depth.
Looking forward to the next episode! Check out English Teacher on FX and Hulu.
