Review: Hormones Schmormones
'Sort Of' Season 3 is here and oh-so-human
The Yearning Rating: ✰✰✰✰
Romance: ✰✰✰
Sex: ✰✰✰
Storytelling: ✰✰✰✰
Performance: ✰✰✰✰
Yearning: ✰✰✰✰✰
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This is a review of the first four episodes of Season 3, so there are some spoilers for previous seasons. Read my review of Seasons 1 and 2 here!
Written by Meg Steinfeld-Heim
So far, Season 3 of Max’s Sort Of is just as lived in and honest and watchable as ever. The Peabody Award winning show picks up right where Season 2 left off—with Sabi and their family reeling from the sudden and unexpected death of their father, Imran. Sabi (played by creator Bilal Baig) is a nonbinary, transfemme Pakistani and used to forging their own path as a queer, nonconforming child of immigrants. But navigating the expectation-filled grief rituals of their religion and community turns out to be challenging, messy and emotional. Throw in the aftershock of a mysterious and electric kiss with their married boss/best friend Bessy and they are, quite simply, going through it.
But that’s not all. During a doctor’s visit, we learn that Sabi wants to begin Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT). This is something that should be so exciting! For those who choose to undergo, HRT is an undeniably huge step in trans-hood. It's the kind of moment that calls for community to celebrate you and hold you. But the people in Sabi’s life are struggling to hold space for them, because life isn’t predictable or linear and they’re all going through their own things. The doctor, a family friend, suggests Sabi postpone HRT until their family is done grieving. Sabi can’t get a word in edgewise with 7ven (Amanda Cordner), their nonbinary bestie, who is busy launching their new gallery and event space. And when Sabi is finally referred to a gender affirming specialist—played by one of my absolute favorites, Angelica Ross!—their alone-ness fills the room. It feels like there is no one available to take in their metamorphosis. As if she’s intuiting the situation, the doctor asks if they’re seeing anyone. Like, a therapist ;) With this voiced, it felt like Sort Of was setting an objective for its characters this season to establish a community of care. Being able to give and receive support is a value. We all need our people.
But Sabi has a bad habit that many of us are familiar with; they dabble in just a touch (sometimes a lot) of dissociation. It’s easy sometimes, because their life is full of distractions. It’s another part of the show that's so relatable. Sabi is trying to make an intentional choice to live more joyfully in their body. And they’re trying to be brave enough to ask for the support they need and deserve. But that doesn’t mean life stops around them—they need to settle their dad’s affairs, find a new roommate, and figure out what (if anything) is going on with Bessy. While Sabi, their sister Aqsa, 7ven, and casual love interest Wolf still have lots of fun, Sort Of illustrates the way that life can just pile on. And Sabi keeps trying to find someone to talk to about HRT, but each time, something gets in the way.
The first two seasons of Sort Of regularly made me laugh out loud. While still serious and thoughtful, the twenty minute episodes managed to pack in a surprising amount of genuinely comedic moments. So far in Season 3, I’d say that consistently, each episode is leaving me with a smile on my face. There is beautiful dialogue that feels like it came from the mouth of my most therapized, thoughtful friend, like Bessy saying to Sabi, “The loss that you’re going through is changing you. Lean into that.” This season feels more weighty so far, but every episode still balances the subject matter with lightness and connection. It is so clear that these characters come from a world of family and friends who have a genuine and deep love for each other.
7ven resumes their role as Sabi’s closest friend, confidant, and button-pusher in Season 3. Each season, the writers hone in even more on the weird, perfect little recipe of comedic relief, bluntness, and Sabi-hype-person that they are. The first four episodes of Season 3 show 7ven growing; they are more reflective, and catch themselves more than once when they cross a line. Better yet, they remain resolute in protecting Sabi’s boundaries. There is a really powerful moment at Sabi’s father’s Chaaliswan (a Muslim tradition where the family of the deceased comes together on the 40th day and pray for the deceased’s soul) when 7ven steps up to calmly, clearly stop Bessy from disturbing Sabi not once, not twice, but four times in a row. Not only is it a beautiful demonstration of nonviolent communication, it is genuinely moving. Watching Sabi and 7ven protect and hear each other better reminds me of that feeling of growing older in your friendships; it has that soothing, rich feeling of settling in.
Sabi is already known for rocking the boat in their family’s Muslim community simply by being Sabi. But Season 3 of Sort Of further dives into that sometimes uncomfortable, oft necessary need to shed the weight of others expectations. And whether Sabi, their mom Raffo (Ellora Patnaik), and their sister Aqsa (Supinder Wraich) are ready for it or not, these tides of change are coming for them all. As always, Sort Of has the beautiful ability to pull back the curtain and reveal a family who may be different from yours in any number of ways, but who you still completely understand and relate to. It’s just so good at capturing those very human, very real moments we have with each other.
With only four episodes released so far, it's already clear that Aqsa really gets her own storyline this season. She finds her own, uniquely hormonal way to stir up trouble. She really vocalizes the weight she feels upon her, and as a result I think many eldest daughters will relate to her character. It is refreshing to see conflict between adult siblings that is repairable; I feel like too often the trope in TV is to depict adult siblings who have historically bad blood and will never reconcile. Watching the two heal and attempt to move through the loss of their father together is really meaningful. I think it speaks towards what most siblings want out of their relationships with each other.
Sort Of will end with this season, but never fear! There are four more episodes to watch before we really have to say goodbye.
Episodes 5 and 6 became available today on Max.
The Elephant in the Werkroom
Season 16, Episode 4:
SMG! SMG! Absolutely delighted by Guest Judge aka Slayer-In-Residence, Sarah Michelle Gellar <3
Plane Jane wants so badly to be the villain, but actually…she isn’t good at shading the other queens?! Like, Amanda gets her every time and all Plane Jane can say is, “Likewise, girl. Likewise”. I’m embarrassed for Plane…
No surprises that Plasma does a good Barbra Streisand! But what will she do for Snatch Game? (I’m happy for her to have a win—CC: my previous note 2 weeks ago about her wanting this so bad)
Justice for Q, who played a fabulous, almost Lindsay Lohanian First Brick from Stonewall.
Night of a Thousand Chers is an iconic runway theme; personally I would have gone with her Welcome to Burlesque look <3
It’s a real shame about Mirage, who can absolutely eat down a lip sync performance. But not knowing the words just doesn’t fly, so Geneva Karr triumphs in her…third lip sync of the season. (Do we think the first one counts if it was a top two lip sync?)
