Totally Brilliant “It’s A Sin” HBO MAX

When it comes to entertainment this past year during the pandemic with movies theaters & music venues closed we’ve been left at the mercy of streaming networks & Zoom events. In search of a series that’s totally brilliant check out “It’s A Sin” on HBO MAX. Set in 1980s London this fabulous coming-of-age tale follows a group of gay friends leading up to the height of the AIDS crisis. “It's a Sin” was written & created by Russell T Davies who brought us “Queer as Folk” so get ready to enjoy a stellar series experience. The five episodes take place from1981 to 1991 in London & beautifully & authentically depicts our LGBTQ community & their friends during this ten year span coping with the HIV/AIDS crisis in the UK. Contributing to this honest portrayal & success of this series is the casting of only gay actors in the leading roles. The cast includes Olly Alexander as Ritchie Tozer, Omari Douglas as Roscoe Babatunde & Callum Scott Howells as Colin Morris-Jones. Lydia West as Jill Baxter, Nathaniel Curtis as Ash Mukherjee & David Carlyle as Gregory Finch together form the ensemble which the show focuses on most. Other actors cast were Keeley Hawes, Shaun Dooley, Tracy Ann Oberman, Stephen Fry & Neil Patrick Harris is memorable as a dry-witted elder mentor Henry. This is not a series to binge watch but to savor each episode. “It’s A Sin” is an education that our entire LGBTQ community, allies & beyond must watch & perhaps learn something about ourselves as we deal with our present global pandemic. For those who lived through the AIDS Crisis as I have this series provides a moment to reflect about the loss of friends & innocence in our community.