The midseason finale of HBO Max’s Generation was released on Thursday, and we have 3 lessons learned from the first half of the season!
HBO Max’s Generation is a hit among Gen Z, which isn’t much of a surprise as it was co-created by 19-year-old Gen Z-er, Zelda Barnz. Barnz and her fathers, Daniel and Ben Barnz, pitched the show to showcase the wild world of Gen-Z. The show isn’t just another teen drama, it’s much, much more. As we follow the lives of 7 teenagers—Chester, Nathan, Naomi, Greta, Riley, Arianna, and Delilah—we’re given an exclusive look into the world of queer romances, sexual urges, drugs, embarrassing high school moments, and a scandalous heartbreak like no other.
Good friends will always have your back
Generation shows a dynamic, although dramatic, group of friends that go above and beyond to stand by and support one another. When Delilah goes into labor in the mall bathroom, all of her friends drop what they’re doing to come to help her (which becomes the base of the plot). As the show progresses, we get to witness more instances in which the 6 characters lean on one another during times of struggle. The characters don’t just become a friend group at the end, they become a chosen family. Regardless of how different each character is from one another, and how weird the dynamic is within their relationship, the story goes to show that good friends will always go to great lengths to be there for each other.
Don’t let heartbreak define you
Generation is full of heartbreak from start to finish, and Chester’s love story was undeniably one of the most saddening. After spending most of the episodes watching him fall further and further in love with his new guidance counselor, Sam, we could almost feel Chester’s pain after he poured his feelings out and found out they weren’t reciprocated. Chester had spent multiple days sulking and even wore a full gray outfit on the first day back at school—truly wearing his heart out on his sleeve. Upon his return back to school, Sam met with him to announce that he would be assigned a new guidance counselor. The declaration—which sounded much like a breakup—symbolized a new beginning for Chester. Not long afterward, we’re introduced to a new character. Bo, a fellow student whom Chester meets and connects with on the school’s rooftop, seems to be part of Chester’s “new beginning.” Chester’s heartbreak cycle goes to show that when one door closes, a new one always opens.
Everything will work out the way it’s supposed to
In the last episode, all the characters gathered together to help comfort Delilah during one of the most challenging nights of her life. During the car ride to find the right fire station to drop off Delilah’s unexpected newborn, Arianna delivered a heartfelt speech. While telling Delilah about her life story, she explained the background of how she was adopted by her two fathers. While she could’ve been adopted by a family in Idaho, a change of heart—and a horoscope that said to stay away from potatoes—influenced her birth mom to choose a gay couple in California to raise her child. She went on to explain how everything happens the way that it’s supposed to. While Delilah spent the majority of the last episode panicking over who her child would end up with, this thought seemed to settle her thoughts and emotions and she made her decision.
The ending of Generation’s mid-season finale cuts off with emotions running high. In the final moments, Chester opens a message from Bo saying that he would like to hang out, while Riley types out an “I miss you text” to Greta, leaving us with buzzing thoughts for what’s to come in the second half of the season.
Generation will return later this year with 8 new episodes to finish off the first season!
