Mara Brock Akil’s Take on Judy Blume’s ‘Forever’ Is the ‘Girlfriends’ Creator’s Finest Work: TV Review

Inspired by Judy Blume’s groundbreaking 1975 novel and reimagined by visionary writer/ producer Mara Brock Akil, Netflix‘s latest limited series, “Forever,” is an exquisite journey of love, becoming and the beautiful wonder and anguish of teenhood. The show is set in Los Angeles in 2018 and follows two teenagers navigating their final high school years. Track star Keisha Clark (Lovie Simone) is laser-focused on earning a scholarship to Howard University, whereas Justin Edwards (Michael Cooper Jr.) — a basketball player trying to manage his ADHD — is torn between the vision his parents have for him and the dreams he hasn’t quite discovered for himself. A chance encounter between the pair at a New Year’s Eve party sparks an infatuation that shifts their hearts and lives. “Forever” offers something rarely seen on television (or anywhere): a whole, nuanced and exceptional showcase of first love through the eyes of two young Black people. 

“Forever” begins on New Year’s Eve 2017. After ditching his family game night, Justin attends a party with his best friend Darius (Niles Fitch) and crosses paths with Keisha for the first time since elementary school. The duo’s sizzling attraction is immediate. Justin’s vulnerable earnestness immediately calms Keisha, and for the first time, he sees a world beyond the responsibilities closing in on him. Though there are several classic Black romance films, including  “Love & Basketball,” “Love Jones,” and “Moonlight,” among others, Black teenagers have not received the same reverence as their white counterparts, especially when the stories are not rooted in trauma and despair. “Forever” is an anomaly. 

Simone and Cooper possess magnetic chemistry, capturing the joyous innocence of first love and the desperate uncertainty of the future, especially as real life seeps into the bubble they try to form around their newfound bond. Everything is happening simultaneously for them, and those all-encompassing emotions, including their sometimes nonsensical youthful logic, beam off the screen. Though they are determined to be together, Justin’s parents want him to focus on academics and basketball. Meanwhile, a previous humiliating incident continues to haunt Keisha.

Outside of the emotional rollercoaster of Keisha and Justin’s romance, the series offers generous and glittering depictions of family, friendship and young adulthood. So often, in narratives revolving around teen life and intimacy, parental figures are shoved to the side, acting like the offscreen mumblers in Charlie Brown cartoons. In “Forever,” Justin and Keisha are anchored by those who adore them most. Terrified to see her eldest son stepping out into a world hostile to Black men, Dawn (a fantastic Karen Pittman) is determined and sometimes brash but always loving, even when she doesn’t exactly get things right. Likewise, Shelly (Xosha Roquemore) maintains a warm friendship with Keisha and focuses on giving her daughter the opportunities she never received. However, she steps firmly back into her mothering role during a critical and devastating moment. These mother-child relationships are wonderfully portrayed, but one of the series’ most astonishing details is Justin’s relationship with his father, Eric (Wood Harris).

From the show’s opening moments, Eric is an anchoring presence in “Forever.” Not only is he a listening ear for his son, but as Justin struggles to find his voice, Eric speaks openly and firmly about manhood and what it means to tackle challenging conversations and choices. Harris is careful not to depict Eric as a looming figure commanding his family with an iron fist. Instead, he is often relaxed and at ease, a balm to Dawn’s fears and perfectionism. This Black father/son dynamic is so scarcely depicted that it’s almost gutting to watch. But it’s another reminder that love stretches far beyond the confines of amorous relationships. 

The eight-episode series shines because it refuses to mock teenagers and young love while showing the fullness and wholeness of the Black community. Keisha and Justin try to navigate challenging situations and conversations, and when they cannot, the adults step in — even though they don’t always get it right initially. These imperfect human beings want their children to soar in all aspects of their lives, in a society that often tries to make attaining their goals impossible. 

“Forever” is Brock Akil’s finest work. The show captures the essence of Blume’s novel and remixes it, not only for a 21st-century lens, but for generations of Black people who haven’t seen themselves represented so vividly and tenderly. It reminds us of the fullness of our love stories, lives, and the villages that anchor our dreams and help us piece together our broken hearts. From the majestic images of Los Angeles to beautifully lit dark skin and an array of hairstyles, and certainly the soundtrack, bursting with music from the likes of Frank Ocean, SZA, Summer Walker and Snoh Aalegra, there is a wholeness in “Forever” that feels magical. Brock Akil has once again shifted the landscape for how Black life is seen and experienced on television.

“Forever” is now streaming on Netflix.