English Teacher Season 1 Review

English Teacher (2024-)

Season 1 - 8 episodes (2024)
Rent English Teacher on Amazon Video (paid link)
Created by: Brian Jordan Alvarez
Starring: Brian Jordan Alvarez, Stephanie Koenig, Enrico Colantoni, Sean Patton, Carmen Christopher, Jordan Firstman
Rated: TV-MA
Watch the trailer

Plot
Gay high school English teacher Evan and his coworkers try to balance the demands of the students and their parents.

Verdict
This isn't bad, but it doesn't compare to Abbott Elementary or A.P. Bio. The focus is a select group of teachers and their interpersonal drama, with the students providing a hurdle or comic relief depending on what's needed. Evan's sexuality is a plot point in every episode as it relates to his relationships, both personal and professional, but it's also a way to explore issues. This doesn't make him a stereotype, and most of the characters have some depth. It's a nice premise, but I never found it as funny or as engaging as similar shows.
Skip it.

Review
Evan (Brian Jordan Alvarez) teaches English at the high school. He has to deal with administration that doesn't back him, students that don't care, and since Evan is out at the small school he's the authority when students or staff have questions.

In the first episode Principal Moretti (Enrico Colantoni) investigates Evan after a parent complains Evan kissed his boyfriend in public. Of course Evan argues the obvious discrimination, but as we soon learn Evan obsesses over everything instead of letting the situation run its course he meddles.

Enrico Colantoni, Brian Jordan Alvarez play Evan Marquez, Grant Moretti

At first this seemed to lean on a lot of stereo-typically gay tropes, but this takes those premises and builds on them. While a trope is a shortcut, this show uses the idea as a starting point. Evan is the authority everyone seeks when they have questions, though this could have done a better job with that. Later in the season a student comes to Evan about coming out, and Evan is rather dismissive.

The students are ridiculous. Evan has to contend with a student's self diagnosed asymptomatic Tourette's. When Evan challenges the students due to a lack of effort he gets parents complaining and a principal that wants the easy way out.

This show seems to exist because of Abbott Elementary and A.P. Bio, but I never found it as engaging. The comedy is too easy, relying on Evan's propensity to overshare and obsess. The low number of episodes keeps this from getting boring but this needs to find a focus.