Netflix's latest hit show, Glamorous, has captured audiences with its engaging storyline and vibrant characters. The series tells the story of Marco Mejia, a young gender non-conforming queer man whose life takes an exciting turn when he lands an internship with makeup mogul Madolyn Addison, played by Kim Cattrall.
The show explores Marco's gender identity as a queer person and what he wants out of his life - both in his career and personal relationships. This article delves into the characters, plot, and potential future of this glamorous series.
The Plot: Marco's Journey
Marco is in that stage of life where he has no idea what he wants to do with his life. He just graduated college and lives with his mom, Julia (Diana Maria Riva). He works part-time at a department store makeup counter and does YouTube makeup tutorials. Julia thinks it’s about time he start working for a living, paying her rent, and being a responsible adult, so she gets him a paralegal job at her law firm. At the makeup counter later that day, his boss asks him to help a woman she derisively calls “Carmen Sandiego” due to the way she’s dressed. To Marco’s shock and pleasure, it turns out to be Madolyn Addison (Kim Cattrall), whose Glamorous By Madolyn products he promotes on his tutorials. She asks him to do a makeover, and while he’s doing it, he’s honest about how her company has been playing it very safe of late, despite his love for the brand. Julia has her doubts about the gig, especially compared to the more stable paralegal job she’s offering, but she relents. On Marco’s first day, he’s shown around by Madolyn’s first assistant, Venetia Kelleher (Jade Payton), who introduces him to Chad (Zane Phillips), Madolyn’s son and the head of sales. Chad is immediately dismissive of Marco, calling him the “superstar from the mall” and noticing the heels Marco is wearing. “I may be gay, but I’m not ‘gay’,” Chad says as he stretches out the second “gay”. During his first week on the job, Marco makes a ton of mistakes, but Madolyn likes having him and his point of view around. She is really starting to think the same way he does, that her company has not been daring of late and playing it too safe. Chad, on the other hand, wants them to play it safe in order to set up a sale to the biggest corporation in the cosmetics world. One of Marco’s biggest mistakes is accidentally leaving prototype samples in an Uber - the wrong Uber, by the way, which is occupied by a guy named Parker (Graham Parkhurst), who encourages Marco to calm down and not give up. “You can do hard things,” he says encouragingly.
The season is full of colorful characters, hilarious moments, and a few major twists. In the final moments of the show, Marco asks Ben (Michael Hsu Rosen) to go for a drink. The pair then run into Marco's ex and his new boyfriend Peter, and when Peter isn't around he propositions Marco and asks him to come over that night for a hook-up. Instead of making the same mistake again and falling back into familiar patterns, Marco seems to leave him hanging and dances to the poignant song 'You'll Never See Me Again'. Later, Marco tells Venetia that he needs to 'figure some stuff out first' but doesn't reveal if there is any possibility of a relationship between him and Ben. This seems to kickstart Marco's new journey which draws a parallel with the actor's real life. In real life, Miss Bunny (aka Ben J. Pierce) came out in Time Magazine on June 26.
Marco then explores his new home and is less than impressed. He is barely mentioned in the show but we know from some clues that his name is Hayes, he was an absent father, a former famous sportsperson, and has a very poor relationship with Madolyn.
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In the final moments of the show, Marco visits Callen Lorde, a transgender specialist, as Marco's voiceover says he is finally ready to 'know myself'.
Originally ordered to pilot at the CW, one can see why “Glamorous” also appealed to Netflix; it’s a close cousin of “Emily in Paris,” the Lily Collins comedy that’s a hit elsewhere on the service. Like that show’s namesake, Miss Benny’s Marco Mejia is also an aspiring influencer, with a pragmatic hustle and blithe narcissism both born of social media. The careerist of yesteryear wanted to work for a prestigious brand.
The Cast of Glamorous
The series boasts a talented cast, each bringing their unique flair to their respective roles:
- Miss Benny as Marco Mejia
- Kim Cattrall as Madolyn Addison
- Jade Payton as Venetia Kelaher
- Zane Phillips as Chad Addison
- Diana Maria Riva as Julie Mejia
- Michael Hsu Rosen as Ben
- Ayesha Harris as Britt
- Graham Parkhurst as Parker
The series has also cast Zane Phillips, Jade Payton, Michael Hsu Rosen, Ayesha Harris and Graham Parkhurst as regulars. Cattrall’s Madolyn Addison is a veteran from the golden age of supermodels who founded a prestigious boutique beauty line that carries her name. Phillips (Fire Island) plays Madolyn’s son Chad, director of sales for the company. Payton (Dynasty) plays Madolyn’s first assistant Venetia. Rosen (Tiny Pretty Things) and Harris (Daisy Jones and the Six) play graphic designers at Glamorous by Madolyn. Riva (Dead to Me) plays Marco’s mother, Julia. Gilroy plays a social media influencer known as Alyssasays.
Rosen is Ben, a graphic designer at Glamorous by Madolyn, full of angst and opinions, who has built a wall around his heart. Parkhurst will portray Parker, a confident, self-proclaimed jock who symblolizes unobtainable gay cis-male perfection.
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Here's a table summarizing the main cast and their roles:
| Actor | Character | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Miss Benny | Marco Mejia | A gender non-conforming queer young man |
| Kim Cattrall | Madolyn Addison | Makeup mogul and founder of Glamorous by Madolyn |
| Jade Payton | Venetia Kelaher | Madolyn's first assistant |
| Zane Phillips | Chad Addison | Madolyn's son and director of sales |
| Michael Hsu Rosen | Ben | A graphic designer at Glamorous by Madolyn |
| Graham Parkhurst | Parker | Confident, self-proclaimed jock |
Queer Themes and Representation
The queer themes of Glamorous manifest in everything from its offhand jokes to its core conflicts. The queer themes of “Glamorous” manifest in everything from its offhand jokes to its core conflicts. Venetia observes that Marco is “flopping like a Katy Perry single” in his first week on the job; a vacation episode plays out in Provincetown and culminates with a lip sync competition. Marco’s big idea for bringing Glamorous to customers like him is a Pride campaign - supposedly, the first of its kind from a luxury beauty brand.
If there is a second season of the show, it seems that Marco's identity as a transwoman will be explored - and will parallel Miss Benny's own journey too. Miss Benny continued as she revealed, "I’m a proud person, but admittedly it’s still a bit daunting to say those words publicly. To list the reasons why could sway “heavy,” and even “depressing as hell,” so in an effort to keep it light and tight… let’s just say I’m one of those girls who grew up in a religious Texas household where queerness was totally not the vibe."
Will there be a Season 2 of Glamorous?
The finale of season 1 left a lot of unanswered questions and a lot of space for the show-makers to develop the plot lines and characters further into a second season. At present, Netflix has not announced whether there will be another season of the show.
Netflix gave Glamorous a straight-to-series order in April, but its path to the streamer hasn’t been a simple one. The CBS Studios project was initially developed at The CW in 2019, where it shot a pilot but didn’t go to series. Nardino writes and exec produces the 10-part drama series, which is also exec produced by Wayans Jr. and Kameron Tarlow of Two Shakes Entertainment.
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Whether Netflix will renew the show for a second season remains to be seen, but the potential for further exploration of Marco's journey and the development of other characters is certainly present.
‘Glamorous’ Canceled at Netflix; Won’t Return for Season 2
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