‘Forever’ Season 1 Review- A Bold & Charming Reimagining Of Judy Bloom’s Beloved Novel

First love leaves an undeniable mark. Even after it ends, the intensity lingers and shapes how we love, trust, and remember. For better or worse, those early emotions have a way of lasting forever. Celebrated writer and producer, Mara Brock Akil, masterfully captures those unforgettable and overwhelming feelings in her latest show, Forever. 

Loosely based on the controversial Judy Blume novel of the same name, Netflix’s latest teen drama, Forever, follows two grade school friends, Justin (Michael Cooper Jr) and Keisha (Lovie Simone), who reconnect at a New Year’s Eve party during their high school years. The pair’s budding romance is almost immediately dealt several setbacks. An explicit video of Keisha with her ex-boyfriend is circulating, and is causing quite the controversy, Both are fragile and vulnerable, and go back and forth between blocking and unblocking each other over small misunderstandings. Although the saga of Michael and Keisha has many up and downs, the audience will quickly come to the same conclusion that the characters do: there is something very special about the pairing and they push each other to be better and stronger.

Forever Season 1 is a swoon worthy, heartful show about the up and downs of young love in today’s modern world. In the age of social media and texting, actions and words are misinterpreted, which often leads to unnecessary heartache.  The show masterfully captures the impatience of youth. The show’s leads, Lovie Simon and Michael Cooper Jr, are two extremely talented young actors whose chemistry sells the journey the characters embark on. Both bring vulnerability, charm, and depth to their roles.

Lovie Simone’s Keisha is an ambitious and smart young track star who aims to get accepted to Howard. When the series opens, she has recently transferred to an expensive private school to escape the bullying she endured at the last school when explicit video was circulated. Her mother, Shelly (Xosha Roquemore), works two jobs to provide her daughter as many opportunities as possible. That’s the reason that Keisha keeps her mother in the dark about her sex tape for most of the series, even when it would be beneficial to tell her the truth.  She also has to deal with her ex-boyfriend, Christian (Xavier Mills), resurfacing and trying to make amends for ruining her reputation. As I mentioned before, Lovie Simone is a talented young actress that makes the character instantly likeable. She’s sweet, funny, and reserved. Simon really sells the character and makes her loveable and someone you’d want to protect.

Michael Cooper Jr. brings just as much charm to his portrayal of Justin. Michael is the son of two successful, black, and upwardly mobile parents who have big plans for his future. Justin is a talented basketball player who struggles to balance his life off the court with school and relationships. Justin also struggles with a learning disorder and spends the first half of the season in denial about the issue. Michael wants to be the strong, unflappable man the world expects him to be, but he’s also a vulnerable teenager dealing with real issues.  Similar to Simone, Cooper instills the character with such charm that you can’t help but like him and want the best for him.

It can’t be stated enough how great the chemistry is between the two leads. They romance each other, but they’re also playful and tease one another. There are also scenes in which they challenge one another in ways that lead to heated exchanges.  The two actors successfully convey that these two care for each other deeply, even when they’re upset.

The adult cast members are just as talented. One particular standout is Karen Pittman as Michael’s fiercely and ferociously protective mother, Dawn. She’s protective of Justin in a way that is smothering and frustrating much of the time. She’s hyper aware that she’s raising a young black man in America who will be judged for the color of his skin.  She wants him to be careful whether and think with his head more than his heart. Wood Harris plays Michael’s easy going, restaurateur father, Eric. Eric is a peacemaker and often finds himself caught in the middle of family conflicts.

Although the show is a large departure from its source material, that’s a strength of the project. Instead of only focusing on the journey and sexual awakening of the female protagonist, audiences are also witnessing the journey of the young man she’s dating. They’re both trying to figure out their futures while they fall in love. Also, I’d be remiss if I didn’t point out that rarely do audiences get to see this kind of romance between two young black characters without their being stereotypes. Showrunner Mara Brock Akil does an excellent job of letting the two exist as normal teens with normal problems. That’s not to say the show doesn’t venture into stereotypical territory at times, but it’s subverted more often than not. It’s refreshing and a welcome change when it comes to stories told about young black characters.

Forever Season 1 is a bold and entertaining reimagining of Judy Blume’s novel that portrays black love with all of the complexity, intensity, and confusion it consists of. Lovie Simon and Michael Cooper Jr are charming leads who help immerse viewers in this love story with ease.

Forever Season 1 is now streaming on Netflix.