It’s a Sin Review
As we live through a deadly pandemic, we’re reminded of the last mass killer that shook the world. The AIDS epidemic was a mere forty years ago, and the similarities between the two are astonishing. That’s what makes the timing of this series so apt.
There haven’t been many stories about HIV/AIDS that have made it to mainstream TV or film, possibly because of the stigma that still wrongly surrounds the virus. But the trauma that this epidemic caused — and still causes — deserves attention. There is no denying the Channel 4 show is a tough watch, more so in the second half of the season, but it’s necessary and teaches us that we must never forget how the queer community was and continues to be treated by society.
The series follows a group of young friends, mostly made up of gay men, as they study, work and party in London. We’re introduced to Roscoe — played by Omari Douglas — as he flees his home upon finding out his dad wants to send him back to Nigeria. We also meet a Welsh sales apprentice, Colin — played by Callum Howells — working at a Saville Row retailer. Ritchie Tozer — played by Olly Alexander — is an aspiring actor from the Isle of Wight. Ash — played by Nathaniel Curtis — and Jill — played by Lydia West make up the group.
We first see Ritchie starting to come to terms with his sexuality, enjoying his freedom while living away from his parents whom he hasn’t come out to yet. He’s initially defensive when HIV starts to be talked about in the UK. He refuses to accept that it’s real, and it’s easy to see why as the media aren’t reporting on it. In fact, when Jill goes to her GP for the contraceptive pill and asks for any leaflets on AIDS, the doctor very coldly asks “why would I have that?”, followed by a complete dismissal of her.
While Ritchie is the stubborn disbeliever in denial, Jill becomes the activist, working within an underground group helping people who think they may have caught HIV but are scared and have nowhere to turn. This follows her secretly caring for an old friend after he falls ill. Her anxious pot-washing and skin-scrubbing feel very close-to-home in the current climate.
However, the rest of the group start to take the growing epidemic more seriously when a close friend dies of AIDS. The men decide to get tested, and while most come back negative, Ritchie is too scared to find out his results. At that time, testing positive was a death sentence. Perhaps it wouldn’t have been if research was being financed properly, but as it was mostly gay men catching HIV at the time there was an ignorant and hateful reluctance to find a cure.
The show is fun and colourful in the first episode, but that certainly isn’t the theme that carries throughout. There’s a sombre tone that soon takes over, and you’re left with a mix of emptiness and anger. The refusal to acknowledge the epidemic from the government and media until it was too late, little to no helpful information being given out — even by health professionals — as well as absolutely no support for the victims, and the villainising of a whole community. All of these elements caused deaths that could’ve been avoided.
The saddest part about this whole story though, is the men that were left to struggle and eventually die by themselves in a hospital bed. You feel a sense of helplessness through the eyes of Jill, as she sees death and suffering all around her, and there’s nothing she can do alone to stop it. But she finds a way to help by offering a bedside friend to the victims who need it most. She offers kindness while much of the world looks down their nose and judges. There was even talk of AIDS being God’s way to “kill off the gays”.
There is one criticism of this magnificent, heartfelt, long overdue series though, and that’s the lack of real information. Often with shows about real life problems, at the end of the final episode we are offered an update on what’s happening right now, and how we can help. We may be in a much better position now when it comes to the survival rate of HIV and AIDS, but the stigma that still surrounds it can be debilitating. A trick was missed in that sense. Having said that, it’s certainly helped to raise awareness and educate viewers — many of whom won’t have lived through the height of the epidemic.
This series shouldn’t be a stand-alone story about the HIV/AIDS epidemic, it should be the start of many more to come. The stories throughout this terrible era are endless, and they need to be listened to in the hope we as humanity never make the same mistake again. It’s difficult to say that with meaning while living under a failing UK government during a never-ending pandemic, but we have to be reminded of the mistakes of the past. We have to stop, listen and take note because we must be ready to fight back if it ever happens again.
Click here to learn more about HIV and AIDS, and how you can get involved with raising awareness and supporting relevant charities.
Hannah Parker
