Overcompensating: Prime’s Relatable New LGBTQ+ Drama
By Christine Kinori
Overcompensating is the latest Amazon Prime comedy show that everyone is talking about. Benito Skinner writes and produces the show, which is loosely based on his own college experience. It turns out that the self- depreciating comedy and a sexual identity crisis are something we can all relate to. Overcompensating does a good job of reminding us that we are all the same.
As a gay character who was once so conscious about their sexuality, no one was better equipped to tell this story than Bennito. The show approaches Bennito’s sexuality and his struggles naturally. It is effortlessly funny and relatable. Many young queer people have been here before. They know how hard it is to try to fit in while hiding your true self in fear of rejection. Even if you are not queer, you can understand the struggle to overcompensate. It is human nature.
In the first episode, we meet Benny as he heads off for college. All his life, Benny has lived to be the golden boy and revels in his parents’ approval of his choices. He was the homecoming king and football champion at his high school. He tried his best to play the straight guy role, and it worked too well. Now in college, he is starting over again. It doesn’t help that his sister and her boyfriend go to the same college. He has a reputation to keep and is scared to come out publicly.
Everything seems to fall into place when he quickly makes friends with a cute freshman girl, Carmen. She unknowingly becomes his ‘beard’ and helps him get the “street cred” that he desperately needs. However, there is another cute foreign exchange student, Miles, that Benny can’t stop thinking about. The thing is, though, Benny’s anxiety can’t let him enjoy one peaceful moment with Miles. He thinks that people will take one look at them talking and immediately know he is gay. Throughout the show, Benny’s inner self-conflict with his sexuality is illuminating, entertaining, funny, and relatable.
As the wild parties rage, invitations to secret societies arrive, and the chaotic college life continues, Carmen finds out about Benny. What I loved about this scene was how she embraced Benny and made him comfortable. There was no judgment, just good vibes and a solid, albeit wild, plan to get Benny his first gay experience. This is when the hilarious Bowen Yang and James Van Der Beek make their couple’s debut. Unfortunately, the plan didn’t work, but the experience helped.
One thing that Overcompensating nailed is how toxic masculinity and the objectification of women can pressure young people to stay in the closet. Benny felt pressured to keep up his alpha-male persona because the surrounding people made it seem that anything else was unacceptable. The boys, especially those from the secret society, made fun of the openly gay students and normalised verbal bullying. Benny thought he had to keep up appearances to fit in and be like Peter, his sister’s boyfriend. It turns out Peter was also living in a different facade of his own, and it ultimately blows up on his face.
I also loved that the show didn’t make the characters one-dimensional. They are all layers and not exactly good people. For example, Benny is a selfish liar who will do anything to keep up with his fake persona. You see, lying his whole life made it easy for him to think the end justified the means. Unfortunately, all his lies make his life harder and give him a lot of problems in his relationships. Through Benny, Overcompensating reminds us of the burden of the masks we wear to hide our true selves.
Ultimately, Overcompensating is not exactly the mushy LGBTQ+ youth show we are used to. It is a refreshing take on how hard it is to navigate this world, especially as queer youth. Societal expectations and internal homophobia make it hard to embrace our authentic selves. It is painfully relatable to see Benny struggle to overcompensate to get that external validation. The show does a good job of holding the mirror up and leaves the viewers questioning what they are overcompensating for in their lives. If you haven’t watched Overcompensating, please do. It is one of those polarising shows. Some people hate it, while some love it. The writing is catchy and nostalgic, especially for millennials. Of course, Gen Zs might like the vibes too. The music is great, and the casting is perfect. Once you are done, maybe you will figure out what you are overcompensating for!
About the Author
Christine claims to have a somewhat unhealthy addiction to TV and reading, as it is a fun way to keep herself occupied during the long journeys for her travel writing. She is also a believer of letting people be their beautiful selves. To her, love is love and it is the greatest gift we have as humans.
