In Forever, Justin and Keisha are two teenagers who reunite in 2017 after being friends in elementary school. Their circumstances are difficult, but even despite their own struggles, Keisha and Justin try to forge a healthy romantic relationship. What follows is a turbulent journey of love, independence, and hard work. Over the past two years, if someone had told me I was going to watch a show centered on Black lives, I would have immediately thought of the Tyler Perry universe, because our man has been busy for too long.
But Forever isn't a show about adults and the hardships of divorce, infidelity, and family difficulties; it's a show about teenagers, for teenagers. Well, maybe twentysomethings too. Well, excuse me if I do this, but, while I've never read Ocean Water, if I had to imagine it based on what little I've heard about it, I imagine it would play out the same way as Forever, though the themes are probably quite different and, I think, a bit more adult. But I would argue that Forever might be the pinnacle of Black teen romance series of the 2020s, in the same way that Ocean Water is the first book that comes to mind when we think of Black romance novels.
Creator: Mara Brock Akil
Stars: Lovie Simone, Michael Cooper Jr., Xosha Roquemore
Before I explain why this series is wonderful and why you should give it a chance, I should mention a few shortcomings and clarify them. For one, I didn't like the overwhelming number of misunderstandings that arose between Justin and Keisha in the first half of the series, because if you take a drink every time it happens, you'll probably pass out before finishing the series. I know teenage life is complicated and that people constantly have misunderstandings, but the way these two freeze each other out and say stupid things is simply unbearable. So I also think the series could have been shorter by one or two episodes, because if we had eliminated some of the misunderstandings, they would have been together faster.
The ending is definitely not for everyone, and some will be very disappointed, but I am not one of those people. I think the series is quite optimistic, and the ending fits with the themes it addresses. After watching it all, I'm a little confused as to why the series is set in 2017-19, but maybe it's to make it feel relatable to today's twenty-somethings? It actually feels like a very strange place, because it's neither nostalgic nor current; it just hovers somewhere in between. Maybe it's from when we were obsessed with Instagram. Oh, I don't know.
What really caught my attention about Forever was the music and the cinematography. I always love it when romance series go out of their way to give their characters warm lighting and depth to their scenes, because the shadows almost act as background characters in certain scenes. There's one scene in particular on a Ferris wheel where we see interesting colored neon lighting that's very pretty. But are a warm tone and good pacing enough to make a series stand out? Well, it seems that, with the current dearth of good teen dramas, it might very well be.
Don't get me wrong, I know young people today love shows like "The Summer I Became Pretty" and "Never Have I Ever," but I think Forever tries to go a step further and be relatable for slightly older audiences. The romance isn't cringeworthy or have bad dialogue; it has slightly more mature themes, even when dealing with very immature characters. But I must say the writing is still lacking.
As for the characters, I think Justin and Keisha are well-written and don't come across as wooden. They have very interesting motivations, and it's not like their only goal in life is to find a partner and live happily ever after, although many teen dramas tend to give the impression that's what we all do. In this case, Justin and Keisha learn from each other, push each other to be better, and overall, it feels very realistic. Michael Cooper Jr. is perfect as Justin. He's stoic when he needs to be and charming when he doesn't. I think he takes the role very seriously and plays the character with a lot of empathy, which shows. Lovie Simone is equally fantastic as Keisha, and while I find some of her character's choices a bit jarring, by the end of the series, she makes the right decisions and is fiercely independent. I think the couples are quite entertaining on their own and contribute to some good drama.
I think Forever's charm lies primarily in its visuals. It's a feast for the eyes, with many frames that look like they're straight out of a painting. Justin comes from a wealthy family, so his house is also decorated with a beauty that will definitely catch your eye. But that's not all you see in a series. "If we don't grow, we deteriorate," Grandpa George says at the beginning of the series, and I think it gives it a charming tone. While there are some slightly uncomfortable parts, especially when seen from Keisha's point of view, it feels like she's overly forgiving and that those who have hurt her deserve forgiveness.
Ultimately, if you're looking for something calm and relaxing, you could try Forever. Interestingly, the story takes place only a few years later, but hey, it's still pre-pandemic, so it's all good. I'd give Forever 3 out of 5 stars for a pretty decent romantic limited series.
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