Clean Slate Review: The Wholesome Trans Story We Need
Television Review - Prime Video - Comedy/LGBTQ+
My natural inclination is toward cynicism. Right now, with relentless attacks on trans people in America from federal, state, and local politicians, my cynicism is cranked up to an eleven. So I admit, I watched the new Prime Video show Clean Slate from a position of concern about how it would meet the moment. I am pleased to report that it was exactly what I needed to both soften and strengthen my heart.
The show follows Desiree (Laverne Cox), a trans woman returning to her home in Alabama after a bad breakup in New York. She shows up on the doorstep of her estranged father, Harry (George Wallace), owner of a local car wash. Desiree intends to stay with her closeted friend and choir director, Louis (D.K. Uzoukwu), but Harry insists that she stay with him. She also forms a relationship with former convict Mack (Jay Wilkison) and his daughter Opal (Norah Murphy) as Desiree and Harry learn how to relate to one another in this new way.
What struck me right off the bat was how quickly Harry came to accept Desiree as his daughter. Clean Slate shows the process of learning new names and pronouns, turning it into a running joke with a “pronoun jar” that Harry has to deposit money into when he messes up, but the much bigger fight is when Harry finds out that Desiree doesn’t eat meat (which, let’s be honest, is a way bigger lifestyle adjustment for someone on the outside). The show doesn’t shy away from the issues of a parent discovering that their child, even an adult child, is transgender. Still, it also doesn’t make that a source of intense trauma; instead, it gets to the business of how these two people make each other’s lives better by choosing to love one another, even in the midst of that discovery process.
Clean Slate gives some Schitt’s Creek vibes, as the community is overwhelmingly accepting of Desiree. Episode 4, Chrome Jesus, is where the show really took off. It’s the first time we see conflict in the form of Desiree’s childhood minister, but she is immediately defended by her father and others in the church community. That might not be how things play out in real life, but it’s nice to see that modeled for us.
The one complaint I could see lobbied against the show is that it is incredibly earnest, perhaps sometimes to the point of naivete. However, in the face of ongoing attacks against the trans community, it was refreshing to watch a story about a black trans woman who found acceptance in a place that might not appear to be accepting at first glance. The story borders on hokey at times, but ultimately, I found it comforting.
While the show focuses on Desiree and Harry’s story, it opens up to other stories as well. Louis experiences finding his first real boyfriend and coming out to his family and friends. A whole episode is devoted to voting rights in black communities in red states. We follow some of the difficulties after incarceration. None of these heavy topics are couched in worst-case scenarios, but they help create a fuller world for Desiree and Harry to inhabit.
But the heart of this show is the father-daughter relationship between Harry and Desiree, and that is where it shines. The lovely familial chemistry between Wallace and Cox invites the viewer in and is really special. In episode 7, Mess and Magic, we see Harry’s fear for Desiree’s safety when she is out celebrating Mardi Gras. Wallace beautifully portrays that protective instinct.
Cox is fantastic, as she always is, leaning harder into the aspect of being an estranged child rather than a trans estranged child. Her transness is somehow both ever-present and not at the center of the story. Rather than focusing on the Capital T TRAUMA of being a trans woman, Clean Slate is about connecting with a younger version of yourself and healing that. Both Desiree and Laverne are confident in who they are, but melding that with a younger version of yourself who had to stay hidden is a different story and one that unfolds with gentleness and compassion throughout the show.
I have seen enough beauty in humans to keep my cynical side from turning me into a full-on hater, but cynicism is definitely where I tend to start. As the mother to several trans young adults, recent current events have been trying that stance. Clean Slate came along at just the right time. No television show can fix everything, but this one may be the cleanse that you need right now.
Clean Slate streams on Prime Video on February 6, 2025.
I want to see this. I saw the preview a few weeks back. Of note, it was one of famed writer/producer Norman Lear’s (All in the Family, The Jeffersons) final projects as producer. I think you feel his signature in this - the optimism and humanity and broaching what may be deemed controversial or taboo relations for the time. He always demonstrated bravery and used humor to deflect fraught family tensions.
Since J.K. Rowling & canceled Exulansic, Glinner & multiple detransitioner civil lawsuits make clear the literally life-threatening hazards of puberty blockers & mutilating, sterilizing, castrating "gender affirming care" surgeries, why do we need, deserve or want trans PSA ignoring REALITY & HOW is this a "wholesome trans tory we need?" In the '70's Time ran cover story about dearth of roles for actresses (well, Faye Dunaway made career of playing monsters & victims), Fonda addressed the issue by producing & starring in her own Oscar winning box office hits, but how is this helpful to anyone but Laverne Cox's career? Why do young girls need a living Barbie role model? Another 1?