‘We Are Who We Are’ S01E02 Review – “Right Here, Right Now #2”

In last week’s episode, we were introduced to the eccentric Fraser Wilson (Jack Dylan Grazer) and his family relocating to a U.S. military base in Chioggia, Italy. We also met the mysterious Caitlin Harper (Jordan Kristine Seamón), fellow military brat and the object of Fraser’s fascination. This week, we get to relive the first episode through Caitlin’s perspective. 

This review contains spoilers, so if you haven’t watched the episode yet, STOP HERE. Come on back when you’re finished.

The episode begins early in the morning with Caitlin out on a boat with her father, treading the waters of one of Chioggia’s canals. Their mission? Simple. Deliver gas cans to the residents of Chioggia for a quick buck. While on her delivery run, a man takes notice of her and speculates aloud as to whether she’s a boy or a girl. In the previous episode, viewers saw how Caitlin expressed her gender at times, a certain shift from the norm. She carries on with her task, regardless of the fact that she can understand Italian. It’s small moments like this that appear as if we’re in an ever-changing world, yet we must ask ourselves the question, “Is it really all that unusual?” A number of us don’t even bat an eye to the changing times. “She’s wearing oversized men’s clothes with a ball cap on, yet she also has her hair in braids?” Uhhh, yeah dude. No biggie. 

The beginning scene sets the tone for the rest of the episode, as we get to see Caitlin obviously conflicted about things she’s not so willing to share. In one scene, she recites a love poem aloud to the class without much conviction. Her lackluster delivery earns her a scolding by her teacher. The camera is honed in on her face, up close and personal. It’s a confrontation with something that makes her uncomfortable—something that requires her to be vulnerable. She recites the poem again, but this time with more passion. The camera begins to pan out as her confidence becomes more apparent. Being honest with yourself can be confrontational, which is what Caitlin is beginning to realize.

The next scene is of Caitlin and her boyfriend, Sam (Ben Taylor), in an intense makeout session in a hidden area not far from the beach. It looks like it’s going well, but Caitlin is quick to show her hesitation a couple of times. She finally withdraws when things get a little too heated for her liking, much to Sam’s displeasure. She joins the rest of her friends on the beach, acting as if nothing’s happened. 

But in the middle of the fun, she gets her first period. 

She’s shocked at the discovery of blood trailing down her leg and runs off to hide behind heavy equipment laying far from where her friends are. She ducks down and diligently wipes the blood off her leg, with melancholic music playing in the background the whole time. During this scene, we only see her back facing the camera. It’s a private matter she doesn’t seem to accept herself, what more having anyone else witness it. After she’s done, she buries the bloodied napkin in the sand, taking great care to ensure that nobody finds the evidence of her secret. She slowly walks back to rejoin her friends, her face riddled with great dismay. But she puts a smile on her face before anyone can notice something’s wrong. Burying that bloodied napkin was also her burying an issue she wasn’t ready to face just yet.

She later goes to a beach bar with her friends. While she’s dancing alone, she’s approached by a persistent local (and obviously older) man. She expresses her causal disinterest, but he just doesn’t let up. He asks her what her name is, and she responds with “Harper.” He notes that it’s a boy’s name, but she insists it’s a name for many different things. His relentless flirting angers Sam, who intervenes just at the moment that the man touches Caitlin. When the confrontation comes close to a full-on fight, Caitlin bails. She then makes the journey home by herself. In these scenes, we see the beautiful landscapes with the clear, bright sky and lush greenery, scenes that went somewhat unappreciated when Caitlin wasn’t alone. If I had to describe the scenery, it would be a teenage summer dream. Perhaps this is where Caitlin needs to be right now. Alone.

It’s apparent that Caitlin has a close relationship with and identifies more so with her dad (Scott Mescudi). Their time together is usually filled with laughter and smiles, and they enjoy sparring whenever the opportunity presents itself. He seems generally accepting of her masculine tendencies and has no problem with them whatsoever. She even tells him that she got her first period before she even told her own mother (Faith Alabi). But it gets a little complicated when images of President Donald Trump are projected onto a giant screen of which Caitlin has a perfect view. In another scene, her dad orders matching “Make America Great Again” hats for both of them to sport around the house. The U.S. in the Trump era is certainly a contentious landscape where it may be especially difficult to stray from societal norms. It may be much more complicated for Caitlin to further explore her gender identity even in her own household.

But she may not have to be totally alone after all.

As we saw in the first episode, Fraser takes a great interest in Caitlin. In this episode, he even goes so far as to deliver clothes for her to her front door. While she initially rejects the gift, she eventually tries the clothes on. Fraser watches her change through an open window, but Caitlin doesn’t seem to have any qualms about that and even returns his gaze. The episode ends there. Caitlin and Fraser both have their own secrets, but this might just be the beginning of a pretty rad friendship.

If you’re interested in watching the show, new episodes air every Monday night at 10 on HBO.

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