‘Love, Victor’ Boss Says Fans Will Be ‘Satisfied & Happy’ With Series Ending

Michael Maloney June 13, 2022, 1:00 pm

Comments

Michael Cimino as Victor in Love, Victor — Kelsey McNeal/Hulu

Love, Victor, the Hulu/Disney+ streaming series, which owes its origins to the film Love, Simon, is dropping its third and final season on Wednesday, June 15. TV Insider spoke to showrunner Brian Tanen and members of the show’s cast at the second annual queer television festival The OutFronts in Hollywood for a preview of what fans of Love, Victor can expect to see as the series comes to an end.

Tanen tells TV Insider that knowing this would be the series last season helped him decide the creative direction of the show. “We want to show that these kids, especially Victor [Michael Cimino], are all going to be okay,” Tanen says. “Victor went on a journey of coming out in Season 1. In Season 2, he had a relationship. And, now, in Season 3, it’s about Victor’s journey of self-discovery. He’s going to be asking who he wants to be in the world. He’s gone from someone who needed advice from Simon [Nick Robinson] early on to someone who is a leader in his own life and can offer advice to other people.”

Kelsey McNeal/Hulu

While Tanen agrees that TV has become more diverse since the late 1980s when advertisers wanted to pull out of an episode of thirtysomething because the series showed two gay men in bed after they’d had sex, there is always room for more representation.

Tanen says he wishes he’d had a show like Love, Victor when he was the age of the show’s characters “especially in the current political climate…it’s super-important to have shows that have representation.” As for the show’s conclusion, the EP adds, “I think people will be very satisfied and happy with our endings. We wanted to balance our drama with a sense of optimism, hopefulness, and wish-fulfillment. Our community really needs that. We want to people to leave with a feeling that these kids are going to be all right.”

Watch for a new character – Nick, played by Nico Greetham – to join the series mid-season as a potential love interest for Victor. “I think people will be really surprised where this takes us,” Tanen teases. Also, watch for supporting players from past seasons Anthony Keyvan (Rahim) and Ava Capri (Lucy) to see increased airtime as Love, Victor plays out its final season.

In the show’s preview video, we see Felix Weston’s (Anthony Turpel) reaction to ex-girlfriend Lake Meriwether (Bebe Wood) having moved on to a new relationship — with Lucy. “I think the show is really accurate,” Capri says in terms of Lake now dating another woman. “People are more accepting of the fact that most people are on the spectrum of sexuality.” The actress says people today have room to explore “without fear of being judged or labeled.”

Kelsey McNeal/Hulu

Count on Felix to respond to this new dynamic with his character’s trademark humor. “That’s the writers’ talent for sure,” Turpel says of his comedic character. “I’m just performing it. They bring that to the fold and I’m there to make it as funny as possible.”

Might Felix and Lake’s relationship be revisited? “Maybe something [between them] is unresolved? Who knows?” Turpel suggests.

While Tanen, the show’s cast members, and Love, Victor’s dedicated audience may not be ready to say goodbye to the show, there’s always the chance that they won’t have to. (Love, Victor: The College Years, anyone?)

'Queer as Folk,' 'Fire Island' & More 2022 Pride Month Programming

“I’m down for anything,” Tanen says about the possibility of revisiting these characters in a new series. “I came into this show as a fan. [Love, Simon writers] Isaac Aptaker and Elizabeth Berger brought me into this show to work with them. I remember being a fan [of the movie]. It’s bittersweet. I’m glad that we can wrap it up and give everyone a fulfilling ending. I’d love to see it continue.”

Whether or not there are future stories told of Simon and his friends, the show will not be forgotten anytime soon. “The legacy of Love, Victor will be that it’s a trailblazer in terms of queer joy and tone while also addressing the issues of being a queer teen,” Capri says.

“I’m at the point where my feeling is ‘Don’t be sad it’s over…be happy that it happened,’” adds Turpel.

Love, Victor, Third & Final Season Premiere, Wednesday, June 15, Hulu & Disney+