After9 Returns With Part 2

Today is International Day Against Homophobia so what better day to share this news with you than today... Word is that the gay themed primetime mini-series that popularized the term After9 to describe downlow guys in South Africa is coming back. Yep ... that show will be back on screen for round 2. 

I honestly can not say I am not surprised by the news given that the first part was not a home-run for the channel by any stretch of the imagination. Interesting? yes! great television, absolutely not!

While the subject matter was compelling, at the time, South Africans have moved on from the shock of closet gay men. 

Even Intersexions with its predictable and boring season 2 (I am still very upset and disappointed about that by the way) has delved into this territory. 

Nobody cares about gay relationships on screen anymore mainly due to the bravery of Generations to keep their gay couple as part of the story-line for quite this long without making a big deal about their sexuality anymore.

There are many things that are wrong about Generations but they get a nod for understanding that there is nothing special about a gay couple and treating Senzo and Jason's relationship as they do all the others on the show. 

It is going to be very hard for After9 to not fall into the redundant cliche' of telling tired storylines of married men secretly dating boys or closet college boys secretly bedding their guy buddies. 

While one can argue that the show portrayed our social reality in a somewhat succinct manner at the time, now it has been done to death (...and better), even the gays will be bored! 

How will the new season be interesting and still keep to the premise?

That said, we wouldn't mind seeing Lucky Khoza again. The guy is a looker!

On a serious note, the show will go down in history as the first South African drama to deal with the sensitive and controversial subject of gay men in the closet, playing dual roles. One kinda wishes they could have just left it with that legacy.