The “Pose” Reading Is Fundamental Library: “Acting Up”

by Lester Fabian Brathwaite

11m ago

Each week, we’ll compile the shadiest shade and most scorching burns from the current season of FX’s Pose. The Pose “Reading Is Fundamental” Library is officially open.

The Season 2 premiere of Pose served us pathos and humor in equal measure, while voguing the house down. Pray Tell (Billy Porter) and Blanca Evangelista (Mj Rodriguez) started out the episode on Hart Island, a real-life site where the unclaimed bodies of AIDS victims were callously discarded. Pray finds a channel for his rage, joining ACT UP and rallying the kids to join a die-in to protest the Catholic Church’s “abstinence, not condoms” policy, which could be linked to the spread of HIV. Angel (Indya Moore) pursues a modeling career, only to be taken advantage of by a lecherous photographer. But Blanca and Lil Papi (Angel Bismark Curiel) avenge her like family does—well, a mob family. And Elektra Abundance (Dominique Jackson) burns yet another bridge. Break out your library cards, kids—we’re checking out the best reads from Season 2, Episode 1, “Acting Up.”

We’re not sure know how Candy and Lulu (Angelica Ross and Hailie Sahar) were able to walk into a church without immediately bursting into flames, but here they are throwing shade at a funeral…

Before Pray Tell reminds them there’s a special place in hell for women who disrespect the dead.

Meanwhile, Pray and Nurse Judy (Sandra Bernhard), who have been to literally hundreds of funerals apiece, manage to find a little humor in the poorly-made-up face of death.

Blanca is seriously excited about Madonna’s “Vogue” and is pinning her hopes on the song helping her crew’s underground culture go mainstream. Pray Tell is… less enthusiastic.

At family dinner, the human embodiment of shade, Elektra Evangelista (née Abundance) saunters in, late per usual, with a litany of complaints.

Later, the die-in leads to 111 arrests, but sends a vital message to the Church.

At the ball, Candy and Lulu took the category, French Runway, a little too literally, and Pray Tell calls it likes he sees it.

(Hands down, this week’s winner of the Reading Is Fundamental Excellence in Shade Award!)

Elektra, however, nails the category with an epic Marie Antoinette tease…

Complete with a guillotine…

And a crinoline that doubles as a functioning carousel, because why the fuck not?

(Life is a carousel, old chum!)

Pray Tell, however, is less impressed and more enraged, as Elektra was MIA for the die-in, so he takes her to task in front of the entire ballroom.

And offers this little bit of advice:

Meanwhile, Blanca is trying to convince Pray Tell to let a news reporter into the ball, but Pray reminds her that he’s not the one, nor will he ever be.

(While not the best read, Pray’s delivery is impeccable.)

But Elektra isn’t having any of it. She is still very much in her feelings after being read to filth by Pray at the ball, and before you can say, “Prostitution whore!” she’s back to being the villain.

So we guess she’s Elektra Abundance Evangelista Ferocity now?

 

Sidenotes:

Angel really should be a model because mother can make the most hideous circa-1990 fashions look chic, including this gold lamé high-waisted diaper of a pant.

Lil Papi.

Lil. Papi.

Li. L. Pa. Pi.

Anyone get the feeling he’s got the serious hots for Angel?

(We should all be so lucky to have someone ready, willing, and able to beat the shit out of strangers for us.)

Also, Nurse Judy has a type…

And can we get some 10s for voguing legend José Xtravaganzxa teaching the children?

The Library is now closed.