Generation (stylized as Genera+ion) is an American dramedy television series that premiered on HBO Max on March 11, 2021.[1][2] In September 2021, the series was canceled after one season.[3]
Premise
Featuring an ensemble cast, the story follows a unique friend group of high school sophomores and juniors all from different walks of life in Orange County, California as they explore modern sexuality, challenge deeply ingrained beliefs about life, love, and test the bonds of their families in their conservative community.
Cast
Main
Nathanya Alexander as Arianna,[4] the rich, foul-mouthed best friend of Naomi who hides her insecurities with bigoted jokes
Chloe East as Naomi,[4] Nathan's careless twin sister
Nava Mau as Ana,[4] Greta's aunt, who is taking care of her and her brother
In a flash-forward, Naomi helps an unseen friend give birth in a bathroom stall at a mall. Three months earlier, Chester arrives at school and is reprimanded for violating the school's dress code. He is taken to Sam, the new guidance counselor, who tries to connect with him but Chester is resistant. Nathan, a closeted bisexual, uses Riley's phone to invite Chester to Riley's party. Nathan and his twin sister Naomi have a turbulent home life due to their uptight mother Megan, who is stressed due to planning the wedding of their older sister Natalia. Nathan takes a picture of Naomi's hickeys and jokingly threatens to show their mother; she in turn blackmails him by taking a photo of him sexting a guy, though Nathan denies being gay. At Riley's party, Nathan briefly hooks up with Naomi's boyfriend Jack but feels guilty about it and then ruins his first meeting with Chester. Greta leaves her aunt, who is taking care of her and her brother and goes to the party where Riley attempts to get her to open up. After putting Nathan to bed following the party, Riley jumps into the pool and floats at the bottom.
2
"Dickscovery"
Daniel Barnz
Zelda Barnz & Daniel Barnz
March 11, 2021 (2021-03-11)
Three months into the future, Naomi rushes around the mall trying to find supplies to help her friend give birth. In the present, Greta accidentally sends a string of awkward messages to Riley. Sam confronts Chester after he sends him a picture of him rooftopping though Chester tells him there is nothing to worry about. In an attempt to keep him distracted, Sam advises Chester to join the GSA and he agrees under the condition that Sam joins too as a faculty supervisor. Nathan panics about Naomi finding out about him and Jack after she notices a birthmark in the picture she took of his phone. Arianna encourages Naomi to lose her virginity to Jack before being forced to attend a GSA meeting after making homophobic jokes in front of her dads. A lockdown causes Chester, Nathan, Riley, Greta, Arianna, and Sam to be stuck in the GSA meeting, and Naomi in the bathroom while on the toilet. While initially flippant about the situation, Chester grows increasingly hostile and confesses to Sam that he has an irrational fear of death after his mother died of cancer, leaving him to be raised by his grandmother. Greta and Riley grow closer when Riley opens up about her anxiety and Greta explains that her mother was wrongly deported. Naomi sees Jack's birthmark while hooking up with him in the bathroom and realizes that it was him sexting Nathan.
3
"Toasted"
Daniel Barnz
Zelda Barnz & Daniel Barnz
March 11, 2021 (2021-03-11)
In the flashforward, Arianna arrives at the bathroom and it is revealed that Delilah is the one giving birth, though her friends are unaware of who the father is. Riley invites Greta to get high at an aquarium, exciting Greta though she is deflated when she finds that Chester has also been invited along. She is upset when she sees Riley hook up with one of the employees and begins to bond with Chester. Riley tells them that they can crash Natalia's rehearsal dinner to get free food. Naomi has begun ignoring Nathan, though Megan orders them to act civil so as not to embarrass the family at the dinner, which is held on a docked boat. At the dinner, Nathan and Arianna get high and begin to bond. Megan forces the twins to give a toast and Naomi fills hers with insults towards her brother. An intoxicated Nathan apologizes to her during his and reveals his bisexuality to the shocked wedding party. Natalia berates him for ruining the dinner and Megan dismisses Nathan's declaration about his sexuality, though Naomi forgives him. An embarrassed Nathan jumps overboard but is rescued by Chester.
Generation was first announced in September 2019 with a pilot order. The pilot is written by Daniel Barnz and his daughter Zelda Barnz. Daniel Barnz also directed the pilot.[9] In December 2019, the series was officially ordered to series. The series is created by Daniel Barnz and Zelda Barnz. Executive producers include Daniel, Zelda, Ben Barnz (who is Daniel's husband and Zelda's other father), Jenni Konner and Lena Dunham. Production companies involved with the series were slated to consist of Good Thing Going Productions, We're Not Brothers Productions and, I Am Jenni Konner Productions.[10] On September 14, 2021, HBO Max canceled the series after one season.[3]
The series premiered on March 11, 2021, with the first 3 episodes available immediately.[1] The season was divided into two 8-episode parts, with the first part ending on April 1, and the second one premiering on June 17 the same year.[12]
On August 17, 2022, it was announced that HBO Max would be removing several series, including Generation.[13]
The series was added to Tubi on February 1, 2023.[14]
Reception
Reviewing the series for Rolling Stone, Alan Sepinwall gave a rating of 3/5 and said, "Generation arrives at a moment when TV has no shortage of shows about, as Megan sarcastically describes it, 'this secret life of teenagers' hoo-hah.' It's lighter than some of its peers, but still self-conscious... Still, there's promise here."[15] Saloni Gajjar of The A.V. Club gave the series a B− and wrote, "once these teens start interacting with one another in a much more grounded manner, Genera+ion's strengths emerge, as it dives meaningfully into serious issues meaningfully without getting too dark."[16]
On Rotten Tomatoes, the series holds an approval rating of 75% based on 28 critic reviews, with an average rating of 6/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "Genera+ion's salacious flourishes can feel more try-hard than authentic, but this inclusive portrayal of Gen Z shines when it identifies the universal pains of being a teenager."[17]Metacritic gave the series a weighted average score of 60 out of 100 based on 12 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[18]
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