| Pose | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Drama |
| Created by | |
| Starring | |
| Composer | Mac Quayle |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 3 |
| No. of episodes | 26 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
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| Producers |
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| Cinematography |
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| Camera setup | Single-camera |
| Running time | 45–78 minutes |
| Production companies |
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| Original release | |
| Network | FX |
| Release | June 3, 2018 (2018-06-03) – June 6, 2021 (2021-06-06) |
Pose (stylized inall caps) is an Americandrama television series about New York City'sball culture, anLGBTQ subculture in the African-American andLatino communities, throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Featured characters are dancers and models, who compete for trophies and recognition in this underground culture and who support one another in a network of chosen families known asHouses.
Created byRyan Murphy,Brad Falchuk, andSteven Canals, the series aired from June 3, 2018, to June 6, 2021, onFX. It stars an ensemble cast includingMichaela Jaé Rodriguez,Dominique Jackson,Billy Porter,Indya Moore,Ryan Jamaal Swain,Charlayne Woodard,Hailie Sahar,Angelica Ross,Angel Bismark Curiel,Dyllón Burnside,Sandra Bernhard,Jason A. Rodriguez,Evan Peters,Kate Mara, andJames Van Der Beek.
The first season was met with largely positive reception and subsequently received numerous award nominations including theGolden Globe Award for Best Television Series – Drama and theGolden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Drama for Billy Porter. In 2019, Porter was awarded thePrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series – the first openly gay Black man to be nominated for and win in an Emmy lead acting category. The series was nominated forOutstanding Drama Series at the same ceremony.
The second season premiered on June 11, 2019, receiving further acclaim. The third and final season premiered on May 2, 2021, and concluded on June 6, 2021, to further positive reviews. On July 13, 2021, Michaela Jaé Rodriguez became the first trans lead ever nominated for thePrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series.[1][2][3]
Pose is set in 1987–98 and looks at "the juxtaposition of several segments of life and society in New York City at that time": the African-American and Latinoball culture world, thedowntown social and literary scene, the rise of theyuppie milieu, and HIV.[4]
| Season | Episodes | Originally released | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First released | Last released | |||
| 1 | 8 | June 3, 2018 (2018-06-03) | July 22, 2018 (2018-07-22) | |
| 2 | 10 | June 11, 2019 (2019-06-11) | August 20, 2019 (2019-08-20) | |
| 3 | 8 | May 2, 2021 (2021-05-02) | June 6, 2021 (2021-06-06) | |
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | Prod. code | U.S. viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "Pilot" | Ryan Murphy | Ryan Murphy &Brad Falchuk &Steven Canals | June 3, 2018 (2018-06-03) | 1WBF01 | 0.688[11] |
In 1987, after being diagnosed as HIV-positive, Blanca decides to leave the House of Abundance and start the House of Evangelista. Meanwhile a dancer rejected by his homophobic parents and a family man with a high-paying job find themselves being pulled into the world of ball culture in New York in the late 1980s. | |||||||
| 2 | 2 | "Access" | Ryan Murphy | Ryan Murphy & Brad Falchuk & Steven Canals | June 10, 2018 (2018-06-10) | 1WBF02 | 0.548[12] |
Blanca experiencestransphobia and racism as she is denied service in a gay bar. Meanwhile, inexperienced Damon learns the truth about love and sex when he is asked on a date. | |||||||
| 3 | 3 | "Giving and Receiving" | Nelson Cragg | Janet Mock &Our Lady J | June 17, 2018 (2018-06-17) | 1WBF03 | 0.561[13] |
Pray Tell pays a visit to his lover, Costas, who is dying ofAIDS. Elektra enlists two of her children, Lulu and Candy, to help her steal from aSalvation Army donation bucket. She uses the money for a down payment on hergender confirmation surgery. Stan welcomes Angel to her new studio apartment. She makes him promise to be with her for just an hour on Christmas. Stan's boss, Matt, arrives at Stan's home bearing gifts and makes a pass at Stan's wife, Patty, who is home alone. Patty rebuffs Matt's advances. Matt is angry and subtly implies that Stan has amistress. Stan is unable to visit Angel on Christmas after Patty questions him. The House of Evangelista has Christmas dinner at a Chinese restaurant with Pray Tell. | |||||||
| 4 | 4 | "The Fever" | Gwyneth Horder-Payton | Janet Mock | June 24, 2018 (2018-06-24) | 1WBF04 | 0.719[14] |
Damon is sick with a high fever and Blanca fears that he may havecontracted HIV after he tells her that he and Ricky haven't always been practicingsafe sex. Pray Tell takes Damon, Ricky, Lil Papi, and himself to get tested and everyone's results are negative except for Pray Tell, who chooses not to tell anyone except Blanca. Candy resorts to getting cheap, amateursilicone injections after getting ridiculed at a ball for her frame which has a negative impact on her health; Angel also considers plastic surgery after an incident with Stan leaves her feeling insecure. Meanwhile, Elektra undergoes gender confirmation surgery, despite the objections and disapproval of hersugar daddy. | |||||||
| 5 | 5 | "Mother's Day" | Silas Howard | Steven Canals | July 1, 2018 (2018-07-01) | 1WBF05 | 0.582[15] |
A flashback shows Blanca's attending her first ball and fails to impress; however, Elektra takes her into the House of Abundance. In the present day, Blanca receives the news that her biological mother has died, and attends her funeral andwake, much to the distaste of her biological family. Blanca visits Elektra in the hospital where she is recovering from her gender confirmation surgery. Meanwhile, Stan gets a promotion at work which angers Matt, and he seeks revenge by telling Patty about Stan's ongoing affair with Angel. Matt provides Angel's whereabouts to Patty who shows up at the home of the House of Evangelista, and Lil' Papi takes Patty to the ball where she confronts Angel. | |||||||
| 6 | 6 | "Love Is the Message" | Janet Mock | Ryan Murphy & Janet Mock | July 8, 2018 (2018-07-08) | 1WBF06 | 0.594[16] |
Patty and Angel have a long conversation in a nearby diner about Angel's relationship with Stan, and Patty is shocked to learn that she is transgender. Later, Patty takes Stan tocouples therapy, and after a lengthy session tells Stan that she wants some time apart and kicks Stan out of the family home. Stan retaliates by physically confronting Matt at the office, in which Matt comes out on top. Pray Tell hosts acabaret at the AIDS ward where his boyfriend Costas is staying; subsequently Costas dies from complications from HIV. Although initially angry, Pray Tell is consoled and comforted by Blanca and her children. | |||||||
| 7 | 7 | "Pink Slip" | Tina Mabry | Steven Canals & Our Lady J | July 15, 2018 (2018-07-15) | 1WBF07 | 0.689[17] |
Stan and Angel are now living together as a couple, however, this is short-lived when Angel takes Stan to a ball. He is overwhelmed by the atmosphere and culture and realizes this life isn't for him and leaves Angel. Meanwhile, Elektra finds herself out on the street when her sugar daddy, and others like him, reject her due to her gender confirmation surgery and resorts tostripping to keep herself afloat after beingevicted from her apartment. Elsewhere, Lulu and Candy, tired of living in Elektra's shadow and under her rule, leave and form their own house called the House of Ferocity. Blanca finds out that Lil' Papi is dealing drugs and evicts him from the house. He later joins the House of Ferocity, and during a confrontation with Blanca at a ball, tells her they are determined to take her down. | |||||||
| 8 | 8 | "Mother of the Year" | Gwyneth Horder-Payton | Ryan Murphy & Brad Falchuk & Steven Canals | July 22, 2018 (2018-07-22) | 1WBF08 | 0.781[18] |
Blanca and Elektra reunite after she invites and welcomes Elektra into the House of Evangelista and helps her get a job at an elegant restaurant. Damon and Ricky successfully audition to tour withAl B. Sure! as part of the dance troupe, however Damon stays behind to continue his studies while Ricky goes on tour. Before the Princess Ball, Stan shows up and begs Angel to take him back but she rejects him. Elektra manages to recruit two new members into the House of Evangelista, and Lil' Papi also returns to the house. The House of Ferocity challenges the House of Evangelista at the Princess Ball, the latter wins and Blanca is crowned Mother of the Year. | |||||||
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | Prod. code | U.S. viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | 1 | "Acting Up" | Gwyneth Horder-Payton | Ryan Murphy &Brad Falchuk &Steven Canals | June 11, 2019 (2019-06-11) | 2WBF01 | 0.672[19] |
It is now 1990, and thevoguing aspect ofballroom culture is beginning to go mainstream with the release ofMadonna's song, "Vogue". The community has conflicted feelings about this. Blanca, though still feeling healthy, discovers her T cell count has dropped to 200, which means her diagnosis has shifted from HIV positive to AIDS. Judy Kubrak helps Blanca getAZT, and brings a reluctant Pray Tell to anACT UP meeting. Judy, Blanca, Pray Tell, and most of Blanca's household participate in ACT UP's"Stop the Church" protest atSt Patrick's Cathedral, and are arrested forcivil disobedience. Angel enters a modeling competition held byFord Models, and is selected as a top-ten finalist, but is exploited by a photographer who fetishizes her. Blanca and Papi beat up the exploitative photographer and take back the photos and negatives. | |||||||
| 10 | 2 | "Worth It" | Gwyneth Horder-Payton | Janet Mock | June 18, 2019 (2019-06-18) | 2WBF02 | 0.567[20] |
Elektra embarks on a new career as a dominatrix. Feeling empowered, she leaves the House of Ferocity and recruits members for her new House ofWintour. Blanca rents a storefront from shady real estate mogul Frederica Norman with plans to open anail salon. When Frederica finds out Blanca is transgender she tries to evict her but Blanca claimssquatter's rights. Damon suspects Ricky is having sex with other people, so he breaks up with him. Ricky leaves the House of Evangelista and joins the House of Wintour. | |||||||
| 11 | 3 | "Butterfly/Cocoon" | Janet Mock | Our Lady J | June 25, 2019 (2019-06-25) | 2WBF03 | 0.589[21] |
Newly-minteddominatrix Elektra leaves a client alone in her dungeon and is horrified upon her return to discover him dead. The client had snortedcocaine, overdosed and suffocated in the bondage mask. Elektra enlists the aid of Blanca and then Candy, who help hermummify and seal the client's body in a trunk and hide it in Elektra's closet. Angel and Papi begin to explore their relationship but a last-minute modeling assignment derails their first official date. At the end of the episode, Angel becomes the new face of Wet 'n Wild cosmetics. | |||||||
| 12 | 4 | "Never Knew Love Like This Before" | Ryan Murphy | Ryan Murphy & Janet Mock | July 9, 2019 (2019-07-09) | 2WBF04 | 0.580[22] |
Candy is murdered whileworking at a motel. Candy attends her funeral in spirit, where she and Blanca hum and sing together. Pray Tell, Angel, Lulu, and Candy's parents all see Candy in spirit form. Before Candy's demise, Pray Tell and the council of emcees had rejected having the lip sync category at the balls (leading them to be showered with diner cutlery by Candy). At Candy's funeral Pray Tell announces that, in honor of Candy, they will now have the lip synching, naming it "Candy's Sweet Refrain". At the end of the episode Candy lip syncs toStephanie Mills song "Never Knew Love Like This Before". | |||||||
| 13 | 5 | "What Would Candy Do?" | Tina Mabry | Steven Canals | July 16, 2019 (2019-07-16) | 2WBF05 | 0.497[23] |
Ricky and Damon both audition to be dancers forMadonna'sBlond Ambition World Tour. Elektra schemes to have Damon injured by Candy's hammer (handed off to various potential assailants) in an effort to better Ricky's chances of securing a spot on the tour, but calls off the plan after she is berated by Blanca. | |||||||
| 14 | 6 | "Love's In Need Of Love Today" | Tina Mabry | Brad Falchuk & Our Lady J | July 23, 2019 (2019-07-23) | 2WBF06 | 0.505[24] |
Pray Tell has a severe, adverse reaction toAZT and is hospitalized. Blanca organizes his annual AIDS cabaret in his place. She shares that she is HIV-positive to the cabaret crowd, for the first time, before performing "Love's in Need of Love Today" byStevie Wonder with Pray Tell. The ballroom community, led by Lulu and Elektra, comes together to protest Frederica after Frederica betrays Blanca and has Blanca's nail salon boarded up while everyone is at the cabaret/benefit. | |||||||
| 15 | 7 | "Blow" | Jennie Livingston | Janet Mock | July 30, 2019 (2019-07-30) | 2WBF07 | 0.405[26] |
Pray Tell and Blanca realize they are now elders in the community, and challenge the young members of House Evangelista to organize an ACT UP action, inflating agiant condom to wrap the house of Frederica Norman, protesting her financial exploitation of Blanca and others.[25] Angel and Papi drink and snort cocaine at an uptown party, causing Angel to arrive late and hungover to an important modeling job, where the photographer is revealed to be the fetishistic predator from the season opening ("Acting Up"). Ricky learns his HIV test was positive. | |||||||
| 16 | 8 | "Revelations" | Steven Canals | Steven Canals | August 6, 2019 (2019-08-06) | 2WBF08 | 0.508[27] |
Ricky and Pray Tell, who have been growing closer as friends, become lovers. Damon graduates from the dance academy. At the graduation party back home, Damon confronts Angel and Pray Tell about their secret drug use and lying to Blanca, and informs Blanca, leading to a huge blow up Blanca and Pray Tell's relationship severely damaged. Realizing her fault and not wanting to undermine Blanca being a mother, Angel and Papi move out, and into an apartment inThe Village that Papi found. Damon makes peace with Blanca and leaves to perform on a European tour forMalcolm McLaren. Blanca begins to experienceempty nest syndrome. | |||||||
| 17 | 9 | "Life's a Beach" | Gwyneth Horder-Payton | Janet Mock and Our Lady J | August 13, 2019 (2019-08-13) | 2WBF09 | 0.547[28] |
Blanca's nail salon burns down. Elektra, Blanca, Angel and Lulu take a girls trip to a fancyLong Island beach house owned by one of Elektra's clients. Blanca meets a man there and they have a romantic date on the beach. On the drive home to the city, Candy appears in spirit, singing along with them in the car. | |||||||
| 18 | 10 | "In My Heels" | Janet Mock | Ryan Murphy & Brad Falchuk & Steven Canals | August 20, 2019 (2019-08-20) | 2WBF10 | 0.536[29] |
Fast forward to May 1991, Blanca is running her nail salon inside her home. While visited by Pray Tell, Blanca becomes so sick that she must be hospitalized. Blanca and Pray Tell see on the news that Frederica Norman is responsible forburning Blanca's nail salon; Frederica is arrested for her crimes. Damon returns from Europe. Angel is outed as trans, and loses her Ford Modeling contract. During the Mother's Day Ball, Angel and Papi become engaged, and Angel secures a new modelling job overseas thanks to Papi becoming her manager. Angel is scared she will be outed again, but Papi has founded an agency based on truth and transparency – all the new clients know the truth about the models. Shortly afterwards, Angel is booked through Papi's new agency for a job in Berlin and they get engaged at the next ball. Followed by Blanca's lip sync win and Elektra's Mother of the Year coronation, Elektra takes Pray Tell's position as MC, and Pray Tell, Ricky and other male contestants walk in drag for the first time. At the end of the episode, after bidding Angel and Papi farewell, Blanca, now in a wheelchair, meets two homeless teenagers outside, Quincy and Chilly. She and Pray Tell take the new kids to dinner. | |||||||
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | Prod. code | U.S. viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 | 1 | "On the Run" | Janet Mock | Steven Canals & Janet Mock | May 2, 2021 (2021-05-02) | 3WBF01 | 0.498[30] |
The year is now 1994. Newly-elected New York mayorRudy Giuliani has cracked down on sex work in the city, forcing Elektra to leave the Hellfire Club. Lemar has become the house father of the greedy, fame-hungry House of Khan. Blanca juggles working as a nurse's aide with dating Christopher, a doctor who works at the same hospital. Papi's talent agency is thriving, while Angel's modeling career has stagnated. The House of Evangelista, including Elektra and Lulu, is brought together by both the live coverage ofO.J. Simpson's slow-speed chase and by the death of Cubby after his battle with AIDS. These events encourage Blanca to reunite the House of Evangelista to walk at the Summer Solstice Ball, where they compete against the House of Khan and win. Note: Prior to this episode, House of Wintour and House of Ferocity were disbanded at an unknown date. This is alsoRyan Jamaal Swain's last episode. | |||||||
| 20 | 2 | "Intervention" | Steven Canals | Steven Canals &Our Lady J | May 2, 2021 (2021-05-02) | 3WBF02 | 0.370[30] |
Blanca stages an intervention when Pray Tell's alcoholism leads to expected consequences. Ricky leaves Pray Tell due to Pray Tell's alcoholism. Damon's alcoholism relapses, thus making him relocate to his cousin's place in South Carolina. Blanca nervously prepares to meet Christopher's parents, and his mother is not very friendly to her after their meeting. Pray Tell first refuses to go to rehab, but later relents. Elektra prevents Lulu from performing at the ball for her to be sober. Angel decides to clean up from her crack habit. | |||||||
| 21 | 3 | "The Trunk" | Tina Mabry | Janet Mock &Brad Falchuk | May 9, 2021 (2021-05-09) | 3WBF03 | 0.394[31] |
Elektra, now running a legitimatephone sex business, is unjustly arrested by police in an effort to uncover and arrest any wealthy, high-status financiers of her company. Elektra asks Blanca to remove the trunk containing her client's remains (season 2 episode 3) from her closet before the police search her apartment and discover it; Blanca stores it in her flat with the help of Lil Papi and Ricky. Christopher comes over to Blanca's flat, but discovers the body and agrees to help dispose of it. A flashback to 1978 shows Elektra, working the piers at night before returning home in the morning, being thrown out of her mother's house, while a flashback to 1983 shows Elektra taking Cubby, Lemar and Angel into the House of Abundance, alongside her existing children, Blanca, Candy and Lulu. | |||||||
| 22 | 4 | "Take Me To Church" | Janet Mock | Janet Mock & Steven Canals & Brad Falchuk | May 16, 2021 (2021-05-16) | 3WBF04 | 0.404[32] |
After receiving a terminal diagnosis of untreatable lymphoma, Pray Tell visits his hometown to inform his family and friends, whom he left 20 years ago. Pray Tell faces difficult reactions: his mother (guest star Anna Maria Horsford) laments that she knew he would contract AIDS when he came out to her; his Aunt Latrice (guest star Janet Hubert), now choir director at the local church, prays for his soul. Pray Tell's Aunt Jada (guest star Jackee Harry) promises to support him. Pray Tell encounters his former high school sweetheart Vernon Jackson (guest star Norm Lewis), who has now become a pastor and married Pray Tell's high school best friend Ebony (guest star Michelle Hurd), who knows that he is gay. Pray Tell is invited to dinner at their house, and Ebony confides that she finds their marriage difficult and painful. Vernon and Pray Tell go for a walk, where they kiss, and Vernon promises that he will leave his wife and family for him. At home, Pray Tell's mother expresses regret for having failed her son, and the two reconcile. After performing at church, Pray Tell reconciles with Aunt Jada, who gives him forms to ensure the power of attorney passes to her, promising that she will do everything she can to fulfill his last wishes. Leaving for New York alone, Pray Tell sees visions of his younger self on the sidewalk with Vernon. | |||||||
| 23 | 5 | "Something Borrowed, Something Blue" | Steven Canals | Brad Falchuk & Steven Canals | May 23, 2021 (2021-05-23) | 3WBF05 | 0.360[33] |
Elektra has franchised out her phone sex business with the help of theAmerican Mafia, and has moved into an expensive high-rise apartment. Lil Papi and Angel decide on a small, intimate New Years' wedding date; however, Elektra decides to finance their wedding, turning it into a much larger, grander one, to Lil Papi's initial disapproval. Lil Papi discovers that he has a love child named Beto from a previous relationship. After being clocked and refused purchase by the transphobic owner of an expensive bridalwear shop, Elektra tasks her Mafia associates to mop it clean of dresses to send a message, before inviting all the ballroom girls to Angel's bachelorette party and giving them each a dress. Returning home from the bachelorette party, Lil Papi tells Angel about Beto, and that he wants him to live with them; distraught, Angel leaves. | |||||||
| 24 | 6 | "Something Old, Something New" | Janet Mock | Janet Mock | May 30, 2021 (2021-05-30) | 3WBF06 | 0.430[33] |
Lil Papi begins looking after Beto, and concedes to Ricky that if he has to raise him as a single father, he will. Angel, now living separately, threatens to cancel the wedding, but is convinced to try and work through her feelings by Blanca. Angel visits her estranged father, whom she ran away from, but has been sending money to since their separation; she informs him that she is engaged, and attempts to reconcile with him, but is unable to. Angel realises that she still wants to be with Lil Papi, and returns, agreeing to live as a family with him and Beto. Before Angel and Papi get their marriage license, Angel's anxiety over her license goes through the roof, fearing that with her passport still showing the wrong gender, she will be clocked and refused; however, they secure their marriage license with no problem, and the wedding goes ahead seamlessly. Cubby and Candy also appear in this episode. | |||||||
| 25 | 7 | "Series Finale (Part I)" | Steven Canals | Ryan Murphy & Brad Falchuk & Steven Canals & Janet Mock & Our Lady J | June 6, 2021 (2021-06-06) | 3WBF07 | 0.530[34] |
Blanca is still working as a nurse's aide, and towards becoming a nurse, at the hospital. Pray Tell checks himself in without telling anyone, having received a diagnosis of pneumonia, and having been told that his immune system is too weak to fight it this time. Pray Tell reflects that Blanca has been positive for seven years and has never faced recurring health problems, where Pray Tell has faced pneumonia, growing blindness in one eye, and lymphoma; the two agree to finish his panel for theAIDS Memorial Quilt together. At the hospital, Blanca sees one of her HIV/AIDS patients improve significantly after getting on a drugs trial, and Christopher and Judy manage to get Blanca and Pray Tell a space on the trial, allowing Pray Tell to recover. Pray Tell and Ricky join a gay men's choir, where the surviving original three members dress in white, and the rest dress in black, symbolising those lost to HIV/AIDS. Later, when the trial announces that they are not letting any more people of colour onto the trial, ACT UP protest, getting the cost of the medications to go down. Pray Tell and Blanca perform "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" at the Winter Fundraiser Ball together. The day after the ball, Ricky discovers him dead in his flat; at dinner with the House of Evangelista, Ricky realises that Pray Tell had been giving him his trial medication, and not taking it himself. | |||||||
| 26 | 8 | "Series Finale (Part II)" | Steven Canals | Ryan Murphy & Brad Falchuk & Steven Canals & Janet Mock & Our Lady J | June 6, 2021 (2021-06-06) | 3WBF07 | 0.485[33] |
Pray Tell's mother, Charlene, visits Blanca, thanking her for being a mother to him, and giving her both half of Pray Tell's ashes and some heart-shaped lockets to keep them in, per his last wishes. ACT UP decide to protest by dumping the ashes of loved ones who have died of HIV/AIDS on the lawn of the mayor. At Pray Tell's apartment, Blanca hands out the lockets and reads out what Pray Tell wrote about his extended ballroom family. Ricky performs "The Man I Love" with the gay men's choir, now all dressed in black. Flashing forward to 1998, Blanca celebrates both becoming a nurse and her four-year anniversary with Christopher. Blanca visits Judy on the fourth floor of the hospital – now a ward for mothers and babies – and the two reminisce. Working at St. Vincent's, Blanca gives a patient a diagnosis of HIV, and invites her to the next ball on Saturday. Blanca meets up with Elektra, Lulu and Angel for lunch; all have now become successful, and have careers in the categories –runway model, businessperson and accountant – that they used to walk, and during the brunch it's learned that Papi is successful, and Damon is living in Chicago with a man, and now has 3 dance studios. After the brunch, it's shown that Blanca and Ricky are looking after new house children. At the ball, Blanca is awarded Legendary status by Elektra. Accosted by another ball mother outside, Blanca is asked how it is possible to keep going without winning anything. Blanca responds that the reason to keep going is to support, and lift up the children of a house. | |||||||
On March 16, 2017, it was announced that FX had given the production a pilot order. The pilot was written byRyan Murphy,Brad Falchuk, and Steven Canals all of whom were also set to executive produce alongsideNina Jacobson, Brad Simpson, and Sherry Marsh. Production companies involved with the pilot were slated to consist of include FX Productions and Fox21 Television Studios.[35] In October 2018, it was reported thatLeiomy Maldonado andDanielle Polanco would be choreographing the series' ball scenes[36] and thatJanet Mock andOur Lady J had joined the show's writing and producing staff.[37]
On December 27, 2017, it was announced that FX had given the production a series for a first season consisting of eight episodes.[38] On May 9, 2018, ahead of the series premiere, Murphy announced that he would be donating all of his profits fromPose to non-profit charitable organizations that work with LGBTQ+ people, including theSylvia Rivera Law Project, theTransgender Legal Defense & Education Fund, and theCallen-Lorde Community Health Center.[39][40][41] Murphy explained this decision saying, "The thing that struck me in talking to so many of them, was how much they've struggled, how under attack they feel, how many of them find it difficult gettinghealthcare, and finding jobs. I just decided I need to do more than just making a show for this community. I want to reach out and help this community."[42] On July 12, 2018, it was announced that the series had been renewed for a second season which premiered on June 11, 2019.[43][44] On June 17, 2019, FX renewed the series for a third season.[45] In March 2021, FX confirmed the third season would be its last. The final season premiered on May 2, 2021.[46]
In March 2017, Ryan Murphy and his team began casting for the series. On October 25, 2017, it was announced thattransgender actorsMichaela Jaé Rodriguez,Indya Moore,Dominique Jackson,Hailie Sahar, andAngelica Ross andcisgender actorsRyan Jamaal Swain,Billy Porter andDyllón Burnside had been cast in main roles. The series' production team claimed that they had assembled the largest transgender cast ever for a scripted series.[36][47] The series was expected to include over 50 transgender characters total.[4] On October 26, 2017, it was announced thatEvan Peters,Kate Mara,James Van Der Beek, andTatiana Maslany had also joined the main cast.[48][49]
On December 27, 2017, it was reported that Maslany had exited the series following the redevelopment of her part into that of a 50-year-old African-American woman. The character was then recast withCharlayne Woodard assuming the role.[50] On September 19, 2018, it was announced thatSandra Bernhard would reprise her role of Nurse Judy in season two as a series regular.[8] On March 23, 2019, atPaleyFest, Ryan Murphy revealed thatPatti LuPone would guest star in the second season.[51]
Production for the pilot began in New York City in October 2017.[52] The following episodes of the first season were expected to begin production in February 2018.[38] Murphy directed the series' first two episodes[4] and Mock directed the sixth, thus making her the first transgender woman of color to write and direct any episode of television.[53] On March 14, 2020, production on the third season was suspended due to theCOVID-19 health crisis.[54]The third and final season's filming wrapped on March 20, 2021.[55]
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On April 12, 2018, FX released the first teaser trailer for the series. It was also announced that the series was set to premiere on June 3, 2018.[56] On May 3, 2018, the first official trailer was released.[57]
On May 17, 2018, the series held its world premiere at theHammerstein Ballroom inManhattan.[58][59] On July 23, 2018,Dyllón Burnside emceed a benefit concert, duetting with co-starsBilly Porter andRyan Jamaal Swain to celebrate the season one finale, and raise money forGLSEN.[60][61][62] During the event, a conversation was held between Burnside and formerVibe editor-in-chiefEmil Wilbekin, where Burnside discussed hiscoming out story and spoke about the importance ofsafe spaces for LGBTQ people. Later on in the evening, Porter sang from his latest album andMichaela Jaé Rodriguez sang "Waving Through a Window" fromDear Evan Hansen.[62]
In March 2019, the series was part of thePaley Center for Media's annual Paleyfest LA at theDolby Theatre in Los Angeles, California.[63]
Pose premiered in the United Kingdom on March 21, 2019, onBBC Two.[64]Season 2 premiered on October 26, 2019, and Season 3 on August 8, 2021. All full series made available onBBC iPlayer straight after each series' premiere.
While a work ofcreative fiction, the series is "heavily inspired by"Jennie Livingston's 1990 documentary,Paris Is Burning.[65] Livingston also served as a consulting producer on the show. Several of the houses and characters were based on, or named after, real people, and several people featured in the documentary also made cameos in the series, such asJose Gutierez Xtravaganza, an icon of thevoguing scene, who plays a judge throughout the first series, andSol Pendavis Williams, of the House of Pendavis.[66] Creators and producers of the series, Murphy, Canals, and writer/producer Janet Mock all consideredParis Is Burning "a text that helped inform not only the show, but also their identities when they first saw it."[66]
Pose also expands on one ofParis Is Burning's subtler themes. At various points in the film, Livingston contrasts the drag performers with ordinary, affluent New Yorkers, walking down busy Manhattan sidewalks. It's often hard to tell which of these two groups is more "real", which of them are fashion models or Wall Street power players and which are simply costumed as such.Pose elaborates on those subtle distinctions with a subplot involving Stan (Evan Peters), a rising star in the Trump organization with an obnoxious boss (James Van Der Beek), a pretty wife (Kate Mara), and a secret relationship with Angel (Indya Moore), a trans woman. The show aims to capture some of the diversity of New York in the '80s, while also emphasizing the idea that, whether rich or poor, everyone in the city is pretending, in one way or another.[67]
| Season | Rotten Tomatoes | Metacritic |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 96% (84 reviews)[68] | 75 (27 reviews)[69] |
| 2 | 98% (41 reviews)[70] | 79 (14 reviews)[71] |
| 3 | 100% (29 reviews)[72] | 76 (11 reviews)[73] |
On the review aggregation websiteRotten Tomatoes, the first season holds a 96% approval rating with an average rating of 8.3/10 based on 84 reviews. The website's critical consensus reads, "Charged with energy, poise, and confidence,Pose pirouettes between artistic opulence and deliciously soapy drama to create a fresh new addition to Ryan Murphy's lexicon."[68]Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the first season a score of 75 out of 100 based on 27 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[69]
In a positive review,Vanity Fair'sRichard Lawson was effusive, describing the series as "an engaging portrait of dark days met with merriment. Pain and perseverance are sewn together to create something humble yet fabulous—and, it should be shouted over all the show's loud and glorious clamor, very much long overdue."[74] In a similarly favorable critique,Vulture's Matt Zoller Seitz praised the series' ambition, aesthetic, and spotlight on minorities saying, "it shows American audiences a world that has never been visualized on television at this length and at such an obviously grand budget level. The camera swings and swoops, glides and tumbles as in aScorsese epic likeGangs of New York; in both the outdoor street scenes and indoor crowd scenes, it's obvious that FX has spared no expense to get the clothes, the cars, the streets, the business signs, and even the distinctive yellow-brown glow of streetlights correct."[75] In a more mixed assessment,Newsday's gave the series two-and-a-half stars out of four and described it far less approvingly saying, "good intentions don't always lead to good TV, and a couple episodes in, that appears to be the case withPose. This certainly isn't bad TV—Murphy isn't about to leave his longtime home with a turkey—but it's often bland TV, and oddly enough, stock TV."[76] In a negative evaluation,Slate's Willa Paskin was outright dismissive saying, "It's a TV show from one of the most canny creators working today, yet as a viewing experience it can feel like an object lesson." She continued on specifically criticizing the show's character development saying, "So many of the people onPose are strong women, trans paragons, and this comes at the expense of them being recognizably flawed human beings."[77]
On Rotten Tomatoes, the second season holds a 98% approval rating with an average rating of 8.40/10 based on 41 reviews. The website's critical consensus reads, "A delightful, delicate dance of light and dark,Pose's second season achieves a striking balance between the grittiness of reality and the glamour of the runway and shines even brighter."[70] On Metacritic, season 2 holds a score of 79 out of 100 based on 14 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[71]
On Rotten Tomatoes, the third season holds a 100% approval rating with an average rating of 7.70/10 based on 29 reviews. The website's critical consensus reads, "Though it's entirely too short,Pose's final season is a joyously entertaining celebration of life that is not to be missed."[72] On Metacritic, season 3 holds a score of 76 out of 100 based on 11 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[73]
Cast memberJanet Mock however referenced internal backlash against the writing of the third season during the premiere.[78]
| Season | Timeslot (ET) | Episodes | First aired | Last aired | Avg. viewers (millions) | 18–49 rank | Avg. 18–49 rating | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Viewers (millions) | Date | Viewers (millions) | ||||||
| 1 | Sunday 9:00 pm | 8 | June 3, 2018 (2018-06-03) | 0.688[11] | July 22, 2018 (2018-07-22) | 0.781[18] | 0.645[79] | TBD | 0.25[79] |
| 2 | Tuesday 10:00 pm | 10 | June 11, 2019 (2019-06-11) | 0.672[19] | August 20, 2019 (2019-08-20) | 0.536[29] | 0.541[80] | TBD | 0.19[80] |
| 3 | Sunday 10:00 pm | 8 | May 2, 2021 (2021-05-02) | 0.498[30] | June 6, 2021 (2021-06-06) | 0.485[33] | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| Season | Episode number | Average | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | |||
| 1 | 688 | 548 | 561 | 719 | 582 | 594 | 689 | 781 | – | 645 | ||
| 2 | 672 | 567 | 589 | 580 | 497 | 505 | 405 | 508 | 547 | 536 | 541 | |
| 3 | 498 | 370 | 394 | 404 | 360 | 430 | 530 | 485 | – | TBD | ||
| No. | Title | Air date | Rating (18–49) | Viewers (millions) | DVR (18–49) | DVR viewers (millions) | Total (18–49) | Total viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Pilot" | June 3, 2018 | 0.2 | 0.688[11] | 0.2 | 0.444 | 0.4 | 1.132[81] |
| 2 | "Access" | June 10, 2018 | 0.2 | 0.548[12] | 0.1 | 0.338 | 0.3 | 0.887[82] |
| 3 | "Giving and Receiving" | June 17, 2018 | 0.2 | 0.561[13] | 0.2 | 0.358 | 0.4 | 0.919[83] |
| 4 | "The Fever" | June 24, 2018 | 0.3 | 0.719[14] | 0.2 | 0.438 | 0.5 | 1.158[84] |
| 5 | "Mother's Day" | July 1, 2018 | 0.3 | 0.582[15] | 0.1 | 0.390 | 0.4 | 0.973[85] |
| 6 | "Love Is the Message" | July 8, 2018 | 0.3 | 0.594[16] | 0.2 | 0.436 | 0.5 | 1.031[86] |
| 7 | "Pink Slip" | July 15, 2018 | 0.3 | 0.689[17] | 0.1 | 0.372 | 0.4 | 1.062[87] |
| 8 | "Mother of the Year" | July 22, 2018 | 0.3 | 0.781[18] | 0.1 | 0.371 | 0.4 | 1.153[88] |
| No. | Title | Air date | Rating (18–49) | Viewers (millions) | DVR (18–49) | DVR viewers (millions) | Total (18–49) | Total viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Acting Up" | June 11, 2019 | 0.3 | 0.672[19] | N/a | 0.653 | N/a | 1.328[89] |
| 2 | "Worth It" | June 18, 2019 | 0.2 | 0.567[20] | 0.2 | 0.640 | 0.4 | 1.208[90] |
| 3 | "Butterfly/Cocoon" | June 25, 2019 | 0.2 | 0.589[21] | 0.2 | 0.573 | 0.4 | 1.163[91] |
| 4 | "Never Knew Love Like This Before" | July 9, 2019 | 0.2 | 0.580[22] | 0.2 | 0.686 | 0.4 | 1.268[92] |
| 5 | "What Would Candy Do?" | July 16, 2019 | 0.1 | 0.497[23] | 0.3 | 0.596 | 0.4 | 1.094[93] |
| 6 | "Love's in Need Of Love Today" | July 23, 2019 | 0.2 | 0.505[24] | N/a | 0.588 | N/a | 1.095[94] |
| 7 | "Blow" | July 30, 2019 | 0.2 | 0.405[26] | N/a | 0.617 | N/a | 1.023[95] |
| 8 | "Revelations" | August 6, 2019 | 0.2 | 0.508[27] | 0.2 | 0.540 | 0.4 | 1.051[96] |
| 9 | "Life's a Beach" | August 13, 2019 | 0.2 | 0.547[28] | N/a | 0.553 | N/a | 1.102[97] |
| 10 | "In My Heels" | August 20, 2019 | 0.2 | 0.536[29] | N/a | N/a | N/a | N/a |
| No. | Title | Air date | Rating (18–49) | Viewers (millions) | DVR (18–49) | DVR viewers (millions) | Total (18–49) | Total viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "On the Run" | May 2, 2021 | 0.1 | 0.498[30] | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| 2 | "Intervention" | May 2, 2021 | 0.1 | 0.370[30] | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| 3 | "The Trunk" | May 9, 2021 | 0.1 | 0.394[31] | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| 4 | "Take Me To Church" | May 16, 2021 | 0.1 | 0.404[32] | 0.1 | 0.399 | 0.3 | 0.803[32] |
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Gotham Independent Film Awards | Breakthrough Series – Long Form | Pose | Nominated | [98] |
| American Film Institute Awards | Top 10 TV Programs of the Year | Pose | Won | [99] | |
| 2019 | Golden Globe Awards | Best Television Series – Drama | Pose | Nominated | [100] |
| Best Actor – Television Series Drama | Billy Porter | Nominated | |||
| Dorian Awards | TV Drama of the Year | Pose | Won | [101] [102] | |
| TV Performance of the Year – Actor | Billy Porter | Won | |||
| LGBTQ TV Show of the Year | Pose | Won | |||
| TV Musical Performance of the Year | Billy Porter,Michaela Jaé Rodriguez andOur Lady J(performing "Home") | Won | |||
| Critics' Choice Television Awards | Best Drama Series | Pose | Nominated | [103] | |
| Best Actor in a Drama Series | Billy Porter | Nominated | |||
| Writers Guild of America Awards | Television: New Series | Steven Canals,Brad Falchuk, Todd Kubrak,Janet Mock,Ryan Murphy and Our Lady J | Nominated | [104] | |
| GLAAD Media Awards | Outstanding Drama Series | Pose | Won | [105] | |
| Peabody Awards | Entertainment honoree | Pose | Won | [106] | |
| Television Academy Honors | Outstanding Programs and Storytellers Advancing Social Change Through Television | Pose | Won | [107] | |
| MTV Movie & TV Awards | Breakthrough Performance | Michaela Jaé Rodriguez | Nominated | [108] | |
| TCA Awards | Program of the Year | Pose | Nominated | [109] | |
| Outstanding New Program | Nominated | ||||
| Outstanding Achievement in Drama | Nominated | ||||
| Individual Achievement in Drama | Billy Porter | Nominated | |||
| Gold Derby Awards | Best Drama Series | Pose | Nominated | [110] | |
| Best Drama Episode | "Love Is the Message" | Nominated | |||
| "Mother of the Year" | Nominated | ||||
| Best Drama Actor | Billy Porter | Won | |||
| Best Drama Actress | Michaela Jaé Rodriguez | Nominated | |||
| Best Drama Guest Actor | Christopher Meloni | Nominated | |||
| Best Ensemble | The cast ofPose | Nominated | |||
| Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Drama Series | Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk,Nina Jacobson,Brad Simpson, Alexis Martin Woodall, Sherry Marsh, Steven Canals,Silas Howard, Janet Mock, Our Lady J,Lou Eyrich and Erica Kay | Nominated | [111] [112] | |
| Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series | Billy Porter(for "Love Is the Message") | Won | |||
| Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | Outstanding Casting for a Drama Series | Alexa L. Fogel | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Hairstyling for a Single-Camera Series | Chris Clark, Barry Lee Moe, Jameson Eaton, Mia Neal, Tim Harvey and Sabana Majeed(for "Pilot") | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Makeup for a Single-Camera Series | Sherri Laurence, Nicky Pattison Illum, Chris Milone, Deja Smith, Lucy O'Reilly and Andrew Sotomayor(for "Pilot") | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Period Costumes | Lou Eyrich, Analucia Mcgorty, Amy Ritchings and Kevin Ritter(for "Pilot") | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Short Form Nonfiction or Reality Series | Pose: Identity, Family Community (Inside Look) | Nominated | |||
| 2020 | Golden Globe Awards | Best Actor – Television Series Drama | Billy Porter | Nominated | [113] |
| NAACP Image Awards | Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series | Nominated | [114] | ||
| Critics' Choice Television Awards | Best Drama Series | Pose | Nominated | [115] | |
| Best Actor in a Drama Series | Billy Porter | Nominated | |||
| Best Actress in a Drama Series | Michaela Jaé Rodriguez | Nominated | |||
| Make-Up Artists and Hair Stylists Guilds | Television Series, Mini-Series or New Media – Best Period and/or Character Hair Styling | Barry Lee Moe, Timothy Harvey and Sabana Majeed | Nominated | [116] | |
| Casting Society of America | Television Pilot & First Season – Drama | Alexa L. Fogel, Kathryn Zamora-Benson and Caitlin D. Jones | Won | [117] | |
| GLAAD Media Awards | Outstanding Drama Series | Pose | Won | [118] | |
| Dorian Awards | TV Drama of the Year | Pose | Won | [119] | |
| TV Performance of the Year – Actress | Michaela Jaé Rodriguez | Nominated | |||
| TV Performance of the Year – Actor | Billy Porter | Won | |||
| LGBTQ TV Show of the Year | Pose | Won | |||
| TCA Awards | Outstanding Achievement in Drama | Pose | Nominated | [120] | |
| Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series | Billy Porter(for "Love's in Need of Love Today") | Nominated | [121] [122] | |
| Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | Outstanding Period Costumes | Analucia McGorty, Nicky Smith, Alexa DeFazio and Linda Giammarese(for "Acting Up") | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Period and/or Character Hairstyling | Barry Lee Moe, Timothy Harvey, Sabana Majeed, Liliana Meyrick, Lisa Thomas, Greg Bazemore, Jessie Mojica and Charlene Belmond(for "Worth It") | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Period and/or Character Makeup (Non-Prosthetic) | Sherri Berman Laurence, Nicky Pattison Illum, Chris Milone, Deja Smith and Jessica Padilla(for "Acting Up") | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup for a Series, Limited Series, Movie or Special | David Presto, Greg Pikulski, Brett Schmidt, Lisa Forst and Keith Palmer(for "Love's in Need of Love Today") | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Short Form Nonfiction or Reality Series | Pose: Identity, Family, Community | Nominated | |||
| Black Reel Television Awards | Outstanding Drama Series | Pose | Won | [123] | |
| Outstanding Actor, Drama Series | Billy Porter | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Directing, Drama Series | Janet Mock(for "In My Heels") | Won | |||
| Outstanding Writing, Drama Series | Janet Mock and Ryan Murphy(for "Love Like This Before") | Nominated | |||
| 2021 | Hollywood Critics Association TV Awards | Best Cable Series, Drama | Pose | Nominated | [124] |
| Best Actor in a Broadcast Network or Cable Series, Drama | Billy Porter | Won | |||
| Best Actress in a Broadcast Network or Cable Series, Drama | Michaela Jaé Rodriguez | Won | |||
| Best Supporting Actor in a Broadcast Network or Cable Series, Drama | Jason Rodriguez | Nominated | |||
| Best Supporting Actress in a Broadcast Network or Cable Series, Drama | Dominique Jackson | Nominated | |||
| Indya Moore | Nominated | ||||
| TCA Awards | Outstanding Achievement in Drama | Pose | Nominated | [125] | |
| Individual Achievement in Drama | Michaela Jaé Rodriguez | Nominated | |||
| Black Reel Television Awards | Outstanding Actor, Drama Series | Billy Porter | Nominated | [126] | |
| Outstanding Directing, Drama Series | Tina Mabry(for "The Trunk") | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Music | Mac Quayle, Amanda Krieg Thomas, Alexis Martin Woodall and Ryan Murphy | Nominated | |||
| Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Drama Series | Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, Nina Jacobson, Brad Simpson, Alexis Martin Woodall, Sherry Marsh, Steven Canals, Janet Mock, Our Lady J, Tanase Popa, Lou Eyrich, Jeff Dickerson, Todd Nenninger and Kip Davis Myers | Nominated | [127] | |
| Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series | Billy Porter(for "Take Me To Church") | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series | Michaela Jaé Rodriguez(for "Series Finale") | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series | Steven Canals(for "Series Finale") | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series | Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, Steven Canals, Janet Mock and Our Lady J(for "Series Finale") | Nominated | |||
| Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | Outstanding Contemporary Costumes | Analucia McGorty, Michelle Roy and Linda Giammarese(for "Series Finale") | Won | [128] | |
| Outstanding Contemporary Hairstyling | Barry Lee Moe, Timothy Harvey, Greg Bazemore, Tene Wilder, Lisa Thomas and Rob Harmon(for "Series Finale") | Won | |||
| Outstanding Contemporary Makeup (Non-Prosthetic) | Sherri Berman Laurence, Nicky Pattison Illum, Charles Zambrano, Shaun Thomas Gibson, Jessica Padilla and Jennifer Suarez(for "Series Finale") | Won | |||
| Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup | Thomas Denier Jr.(for "On the Run") | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Short Form Nonfiction or Reality Series | Pose: Identity, Family, Community | Nominated | |||
| 2022 | Critics' Choice Television Awards | Best Drama Series | Pose | Nominated | [129] |
| Best Actor in a Drama Series | Billy Porter | Nominated | |||
| Best Actress in a Drama Series | Michaela Jaé Rodriguez | Nominated | |||
| Golden Globe Awards | Best Television Series – Drama | Pose | Nominated | [130] | |
| Best Actor – Television Series Drama | Billy Porter | Nominated | |||
| Best Actress – Television Series Drama | Michaela Jaé Rodriguez | Won | |||
| Make-Up Artists and Hair Stylists Guild Awards | Best Period and/or Character Make-Up | Sherri Berman Laurence, Nicky Pattison Illum, Charles Zambrano, Jai Williams | Won | [131] | |
| Best Hair Styling | Joe Matke, Genyii Scott | Won | |||
| NAACP Image Awards | Outstanding Drama Series | Pose | Nominated | [132] | |
| Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series | Billy Porter | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series | Steven Canals, Janet Mock, Our Lady J, Brad Falchuk, Ryan Murphy(for "Series Finale") | Nominated | |||
| GLAAD Media Awards | Outstanding Drama Series | Pose | Won | [133] |
