LM23 Rating: Watch it when a new episode drops.
Diary of a Future President was a recommended show, so I thought I’d give it a shot. I ended up watching both seasons though it wasn’t what I expected just based on the advertising images I had seen of the show. I thought it was going one of those shows that transposes the present with the future, but it’s so far mainly a cookie cutter-ish Gen Z dramedy.
You start with a female main character who in this series is a Cuban American tween from Miami named Elena Cañero-Reed (Tess Romero). Elena is a typical tween with very big political aspirations, but those aspirations are filtered through a very girlie perspective a la voice overs from her diary entries. You toss in a strong and smart widowed single mom who works as a lawyer, Gabi Cañero-Reed (Selenis Leyva). Mix in an older brother, Bobby Cañero-Reed (Charlie Bushnell), who seems like he’s going to be a popular, brooding ladies’ man, but in reality he struggles with coming to terms with being part of the LGBTQ+ community. Once you have the family unit complete, then it’s time to add the atypical TV family with a bunch of interesting and inclusive characters.
You got Sam (Michael Weaver), Gabi’s legal colleague and boyfriend who moves in with the family in the second season. I didn’t see anything weird with this except you rarely see this kind of a move on regular network tween shows. Sam is a sensible and kind male figure and luckily does not fall into the confused and dimwitted adult male caricature that’s so common these days on shows like this. You also have to have the sassy and fun character in the form of Camila (Jessica Marie Garcia), Gabi’s best girlfriend and also her paralegal assistant. She is also a member of the LGBTQ+ community. Camila is a very sweet and sympathetic character who is funny and sassy but not in an over the top way. And of course, you gotta have a best girlfriend for Elena. Sasha (Carmina Garay) is the adorable and loyal friend who doesn’t steal the spotlight from Elena but is able to support her best pal while still having her own personality.
I originally thought the show was going to be how a young girl eventually becomes the President of the United States (Gina Rodriguez, as the future grown up Elena), but it’s so far just a show about a tween girl and her life. There are hints of a presidential future as Elena runs for student representative in the second season, but it’s not like she’s one of those grown up kid prodigies who are already getting involved in community service and becoming active in the political scene like other young female Gen Zer’s like Malala and Greta. She’s just an average hardworking and ambitious girl who wants to do and be something amongst her peers.
Although the storylines can be pretty mundane, the everyday-ness of the stories adds to the charm. It’s been a while when shows that are well casted and well written and enjoyable are just about regular everyday things and not ripped from the headlines or trippy never been seen before Netflix-like fare. What I love the most about the show is the fashion for the kids. They’re definitely all dressed like kids, but their fashion is a mix of Gap when Gap used to sell more fashionable clothes (aside: I used to buy Gap clothes whenever I visited London as London Gap clothes were more high fashion)...with a touch of Kate Spade. There are some pieces the kids wear that I wish I had.
Diary of a Future President is a sweet coming of age dramedy that may seem like it’s got a lofty backdrop, but it so far stays safely in the tween troubles and triumphs tales of life. But that’s totally okay.
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