Partner Track

The main reason I am reviewing Partner Track here on Common Sense Media is because I was surprised to see that Common Sense's reviewer neglected to note a significant Latino character when provocateur fashion designer Valdo, who is an immigrant from Cuba. Without getting to spoilery, it seemed to me that if we were to get a season 2 of Partner Track, it would be logical for Valdo's character to become more significant to the ensemble. While we're discussing diversity, one might also note that while it's not written as central to her character, Rachel Friedman, the third character in the show's little trio, is Jewish. The Common Sense critic's complaint that Ingrid Yun's character is too focused on how she's perceived by her white peers and toxic leadership at her law firm seems very strange, as that is an intentional storyline. The closer she and Tyler get to making partner, the more their characters have to struggle to achieve their goals without losing their self-respect or stepping on the backs of others. Honestly, I was impressed by how willing the show was to "go there" when it came to exploring issues like ethics, societal and parental measures of success versus self-actualization, racism, sexism, classism, white fragility, solidarity (or not in a couple of notable, spoilery instances), toxic environments, relationship negotiation (Tyler and Anthony's more so than Ingrid's), holding oneself accountable, making amends, etc., etc. While it's certainly not a perfect show, perhaps most notably suffering in the consumerism department, the writing is very intentionally having its characters engage with a number of heavy topics even as it does the typical whirlwind romance love triangle stuff. I do think any parent watching this with teens would have a lot to talk about, especially with regards to sex, consumerism, toxic workplace, racism, and sexism, but honestly it doesn't strike me as a show marketed for teens or like it would be of particular interest to most teens I know.