“Primo” – First in many ways [TELEVISION REVIEWS]
Ignacio Diaz-Silverio as Rafa (in pink shirt) and his friends. Photo courtesy of Jeff Neumann/Amazon Freevee
“Primo,” is a coming of age comedy based on the life of Shea Serrano, a former middle school science teacher, humorist and journalist mining his own experiences. A native of San Antonio, “Primo” is centered there with a laser focus on Rafa Gonzales, an underperforming high schooler whose test scores belie his casual attitude toward school. His mother, Drea, sees his potential and will work as many jobs as necessary to see that he reaches it and goes to college. Drea is helped, but mostly hindered by her brood of five brothers, all as different as can be and all with different visions of what Rafa’s future should hold. Drea, loving them all, will let nothing interfere with what she dreams for her son.
Rafa’s family. Photo courtesy of Jeff Neumann/Amazon Freevee.
This eight episode series is not laugh out loud but it is humorous, heartwarming, and full of character. The uncles are a never ending source of embarrassment for Rafa, but there’s no question that this dysfunctional family is full of love and support. Rafa’s crush on a classmate and the awkward way he goes about trying to win her is classic family fare. Christina Vidal as Drea anchors the show with her warmth and beauty. Ignacio Diaz-Silverio as Rafa is pitch perfect, and Stakiah Lynn Washington as Rafa’s love interest Mya displays just the right amount of humor and teen irony.
The Gonzales family may be struggling financially but they are rich in everything that counts. Settling in to watch these half hour episodes, even with commercials, is a nice way to pass the time.
Now playing on Amazon Freevee.