Editor’s note: The below contains spoilers for English Teacher Episode 2.
FX’s English Teacher got off to quite a start with its two-part premiere. The new comedy series follows the exploits of Evan Marquez (Brian Jordan Alvarez), the gay titular teacher who tries to navigate working at an Austin high school. While the show’s first half-hour does an excellent job at tackling homophobia, its follow-up, “Powderpuff,” really demonstrates the series’ power and bravery. In the second episode, an issue arises surrounding the school’s annual role reversal football game. The cheerleaders are set to take the field and play flag football without issue, but the football players, who are supposed to take over the cheerleaders’ normal duties — right down to their dress code — face criticism from the school’s LGBTQIA+ student body. Evan thinks he has the perfect solution, bringing in a longtime friend played by RuPaul’s Drag Race legend Trixie Mattel. However, while Trixie’s famous antics are on display, her guest appearance has a much deeper meaning for the show as a whole.
Trixie Mattel’s ‘English Teacher’ Role Is Classic Trixie… at First
In an effort to teach the football team about legitimate drag, and therefore, bring more substance to their performance, Evan asks his old friend, Shazam (Mattel), to give the boys lessons. While Shazam’s first appearance is out of drag, she makes quite an entrance when she presents herself in full Trixie glam. It’s hard not to love her persona, a lesson the football team soon learns for themselves. She becomes a bonafide hero for the boys and instills a passion in them to approach their performance appropriately and confidently. It’s pure joy, and completely personifies the show’s thesis. After all, Trixie has long sought to make the world a better place, and her time as Shazam on English Teacher continues that tradition. However, not everything is as it seems, and the seemingly cheery Shazam reveals a dark side.
It wouldn’t be a sitcom if the best-laid plans didn’t go horribly awry, but English Teacher takes it a step beyond that, though, and goes downright dark. Evan soon discovers that Shazam has been stealing items from the school — expensive printers, iPhone charges, and even a framed photo of Principal Grant Moretti (Enrico Colantoni). While the moment is played for laughs, initially, Shazam eventually reveals that she’s struggling to provide for herself. Evan has the unpleasant task of firing his friend, but it’s hard to see Shazam as a villain. In fact, her story brings nuance to the art of drag and the harsh realities of its world.
When drag queens have appeared on sitcoms, they’re typically only presented within their drag personas. While it’s always a pleasure to see a drag performer share their unique sense of comedy with a major audience, this really is only a showcase of the idea of drag. As seen on RuPaul’s Drag Race, the work comes with plenty of highs matched by many lows. The art form is far from glamour and comedy all the time, and English Teacher expressing the financial and emotional struggles that come with it through Shazam really helps break down those stereotypes.
Mattel (whose real name is Brian Michael Firkus), does a great job at presenting the issue, as Shazam goes from totally humorous to tragic when Firkus de-glams. He plays his character as someone truly suffering with their general existence. There’s one side of him that is completely inspirational, and another that is pitiful. Shazam’s double life is played with a harsh reality that makes the audience want to root for him in spite of his actions. At the end of the day, Shazam demonstrates how hard life often can be for drag artists — but despite that harshness, beauty can still be found.
Shazam Helps Bring the School Together in ‘English Teacher’ Episode 2
Though Shazam and Evan part ways, she does manage to accomplish an impressive feat. While it initially seems the football players will not be cheering following Shazam’s departure, they storm the field, ready to perform in full drag. The moment is pretty spectacular, especially when the players reveal that Coach Markie Hillridge (Sean Patton), a normally politically incorrect teacher, is the one who helped them pull it off. It’s wonderful to watch the entire school, including Principal Moretti, who had previously forbidden the show, come together and enjoy drag in its purest form. The football players find a deep appreciation for the art of drag, which also helps make the school’s LGBTQIA+ students feel seen and understood. What’s more, watching those who previously opposed drag come to a better understanding of how joyful it can be really brings the show’s ultimate message home.
Stephanie Koenig, who plays Evan’s best friend and fellow teacher, Gwen, also wrote the episode. When talking with The Hollywood Reporter, she explained how the controversy surrounding drag in the real world inspired the episode. ” It just seemed like that was so meaty,” she said. “Instantly, we were like: This has got to go in there.” But she says the team was determined to bring nuance to the conversation, further explaining: “You never know who’s going to have an opinion about what. You assume someone is going to be against something, and they’re really for it. And it’s the other people that are against it.”
The episode’s conclusion even sees a bit of hope for Shazam, who watches the performance incognito and ends the already deeply complex and satisfying story on a high note. English Teacher’s two-part premiere has wasted no time in challenging norms. Its second installment was filled with complexities, thanks to Mattel’s role as Shazam. The outing was both joyous and deep, flipping the script on drag stereotypes and bringing those of varying backgrounds together for an uplifting performance. If this strong start for the series is any indication, there are many more episodes just like it in store for viewers.
English Teacher is available to stream on Hulu in the U.S.
Watch on Hulu