How Mara Brock Akil's 'Forever' Turns Teen Romance into Unexpected Healing
More drama without gratuitous trauma, please!
True confession: I’m an adult who enjoys books, shows, and movies for and about young adults. Why? Because great stories for me transcend time, generation, and expressions to remind us of our shared humanity.
I didn’t expect much from Netflix’s new teen romance, “Forever” beyond a few hours of mild viewing pleasure. As a Boomer, I’d never read anything by the iconic Judy Blume, though I knew how popular her books had been for Gen X readers in their youths. I was shocked and amazed at the impact of this updated, Black version of classic teen fave “Forever” on my mind, spirit, and soul!
I tuned into “Forever” with no expectations or preconceived notions. I just knew that it was the latest from TV powerhouse creatrix Mara Brock Akil, whose hit list includes “Girlfriends,” “The Game,” “Being Mary Jane,” and “Love Is.” And I was intrigued by the rare sight of a romantic duo portrayed by brown-skinned actors, Lovie Simone as Keisha, and Michael Cooper as Justin.
This simple fact shouldn’t be so rare as to be revolutionary in 2025, but alas, it is. Romantic leads and main characters—sadly, even with Black creators at the helm—too often uphold the Eurocentric beauty standards of colorism. This is especially prevalent with female characters, and it’s a HUGE issue for me and many others.
Mara Brock Akil’s decision to subvert the status quo with a melanated cast drew not just tons of eyeballs, but a tsunami of appreciation and praise that I imagine helped to drive “Forever” to the top of Netflix’s rankings, and perhaps fueled the streamer’s decision to renew it for a second season.
What I didn’t expect to get from watching the limited series was a reminder of the trauma load that too many of us carry, and how often our viewing pleasures increase that load.
Somewhere around the second or third episode of “Forever,” I noticed how my nervous system was primed for trauma. I braced myself to be triggered several times, such as when Justin encountered police sirens while driving his new car, or when Keisha stepped into her empty home.
My shocked relief when these scenes unfolded without violence was a potent reminder of how often our entertainment triggers our trauma responses. I swear, my nervous system exhaled so big I had to pause the show and take stock of how my body was reacting. And it struck me how unfamiliar I was with the relief that washed over me, enabling me to relax and simply enjoy a delightful and beautifully crafted story.
I had to recalibrate my entire self to enjoy this celebration of healthy, realistic Black love, family, community, teen angst, and new romance with ZERO TRAUMA.
Like the anti-colorist casting, this lack of gratuitous violence and stress is something that shouldn’t be so rare, so radical that it’s downright revolutionary—but it IS. The experience of watching a solid story full of solidly relatable non-triggering ups and downs was balm to my mind, my spirit, my entire nervous system. It got to be that viewing “Forever” felt like the best kind of therapy, or a quality spa experience.
My entire being said, “Woosah,” and exhaled a whole mass of stress that I hadn’t even realized I’d been carrying.
“Forever” isn’t just a wonderful screen adaptation of a beloved bestselling book—it was nurturing cinematherapy that helped me to lay my burdens down, revel in a scrumptious story of multigenerational Black love and humanity, and recharge my batteries to better cope with the nonstop traumas of our times.
As we eagerly await the next installment of this uplifting series, let’s all normalize finding the balance of reality and healthy representation in everything we do! Let’s advocate and cheer for more engaging drama without excess trauma, and support the stories that uplift and heal as they entertain.
Totally agree with your assessment of Forever. I’m only 3 episodes in watching it with my 18-year-old & I so appreciate the authentic storytelling & three dimensional characters. And I didn’t realize that I had been bracing myself for something traumatic to happen each episode until I read your piece. It’s lovely not to have to go on THAT painful type of an emotional trip, and enjoy a lovely & realistic story of a Black family navigating real life that is not centered on trauma. My fave character is the young male protagonist. We need to see more thoughtful Black males like him portrayed in media.
I watch all kinds of movies/series... and was surprised at how this one stuck in my brain for a few days afterwards. I have my must follow faves for sure.
But now that you mention it, it was freshing to see that Justin was not pulled over by the cops (we were all holding our breath on that one) -- and that he was able to find his path without self-destruction.
Parental expectations can be a plus and a minus at the same time. But it was good to see that Justin's mother made sure he locked in the educational fundamentals which later.-- gave him room to just be a young man fresh out of school and explore his options.
I loved, the way Justin's dad balanced the energy between him and his mom.
I hope the series can keep it's vibe and maintain eyeballs. I'd like to see how far the story can go and still make sense. -- Oh, and I'm hoping to be able to form a solid opinion about Keshia, too.