I had seen a few ads with Jeffrey Tambor and a woman’s hands while surfing the web and eventually read about Transparent. I assumed it was a comedy, and wanted to check it out.

Amazon.com Prime membership allows you to watch the whole season, but they give you a preview of the first episode.

I am hooked.

I kept waiting for Jeffrey’s laugh out loud moments (a la Arrested Development), and while waiting, I was sucked into the storyline, so when the episode was overwith, I wanted more.

The music choices along with excellent acting has made this one of my favorite shows. Most of the time, when someone plays a transgendered person, they go over the top queeny or not enough “gay”. I have known someone who was trans and so I base my opinion of actors on her.

(Just for internet immortality’s sake, I will mention her. She is no longer with us, from what I hear. When I was 19, I met her. Can’t remember what she said her name was right now, but will update this if my brain starts working again. The reason I have a hard time remembering is this: I was at a friend’s house in Henderson, NC and she came over with her mother. The mother stayed in the car while she visited. After about 10 minutes, the horn blows and the mother starts yelling “Jimmy!” I asked who she was calling and my transgendered guest said that Jimmy was her boy name. I asked her if I could question her about the transition and she agreed. She had her surgery at Duke University Hospital. While making her “lady parts”, they pierced her colon, so from that point on, she wore a colostomy bag. Needless to say, the surgery was free. She looked 30s and she was close to 60, I think. She explained that the estrogen treatments reversed her aging. I hope when she passed that she looked like jailbait. She was very sweet.)

Jeffrey plays this role with such believability. I want to believe that I am watching his reality show. The emotion for the kids is set up to make you tolerate them. The acting is great from everyone, but they make you want to cut them out of the will.

Then, from nowhere, Judith Light plays an aging jewish mother to a “T”. It was great to see her again and I would like to explain why she is in this. Judith has been a very good friend to the gay commmunity from way back to the AIDS epidemic beginnings. She rallied with us. She fought for us. Excellent choice to bring her on board! (By the way, thanks, Judith! We never forget our friends!)

If this show doesn’t win every award on earth, I will be surprised.