The laughter and grief in the familiarity of Jasmeet Raina's "Late Bloomer"

Jasmeet Raina’s return to the spotlight with Late Bloomer not only came with the laughter fans have come to expect from the former internet superstar known as Jus Reign, but with a multidimensional depiction of the reality of being a first generation child of immigrants.

When the first two episodes of the Crave series dropped, I was immediately drawn in—not only was it an absolute treat to see the internet star we all grew up loving return to creating in such a huge way, but it was also an opportunity to see stories relevant to the unique experience of intergenerational Punjabi Sikh households.

We often hear conversations about the importance of representation in art, film and TV, but it wasn’t until I was gripped by Jasmeet's family and community in Late Bloomer, that I truly felt seen and reflected in this way.

From the experiences and pressures felt by Jasmeet’s sister Maanvi and the juxtaposition in how each of them are treated within the household, to Jasmeet’s commentary on his relationship to Sikhi—it was refreshing to see the care with which these issues were handled. 

It was refreshing to also see the candor with which Raina gave a glimpse into the complexities behind so many of these relationships, as well as his own efforts to pursue his dreams.

The show’s characters illuminate so many real aspects of first generation immigrant life in Canada. The attention to detail cultivated an intimacy with Jasmeet’s family in a way that replicates the close dynamics of community present within the Punjabi community. 

It’s like each character has a counterpart in my own life with a similar family dynamic, a similar story, and similar challenges.

Jasmeet’s dad, stern but soft at the same time—willing to sacrifice his own happiness to provide a life for his family. 

Jasmeet’s mom, also casting aside her aspirations for the betterment of her family, at times floating into the background despite being an unwavering pillar without which the entire family’s foundation would fall apart. 

Jasmeet’s sister, Maanvi, reminiscent of every brown girl who has ever had to fight to be seen or heard in her own household, who has towed the line despite the fact that it’s a thankless task, and who has always felt like her greatest accomplishment in her family’s eyes will only ever be in becoming someone’s wife.

And Jasmeet, the misunderstood eldest child, trying his best to get his shit together and make a name for himself, figure out what he truly wants from life and try (and repeatedly fail) to not disappoint his parents. 

While the show captures so many details so well, the last few episodes left my heart in my stomach. 

There was an inexplicable grief in the familiarity of Jasmeet’s complicated family life—composed of difficult conversations that go unspoken, or bonding over the terrible shows our parents watch as a stand-in for the closeness we crave.

This is the same grief we feel as we chase self realization that in one way or another always comes at a cost.

While Jasmeet chases his own dreams, ones his family can’t wrap their head around, he demonstrates the immense pressures of balancing it all and never seeming to be enough no matter how hard he tries. 

It’s no doubt that our opportunity to figure out what we want from life differs greatly from our parents' fight for survival—and the comfort we get is a direct result of their sacrifices.

But our attempt to find our own way can sometimes lead to disagreements and misunderstandings that can have explosive consequences.

One thing that cut so deeply in the second last episode of the season was seeing the argument between Jasmeet and his dad—the kind that are commonplace in intergenerational households because of the vast differences in experiences and the lack of time or space for open conversations.

This lack of understanding can at times create seemingly irreparable divides.

Jasmeet and his father’s conflict stemmed from an inability to see eye to eye and beneath the surface, a lack of a desire to—until it's too late.

Jasmeet, who actually hasn't done anything wrong in this scenario (covering for his cousin Neal who left a criminal amount of weed in one of his mom's tiffin bags), is left to defend himself up against his father who has no real interest in hearing what he has to say.

The women of the family are left to try to repair what they didn’t break, once again casting aside their own needs to try to hold things together.

In the last moments of the season finale, we see Jasmeet and Maanvi have a conversation where they reckon with the fact that there are many things about their parents that they can't change and just need to accept.

With the complexity of our parents’ realities being so starkly different from our own comes many challenges that lead to strife on both sides.

But intergenerational family and community life also comes with no shortage of blessings—many of which are so beautifully captured in the first season of Late Bloomer, showing us the complicated reality experienced by so many of us.

I truly hope this show gets renewed for a second season so we can continue to see these characters' relationships and lives ebb and flow and I hope the show receives the widespread recognition it deserves.

It really was worth the wait.