For a show about diversity, MTV’s Faking It received some criticism when a show about diversity had... well, no diversity in its cast. Yes, the show was about teenagers being comfortable with their sexuality and relationships, but it seemed to contradict itself when most of the actors lacked the diverse message the show tried to put out. Then, the amazing news broke that Laverne Cox would be joining the Faking It cast as Margot, a drama teacher at Hester High. But Cox isn’t the only actor joining the cast. Yvette Monreal is also joining the Faking It cast, and her presence is exactly what the show needs.
In the show’s inaugural season, it was tough to distinguish exactly how I felt about the show. It is edgy, I thought, that’s for sure. But the show’s initial criticism was met with an outcry of support from fans, who grew to love the show, and the two main characters, Karma and Amy. While the show seemed to play into stereotypes, it also broke away from expected scenarios that would have left it feeling like the same story we’ve seen before.
In Season 1’s finale, we were left with Amy revealing her true feelings for Karma, but disappointed to see that Amy didn’t reciprocate the feelings that the “lesbian homecoming queen” ruse brought to light for Amy. With their friendship in limbo, it seems to make sense that MTV would bring in another character to mix things up. That’s where Monreal comes in.
Monreal is set to play “rebellious and confident” Regan, who according to The Hollywood Reporter, is “a hip DJ [who] is also an out and proud lesbian.” To support her music career, Regan is a cater-waiter during the day. It seems that the addition to Monreal will allow the show to explore a potential new relationship with Amy, which could create a wedge in the Karmy friendship — if Amy sleeping with Liam didn’t do that already. Currently, she stars in El Rey network’s Matador, and also had a small role in MTV’s Awkward. Monreal, Cox, and new addition Keith Powers will also add some diversity in the almost entirely white cast, as well.
Images: MTV (2)
