The multi-hyphenate, whos been cultivating this story because 2004, wants his life-affirming program to cultivate simply as much neighborhood off-screen (and yes, hes all set to see your tweets). It simply was us mapping out how we would get there.G/ O Media may get a commissionAVC: The finale brings the bigger story to an end, however even before that, we see the end of Pray Tells story. The special story that we leaned into in this last episode, which I do not understand that Ive ever talked about it openly up until now, is the love story between Pray Tell and Blanca. And that story is a love story that is a romantic drama about 2 buddies. Its constantly been a love story in between Pray Tell and Blanca, and thats really the story and the journey that we honor in our finale.I think what we were trying to say to our audience by the time we get to the end of the episode is that these characters journeys will never end, and their message and their lives continue to live on.

Steven Canals Photo: Rich Fury/Getty ImagesThis post talks about plot points from the series ending of Pose.After three years of jaw-dropping looks and heart-tugging moments, Pose has actually ended its bejeweled run. The groundbreaking FX period drama, from Steven Canals, Ryan Murphy, and Brad Falchuk, fixated the trans females of color and queer people of color who made New York Citys ball culture. With the largest trans cast of any TELEVISION drama, Pose earned an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Drama Series, and Billy Porter (who plays the incredibly acerbic Pray Tell) ended up being the very first openly gay Black man to be nominated for and win in an Emmy lead acting category. However for Canals, who co-wrote the finale with Murphy, Falchuck, and series director Janet Mock, the crucial recognition only makes up a small part of Poses legacy. The multi-hyphenate, whos been cultivating this story since 2004, desires his life-affirming show to promote simply as much community off-screen (and yes, hes prepared to see your tweets). Canals is likewise acutely familiar with what the TV landscape is losing with Pose ending. The A.V. Club spoke with Canals about the series finale, including Pray Tells big sacrifice, and how Beaches formed this love story between friends. The A.V. Club: Youve stated you always intended to structure the total story with three seasons: a start, middle, and an end. How long back did you identify what the finale would look like?Steven Canals: It started taking shape right at the start of breaking the 3rd season. We knew from the beginning of the series, so quite actually in that first 45-minute conference that I had with Ryan [Murphy], when I pitched the series to him, we understood that the program would end with the release of the cocktail and HIV/AIDS no longer being a death sentence. That was constantly what the story, what the program was about. That was really what was grounding our story, then we just occupied the show with queer and trans people who took place to likewise be members of the ballroom community. However the fact is that the show for me was always an investigation into the HIV/AIDS epidemic through the lens of these black, brown, queer, and trans people.So entering the 3rd season, when we understood that we were going to time jump to 1994– weve always been really intentional about the year that were putting our season in. It felt to me like, “Oh, are we already there? Are we at the end?” And Ryan and I had an open and really honest conversation about it. The most significant issue for me was, it seems like were there. Were at the end. I dont understand if it makes sense for us to discover a method to extend the story out when the end is so plainly in sight. At that point it resembled, “Nope, I think youre right.” And so we extremely quickly knew exactly what that last episode was going to be and where we were going to leave all of our characters. Then it simply was us mapping out how we would get there.G/ O Media may get a commissionAVC: The finale brings the bigger story to an end, but even prior to that, we see completion of Pray Tells story. What was it like to write this episode for Pray Tell, for Billy Porter? And do you see this as completion of their stories?SC: I think the reality is that the whole series, but this episode in particular, is honoring the entire community. It really is for everyone. The unique story that we leaned into in this final episode, which I dont understand that Ive ever discussed it openly until now, is the romance in between Pray Tell and Blanca. One of my preferred movies is Beaches, partially since Barbara Hershey is like my absolute preferred starlet, and I love Bette Midler. And that story is a love story that is a romantic drama about two buddies. And I think that really, really, privately is what Pose has actually constantly been. Its always been a romance between Pray Tell and Blanca, whichs truly the story and the journey that we honor in our finale.I think what we were trying to state to our audience by the time we get to the end of the episode is that these characters journeys will never ever end, and their message and their lives continue to live on. You see that at the end of the episode, when Blanca is speaking with Swan on the street and offering her guidance. She references everything that Pray Tell stated to her in the pilot, and after that we in fact do the callback and you see him show up. The reality is that his existence will continue to live on, in the very same method that Blanca receiving her famous status and now sort of being a granny to a house, you know that her impact will continue to go on well past taking last breath. That was an essential suggestion to our audience that the effect of a persons life isnt exclusively from birth to death, it isnt cradle to tomb– its a lot bigger than that. And thats the beauty specifically of being part of this community.AVC: This may be something thats deliberately exposed for analysis, but we discover toward the end that Pray was sharing the trial meds with Ricky. Is the ramification that he type of sacrificed himself for his pal and former partner, or did you imply to leave that more open-ended? SC: I think that you can read it however you like as an audience member. I would state that our objective on the page, as an authors room, was definitely for the audience to feel that Pray Tell made a sacrifice, which he did. He knew the threat in making the decision to share medications with Ricky. To me, it feels clear that its a sacrifice. I believe that the place where we leave things a little bit more gray for our audience is the question of whether Pray was really ready to go. Due to the fact that in the episode there are 2 minutes, one when Prays talking to Ricky about his dreams and all the other things he wishes to do, like perhaps go to France. In the future in the green space, when hes prepping for his efficiency with Blanca, he says to her, “Ive done whatever. Whatever Ive desired to accomplish, I have.” We desired to let that live a little more in the gray and let the audience make that decision. Hope plainly compromised himself for Ricky, but was he in fact all set to go or not?For me, not solely as the author and director of the episode, however as an audience and fan of the series, I would state that what this series is truly attempting to convey through that is the methods which we have actually constantly appeared for one another, and the realities of what it suggested to be an individual of color who also was LGBTQ+ at that time, in the midst of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, when it was at a fever pitch in the mid-90s. There was no access to medical care, no interventions from our government. All of us had to show up for each other. We remained and secured one another. To me, the best lesson and takeaway from Prays choice to share his meds with Ricky is that weve constantly been there for each other.AVC: Off-screen, the show also shows that concept of watching out for future generations and looking after each other, because it has been a platform for trans skill, for queer skill, for Black and brown entertainers. Its shown how effective these stories can be when theyre made by those very same individuals, and why we cant go back to the method things were before.SC: I hope so. I value you stating that. AVC: Do you feel that positive about that, though?SC: Yes, Im optimistic. I believe were moving in the best instructions. The truth is, complete disclosure, that I want that things were moving quicker. Posture is the only show on television that has not one however 3 LGBT characters who are also living with HIV– that came out of the GLAADs Where Are We On TV report this past year. And the truth is that on Sunday, when our show ends, that representation will no longer exist. Im also pretty sure that Pose is the only drama series that not just centers however is particularly about trans people. I know that there have been numerous more trans characters that weve now fulfilled on tv, however is that program actually about that character? Our show has actually always been about Blanca. She is our lead. Shes our lead character. Shes the person whose story weve constantly tracked because the beginning. I believe when the program ends on Sunday, therell be a space. The truth is that this show was announced and we started working on it four years earlier, and weve now had three full seasons on tv. And so to think that in the 3 seasons that weve aired there hasnt been development in that method– that we have not seen not only other programs where trans people and even queer individuals of color are centered and are the protagonists and not the side character or a supporting character, however the show is literally about them … that we havent seen that yet, and that we have not seen particularly more trans material creators emerge, pitching, offering, and producing their own series, makes me feel like theres still work to be done.AVC: What will you miss most about the show?SC: Theres a lot to miss. I imply, Ill obviously miss out on the cast. Ill miss a great deal of our crew. We worked with them from the beginning, from the extremely first season, and there are folks who actually have actually become family. However I know that Ill have the ability to see all of these people. Were all linked, so its not like well never ever see each other once again. Ideally well be able to interact once again in the future. I believe the thing that Ill miss the most is investing time with these characters. Due to the fact that the truth is that the audience has only recognized Blanca, Elektra, and Pray for 3 seasons, however I came up with the original kernel of an idea of a young kid named Damon moving to New York in 2004, and I didnt write it until 2014– the end of 2013, beginning of 2014. And so it has actually been a lot longer journey for me with these characters and with this world and with this story than anyone else. And to have had the last 3 seasons, or more specifically, considering that I met Ryan in 2016, the last five years have been invested only ever taking a seat and being in conversation with these characters. Thats the thing that Ill miss the most. Its like a separation. Its completion of a friendship.I understand it sounds very writerly, but that is the location that Im in now. Im still grieving the loss of the characters. I truly feel like my job as a storyteller is just to be a channel to inform those characters stories. While my name might be on the screen or on the page after “Written by,” the truth is the characters are actually composing their stories. I simply have to take note. I simply need to listen and after that present that to the world. Therefore its sad to me that I will not get to hang around with Blanca anymore, that I wont get to remain in conversation with her and get to inform her story. I know that Ill always think about her, always wonder, where is she? What is she out worldwide doing today? So that for me is the place Im in. Thats the important things I believe Ill miss out on the most.AVC: What are you most excited to deal with next?SC: That is a great concern, and honestly, I do not understand. Its been about 7 years ago since I decided to write the initial draft of Pose. That was 2013. Television was being controlled by straight, white, cisgender, male antiheroes. It was Breaking Bad. It seethed Men. It was House Of Cards. And all those shows are great, but I wasnt seeing queer and trans people who happen to also be Black and Latin, occupying tv screens. We didnt exist. We were no place to be discovered. Posture was actually substantiated of a need, so the place that Im in right now is that Im enjoying television, and Im doing another assessment of the landscape, and Im keeping my eyes open and Im taking note of who we arent seeing. Whose story isnt being informed? Whose story needs to be told? Who should have to be centered and hasnt been? That I can make an actually intentional decision about where to put my energies and whose story to help bring to the screen.