TV Review: Next Stop, CBC Gem

You don’t have to listen to Drake albums to get a sense for what it really feels like to grow up and live in “the 6ix” as person of colour, you can simply hop onto CBC Gem and watch Next Stop. A genuine breath of fresh air, Next Stop gives the most accurate representation of the true Toronto culture, the subculture of the Jamaican patty subway stop enthusiasts, the subtle east and west side rivalries, and most importantly, the incomparable, often imitated, never quite effectively duplicated, Toronto slang. The storyline immediately draws you in with a tight knit feeling of what it is like to still be best friends with everyone you went to high school with. Surprisingly, you don’t have to be someone who grew up in Toronto to understand the nuances and slang that is perfectly sprinkled across the series.

There are so many laugh-out-loud moments throughout the four episodes and numerous subtleties of the project itself. Each episode description is written so hilariously that you know that you are about to see something creative, funny, and iconic. The first episode ‘BEEF’ really showed the on-screen chemistry and vulnerability between Vanessa Adams and Jordan Hayles. They have amazing banter between each other while also casually addressing real life struggles that a lot of Toronto youth feel daily. They are the perfect example of how multidimensional people can be from less desirable places in the city and how their stories are just as important as anyone else’s.

The second episode, ‘MOSQUITO’, was short and sweet. It was a great way to send a message about the love/hate relationship that most residents feel about Toronto, which becomes a running theme for the rest of the series. Referring to Toronto as a “small big city” where everyone knows everyone even if you don’t remember; it was so easy to relate to this whole episode regardless of the fact that it was two minutes and thirty-nine seconds long. What stood out most about the episode was how well Vanessa Adams was able to replicate the specific way that people tell stories in Toronto. Her vibrant facial expressions and reactions, the seemingly intentional lack of interjection from the other person she is speaking to, and the long-winded, outrageous yet hilarious comparisons between mosquitos and love made me feel like I was eavesdropping on a conversation between two people at a bus stop while trying not to laugh and blow my cover.

Episode three, ‘DUPPY’ was the episode that stood out the most for me because of the serious tone that it carried with such a creative spin. Duppy, a word of African decent meaning ghost or spirit, was used in a symbolic sense to touch on the hardships of striving to live your best life while also fighting your demons. Alex Henry is all of us on a journey of intermittent self loathing while searching for employment, and a subtle reminder of how the rat race can affect our mental health if we’re not careful.

‘POOL’ is the last episode that follows a ride in an Uber pool (R.I.P) and the connections that you inevitably make in them. Vanessa Adams, Jordan Hayles, and Mahlet Tilahun all perfectly exemplify the different stages that all of us go through when we live in a city for a long period of time. From the envy we have for people living in other big cities to the tales we tell ourselves of why we shouldn’t praise our own city, ‘POOL’ gives life to every stereotype in a raw and hilarious way – all from the backseat of a car.

All in all, if you are looking for a quick way to pass the time, ‘Next Stop’ is the way to do it. The acting is authentic, the writing is hilarious, the problems are real, and the execution is spot on. I am patiently waiting to see more from these talented writers and actors because it is the breath of fresh air we all need in 2020.

Next Stop premiered on CBC Gem September 25, 2020.
Watch it here.

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