Bio Homme (2021)

Horticulture for the soul.

A few scenes and hanging threads were never explained, possibly only established in the hope that the series would garner enough attention to carry through with a second season, but we didn't come here for plot. We came here to achieve emotional healing from the comforting vibes of nature on display!

On the one hand, an attempt is made to take four different people from different walks of life and demonstrate how plants can be a therapeutic part of the healing process for them. Together with their plants, they learn how to care for each other and themselves... and I am a sucker for a good found family, so this hit the spot. The genuine chemistry between the characters is wholesome and comforting.

On the other hand, the in-universe therapy class is being pushed so hard that an unfortunate implication pops up - that horticulture therapy is a substitute for medical treatment - due to how some of the characters seek it out as a type of anti-medication solution to their very serious mental health struggles. Honestly, I can't say if this is the show's intention or if it was just another part of the attempt to show how this type of therapy can be a good choice for certain people. The short runtime of the series does it no favors by speedrunning the characters' recovery process so that if you aren't paying close enough attention it can feel like they're insinuating that plants and gardening are a miracle cure.

Regardless, it is worth a watch if you like to see characters supporting each other through the healing process, don't mind the presence of a very subtly hinted at romance bubbling under the surface, can overlook some unanswered questions, and are curious to learn about some plants and the things that can be made with them along the way.

Read More