I don't watch dramas really as a rule. I will, however, watch anything gay. Skimming through the catalogue of HiStory with its primarily straight-girl-pandering content had me skeptical about Trapped, even though I like all of the tropes it presents. I assumed it would be the same tacky, run-of-the-mill fetishism of gay relationships that would turn me off instantly. I was wrong.
Is this an award-winning program? Not particularly. Is this a genuinely enjoyable, cheesy, but deeply emotional story with a lot of character growth, minimal homophobia, and a plotline that exists outside of the romantic subplots? Jesus, yes. It is nearly impossible to find a decent show with canon gay relationships that aren't flat-out bad (read: step-siblings trope, abusive, large age differences/imbalanced power dynamic, one or both parties dying) but Trapped is a notable exception. The only negatively depicted gay character is balanced out by 6 positive gay/bi figures, so I can excuse it. I just really wasn't expecting this series to go so hard and avoid so many homophobic stereotypes that tend to come with the territory. They don't erase or shy away from the fact that these men are gay or bi, but they also don't constantly subject them to blatant homophobia. The director is seriously a legend. She really knows what she's doing. Also, the entire cast had so much chemistry and it showed in every scene. I loved this show. Would watch again and fully cry.

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