Pose

Thus far, thankfully, the return to Pose isn't disappointing, and its promises, progressive and dramatic, are largely delivered upon.

The series is not afraid of melodrama, the first four episodes suffer peak-TV bloat (at a full hour and up) and the scripts veer into the kind of speechy dialogue that comes across as read more than spoken. But the rough patches are lofted by its vitality and refusal to draw its characters in terms of tragedy.

Pose is praiseworthy in terms of its unique diversity and overall style. The ball competitions, which are frequent, could well be a show in themselves. ... But man, Pose also can be cloying at times while also being as broad as, well, Dynasty with both its story telling and some of the acting.

Those who found the melodrama a bit over the top in earlier seasons will find no respite in the finale. “Pose” is what it is: A flashy, high-budget, first-of-its-kind, Ryan Murphy-produced soap opera about trans women of color.

We’re told what we’re watching is worthy of acclaim, even if our eyes and ears tell us otherwise. All of which not only keeps the characters from feeling like actual, three-dimensional people