Trigger Warning // Sexual Assault & Rape
*spoilers ahead*
Netflix has been known for creating unrealistic storylines, such as its controversial show 13 Reasons Why, but when it comes to its new series Grand Army, the show does not hold back from sugarcoating serious issues that need to be discussed. Grand Army follows the difficult lives of five high school students in Brooklyn, New York, each dealing with their own struggles. The show tackles subjects such as racism, sexuality, financial issues, and sexual assault.
Joey Del Marco’s (Odessa A’zion) storyline, one of the five main characters, caused me to have one of the most emotional responses from a character that I could empathize with. Her story is based upon a traumatic experience in which a night of partying takes a dark turn. Joey’s two guy best friends, George Wright (Anthony Ippolito) and Luke Friedman (Brian Altemus) rape her, while her implied love interest Tim Delaney (Monk Serrell Freed) sits by and does absolutely nothing to stop it or help her. It was pathetic and painful to watch.
What enraged me the most was that the two best friends claimed that Joey “knew what she was doing” the night it occurred, practically blaming her for what happened. This is the typical response that some men have when it comes to rape, perpetuating these stereotypes further. As the rest of the episodes occur, the show portrays realistic depictions of Joey dealing with severe trauma PTSD, and intense anxiety. This causes her to have panic attacks and breakdowns in class, starts to rip out her hair due to stress, and eventually ends up turning to drugs. The part that hurt me the most was that Joey had to face all three of the boys at school after the incident and they pretended to act normal, even though she was hurting inside. This included her best friend Anna (Sydney Meyer) who decided to not believe Joey and actually blamed her for what had happened. What kind of a best friend is that?
When Joey finally decides to report the case, all three of the men are arrested at school and taken into custody for investigation. However, shortly after, the boys are released without charges due to “insufficient evidence.” It’s absurd, yet this is nothing new. According to RAINN, only 5 out of 1000 rapes committed end in a felony conviction, proving how the criminal justice system does not take these heinous acts seriously.
Although the show tackled these sensitive topics that not many discuss, it is advised to watch with caution and the 3rd episode provides a warning in the beginning. While the last episode provides a cliffhanger with Tim texting Joey to “talk,” it can be implied that the truth will eventually and —hopefully— come out. Will Tim finally do the right thing and break his silence? If the show is given a second season, then I would like to see these men own up to what they did and give Joey the justice she deserves.
Here is a list of sexual assault resources if needed.