ACTING THE PART

As Morgantha of House Moonblade, the ruthless hero of a hit science-fiction television series, 17-year-old actor Lily Ashton takes on tyranny at sword-point, but nanosteel and plasma beams can’t solve real-life problems.

#Morganetta means everything to Lily, and so does Galaxy Spark: In the soon-to-premier fifth season, Lily convinced the producers to canonize a romance between Morgantha and Princess Alietta. Although despising perfectionist co-star Greta and dreading mom Kate’s plans for next career steps, Lily knows how important representation like #Morganetta is to so many fans. When the script for Season 6 reveals a violent death for Alietta—among other problematic plot points—Lily and Greta go on an impulsive joyride that results in a real-life plot twist: a fake relationship to smooth over the resulting PR scandal. Overwhelmed by the responsibility and messy feelings, Lily retreats into the video game Swordquest Online. Meeting and befriending Aida, another queer gamer, awakens Lily’s unexplored feelings about gender identity. This queer coming-of-age story offers a high-appeal, fandom-inspired romantic subplot with a prickly, enemies-to-lovers dynamic involving an asexual love interest. The central conflict between Lily and the Galaxy Spark producers diverges from the path of a straightforward savior narrative, focusing instead on confronting privilege, setting healthy boundaries, and unlearning gendered expectations. Both Lily and Greta are White; the broader cast of characters depicts racial diversity.

A satisfying balance of self-discovery and enticing drama.