Probably the best work I've seen from Ryan Murphy, although that's not saying much. I desperately wanted to like the show more given the subject matter, and it was certainly wonderful to see a show that celebrated ballroom culture and queer (especially trans) characters. Unfortunately, the show falls prey to the usual pitfalls of Murphy's work; an inability to commit to long-term storylines, shallow characterisation, style over substance, and often painfully preachy moralising.

There are one or two strong episodes in there - in particular, an episode in the final season that delves into the history of Elektra Abundance, as played with over-the-top flair by Dominique Jackson. There are far more episodes that miss the mark, though, particularly when the show tries to swing for the big emotions. One episode dealing with a character's death ends up being among the weakest of the series because the writers don't seem to know how to give that story beat the nuance it needs in order to feel believable - the antithesis of countless other shows that have seen major characters die but told those stories in ways that make the emotional moments feel earned (just off the top of my head, "Sensitive Skin", "Six Feet Under", "Halt and Catch Fire", "Rectify").

Still given a 5 out of 10 (which, for me, is not terrible) because of the unique subject matter, the beautifully filmed ballroom sequences, and some strong performances from MJ Rodriguez and (in the first season) Murphy's muse, Even Peters. That's a higher score than I'd give anything else I've seen with Murphy's name attached. At this point, I've seen him ruin enough promising ideas to know to avoid any of his future work, and while I doubt I'd rewatch Pose in its entirety because of the frustrating writing, I would consider rewatching one or two of the better episodes. It's just a shame that clumsy writing drags everything down.