Q-Force is an American adult animated comedy television series created by Gabe Liedman for Netflix. With Liedman as showrunner, joined by Sean Hayes, Michael Schur, Todd Milliner and others as executive producers, ten episodes were released September 2, 2021. Panned by critics, Q-Force was not renewed for a second season.
Contents
Premise
A group of undervalued LGBTQ superspies, Q-Force (Queer Force) attempt to prove themselves on personal and professional adventures. Gay secret agent Steve Maryweather, a 007-type nicknamed Agent Mary, leads the group as they strive for approval from the American Intelligence Agency (AIA), which adds a straight man to their team.
Voice cast and characters
Main
Steve Maryweather (voiced by Sean Hayes) – Also known as Agent Mary, Steve was formerly a rising star of the AIA before he came out as gay. He heads the Q-Force team consisting of himself, Stat, Twink, and Deb.
Twink (voiced by Matt Rogers) – A gay French Canadian who is a "Master of drag" and part of the Q-Force.
Deb (voiced by Wanda Sykes) – A lesbian African American who is a skilled mechanic and part of the Q-Force. She is married to a psychologist who doesn't know about her work.
Stat (voiced by Patti Harrison) – A hacker who is part of the Q-Force. Her orientation is ambiguous and not explicitly stated within the show. She forms a relationship with a sentient computer program named Jacqueline who chooses to take on a female avatar.
Agent Rick Buck (voiced by David Harbour) – A straight agent brought into the Q-Force team once they became official spies, serving as a liaison between them and the AIA.
V (voiced by Laurie Metcalf) – The deputy director of the AIA and highest-ranking woman in the agency. She has a soft spot for Mary.
Director Dirk Chunley (voiced by Gary Cole) – The director of the AIA who is straight and hard-nosed.
Recurring
Benji (voiced by Gabe Liedman) – A gay man who is the recurring love interest of Mary.
Chasten Barkley (voiced by Dan Levy) - A billionaire entrepreneur and a former long-time friend of Mary's.
Mira Popadopolous (voiced by Stephanie Beatriz) – The princess of Gyenorvya who is friends with V and dates Buck. Her character is a play on Anne Hathaway's character in The Princess Diaries, Princess Mia Thermopolis of Genovia.
Caryn (voiced by Niecy Nash) - V's former partner.
Louisa Desk (voiced by Fortune Feimster) - Dirk Chunley's assistant and security guard.
Production and release
Hayes and Milliner had been considering the idea for the series for some time. Milliner called a spy TV series tough to make and Hayes said that they were thinking how to get such a series, and have it animated, while having "the fun parts of a James Bond film." He added that animation allows for "freedom" to do more than a live-action series. Milliner also said that he wasn't sure if studios would greenlight "a feature with a leading character that's gay in that genre" and noted that it is "one of the last bastions of masculinity" that can't be broken down. He further said that teaming up with co-creator Michael Schur happened quickly because he had been friends from a while back, and asked him if he wanted to work on the project, with Schur saying yes. Liedman later told Animation Magazine that the show began with the idea to be about "a gay James Bond," and that he, along with Hayes and Milliner, came up with the idea for "an ensemble comedy about queer secret agents." Following this, Liedman, Hayes, Milliner and Schur pitched the idea to Universal Television, which approved of the idea, and it was sold to Netflix.
Netflix ordered ten episodes of the series in April 2019. It was also said that each episode would be 30 minutes long. At the same time, some reported that Sean Hayes would voice the series protagonist. Also in April 2019, it was confirmed that Gabe Liedman would serve as the showrunner, along with Sean Hayes, Todd Milliner, and various others as executive producers. Liedman later revealed that they "always knew" that Hayes would play the protagonist. Liedman, also said in December 2019, the show's writers "started putting the episodes together."
In January 2020, it was reported that the series would be animated by Titmouse, Inc.'s Canadian studio. In April 2020, Animation Magazine and Deadline reported that the show was one of the many series that the Writers Guild of America West negotiated deals with in order to ensure that production for the animated series proceeded even with the COVID-19 pandemic. In a later interview, Liedman said that more than half of the writing, and all of the acting, and animation had to be "done in isolation" due to the pandemic, noting that the show's first season "took about 18 months to finish." In September 2020, it was reported that Guy Branum would be a co-executive producer for the series. In December 2020, Deadline described Q-Force as an "upcoming animated series." Chloe Keenan was also confirmed as a writer for the show.
In January 2021 it was reported that Matt Rogers, the host of HBO Max's Haute Dog, served as a staff writer for the show. It was also reported that Charlie Nagelhout, a 2D artist, would be working as a prop designer at Titmouse on the series. In May 2021, it was reported that non-binary comedian Zackery Alexzander Stephens will be working on the show in some capacity. In June 2021, Gary Cole, David Harbour, Patti Harrison, Laurie Metcalf, Matt Rogers, Wanda Sykes, and Gabe Liedman joined the voice cast. The same month, it was confirmed that Hazy Mills Productions, a company run by Hayes, would be one of the companies producing the series. Fremulon and 3 Arts Entertainment were also reported to be the ones producing the series with the help of Universal Television.
Reception
Pre-release
The release of the trailer on June 23 was met with heavily polarized reactions. Reuben Baron of CBR was apprehensive about the show, saying he wasn't sure if the show would be any good and that the show's humor is "not for everyone," but said that the fact the show is written, starring, and animated by queer people makes a difference. He also concluded that no matter how the show turns out, it is "not being made from a place of bigotry," telling people to wait until the show's release to criticize it. Charles Pulliam-Moore of Gizmodo stated that the show's "premise and the jokes in the trailer come across like a much more tame and recognizable go at the kind of queer pandering the show itself calls out," but that it "might end up having something interesting to say when it premieres." Gavia Baker-Whitelaw of The Daily Dot stated that the trailer "looks kind of cringeworthy, focusing on stereotypes and unfunny one-liners" and that the show "seems destined to join the ranks of mediocre adult animated sitcoms." Baker-Whitelaw also said that despite the fact the show is "walking the walk in terms of queer representation," it doesn't guarantee the show will be good, and said the show feels corny, dated, and as sophisticated as The Ambiguously Gay Duo. Farid-ul-Haq of The Geekiary argued that while he was excited by the show back in 2019, his excitement disappeared after watching the trailer, saying the trailer "seems to be relying too much on problematic queer stereotypes," concluding that while there is an interesting story, it is not right to harass those associated with the series, like artists and animators. Matt Moen of Paper said that the show, as based on the trailer, would not be subtle or nuanced in its "queer-centric humor," but concluded that it remained to be seen whether the show would be entertaining and groundbreaking or "woefully two-dimensional."
In contrast, Michael Cuby of Them was more positive, saying the show sounded "ridiculously entertaining," even before the trailer dropped, and saying that with the reveal of the cast, they would add it to their Netflix queue. Additionally, Cuby said they were "intrigued by the premise," were excited by the trailer, and praised the "queer-affirming dialogue." May Rude of Out stated that the trailer was "filled with comedy, action, and plenty of pure and beautiful homosexuality" and argued that the show "could be the queer adult cartoon we've been waiting for!"
Critical reception
On Rotten Tomatoes it has a 33% rating with an average rating of 3.40/10, based on 13 reviews. The website's critics consensus reads, "Q-Force's heart is in the right place, but dated stereotypes and a general lack of humor make this animated action adventure fall flat." Metacritic gave it a score of 45 out of 100 based on 7 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".
B.L. Panther of The Spool described the show as "splendidly queer" and praised the show for its ability to "sketch sex and desire as an integral part of queerness," but criticized it for showing "queer culture" only as defined by cisgender White gay people, and its attempt to "force acceptance and assimilation" as something that is important to the show's characters, and hoped the show would improve in future seasons. Mika A. Epstein of LezWatch.TV said that one of her favorite things about the show is that "they let us know the actor pronouns are the same as their characters." Tariq Raouf of the San Francisco Chronicle was more critical, arguing that the series feels "like a mockery of LGBTQ people" despite its creative team and cast, stating that the show tries "too hard to be hip, queer and fun," making it somewhat offensive and "stale." Reuben Baron of Comic Book Resources gave a similar assessment, describing the show as "disappointingly unfunny," and said the show has the sense that "it's coming out 10 years later than it should have." He also called the characters themselves a "mixed bag," and concluded the story is "watchable but mediocre."
David Feinberg of The Hollywood Reporter said that while the show is not as "bad as Netflix's initial promotion suggested," the episodes rely on "many exhausted tropes." Even so, he called it watchable due to the "dynamic animation from Titmouse," distinctive and expressive characters, and talented voice actors. He concluded that it was a "typically bumpy start for a comedy" trying to find its footing. Daniel D'Addario, Chief TV Critic for Variety concurred, saying the protagonist, Steve, "doesn't hold the center of the show" while arguing that the supporting characters "fare somewhat better" than Steve's character. Michael Blackmon of BuzzFeed News added that the show is "weighed down by uninteresting characters and dull 'jokes,'" and that though the show "finds its footing toward the middle," he wanted more from the show.
Other reviews were also mixed. Glen Weldon of NPR called the show warmer and kinder than Archer, and said he had "unfair assumptions" going into the series but it had "surprisingly gentle and humane" jokes. He added that while the characters initially embody "very broad queer stereotypes," they later go beyond this, and that if the show gets a second season, it could be improved by shining more on "members of the team besides Maryweather." Andy Swift of TVLine called the series "irreverent" and described the first episode as a "fun set-up" to the rest of the series.
Cancellation
Netflix confirmed the cancellation of Q-Force on June 29, 2022. Matt Rogers (Voice of Twink) commented on the Spotify podcast Attitudes!, simply stating that "It did not get a second season". Some described the cancellation as among "major losses for queer storytelling on television" and predicted a Peacock revival may be possible.