Warning:SPOILERS for Love, Victor season 1.
Victor Salazar came out to his family in the final moments of Love, Victor season 1, but before viewers could see his loved ones' reactions, the season ended on a cliffhanger.Michael Cimino stars as the titular character in the Hulu series which serves as a spinoff to the 2018 rom-com, Love, Simon. To further connect to the anchor film, Nick Robinson reprises his role as Simon as a source of advice for Victor.
Love, Victor focuses on the Salazar family as they leave Texas and relocate to an Atlanta suburb. At the center is Victor, a teenager struggling with his sexual identity. After starting at Creekwood High School, Victor learns of Simon Spier, a legendary alum who went through a memorable journey before coming out as gay. Victor contacts Simon about his own struggles, but rather than focusing on coming out, Love, Victor primarily centers on Victor's journey in fully realizing his identity. Before he embraces who he truly is, Victor enters a relationship with Mia (Rachel Naomi Hilson), one of the most popular girls at Creekwood.
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In addition to Victor's sexuality, the dynamic between his family also serves as a major focus. His family consists of his parents, Armando (James Martinez) and Isabel (Ana Ortiz), and his younger siblings, Pilar (Isabella Ferreira) and Adrian (Mateo Fernandez). Victor's family is different than Simon's, as his situation, causing Victor to be resentful towards Simon's success story. Over time, Victor realizes that Simon also didn't have it easy and each person's journey in coming out is different. Love, Victor season 1 tied up a lot of loose ends but it also unearthed many new questions for the future of the series.
Will Victor & Benji Be A Couple In Love, Victor Season 2?
After a season-long "will they or won't they" situation for Victor and Benji (George Sear), the two classmates embraced their feelings for one another in the finale. Benji truly opened Victor's eyes when it came to his own sexual identity. Even though Benji was with Derek (Lukas Gage), there was a growing amount oftension among the two. Victor's kiss during the overnight work trip with Benji complicated matters but he tried to smooth things over with a play out of Simon's playbook. During the school's Spring Fling, Benji came to the realization that Derek wasn't right for him. Victor also laid out his true feelings and the two shared a passionate kiss.
In a perfect world, Victor and Benji would be together in Love, Victor season 2. As the Hulu series has shown, Victor doesn't live in a perfect world. Whereas Simon realized he was gay and ended his journey with a big romantic gesture in front of supportive friends and family, Victor is still in the early stages of accepting his identity. Benji seems patient but it might not be so easy for Victor to jump right into a relationship. There will surely be more issues on the horizon with his friendship with Mia as well as his family situation. This may make it hard to quickly enter a relationship right after coming out.
What Victor & Benji's Kiss Means For Mia
Despite seemingly having it all, Mia held onto a lot of pain from her past. Her mother abandoned her at a young age and her father, Harold (Mekhi Phifer), doesn't seem to be around very much. Mia exhibited some insecurities but she opened up to Victor. When Harold started dating Veronica (Sophia Bush), Mia took it hard and that situation grew worse then the couple announced an impending marriage and pregnancy. Due to Mia's struggles, Victor delayed telling her the truth, wanting to allow her to have a fun night at the school dance. Mia, however, witnessed Victor and Benji's kiss, and hiding the truth only made matter worse.
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Not surprising was the fact that Andrew (Mason Gooding) was there to be Mia's shoulder to cry on. He had his sights set on Mia long before Victor arrived at Creekwood and it was revealed that the pair had a romantic past. All signs point to Mia and Andrew growing closer now that her relationship with Victor is over. Andrewmight be portrayed as the school bully but he's been there for Mia on a number of occasions. Andrew refused to be a rebound but in time, it wouldn't be shocking to see Mia give him a real chance. The only real question is whether Mia will give Victor a chance to explain so that they could eventually form a friendship. Even though Victor is gay, he still cares for her.
Will Victor's Parents End Up Getting A Divorce?
Aside from Victor's struggles with his identity, the biggest subplot in Love, Victorseason 1 centered on the complicated relationship between Armando andIsabel. In time, it was revealed that Isabel cheated on her husband with Armando's boss. Victor and Pilar figured out the secret before learning that the affair was a major reason behind the family's move as well as the tension between their parents. It was later unearthed that Armando assaulted his boss following the affair and was fired from his job. Despite allowingIsabel to take the fall for the move, it was really Armando's actions that led to the relocation.
In the Love, Victor season 1 finale, Armando and Isabel seemed to be on better terms but that was because they decided to separate. The move put a lot of stress on the family and their relationship still wasn't right. To figure out the future, they decided it was best to take some time apart. It's unclear if the separation will eventually end in a divorce. There's a chance that Victor's news about being gay will bring the family together in a unique way. It might also give Armando and Isabel a reason to investigate their own personal happiness, driving them apart for good.
How Victor's Family Will React To His Coming Out
Unlike the Spier family in Love, Simon, the Salazar family comes from a religious background who aren't very liberal when it comes to their views. They're loving and care deeply for one another, but certain social topics don't come up very often. Victor was worried when Benji and Derek attended his birthday party and those worries were justified. Victor's grandfather was clearly botheredby two boys being a couple. Though Armando revealed his support for the gay couple, he upended the discussion by mentioning the fact that he hoped his youngest son, Adrian, didn't turn out to be "that way."
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It was clear from the start that Victor's journey in coming out wasn't going to match Simon's path. There's no reason to believe that the Salazar family won't be supportive of Victor in time but it might take them a while. They come from a different background so it could take them longer to fully feel comfortable with the revelation. There will probably need to be more discussions and education but hopefully, it ends in full support. The grandparents, on the other hand, might need more time to digest the news.
What Victor Coming Out To His Family Means
Once Victor powered through the confusion and came to terms with the fact he was gay, he felt the urge to come out. Meeting Simon and his confidant's NYC friends gave him a sense of courage. Victor first told Felix (Anthony Turpel) who was unsurprisingly accepting. But the series was always leading to the moment when Victor came out to his loved ones. As Simon reiterated on multiple exchanges, there would be no perfect time to share the news. Victor tried to find the fitting moment but life never works out that way.
By delaying the truth, Victor deeply hurt Mia. He realized that he couldn't let that happen again with his family. Instead of allowing matter to get further out of hand, Victor decided to come out shortly after Armando and Isabel shared that they were separating. He was tired of the lying and the secrets in his family and his personal life. Not only will Victor need to face the reactions of his family, but he will also need to enter a new chapter of his life if he wants to be an openly gay young man. This will be a huge focus ofLove, Victorseason 2, should the show be renewed.
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