And just like that, Che Diaz became everyone's least favorite character. Welcome to MsMojo, we’re here to fix some of TV and film’s most disappointing characters and storylines that could have been great.
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00:00Welcome to Ms. Mojo.
00:02We're here to fix some of TV and film's most disappointing characters and storylines that could have been great.
00:07Today, we tear into the oh-so-irritating Che Diaz.
00:11When Sex and the City Revival and Just Like That debuted Che Diaz,
00:14fans were delighted by the inclusion of a non-binary character who would be integral to the plot.
00:19But like Carey's beloved Manolo Blahnik's, Che's character came at a big cost.
00:24The series was quickly derided for falling flat and paling in comparison to the original.
00:29With Che serving as a big reason for the downward spiral.
00:32By the time the curtains closed on season one,
00:35countless thought pieces about the character had come out,
00:37with some even calling Che a, quote,
00:39creep and, quote,
00:40absolute chaos.
00:42So how did they earn the title of TV's most hated character?
00:45The whole Che character was like a walking boomer joke that felt so fake to me.
00:51Just some phony, sanitized version of what the non-binary experience is.
00:58And with the news about Che's character in season three,
01:01is there any hope for redemption at all?
01:03We're here to break down what went wrong with Che,
01:06how the show attempted to reclaim them,
01:08and what it would truly take to fix their faulty story in our own headcanon.
01:14What Went Wrong
01:15We're introduced to Che as Carey's plucky boss and podcast co-host.
01:19The confidently queer stand-up comedian seems like a perfect addition to the cast.
01:22Someone with a unique point of view who can indulge the audience in today's
01:26revolutionized perspectives on gender and sex.
01:29I am Che Diaz,
01:30your host and queer non-binary Mexican-Irish diva,
01:34representing everyone else outside these two boring genders.
01:37After all,
01:38sex in the city was historically lauded for its radical depiction of sexuality
01:42through a female-gendered lens.
01:44But Che's character takes an almost immediate nosedive,
01:48being set up as a cartoonishly obnoxious personality that even the
01:52practically universally disagreeable Carey Bradshaw is tripped up by.
01:56Oh, me what? What? Oh, what about me?
01:58Che carries themself with an air of arrogance,
02:01ripping into Carey's performance on the podcast and insisting she isn't raunchy enough.
02:06You need to go with it or the trolls will label you the uptight cisgender female married lady.
02:10And this seems to be Che's brand of humor throughout the show, unabashed raunchiness.
02:15Cheer if you want me to f*** you.
02:18Even though the characters constantly proclaim,
02:20Che is funny,
02:22we see very little good evidence of this,
02:25which actually hurts their characterization even more.
02:28At Che's comedy show,
02:29there's more emphasis on wall breaking and less on the actual comedy.
02:33They tell both the audience watching their special and audiences at home that,
02:37A lot of people have no idea how to process gender individuality,
02:41and that is because every time we are represented in mainstream media,
02:45we have to be from some other galaxy.
02:47Which they, and by extension the show's writers, aim to change.
02:50Yet in a nearly instant confirmation of the cliches being highlighted,
02:54it becomes obvious that Che's deeply personal coming out bit
02:57isn't designed to teach us about their backstory,
02:59but to impact teary-eyed main character Charlotte,
03:02who's dealing with her own child's queer emergence.
03:05And then the camera pushes in on queer-coded Miranda,
03:08as she resonates with Che's words.
03:10Better to be confused than to be sure.
03:13It's a swift reminder that Che is ultimately just a supporting character
03:16there to influence the growth of our starring ladies.
03:19And although the monologue seems to be really just the writers speaking through Che
03:23about how they intend to correct stereotypical queer portrayals on screen,
03:27And I'm not always alone!
03:28I have community, I have allies, I have friends, lots of them!
03:32What we get instead is an over-correction,
03:34resulting in a wholly unrealistic caricature
03:37of what a hyper-woke queer person might look like
03:40according to a garbled chat GPT output.
03:42I was worried you were gonna ask something sophomoric,
03:44like what can I as a straight cis male personally do
03:46to eradicate the harmful patriarchal system of the gender binary
03:49and compulsory heterosexuality?
03:51This ultimately unfunny character loses major relatability points
03:55and sort of comes off like that being from another galaxy they pushed against.
03:59It's safe to say that Che's message is lost in translation
04:02when it's asserted in such an unnatural manner
04:04that comes across as soapboxing.
04:06No one, no human being speaks like that.
04:09This immediately sets the tone
04:10that Che is less a real character in the show's world,
04:13and more a tool for the series writers
04:15to atone for the problematic sins of Sex and the City.
04:18While it was progressive and innovative in so many ways,
04:21the original series did commit a lot of the offenses Che drones about,
04:25particularly when it came to its minority and queer characters.
04:29So if And Just Like That is meant to be a modern take
04:31on out-of-touch upper-class Caucasian women navigating a changing world,
04:35then Che is the designated pundit for said change.
04:38But in Season 1, that's all Che is,
04:41which comes at the cost of making Che incredibly grating.
04:44Che's inhuman way of speaking even rubs off on other characters
04:48as they try to fit themselves into this hyper-diligent self-editing box.
04:51And you look especially...
04:53whatever acceptable, non-polarizing, gender-positive compliment
04:58you feel comfortable with.
04:59In these moments, the only real comedy
05:02is coming from how laughably absurdist this can come off as.
05:05Unfortunately, the dialogue is only the beginning of Che's problems.
05:09Che may be considered quite an immoral person,
05:12which is made even worse by the fact
05:14that they are initially presented as morally righteous.
05:17So many of their actions seem to work against this constructed image of Che
05:20as a warrior for social justice.
05:22Even if they're performatively fighting for a community of people while on stage,
05:27You really helped me through some dark times.
05:29they seem to have no issue hurting or manipulating people on an individual level.
05:34Whether it be offering Miranda's underage son an illicit substance,
05:37or seducing and kissing a married Miranda before ghosting her,
05:40just to then profess their love for her and suddenly move away to California,
05:44Che isn't exactly likable.
05:46The end result is a fairly muddied and inconsistent character
05:49who appears to be motivated by a haughty sense of selfless virtue,
05:53while simultaneously self-indulging to unhealthy degrees.
05:57In a scene where Che and Miranda discuss the weight of their relationship,
06:00Che seemingly refuses to take any responsibility for their role in Miranda's affair.
06:05I never said I was in an open marriage.
06:07You never said you weren't.
06:09And while Miranda professes the profoundly upsetting concern
06:12she has about their fling,
06:13Che goes into self-preservation mode,
06:16villainizing Miranda as the guilty one even though they came on to Miranda.
06:20You knew all this was new to me.
06:22New to being queer is one thing, married and lying is another.
06:25All of this is in pretty stark contrast to Che's uplifting rally speech
06:28just moments before.
06:30I want to thank you all for living in your truth today
06:33and being here for each other.
06:35So when Che tells Miranda,
06:36I'm a lot of things, but I'm not a homewrecker.
06:40Perhaps those other things include selfish, duplicitous, and or phony.
06:44What can I say? I'm a narcissist.
06:47What's most upsetting about Che's season one arc is that the writers
06:50essentially betrayed what they claimed to be their principles
06:53by creating a stock non-binary character
06:55who's both a walking stereotype and a negative force in the story.
06:59That's it?
07:00Yeah, it is. Until you figure out your life.
07:03Che is effectively introduced as a loudmouth radio host
07:07with unmediated access to an annoying soundboard.
07:10Woke moment.
07:11Trigger warning.
07:12And essentially becomes that annoying soundboard for the writers,
07:16serving as nothing more than the mouthpiece
07:18for the show's newfound promise to better represent queer characters.
07:22Unfortunately, this just isn't a promise the show makes good on.
07:26As season one wraps up,
07:27Miranda severs ties with her husband and proclaims her love for Che,
07:31having fully bought into their self-aggrandizing image
07:33and basically becoming a devout Che Diaz groupie.
07:36This is a pretty disappointing turn in Miranda's story for many fans.
07:40Once known as the spunky and wise one of the group,
07:43Miranda now has a Che-shaped cloud hanging over her.
07:46So while the story of her sexual awakening and coming out could have been great,
07:50it's weakened by the fact that the one she's pining over
07:52is quite unlikable, even hateable.
07:55How to fix Che
07:57So how can we fix Che's characterization?
08:00First, it's important to acknowledge precisely why Che's character
08:03desperately needs fixing beyond the script.
08:05In reality, many people don't know a single non-binary person
08:09and base their idea of them on what they see in media,
08:12as Che explained at their stand-up special.
08:14This is why representation is massively important.
08:17And that's not to say this representation has to be
08:20in the form of a squeaky clean lovable individual.
08:23Queer characters can and should be messy,
08:25or even unlikable at times because this is true of human nature.
08:29The key word being human.
08:31Where Che falls flat is that they are not presented as a real human at all.
08:36Thus, the crux of what needs sprucing up.
08:38Would it be unfair to say that all of Che's Season 1 arc was a total flop?
08:42In one scene, Che and Miranda dig into the power dynamics
08:45of their relationship during a healthy and frankly enlightening discourse.
08:49This isn't gonna work if you lock us into those limiting relationship tropes.
08:54Guys do this and girlfriends do that.
08:56In another tender moment, Che introduces Miranda to the concept of found family,
09:01exploring a true tenet of queer culture.
09:03These are the aspects of Che and Miranda that the writers
09:06needed to home in on and flesh out.
09:08These moments worked because they touched on something real
09:11and reflected back the experiences of viewers at home.
09:14After the negative backlash to Che in Season 1,
09:17their character did get some fixing up in Season 2.
09:20When we're reintroduced to Che, they're trying on costumes for their new show
09:24and are sarcastically leaning into the parody
09:26of a non-binary person they'd been depicted as thus far.
09:29Hey America, I'm non-binary!
09:31It's as if the writers are immediately telling us,
09:34okay, we heard your cries, you were right.
09:36But in this scene, we do also get a glimpse into the realities
09:40of how conforming your presentation can be harmful,
09:42as Che is forced to push back against the Hollywood stylist's wardrobe choices
09:46that don't align with their identity.
09:48I kind of like the idea of pulling it all back.
09:50Maybe just jeans and a t-shirt.
09:53Jeans aren't very forgiving up top.
09:55And you, you need a jacket.
09:57This moment puts aside the psychobabble jargon we're used to hearing with Che
10:01and puts them in a very truthful scenario.
10:03And this alone almost subconsciously teaches us more about the lived experiences
10:07of non-binary people than all of Che's quips we've heard before.
10:11It's the classic cinematic case of show, don't tell.
10:14As audiences, we're far more impacted by a character's story on screen
10:18when we are shown something they go through and endure it with them,
10:21as opposed to them just telling us about it on their podcast or at their stand-up routine.
10:25And this is precisely the human element Che's character has been lacking.
10:30From there, there's almost a full reversal in Che's dynamic with Miranda.
10:34While Che served as a means of influencing Miranda's change in season one,
10:38the roles are flipped in season two.
10:40We interrogate Che's interiority more as they become increasingly frustrated
10:45with their inability to manage the pressure from their Hollywood team.
10:48Meanwhile, Miranda has just become the annoyingly clingy girlfriend
10:51who's now influencing Che's growth.
10:53I don't need a cheerleader.
10:54This isn't a game.
10:55This is my life.
10:56This is my career.
10:58This is my identity.
10:59The Hollywood exec's pressure to present a certain way
11:02at a certain weight is getting to Che,
11:04and we're finally getting to see their facade crack.
11:06In another key scene, Tony Danza cherry-picks the parts of Che's identity
11:11that the network feels Che should be highlighting,
11:13once again showing how hurtful it is for a non-binary person
11:16to be labeled and disregarded.
11:18But I'm Irish-Mexican.
11:20Italian is just Irish with better food.
11:23The important thing is to preserve the Mexican.
11:25In a staged coming-out scene,
11:27Che is brushed aside by their father in a bit played for laughs.
11:30I just don't want to lose my little girl.
11:32Dad, you're not losing me.
11:35I'm still me.
11:36And I love whoever you are.
11:40The showrunner's satisfaction with the bit highlights
11:42how Che's entire humanity is being summed up and presented for them,
11:46again reinforcing the realities of genderqueer people.
11:49From here, Miranda and Che's relationship crumbles
11:52under the immense pressure they're both under,
11:54leading to a rather awkward swan song for Che.
11:57I mean, from where we are now,
12:02this probably isn't gonna get better.
12:04So how can the series take Che's character to new heights in season 3?
12:08Well, they won't, because actor Sara Ramirez,
12:11who portrays Che on the show, has officially exited,
12:13with sources claiming Che's story came to a, quote,
12:16natural conclusion as their relationship with Miranda ended.
12:19But this seems like it might be a cop-out,
12:21because one character's story shouldn't just completely end
12:24because their relationship with another character ended.
12:26It almost sounds as if because we're no longer interested
12:29in Miranda's relationship with Che,
12:31we're no longer interested in Che, period.
12:34It goes back to the main issue with Che in season 1.
12:37The writing gave them no room to breathe or to be an authentic individual.
12:41And the revisions to Che's story in season 2
12:43should have really existed from the start.
12:54In our headcanon, Che can present their perspective to us
12:58through interactions with the people in their life,
13:00rather than just with the main ladies.
13:02Perhaps we meet Che's parents, an ex,
13:04or someone who can offer a deeper understanding
13:07of where Che is coming from.
13:08Perhaps Che can actually be funny and articulate their grievances
13:12with the world in a digestible manner.
13:15Che can still be a flirt and sleep around,
13:17but we're not going to be able to see Che's true self
13:19in season 2.
13:21Che can still be a flirt and sleep around,
13:23but we'll ultimately own the more opportunistic aspects
13:26of their personality instead of seeming to refuse any accountability.
13:30By making Che complex instead of entirely unlikable,
13:34we can root for them at times and get annoyed by them in others.
13:37But ultimately, by letting Che be human,
13:40we can respect their character and actually look forward
13:43to the scenes where they're on screen.
13:44The initial reaction to Che's inclusion was excitement,
13:47and the character was certainly never intended to be hated.
13:50So for the writing to actually celebrate Che,
13:53they should have had more time to explore the intricacies
13:56of being non-binary from the start of the series.
13:59Che even admits that journey is never really over.
14:02It took me 46 years to figure out who I am!
14:04So introducing us to a totally self-assured Che
14:07didn't service anyone.
14:08They deserved opportunities to stumble and fall,
14:11but to get back up and prove themselves to be a decent human being.
14:14And when Che's relationship with Miranda ends midway through season two,
14:18Che should continue to develop as an individual
14:21instead of then just becoming a friendly voice
14:23for Carrie to bounce jokes off of.
14:25Ultimately, Che's most satisfying season two conclusion
14:28would have involved a setup for where Che's career can go from here.
14:31During the two-part finale,
14:32characters sit around straight-faced while enduring
14:35another uncomfortably raunchy and humorless stand-up routine.
14:38So to stick the landing in our version of And Just Like That,
14:41Che is not only at last free from their taxing and limiting Hollywood show,
14:46but also finally embracing the initial tenets of their moral values,
14:50living out loud and telling their authentic story.
14:53Why am I always having to remind people who I am?
14:55I'm so f----- tired of having to explain myself to people for years.
14:59Even if it makes them messy at times,
15:02at least it makes them human.
15:04Sound off in the comments below to let us know
15:06how you felt about Che's character and story arc.
15:08Are you elated or disappointed they won't be back in season three?
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