Forever, one of beloved young adult author Judy Blume‘s most iconic books, started with a simple request: “My daughter Randy asked for a story about two nice kids who have sex without either of them having to die.”
Published in 1975, the book was revolutionary at the time for its frank, grounded depictions of teenage characters who were allowed to eagerly fumble their way through sex and relationships without swiftly being turned into moralistic cautionary tales. Yet while Forever is still a target of book bans—last year, it was one of 13 books banned from every public school in Utah—teenage sex isn’t remotely as taboo as it was when it first hit shelves.
In an era where kids can look up pretty much anything they want online and shows like Sex Education are water cooler hits, is it worth updating Forever for modern audiences? Mara Brock Akil’s (Girlfriends, The Game) new Netflix adaptation of the same name proves that the answer to that question is yes… by wisely swapping a straightforward retread for a contemporary romance that nods back to its source text’s ethos of teenage possibility.
Whereas Blume’s book follows white high schoolers in suburban New Jersey, Brock Akil’s series opens on a New Year’s Eve reunion between Justin (Michael Cooper Jr.) and Keisha (Lovie Simone), two Black Los Angeles teens and former elementary school classmates. Any romance show lives or dies by the chemistry of its leads, and Forever‘s opening re-meet-cute—directed with magical giddiness by Regina King—quickly proves that Cooper and Simone are more than capable of delivering all the playful banter and endearingly awkward infatuation necessary to make us buy into these two kids in love.
Of course, the reality of Justin and Keisha actually being together isn’t nearly so simple, especially with graduation on the horizon. Justin’s family lives in a stunning, poolside home in the Hollywood Hills, much of his days sandwiched between tutoring sessions and basketball practice as his parents game out the best possible path toward success.
Does Justin actually want to play basketball in college? Meh. A shy nerd at heart, he’s more into Naruto and making music in his bedroom, but it certainly helps his chances on college applications. Cooper imbues Justin with a sweet, introspective nature that’s upended by flashes of flirty bravado or bristling against his protective mom Dawn’s (Karen Pittman) orders.
Meanwhile, Keisha lives in a rented apartment across town with her single mom Shelly (Xosha Roquemore), who works multiple jobs to put her through private school. Waking up at 4:30 a.m. to train with her grandfather (Barry Shabaka Henley), Keisha has her eyes on a full running scholarship to Howard University, and with it, the chance to cement her golden girl status in her mother’s eyes—even as the secret of a sex tape passed around by her basketball star ex-boyfriend looms between them.
Simone, who first broke out in the 2020 film Selah and the Spades, is luminous as Forever‘s female romantic lead, giving Keisha infectious charm and confidence even as she grapples with the inherent messiness of coming-of-age love.
Although Forever is technically a pre-pandemic period piece set in 2018, its keen observations of how a constant flow of Instagram Stories and FaceTime gossip can turn the already-fraught, hormonal minutiae of teenage relationships into crises within seconds still feel contemporary.
There’s an almost epistolary romance quality to Justin and Keisha’s relationship, their innermost vulnerabilities communicated through Tyler the Creator Spotify links and voicemails rather than letters. The show’s approach to sexuality, too, feels more aligned with the present day. There’s still a good deal of horny fumbling to be had, but in a 21st century setting, Brock Akil is more interested in the circumstances surrounding her protagonists’ first time than the mechanics of the sex itself.
For all of Forever‘s strengths, it occasionally stumbles when it comes to sustaining the narrative tension of Justin and Keisha’s relationship across eight hours of television. Yes, teen relationships are often messy, but particularly in the season’s first half— which is largely made up of on-again, off-again interludes—I found myself missing the heady rush of watching the two fall in love, which often comes in the form of montages or Instagram slideshows.
Yet even when Justin and Keisha are at odds, the series never fails to make them feel like fully fleshed-out people, in large part because of the show’s vivid worldbuilding. From study sessions at Keisha’s cousins’ braiding salon to beach hangouts at Oak Bluffs—a popular Black summer vacation destination in Martha’s Vineyard—we always have a sense of who these characters are, because we know the places and people who shaped them.
Like the 2023 film adaptation of Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret, this Blume adaptation leans on its young characters’ parents and other family members to enrich its world. Having thankfully escaped the clutches of And Just Like That…, it’s Karen Pittman who anchors the adult side of Forever as Justin’s high-powered, protective mom Dawn.
Pittman brings a no-nonsense warmth to her matriarch, who’s driven by her determination to safeguard her son’s future as a young Black man in America (“We got cops out here shooting Black boys like it’s open season, and I’m tripping?” she counters after objecting to Justin attending a party). Conversely, Roquemore’s performance as a mom navigating how to support her daughter in a digital age that still unfairly punishes young women for exploring their sexuality makes for a natural, timely update.
Like its source material, Forever isn’t interested in defining the success of a teenage relationship by whether it lasts, well, forever. But in bringing that same shame-free curiosity into the equation, this version still manages to pay homage to Blume’s vision, while telling a winning love story all its own.
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