The Young Progressives

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Fadia Qudsi doesn’t like to talk about herself very much, and what little she does reveal is acutely calculated. She’s comfortable revealing that she’s an international student from the Middle East, has a father and mother, flew in from Egypt, has great interest in her studies, and her future well-being. What she does well to keep to (or for) herself are her roots as an activist both in Syria and Egypt (she wouldn't call it "activism"), the content of her studies, and the political aspirations that come along with it. This is much to the dissatisfaction of her emergent friends throughout the series. The U.S. is neither a surprise to her expectations, or a shock to her sensibilities. Indeed, she has read quite a lot about the country, mostly about it’s political and imperial ventures, but sometimes cultural aspects (like reading The Color Purple). This would be one of those things she wouldn't reveal to anyone unless it became socially untenable not to. As the seasons progress over the course of many years, Fadia’s mysteries are slowly revealed, about her history, and about her future vision. Unfortunately, as she had feared, the more her life is revealed, the more it will end up proving to be a risk to her aspirations. At least, in a certain political paradigm. The truth could also end up proving to be a powerful ally.

Greene Davids wears his heart on his sleeve, not because he’s an aspiring artist (filmmaker and writer), but because he is actually concerned. Why anybody cares about anything, or does anything, is usually a mystery, despite our attempts to get inside other people’s minds. He’s also surprised that he managed to squeak into UCLA, and his ambitions to enter the film program by his junior year are so feverish, that he makes a feature film in order to prove his worthiness. This, unfortunately, will prove to be for naught, and he will have to choose something else as his degree. Due to the lack of money from his working-class, single parent family, he may even have to drop out. Whether he does or not, he will struggle, and his life will gravitate towards activism, and activism filmmaking. As the series goes on, we will see that his life is not defined by his failures, rather it is defined by his sensitive, breaking heart.

Leaf Riley grew up in a beautiful Northern California area: Butte County, Chico, and surrounding area(s). His trajectory as one of Butte County's main drug dealers is not easily identifiable. He grew up in a working-class household, mother only, and could've been seen as any normal kid. And, he is normal (whatever that means), despite his occupation. His mother struggled with alcoholism, like many parents do, but she provided as a high school teacher for fifteen years. Leaf Riley's life, most likely, is defined by his mother's emotional absence, so his response was physical absence from home, reliance on friends and acquaintances for early support, which then grew into a personality of early “independence.” By thirteen, he was earning money as weed dealer. The rest is history.

Jasmine Krasner apparently struggled to find herself for some time, which is not uncommon for people ages 12-22, and seems like a rich assertion, given Leaf’s occupational hazards; she met him when she was still a teenager, and he was in his early twenties. She too struggled with her parents, who provided physical means (a much higher class-bracket than Leaf), but somehow managed to drive their daughter into Leaf's life. As far as they knew, he was just a bit too old for her as a boyfriend. They didn't know the other stuff, at least at first. However, their relationship remained, and here they are, 8 years later, struggling (severely) with each other, but in love. Though love, it seems, is not everything. She is currently becoming an actor in Los Angeles.

Dean Walker is something like an elite, because we hear murmurings that his dad is either on the board of directors of the university, or knows the chancellor, or something. We find that, indeed, he is an insider of sorts. Yet, despite this background, he has co-opted progressive politics, believing in its power to win all sorts of stuff, including elections. When he met Fadia, he had enough intuitive power to see that she was a talented scholar, and his attempts to befriend her show this. As the series progresses through the seasons, over the course of years, he will become a Democratic insider. His use of progressive politics for career gain will land him a spot as a sought after campaign consultant, PR pro, and even something as important as a chief of staff of an elected official. His chances of becoming an elected official himself, however, look slim. The chances of he and Fadia Qudsi becoming nemeses are high.