Living in an apartment with three roommates, I rarely do anything in complete solitude. As each of us wanders through our eight-room maze, any snacks become communal; any meltdowns become subject to a collective pool of advice; and anything that’s streamed on the TV becomes a spectacle for everyone.
Last December, as our entirely queer household of 20-somethings was figuring out how to wrap gifts, buy our first Christmas tree and make coquito, that spectacle was “Veneno,” streaming on HBO Max.
The show — a Spanish series based on the life of Cristina Ortiz Rodríguez, a transgender sex worker, singer and television personality who began her rise to national fame in 1996 — first caught my attention as I was making dinner, chopping vegetables.