My Take:
April Carver (the wonderful Italia Ricci) is 24, has a high-stakes job at a newspaper, and is starting to date the guy of her dreams. Then she finds out she has leukemia. Sounds like the saddest show ever, right? Actually, it’s the opposite. Chasing Life is full of light, humor, and incredibly realistic family dynamics. A standout is April's younger sister, Brenna, whose journey of discovering her bisexuality and her relationship with Greer remains one of the most sincere and natural depictions of queer youth from that era.
What's Captivating: The balance. The show can make you cry one minute and laugh at a character's sharp sarcasm the next. The relationship between the sisters is the heart of the show—their support, their fights, and their shared growth are portrayed with total honesty. It’s a series that teaches you how to live fully, even when the clock is ticking.
A Word of Caution: The medical themes and the treatment process are shown in quite a bit of detail, which might be triggering for those sensitive to cancer-related topics. It’s an emotional rollercoaster—prepare for a lot of feelings.
Verdict: 8.5/10 🦋✨
A smart, beautiful, and incredibly human series. Brenna Carver remains one of our favorite queer characters from the last decade!
🔍 Did you know...?
The show is an American adaptation of the Mexican telenovela Terminales. However, the creators chose to move away from the soap opera format in favor of a modern character drama. To prepare for the role, Italia Ricci spent extensive time with oncology patients to portray their experiences with respect and authenticity. Interestingly, the show's fans (calling themselves "Chasers") were so dedicated that after the show was canceled after season 2, they launched massive social media campaigns to bring it back.
