Filmmakers Daquisha Jones and Ariel Mahler have released Episode One of Bad Ally: Quarantine Chronicles, the latest iteration of a comedy web series that has been reinvented for these unprecedented times.
Bad Ally follows the beautifully messy friendship between Harriet, a cishet Black woman, and Mix, a white transfemme. The show mirrors the friendship between creators Daquisha Jones and Ariel Mahler, fusing real life experience with humor and wit. In 2018 they released Bad Ally: The Web Series, which shows Mix and Harriet’s triumphs over viral blog posts, fetishy grindr dates, and self-righteous ‘slacktivism.’
This year, Jones and Mahler are creating Bad Ally: Quarantine Chronicles, which find Harriet and Mix reuniting through their isolation. Episode One, released in late September, satirically tackles the overeager “Good White Ally” trying to do the most in response to Black Lives Matter protests.
The episode was shot entirely in quarantine with a micro budget and production crew consisting solely of two separate Directors of Photography, Easton Carter Angle and Vuk LK. Angle and LK also served as gaffers, grips, and sound recordists. Vanessa Haroutunian produced the episode entirely via remote communication (Zoom, email & text).
Creators Jones and Mahler feel that current mainstream media is afraid to tell the stories of all people accurately. “We often see marginalized identities either tokenized, made into the butt of a joke, or seen as flawless martyrs,” says Mahler. “Trans and Black characters aren’t your noble fairy godmothxrs who only exist to solve the problems of their white cis friends.”
“We wanted to create characters who are messy, indulgent, and attention-seeking, yet who remain relatable, “adds Jones. “We want our audience to cheer with Harriet and Mix when they succeed and groan when they get in their own way.” As best friends and self-proclaimed ‘Social Justice Warriors,’ Harriet and Mix have a shared love for defying societal expectations and embracing chaos.