Showstopper

Groundbreaking drama Transparent bows out with a life-affirming swan song.

- Rebecca Mahoney

When it debuted in 2014, Amazon Prime Video’s searing comedy drama Transparent broke new ground. Following a dysfunctional Jewish family with a transgender parent, it was hailed for its revolutionary subject matter and portrayal of the trans community.

But in 2017, lead actor Jeffrey Tambor (who played trans woman and matriarch of the Pfefferman family, Maura) was accused of sexual harassment. Tambor denied the allegations but was fired, and even though a fifth season had been greenlit, fans thought the show would never return.

This week, Transparent is back for a one-off final instalment and the cast are determined to go out on an all-singing, all-dancing high note.

In the feature-length episode, Maura has died and the Pfeffermans are coping with the fallout. To help with her grief, Maura’s ex-wife Shelly (Judith Light) decides to write and stage a musical.