'Andi Mack's' last season features ups and downs of those emotional and formative 'tween years

The cast of 'Andi Mack' says goodbye.

Its too bad that Andi Mack was aired only on the Disney Channel because it deserves a bigger audience. In its too-short three seasons, about average for a Disney show, the coming-of-age series dared to tackle topics other shows aimed at the crucial so-called tween years steered away from.

Not only did the show center around an Asian American family, it also made history by featuring an openly gay character.

Along with including a gay character, Andi Mack excels in other areas of representation and inclusion as well. As one Twitter user pointed out, it includes storylines on anxiety, Jewish culture, teen pregnancy, learning disabilities, and much more. This was no accident; Disney is well aware of the need for messages of inclusion.

As spokesperson for the network told Variety, "Andy Mac is a story about ‘tweens’ figuring out who they are; (showrunner) Terri Minsky, the cast and everyone involved in the show takes great care in ensuring that it’s appropriate for all audiences and send a powerful message about inclusion and respect for humanity."

That was the key: Respect. The series showed that relationships don't have to be poisonous; that you don't have to bring anybody down in order to feel good about yourself; and the value of real friends who love you for who you are, not what you aren't.

The cast has known since last year that the season they were taping was the last one. It seems to be Disney policy: Don't let the shows outgrow its audience. The popular Lizzie McGuire and Boy Meets World met similar fates.

Peyton Elizabeth Lee, who plays the titular Andi Mack, gave Hollywood Life an idea what the final season is about. She said that as the relationships fall apart “the characters start to see what really matters and really start to understand that undying love that’s at the foundation of all the relationships. So through those struggles and the hardships in the relationships, they really find the heart and soul of every one of the relationships.” She also revealed that fans will see “a lot of the characters developing relationships with new characters.”

In other words, the show tells its youthful audience that life isn't like a TV show where everybody lives happily ever after. But life's ups and downs are only temporary and one can survive and life goes on.

"I really feel like Andi Mack has done such a good job of letting kids know that it’s really okay to be themselves," says Lilan Bowden, who plays Andi's mother. "I really hope that we remind people that hardships mean you can be okay with yourself, grow up, and be okay with your circumstances. I hope these last episodes give fans the feeling of acceptance and love."

If only a show like Andi Mack was around when I was in 6th and 7th grade. All the awkwardness and emotional roller coasters of those years might have been easier to take.

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Chinese New Year's comes early to 'Andi Mack' as Disney show dips into Chinese heritage

DISNEY

'And Mack's' writers drew upon the cast's real-life experiences of Chinese New Year celebrations.

CHINESE NEW YEAR came early this year to the Mack household. That celebratory event was a signal that the Disney Channel show, Andi Mack, which features a hapa family, is not going to shy away from the ethnic roots of its unique cast.
Creator, writer, and executive producer Terri Minsky told IndieWire why the show decided to feature the traditional Asian holiday on the show.

“While Andi Mack was not originally conceived to be a show about an Asian-American family, when we cast Chinese/American actress Peyton Elizabeth Lee in the title role, we then cast other Asian/American actors to play her family members,” she said. “The stories are meant to be universal about a teenage girl dealing with her life, and at the core of her life is ‘family.’ So, the Chinese New Year celebration at the Mack house is a perfect setting to tell more stories about this family.”

In the series, Andi’s (Lee) and her mother Bex (Lilan Bowden) are both part Chinese, while Andi’s grandmother Celia (Lauren Tom) is full Chinese. The show never really addressed that heritage with any depth in its first season, but last night's second episode of the show's second season changed all that.

RELATED: 'Andi Mack' makes history with 'coming out' episode

“Our story editor Elena Song exhaustively researched and sought out the advice of many people about every detail on the holiday — food, decor, rituals,” said Minsky. “Our costume designer Anthony Tran considered many different outfits for each character and had Andi’s dress specially made for her.”

Andi Mack was also in the news last week for its Season 2 premiere, which introduced the beginning of a storyline in which one character realizes he’s gay, a first for Disney Channel. The episode was the No. 1 TV telecast in its timeslot in all the youth demographics and the No. 1 cable TV telecast in total viewers of the night. It was up 72 percent from the Season 1 debut in April.

Hollywood producers take note: Andi Mack's audience obviously goes way beyond the Chinese or Asian/American demographic. Good stories and good characters will attract an audience no matter what ethnicity the characters are. This is especially true in the age bracket this show targets.

As a Disney Channel product it is not surprising that Andi Mack may suffer some cloyingly sweet characters. However, we have to give the show (and Disney) credit for addressing the character's ethnicity and not just having them be through-and-through white out of fear of offending some sectors. Hopefully, it opens the door to possibly tackle racism in a future episode. because, that's you can't escape that in a real-life high school.

Andi Mack airs Fridays at 8 p.m. ET on Disney Channel, but you can still watch this particular episode on demand and in repeat showings:

• Saturday, Nov. 4, 2:10 pm and 10:05 pm
• Sunday, Nov. 4, 10:30 am, 1:35 pm, 9:10 pm and 11:30 pm
• Check your local listings for repeat showings.

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TGIF FEATURE: Disney and 'Andi Mack' make history

The women of the Mack family, Bex, Andi and grandma Celia.

IF YOU'RE not watching Andi Mack , you're missing out on one of the most progressive shows on television.

With its theme parks and cast of characters, the Walt Disney brand is about as all-American, wholesome and family-oriented as you can get.

The Disney Channel’s Andi Mack, starring breakout star Peyton Elizabeth Lee, kicks off its second season by revealing one of its principal characters to be gay. 

It may be disconcerting to some Disney aficionados who consider the entertainment company alongside with the flag, motherhood and apple pie, that a Disney Channel TV show would make history by using a storyline of one its principal characters adjusting to the realization that he is gay. Then, again - why not?

If you haven't watched Andi Mack, you might think that a Disney production would be a bland (read "white") uncomplicated interpretation of the real world, where birds sing as they create a dress for Cinderella. No, no, no, my friends.

There's more to the Mack family than what one might see upon first glance. It turns out that  Andi's real mother is Bex, the young woman she grew up thinking was her sister (Lillian Bowden). The woman who raised her as her daughter, is really Andi's grandmother (Lauren Tom). Not exactly Ozzie and Harriet or Leave it to Beaver.

So right off the bat: Disney Channel has created a family comedy-drama aimed at kids, ages 6-14, that features parents dealing with teenage pregnancy.

The coming-of-age series, which debuted in April, follows the adventures of Asian/American tween Andi Mack and her pals, Buffy Driscoll (Sofia Wylie) and Cyrus Goodman (Joshua Rush) as they navigate adolescence. Not one of them is blonde and blue-eyed.

In Friday’s (Oct. 27) season premiere, Andi is struggling with a crush on a middle school boy, Jonah Beck (Asher Angel). Later in the episode, Cyrus begins to realize that he, too, has feelings for Jonah. That realization marks the beginning of Cyrus coming to identify ― and eventually embrace himself as ― a gay tween.

A stroll down Main Street in Disneyland harkens back to a simpler time when the country didn't have the divisive problems we face today. It represents is a period in American history that many Donald Trump supporters dream of when they talk about "making America great again."

The Walt Disney company appears to expect some blowback from some of its fans who embrace that brand. It released a statement regarding Andi Mack‘s stories and characters, writing:

“The Disney brand has always been inclusive, with stories that reflect acceptance and tolerance and celebrate the differences that make our characters uniquely wonderful in their own way. We constantly strive to live up to that legacy by continuing to create and share compelling storylines from our studios and media networks that entertain with inspirational and aspirational themes and reflect the incredibly rich diversity of the human experience. Our stories are timeless because they speak to the heart; our characters appeal to children across gender, ability, and experience because they’re defined by kindness, loyalty, humor, courage, wit, and other traits that make a good friend. Disney remains committed to continuing to create characters that are accessible and related to all children.”

This story arc is the first of its kind for the cable network, and it was devised with input from child development experts. The season premiere episode was also screened in advance for organizations like Common Sense Media, GLAAD, and PFLAG. Disney Channel claims they’ve aimed to craft a story that maintains their signature brand of age-appropriate storytelling while building a narrative of inclusion and kindness.

“With more and more young people coming out as LGBTQ, Andi Mack is reflecting the lives and lived experiences of so many LGBTQ youth around the country,” said Sarah Kate Ellis, president and CEO of GLAAD. 

“Television reflects the real life world and today that includes LGBTQ youth who deserve to see their lives depicted on their favorite shows. Disney has been a leader in LGBTQ inclusion and there are so many young people who will be excited to see Cyrus’ story unfold,” stated Ellis.

Andi Mack has quickly become one of the Disney Channel’s most popular shows among young audiences. To date, the show featuring an Asian/American family as its centerpiece, is ranked as the year’s top TV series among girls 6-11, 9-14 and 6-14," according to Deadline.

And if you can teach tolerance and appreciations of diversity at that impressionable age, you can change the world.

Andi Mack season 2 premieres at 8 p.m. today, Friday, Oct. 27 on the Disney Channel.

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