First of all, how dare they.
This reinvention of the novel by Nick Hornby was a breath of fresh air that we all needed. The book is told from the irritable perspective of a loser chap who cheats on his girlfriend and deals with the repercussions of her moving out. Most of the novel is made up of Rob Fleming complaining and whining about all the girls who have crossed him while also trying to keep his record shop afloat. The story line starts off with detailed accounts of all the women who have dumped him and ends with the final nail in the coffin.
In this revitalization Zoë Kravitz takes the same story line (and name) and flips it to a much less "woe is me" scenario and amplifies it with her bad ass personality and amazing taste in band tees. There wasn't a more perfect person to play this exact role. The steps of the character are the same, different relationships come and go, but structural storyline and characters are in place. The show in its self was perfection to the tee and the news of its cancellation sent a shockwave throughout the cool people community.
It comes with very hypocritical undertones as Hollywood just recently made "pledges" to continue to diversify the industry. Cancelling a brilliant show produced by and featuring a cast from all ranges of the cultural spectrum feels like a giant fuck you to the face.
Zoë Kravitz, who not only starred in but also produced the show, responded to the news sharing her love for the High Fidelity team.
Celebrities like Rhea Butcher expressed their disappointment but also had a great point to make:
Most importantly the fans responded with mostly crushed spirits and confusion:
As we all pick ourselves back up from the floor we can only hope that another streaming service will find the value and representation this show brought to the table. There is so much more to unpack and the support for the show was clearly evident. In the mean time at least we were left with an amazing playlist. As the show says:
"It's a delicate art. It's like writing a love letter."
Enjoy the official High Fidelity Playlist here.