Love, Victor does what a good spinoff series should do: it pays homage to Love, Simon without being a carbon copy. Love, Simon centers around Simon Spier (Nick Robinson), a teen dealing with whether or not he’s ready to come out. Whereas Love, Victor follows Victor Salazar (Michael Cimino), a teen still trying to figure himself out. While the similarities are there — they’re both students at Creekwood High School trying to navigate the school year the best way they know how — it’s the differences between them that truly set them apart.
Yes, Simon does make an appearance in Love, Victor, but as the title suggests, this is Victor’s story. That being said, at the beginning of the series, it’s clear he feels as if he has to live up to Simon’s legacy; much like the series feels like it needs to live up to the movie. Even so, Love, Victor is able to become so much more than just a coming-out story by focusing not only on Victor’s struggles, but on those around him as well, letting their stories and issues shine through. Keep reading to see all the ways Love, Victor is different from Love, Simon.