Exclusive Interview
‘Forever’: Lovie Simone Breaks Down Keisha & Justin’s Love Story, Reveals Season 2 Hopes (VIDEO)
[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for Forever Season 1.]
Netflix gives Judy Blume‘s 1975 novel, Forever, the modern-day treatment, and even though 50 years have passed since the book’s publication, its themes have proven to be timeless. The new series follows Justin Edwards (Michael Cooper Jr.) and Keisha Clark (Lovie Simone) as they navigate the highs and lows of first love, high school, and the excitement–and uncertainty—of the future.
From miscommunication to intimacy to the prospect of college, Justin and Keisha’s relationship embodies the essence of what it means to give your heart to someone during those impactful teenage years. The sensational Lovie Simone spoke with Swooon about the fate of Justin and Keisha’s romance and what she’d want to explore in Season 2.
As with many first loves, Justin and Keisha go their separate ways by the end of the season. With Keisha going to college on a track scholarship and Justin taking a gap year, they both make the mature decision to break up as they pursue different paths. However, they both cherish the love they shared.
“I was so sad because, in my head, I just really wanted Justin and Keisha to last,” Simone told Swooon. “I really wanted them to last. I really wanted them to last. And in my head, it’s like don’t ever leave, don’t walk away. But it is very mature that at that point in their journeys together that they would walk away. Because I do think there’s something so beautiful about knowing that you can’t be somewhere right now, even if it’s just for right now, I can’t be here. So I did appreciate that ending.”
Elizabeth Morris / Netflix
However, Simone believes that Justin and Keisha’s paths will cross again at some point. “I think they reconnect. I think a lot of first loves reconnect, even if it doesn’t last forever, they always reconnect,” she said.
As the actress looked back at the love story between these two characters on the cusp of a new chapter, she noted that Justin allowed Keisha to “be a bit less serious in herself and in her head. I do think that Keisha appreciates Justin’s creativity and his sometimes aloofness.”
Together, Justin and Keisha enjoyed every moment, whether it was prom or making out on the Los Angeles transit. Yes, Forever did take over the Los Angeles transit in order to film that Justin and Keisha PDA moment.
“I’m from New York, so the idea of shutting down a train system is really disruptive and really crazy to me, but we were there at 3-4 in the morning just on those trains,” Simone quipped.
While Forever tells a complete tale of Justin and Keisha’s relationship, is this really the end for them? Simone addressed the possibility of Season 2. She told Swooon that she’d want to see Keisha find out “what she’s really interested in post-high school. I feel like high school was her world. High school was her everything. It was the blueprint to the next step. So I do want to see what it looks like for Keisha to figure out her next blueprint and her next step and seeing what she looks like in the middle of that, rather in the middle of meeting a lover for the first time.”
Watch the full video above to get a deeper glimpse into Forever.
Forever, Season 1, Streaming Now, Netflix
