Missing You

Aqua’s identity as a trans woman is confirmed and remains part of her character throughout the story. Her friendship with Kat and her knowledge of the father’s secret make her important to the main mystery. Kat’s father was secretly in love with a man, and that relationship drives blackmail, violence, and the final reveal. The show treats these identity themes as serious parts of the story, but it does not build the whole plot around activism.

The show presents police corruption, blackmail, and abuse of power through its crime plot. The story does not turn these problems into a broad attack on Western culture, men, family life, or religion. The police criticism is tied to the mystery and personal wrongdoing. The specific woke element is the small amount of identity-based conflict around the closeted father and Aqua’s danger.

The show changes Aqua from the book’s older and unclear description into an openly trans woman. Netflix also cast a trans actress and used trans-focused support during production. This is a clear identity-driven change to an established character. The change affects Aqua’s role and public meaning, while the move from New York to Manchester is an ordinary adaptation choice.

Some right-leaning viewers called the show woke because of Aqua, the trans casting, and the gay reveal about Kat’s father. A few posts also complained about diverse casting and called Aqua a forced DEI character. The comments came mostly from small accounts, with one named commentator quitting early. The reaction was scattered and did not become a major campaign.

Victoria Asare-Archer has publicly supported stories centered on Black and other underrepresented people. She also said that hiring black writers and cast members changes the makeup of a production. Nicola Shindler has a long record of producing queer stories. Isher Sahota has also spoken about giving more space to underrepresented communities, and these views match the show’s visible casting and identity themes.