Controversy Over Racial Representation in HBO’s “Half Man”

Half Man follows Niall (Jamie Bell) as he begins university and befriends Alby Safadi (Bilal Hasna, Charlie De Melo), a gay student of color. Alby encourages Niall to acknowledge his attraction to men. Ruben interprets Niall’s coming out as a personal attack and brutally assaults Alby, leaving him in a coma, permanently disfigured, and causing Niall’s relationship with Ruben to collapse. In the present-day timeline, Niall and Alby are married, and Ruben’s presence at their wedding provokes panic.

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The series spans from the late 1980s to the present. A courtroom scene shows Ruben claiming the assault resulted from Alby groping him. The narrative states Alby’s race does not affect how characters or the justice system view him, yet the show never identifies his nationality or ethnicity.

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Alby Safadi – gay student of color, portrayed by Bilal Hasna and Charlie De Melo; Niall – white protagonist, portrayed by Jamie Bell; Ruben – antagonist; Richard Gadd – creator and star; HBO – broadcaster.

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Critics argue that Alby’s character is marginalized after the assault, appearing only as a “ghost” despite being a narrative pillar in the 1990s timeline. The series offers limited insight into the assault’s impact on Alby’s education, career, or relationship with Niall, focusing instead on Niall’s trauma. Reviewers note that Alby functions primarily as a pseudo-therapist for Niall and as a punching-bag for Ruben, without substantive exploration of his racial identity. The omission of explicit references to Alby’s ethnicity further weakens the portrayal.

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The series exemplifies a broader pattern in queer television where characters of color serve as side-kicks or love interests to white protagonists. While such positioning is not inherently problematic, the lack of narrative depth and the failure to address racial dynamics reinforce existing representation disparities.

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• “Just when it appears that Niall has finally found a confidant in his tumultuous life, Alby’s encouragement for Niall to come out ends with Ruben interpreting this revelation as a personal attack, resulting in him brutally assaulting Alby.” — HuffPost reviewer, HuffPost

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• “The series is set from the late 1980s to the present day, so to say that Alby’s race is not a factor in how Ruben, his family and the justice system see him is laughable.” — HuffPost reviewer, HuffPost

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• “Alby’s reaction to his own assault is only ever clear through the physical scars we can see on his face, with no regard for how this attack impacted his schooling, his subsequent career and even his rekindled relationship with Niall.” — HuffPost reviewer, HuffPost

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• “By using Alby as a therapist for the show’s white protagonist — and as a punching bag for its white antagonist — the otherwise bold and tightly written series is softened by its disregard for racial politics, pointing to a larger problem that continues to grow in queer television.” — HuffPost reviewer, HuffPost

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