The story of trans man Liam Bérubé, played by actor Guillaume Rodrigue, is extremely complex Untenable Because the man, previously called Vanessa, provided four versions of the facts to explain the murder of his mother, of which he is the main suspect.
Liam was in the middle of transition – he had been taking testosterone for two years – and was confronted with the death of his father, who accepted his gender dysphoria and found himself alone with his paraplegic mother Sylvie Ranger (Sylvie Dubé), who was less than enchanted by her, at the thought that her daughter could become a boy.
Liam with one of his lawyers, Léo MacDonald (Sébastien Delorme). SCREENSHOT / QMI AGENCY
Ms. Ranger did not reciprocate his love and even increased the microaggressions toward his caregiver. Did Liam kill her or was he part of a murder plot with her boyfriend Carl Dumais (François Ruel-Côté), who was once her boyfriend?
After accusing Dumais of being the perpetrator of the crime – and vice versa – Liam claims that he wanted to get rid of the woman who gave him life, but changed his mind at the last minute. He claims Dumais did the dirty work alone and just cleaned up the crime scene. Dumais also demands a lot of money from him, which adds to the confusion.
Liam, who has multiplied the versions, accuses his friend Carl Dumais – who was already his friend – of killing his mother. SCREENSHOT / QMI AGENCY
“Liam was very nervous about his mother's resistance and blockage towards his transsexuality. He didn't know how to deal with all of this anymore. We have to watch the rest of the plot to know the outcome,” said Guillaume Rodrigue.
Liam, who was in a women's prison awaiting further trial, had no access to his transition medication and was in very poor health in recent episodes. And besides, he had to face Judge Fournier (Yves Corbeil), a man of his time who humiliated him by saying that in court he would be Vanessa and not Liam…
Defense of the task
Liam's lawyers, Léo (Sébastien Delorme) and André (Michel Laperrière), invoke the waiver, a risky and complicated bet, especially since Liam is less credible due to the numerous versions he has presented. To raise the plea of neglect, it must be proven that Liam warned his alleged accomplice of his intention to abandon the plan to kill his mother; his words must have been clear and unambiguous; and he must have tried to prevent the crime.
SCREENSHOT / QMI AGENCY
Guillaume Rodrigue, who is not a trans man, did research and consulted friends in this community before accepting the role offered to him.
“A trans friend told me it reflected reality well,” said the actor, who starred in District 31 and The Invisibles.
“The producer and writer Izabel Chevrier, who accompanied a trans man in his transition in another project, called me two weeks before filming and told me that I should not play a woman who becomes a man, but the man who becomes me am, namely Liam is a man. It took some of the stress off me, even though it’s a big emotional burden, this role.”
SCREENSHOT / QMI AGENCY
When he was a teenager, Liam realized he was born in the wrong body before “sliding” into drugs, alcohol and sex. He now wanted to live his life as a man, which he always was, but has he gone too far to finally enjoy happiness?
Yes, it is possible for a trans man to have an Adam's apple!
On social media, some Indefensible supporters have claimed that a trans man can't have an Adam's apple, but it's actually possible. DSG Training's website states that “voice change results in enlargement of the larynx, making the Adam's apple more visible.” Liam, who took testosterone for two years as part of his transition, could have “developed” an Adam’s apple even though he was previously female.
Produced by Pixcom in collaboration with Quebecor Content, the daily Indéfendable airs on TVA from Monday to Thursday at 7 p.m. You can watch the episodes on TVA+.