difficultdiva

It was character growth and change of direction for both Michael and Brian in season two with the introduction of Professor Ben. Even though there were viewers, who thought that it was an unbalanced pairing (not because of Ben's HIV status), but due to class differences with the pairing. Michael was a manager of this cheap, psuedo "WalMart like" store, while Ben worked at a university. I liked who Michael became while being with Ben. He grew out of his obsession in the fantasy of being more to Brian than just his best friend. I also think that Brian knew that if he didn't let Michael go emotionally, they both would never really be able to have chances (or Michael specifically) at finding someone to share their lives with romantically. As for Brian, he was definitely real and human, but I never related to him or thought of him as a good person. I felt like he was still in the process of learning how to let himself feel something for others, to express it, without thinking that it was a sign of weakness. That's why I was so happy that Brian and Justin decided to not get married, so that his young lover could have a chance at experiencing life on his own, making his own choices. Brian was at a place in his life, that he seemed to be at peace with himself. Justin wanted more and even though Brian tried to give him what he thought his fiance wanted, Justin knew it wasn't something that he could give him.

Patrick could try and say that Kevin was sexually harassing him, but he is attracted to his boss. I think that if John wasn't in the picture, Patrick would still have qualms about pursuing Kevin. I still think that Patrick has way more to lose than Kevin if they end up together. Emotionally I don't think that Patrick's at all ready to be with anyone, Richie or Kevin at the moment. He says that he wants something more, but he can't cope with feeling that Richie's beneath him (even though he doesn't want to feel that way) nor be able to deal with being Kevin's secret lover, if they ever decide to move past the flirting stage. That's why I don't agree with the idea that it would be easier for Patrick to be Kevin's secret lover, than being in a relationship with someone who's of a different class and race like Richie. He has two men who want to be with him. He continues to push away an available man, while flirting with another who isn't available.

Michael was really pathetically hooked on Brian in season one.

Agreed - Look, I hated Brian on QAFUS, but I was interested in how Michael finally let go and let himself have a life, a man and a future that he wanted. He was still Brian's BFF, but he was able to get himself out of that holding pattern of just being Brian's pathetic friend who wants more. I'm pissed out Agustin's behavior, but I'm also interested in IF he'll come to a breaking point and wonder why he blew up his job and his relationship with Frank. It wasn't just because he found CJ hot. I want to see how these characters deal with the choices (good and bad) and how they try to move forward from it.

Is it really a deal breaker that the leads (on a gay show) have to be likeable? If every lead had to be "likeable", would Breaking Bad, Mad Men or even Sopranos have lasted past their first seasons?

New interview with Scott Bakula. http://www.vulture.com/m/2014/03/lookings-bakula-on-weed-and-loving-to-sing.html?mid=twitter_vulture I hope he does come back as Lynn for next season.

Skin I've never read any viewer describe how Brian had put Lindsey, Justin and Michael in categories of how much emotion he gave to all three. Your theory on it does make sense to me, especially the part about denying the sex with Michael and keeping his emotions in check with Justin. Justin was never my favorite character, but I felt that the writers (in their need to keep the fandom happy with B/J having as many sex scenes possible) destroyed any sort of growth that he was gaining when he left Brian for Ethan at the end of season two. I felt like some of those fans wanted to see Justin grovel, in order to get Brian back after Ethan had cheated on him and that's exactly what the show wrote for that character. Justin was never independent from doing anything that had nothing to do with Brian. Then, when they had him refocusing on his art in the final season, some viewers couldn't understand what happened. The wedding being canceled. Him leaving Pittsburgh to try and make an independent start in his life.

Thanks for the link, EM I saw you post it on this week's AVClub of Looking. I love the conversations that have developed about that show on that site. Scott Evans, who didn't have any lines in the episode, was in a scene next to Patrick's sister and that was when he used the c-word to describe him and Kevin said that only the British are able to use that word properly. If, I'm remembering directly.

Patrick was looking at Kevin (and John) throughout the reception and that's one of the many reasons why he pushed him away when the kiss happened in the bathroom. Too many mixed signals, no matter how much Patrick does want Kevin to desire him. I guess some folks wanted to see Patrick and Kevin do it right inside the stalls. That would really add to Patrick's neurosis. I wonder if Scott Evans is the guy that Patrick had his first sexual experience while on that school field trip?

I think (and still have hope) that Patrick doesn't want to end up being a side piece to Kevin. Kevin and his interest in Patrick may be genuine, but he continues to give him mixed messages regarding his boyfriend. I'm not expecting to hear that Jon is this walking saint, but Kevin continues to say all these negative things about his boyfriend and his relationship to Patrick, then he sees those two together and they DO look like they're happy or what's supposed to look like happy. Patrick already has issues with his self-esteem. I don't know how he'll function as the other man. If that happens. He'll be even more neurotic.

Hey, they helped with the continued growth in the ratings each and every week since the pilot. I'm just so glad that Lauren, Raul and Russell have been bumped up to regulars for next season.

Yeah. The Big vs. Aiden issue is still a hot topic, because SaTC chose to go with the fantasy that this philanderer, two-time divorced older/established man would devote himself completely with (someone who romanticized everything in her life) Carrie. Carrie couldn't even cope with accepting the responsibility of breaking Aiden's heart TWICE after he took her back the second time. I wasn't expecting her to not have any sort of romantic relationships after Aiden, but TPTB chose to have her shrug off Aiden's pain as something that shouldn't have any sort of affect on her. That's why I got a complete thrill when Berger dumped her behind with a Post-It note. Candace Bushnell didn't get a "Happily Ever After" with her Mr. Big. They never even made it to the chapel. That's why I like "Looking". I don't see there being some last minute fantasyland tale come true for any of these characters. That their "happily ever after" is something that they're going to have to work for, grow up and seek it, through uncomfortable and realistic change.

So glad that I'm not the only one who thinks that way about Kevin. It's just odd that Kevin's showing up at these personal things regarding Patrick. Yet, there are viewers that are hoping that Kevin will dump his hot, gorgeous and (probably making more salary than him) boyfriend for Patrick. Kevin sees Patrick as an escape. Somebody new and fun that he can have, while he's in SF. I adore Russell Tovey, but I'm wary of Kevin's interest in Patrick.

A siren is probably blasting in Richie's mind 24/7 at this point, but he's really into Patrick. He continues to keep giving him shots at trying to turn their thing into a relationship. As he told Patrick other times before, he takes dating and relationships seriously and when he said, "I'm in" he meant it. He doesn't want to give up, because he's seen how Patrick can be with him (when they're alone), but they can't keep their relationship in a bubble. It has to be able to thrive in the outside world and sadly, Patrick's not strong enough to even confront his friend, when said friend shows his ass to his boyfriend. Patrick IS hanging onto Richie, because he doesn't want another failed attempt at a relationship. He just invited him to a huge family event. So his neuroses will be on a dangerously high level. Patrick's going to have a panic attack and that's going to be it for Richie. Does anyone remember the scene of Carrie, hyperventilating, getting hives and having to be cut out of her wedding gown, because she knew that her appending marriage to Aiden Shaw was the wrong thing for her on SaTC?!

Stuart was usually always called out on his BS, but never with Vince or Nathan. Which made sense, because Stuart knew that he could get away with getting his way with his best friend, who was in love with him and the young man who never left. It was all the other ones (Vince's mom, the older gay lodger, their lesbian friends and Vince's friends) who were able to see beyond the history between Vince and Stuart to see how they each were putting their lives on hold. I loved it when the ONS walked up to Stuart and he called him out for not remembering him. Or the business client, who was so desperate to cheat on his wife and "hang out" with Stuart that it made him shudder in disgust. I still adore how Cameron (Vince's Australian older lover) told Stuart that he enjoyed keeping Vince waiting for him in some desperate need to choose him. Stuart definitely had his good, bad, dull, fiery, loving and angry side of his personality, but that was in the writing. It was in the source material. It wasn't this image that the character was based on and used for the majority of the time as his US counterpart. I appreciated that Davies ended the UK version after the second series. I even read an article that said he felt like the first series end was were he wanted the characters to be left at, but Channel 4 wanted to ride the wave of critical acclaim and viewers who wanted more stories based on the characters.

As much as I despise Agustin's crappy behaviour, I've had friends in my life, do almost the same exact things to me and a new guy that I had in my life. It's like this fear comes over them, like they'll be forgotten and not needed by you IF you're happy and in the beginning stages of love. As for Patrick, I still think he thinks that he has to find that J.Crew ideal for him and even though he does like Richie and doesn't want to be that guy fixated on image: he IS that guy right now. Agustin just blew Patrick's little bubble of happiness up, but Patrick probably has allowed him to do these things in his life for years. There was a reason why Patrick was so worried about Richie meeting Agustin. Somehow, he knew that Agustin would show his nastiness. I want Frank to dump Agustin and in the next season (crosses fingers and toes) runs into his ex, with his current man, CJ on his arm. I would just be so happy. As much flack Agustin's getting, I want to praise Frankie Alvarez, Jr.'s performance in the role. Agustin isn't a monster. He's a jerk, who's unhappy with his life and lashing out at others, because he's too damn weak to fix himself. That's something that is apart of human nature, even when folks don't want to acknowledge it.

Well, he was the one that Lindsey, Michael, Justin and certainly a huge portion of the viewing audience were interested in. I mean, if Brian had truly decided (on a whim) that he wanted to see what sex would be like with a woman, Lindsey would have been in his bed so fast, Mel's head would have spun around. It's not so odd, that Melanie, Ben and Debbie were constantly calling Brian to discuss things about their lover and/or child. Justin's mom thanked Brian for helping to support her son, when he wouldn't move back home. This was the almost 30 year old man, who had sex with her 17 year old kid. My issues with the Brian character, beyond his narcissistic behavior and acting like he was allowing these folks into his life (when it was the complete opposite) was the fact that he seemed utterly bored with his life, including all the sex and the men he was able to get, because he was the supposed sex god of Pittsburgh. The lack of drive, interest and desire for getting what he wanted irritated the heck out of me.

I watched the whole series and I hated how Ted aka "Eeyore" would end up being punished for almost the same exact behavior as Brian aka "Sex God" would be rewarded/praised for it. The quote that I loved from the previous thread on this series: I agree. Drew really was Emmett's perfect match, but it made sense for Emmett to not try and desperately hold onto him in a relationship. Drew was finally able to experience the release of being out, in all of its highs and lows. He actually gave Drew the chance to just be, in comparison to Brian and Justin's way too long and desperate pairing. IMO.

I was watching the extra piece HBO does for each episode, that gives insights from the producers of Looking. One of the producers (the one with the funky beard), said that everyone who was behind the scenes of "Looking for a Future" episode, felt like they were also on the date with the two characters. Folks would whisper and not have too loud conversations on set, even when they weren't filming.

Richie had taken Patrick to an exhibit at the Planetarium. It was supposed to be that dark, so that they could see the stars. For me, it would have been odd, if you had some special lighting, to showcase the two characters at that moment in time of their date. Like when on other sitcoms and soaps, you have some club scene and it's lit in just a certain way, so that you can see the main characters dialogue.

Wasn't it Agustin that initiated the beginning of the threeway between Frank and that other guy? He is completely behaving like someone who thinks he's missing out on something. That's why Dom made that offhand remark about giving the move in 6 months to last AND Patrick being startled by Agustin's little omission of not telling Frank that he's going to pay TJ to "model" for him. I'm so excited about tonight's episode.

Olli IS still popular, but the soap's writers are still under the impression that a majority of the audience ONLY is interested in him, when he's only focused on Christian. His long-distance and habitually cheating husband. The show has screwed up BIG time in how they've written both Olli and Christian during the past two years. I think that maybe, the show is testing the chemistry between Sascha and Olli, because there is an audience who definitely wants Olli to move on and leave Christian behind in his mind, heart and life. I'm not sure if anything romantic will develop from Sascha towards Olli, but something has to result from Olli discovering that he can feel something else for someone else other than Christian.

I love this show, because I wasn't expecting it to be like SATC, QAF or GIRLS. I love that I can identify and understand (at times), where each of the three main characters are at in their lives on this show. I'm old enough to remember how crazy you can be, when you're still single in your late 20s, questioning your life and relationship in your 30s and wondering if you've made the right choices in your life when you turn 40. I also like that these characters are not over the top and hilarious every 5 minutes and that they are portrayed as sexual beings, but it doesn't justify their entire existence.

Agreed. There will always be Patricks, Agustins, Dominics, Kevins, Richies and Franks out here, living their lives in this world. Patrick's a mess, but he isn't that bad. Even Agustin, with him not treating his boyfriend right, isn't an evil guy. They're just messed up, but not evil and their actions, I have seen in my guy friends and their relationships or attempts at relationships. None of what's being written isn't based on some real life situation.

Dang it. I forgot to DVR this. I have to check when this episode re-airs. Dang it.