Stop LOOKING For Now

Article first published as Stop LOOKING For Now on TheTVKing.

HBO's Looking has semi-accurately been dubbed Girls with gay men. Both of the half hour dramedies feature authentic, unique voices, profiling personalities of a generation that haven't made in onto TV all that much yet. They're realistic-ish, or at least the characters are, and the episodes do draw the viewer in quite effectively, whether because we're seeing ourselves or someone we know in the parts.

Looking, which aired its first season finale, "Looking Glass," this week, has a little more self-awareness, playing a bit to sitcom tropes, but acknowledging it does so. When one of the guys on Looking identifies themselves as a woman from The Golden Girls or Sex and the City, we can see this. It is also clear that Patrick (Jonathan Groff) and Richie (Raul Castillo) view themselves as Ross and Rachel from Friends.

This latter parallel is mentioned in an earlier episode, then shows up again in the finale when Patrick and Richie are on a break and Patrick has a sexual tryst before they get back together. Frustrated fans will surely be screaming at the screen "They were on a break!" when the news comes out and Richie gets mad, which has to happen.

I don't think Looking completely rips off Friends, though. For one, Patrick's affair is with his boss, Kevin (Russell Tovey), someone more integral to his life than a random copy girl. And while the timing is a bit too coincidental, there's no way the dynamic will play out the same way moving forward, with Patrick and Richie alternately pining for one another while the other tries to move on for the next nine years.

This is because the guys in Looking are aware of their television predecessors and are influenced, but not defined, by them. Patrick may be more likely to end up in a Ross situation because he knows who Ross is and identifies with him. But real life isn't TV, and Looking strives for that real life aspect, so while the scenario may begin the same as on the beloved sitcom, it likely will quickly branch out into something else.

Let's hope the love triangle isn't resolved too quickly, though. Should Patrick be with Richie or Kevin? We've seen an entire installment of Patrick and Richie just being happy together, and that was fantastic. We've also seen emotional moments between Patrick and Kevin, and there is definitely a strong connection there. Plus, Patrick is able to bottom for Kevin, something he struggles with for Richie, though Kevin already has the boss relationship with Patrick, so that may have something to do with it. I'd really like to see how they get along as a couple before making a decision. I hope Looking keeps both men in Patrick's life around long enough to explore this fully, and since Patrick and Kevin will be series regulars in year two, that seems likely.

Dom's (Murray Bartlett) new beau, Lynn (Scott Bakula), should also stay, though Bakula hasn't been contracted to do so. Dom's pop-up restaurant succeeds because of Lynn, even as Dom drives Lynn away from the event. Yet, Dom is able to realize this by the end of the half hour, and when Lynn says he doesn't want to work together any more, Dom pursues the older man romantically. Mixing business and pleasure is messy and that may not work for them, but Lynn does seem to bring out the best of all sides of Dom, helping him find his potential, so Lynn would be welcome to stick around for awhile in some capacity.

One of the best moments in "Looking Glass" is when Doris (Lauren Weedman) fights for Dom to Lynn. Doris has been a relatively small supporting character up until now, but this scene will make any viewer instantly fall for her. She has also been upgraded to main player for the sophomore run, and after seeing this side of her, I am anxious for more from Dom's bestie.

The third couple in the show, I am completely done with. Frank (O.T. Fagbenle) kicks out Agustin (Frankie J. Alvarez) after only living together a short time. Agustin completely deserves it, acting like a total ass all season, going behind his boyfriend's back and whining about his art instead of making something. Perhaps the creative types are just this unstable and it's needed for great work, but it makes them nearly impossible to be around.

I'm surprised Patrick takes Agustin back in so easily. After all, Agustin has been a jerk towards Patrick, too, especially where Richie, whom Patrick still loves, is concerned. Yet, there's definitely a lot of history between the two prior to Looking's start, so that must play into Patrick's willingness to forgive without an apology being offered. If Agustin is sticking around, and he is one of the leads, unlike Frank, we need to start seeing the elements in him that Patrick and Dom like. They have been in short supply in year one.

The fact that eight short entries can suck fans in so fully to these characters shows quite a bit of skill in the acting and writing departments. Looking is a compelling, intelligent series that is both enjoyable and fresh. If you missed this initial run, check it out on HBOGo or when it inevitably reruns. You'll want to be caught up before the second round, which will presumably air early next year.

Done LOOKING

Article first published as LOOKING Review on Seat42F.

HBO’s LOOKING reminds me of Girls and, to a slightly lesser extent, How To Make It In America. It’s a series about three guys, age thirty or a little older, looking for love and professional success in San Francisco. The episodes follows their individual plotlines, as well as how they interact as a group, so the structure is similar to other HBO half hour dramedy successes. And the voice behind the writing is specific and fresh.

All three of the main guys do happen to be gay, which provides a point of view that would be different than if they were straight. The homosexual scene in the city is one of hookups, threesomes, and trysts in the woods. But that isn’t necessarily what our three protagonists are looking for. Only some of the gays go for those things. Others are looking for love.

Patrick (Jonathan Groff, Glee, Boss) is a sweet and awkward video game developer. He desperately wants a relationship, made more earnest by the engagement of an ex, but isn’t sure how to negotiate the dating scene. Guys that are too forward weird him out, and guys that are more subtle confuse him. He is the central role, if there is one, someone to care about and root for, and he seems like a pretty darn good person.

I’m not sure I buy Groff as being in the gamer world because (and yes, this is a stereotype) he seems too neatly dressed and well-groomed. But I do feel like he’s done a good job developing the personal side of the part, a fitting protagonist for this very specific series.

Patrick’s pals are Agustin (Frankie J. Alvarez, Smash), an artist’s assistant who is in a stable relationship, and Dom (Murray Bartlett, Guiding Light), who seems a bit older than the others, and who maybe hasn’t found what he expected to by now. All three are at very different points in their lives, and yet they definitely have bonded in a way that isn’t really explained in the “Pilot,” though we can see the affection between them.

While Patrick stumbles through dates, Agustin is moving in with his long-term partner and experimenting with more the one person in the bedroom at a time. Of course, Agustin is part of the arts scene, which is notoriously free-spirited, so it shouldn’t be surprising. But the situation has the makings of a disastrous combustion. And Dom has a different perspective, already gone through his 30s decade, and doesn’t view life the same way the younger man do. As such, we get several different experiences laid out, allowing for a fuller, richer tapestry.

It’s interesting that, although many very close friends tend to be pretty similar to one another in real life, those on television are quite a bit different. This isn’t a complaint, as these relationships do feel authentic, just an observation. It does make for more interesting storytelling, though I worry that it hurts the realism just a bit.

There are many other characters in LOOKING, but it’s hard to tell right now who will stick around and who will be one-shots. I assume Agustin’s boyfriend, Frank (O.T. Fagbenle, Breaking and Entering) will be involved, as will Dom’s roommate Dories (Lauren Weedman, Hung), but is the guy that Patrick flirted with on the subway a brief guest appearance, or someone destined to matter more? And will Agustin stay around his playmates, or will they split off? I feel like this is an ensemble that will develop over time, circling around the three leads, rather than one laid out explicitly, which lends a bit of uncertainty to the show that is pleasing. Though it does seem like they will have more friends hang around for a while than, say, Sex and the City did.

There will be inevitable comparisons of LOOKING to Queer as Folk, but not having seen that series, I can’t comment on those. I do think LOOKING is a compelling show on its own with good writing and wonderful acting, something that leaves me wanting to see more of the lives of the characters, the goal of any television show.

LOOKING airs Sundays at 10:30 p.m. EST on HBO.