‘Looking’ Does Not Have All The Answers To All Your Gay Questions

This is a recap. Spoilers ahead.

–

Over the weekend, HBO debuted its new series Looking, about three young gay men in present-day San Francisco, and since then, critics and comments threads have tied themselves into knots pondering what it all means. Is the show making some kind of universal statement about the experience of gay men in this day and age? Is it some kind of State Of The Union Address on gay sexual politics? Does it honestly and accurately depict every detail of contemporary gay life, and if not, why not?

That’s a heavy burden of expectations for one little show, but it was always going to be this way. As a series with three openly gay protagonists, Looking is a relatively unique proposition in the current TV landscape so, for better or worse, it comes with questions of representation and authenticity built right in. Put it this way: nobody watches New Girl, a comedy series where straight people hang out, hook up, shack up and break up, and asks if the show is a true and accurate depiction of the heterosexual experience.

It’s probably best to approach Looking without any of this baggage in mind. It doesn’t answer any of the big questions, but it doesn’t aim to. Nor does it demand to be studied or picked apart by queer theorists. It’s a simple show of simple ambitions: a comedic drama – or maybe a dramatic comedy – about three people negotiating the choppy waters of love and sex. It’s not a statement about all gay men, but a character study of three quite specific ones.

Foremost among these is Patrick, a video game designer and hopeless romantic played by Jonathan Groff. Patrick is awkward, a bit of a dork, and borderline socially dysfunctional – he’s probably the only gay person in 2014 who lines up dates on OK Cupid – but he’s so damn adorable that you’re immediately on his side. Groff has a talent for playing likeable screwballs, like the super crush-worthy Kristoff in Disney’s Frozen. Objectively, yes, he’s way too handsome to be playing a hopeless case like Patrick, but shows like this require a certain suspension of disbelief.

Over the course of the episode, Patrick gets the world’s most awkward hand job, goes on the world’s most awkward first date, and attends the world’s most awkward bachelor party for his newly-engaged ex-boyfriend. The latter sequence is actually one of the series premiere’s more ingenious touches. Gay marriage is a relatively new phenomenon, so how the hell do you handle the bachelor party? Apparently with a lot of awkward conversations at urinals, and a lot of grinding on shirtless boy dancers dressed like Miley Cyrus teddy bears.

The one bright spot in Patrick’s evening is the boy he meets on the train, on the way to the party from hell. This scene is also beautifully written, in that it shows how Patrick, loveable as he is, can also be kind of a jerk. Patrick and Richie clearly come from different worlds – Patrick is a buttoned-down professional type, Richie is a snapback-wearing club promoter. Patrick is reserved, Richie is open and flirty. Then of course, there’s the fact that Patrick is white and Richie is Latino.

Groff plays the scene in a very interesting way. The flirtier Richie gets, the colder Patrick’s smile becomes. In one key moment, Richie reaches into Patrick’s pocket and pulls out a business card, not realising that said card belongs to Patrick’s awful, snobby date from earlier in the evening. At this point, Patrick assumes his date’s identity, lying about his name and profession to get out of an awkward situation and throw Richie off the scent. The scene is played for screwball comedy, but it shows a hardness and meanness underneath Patrick’s sweet exterior — the implication being that Patrick has already judged the eager, puppy dog-ish Richie, and found him unsatisfactory. It’s a nice touch, and one that really helps to round the character out.

Patrick’s two best friends are artist Augustin (Frankie J Alvarez) and waiter Dom (Murray Bartlett), but thus far, they don’t have a hell of a lot to do. Dom is pushing 40, and beds younger hotties to feel young himself; Augustin and his long-term partner have just opened themselves up to their first three-way, which will probably lead to emotional turmoil down the line, this being a HBO drama and all.

These characters may get some interesting stories later on, but for now, Looking is very much Jonathan Groff’s show.

The first episode is far from perfect – the story this far feels very lightweight, and the stakes very low. Then there’s the fact that Patrick uses OK Cupid, which really rubs me the wrong way; even someone as hopelessly out-of-touch with the dating world as I am knows that gay men use Grindr, Scruff and the like to go looking for dick in this day and age. (Then again, a friend of mine insists that a hopelessly hetero site like OK Cupid is the perfect medium for Patrick, who is above casual sex and hook up culture.)

I’ve been feeling pretty down on the state of gay men on TV since Happy Endings was cancelled before its time, taking with it the magnificent, slovenly bear cub Max Blum. While Looking does not provide anywhere near the same high that show did, it’s off to a pretty good start. The end of the first episode sees Patrick thinking better of himself, and showing up at the club where Richie works for a surprise visit. I’m keen to see where Patrick and Richie’s relationship is headed, not because the pairing is a profound statement on gay life, but because they’re a pair of likeable guys on a TV show.

The fate of gay culture, and the future of LGBT representation on television doesn’t rest on the success or failure of Looking. It doesn’t have answers to any of the big questions, but it doesn’t claim to. Sometimes, a fun show is just a fun show.

–

Looking airs on Showcase at 8pm each Monday

–

Alasdair Duncan is an author, freelance writer and video game-lover who has had work published in Crikey, The Drum, The Brag, Beat, Rip It Up, The Music Network, Rave Magazine, AXN Cult and Star Observer.