The opening scene of Looking, HBO’s new serialized comedy/drama, will no doubt elicit affectionate laughs of recognition from many gay male viewers.
As the story begins, Patrick (Jonathan Groff) is looking for love in the wrong place - the bushes at his local park. He tries to kiss the guy who approaches him, and asks for his trick’s name. "Stop talking!" is the response.
Their interlude is interrupted by the ringing of Patrick’s cell phone. "Excuse me, I have to take this," says a sheepish Patrick as he saunters off.
Thus begins Looking, HBO’s much ballyhooed take on modern gay life, debuting on January 19th. The freshman season will comprise of eight episodes, four of which were made available to Outsmart for viewing prior to the launch date.
Comparisons to Showtime’s Queer as Folk are inevitable. The groundbreaking gay soap which aired from 2000-2005, was considered shocking for it’s no holds barred sexuality, and graphic nudity. The world was a different place when QAF first took to the airwaves. Marriage equality wasn’t yet on the table, nor had any federal equality laws been passed. In the ensuing decade, we’ve seen the election of Barack Obama, the first pro-LGBT president in US history. The Defense of Marriage Act was declared unconstitutional by the US Supreme Court. Don’t Ask Don’t Tell was repealed, and LGBT people currently enjoy unprecedented visibility in the media and a level of acceptance that many thought wouldn’t come in our lifetimes.
Looking is being produced in this brave new world, and what was seen as shocking and titillating ten years ago is now a matter of everyday fact. There are no coming out stories on Looking - the gay characters are presented as who they are, without commentary. What we get is an enjoyable, often familiar, sometimes silly slice of life set in contemporary San Francisco.
Jonathan Groff is delightful as lead character Patrick. The actor (who recently dated out actor Zachary Quinto of Star Trek) is as casually open about his own gayness as Patrick is about his own. In Patrick we see a lot of ourselves: a sweet, bumbling guy who yearns to find the elusive Mr. Right. Like many gay men, Patrick stumbles along the way, reaching out to people who don’t want him, and turning away from people who do. Will Patrick find his knight in shining armour? The only way to find out is to keep tuning in.
Looking is shot on location around many of San Francisco’s recognizable gay landmarks, including the legendary Castro district. The writing and the acting are sharp, often funny, and fast paced. Storylines should easily hold viewers’ attention.
The producers went for a "documentary"-style approach, shooting most scenes with a hand held camera in atmospheric lighting that’s perhaps a bit too low key; when some scenes begin, the screen is so dark, the actors appear in silhouette. It can take a moment or two until viewers can tell who it is they’re seeing. This was an artistic choice on the part of the filmmakers and seems to serve no purpose, so I hope this will be corrected in future episodes.
Be that as it may, Looking offers its viewers what the recent offerings such as The New Normal and Sean Saves the World do not: a peek into the lives of gay men who come across as real people. As we watch Patrick on his journey, we’re watching our own stories unfold.