LOOKING- Page 22

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 3/5/14 at 12:43pm

I agree--and while I know his contract was upped (Richie) but I don't see it going into a major relationship soon.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 3/5/14 at 12:50pm

"In fact, I think it might drag a bit at 60 mins."

It would be turgid.

The show needs to be an ensemble show. Patrick is a fine focal point, because he's likable, but the whole show about him ends up with too much of a chance to get completely sick of him. His choices seem really stupid the longer you spend time with him. Looking needs have more than eight episodes and they need to write for everybody. They must never ever ever choose to spend an entire episode with only two characters ever again.

The thing that I think they get absolutely right about this cohort (and it's terribly un-PC to say) is that none of them is very bright. It's like a slightly less driving-directions obsessed version of "The Californians." Spend a late morning at the Castro Starbucks and you will see what I mean.

Updated On: 3/5/14 at 12:50 PM

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 3/5/14 at 1:54pm

"They must never ever ever choose to spend an entire episode with only two characters ever again. "

They got so much attention (well as much as the show gets) for that, that I'd be worried that they will want to do it again. I liked the episode, but... If they do get more episodes I don't really mind if some of the episodes are more focused on one character, but...

I thought you were going to compare it to the Steps segment from Kids in the Hall, but Californians works to...

[Roscoe]

Posted: 3/5/14 at 2:03pm

"The thing that I think they get absolutely right about this cohort (and it's terribly un-PC to say) is that none of them is very bright."

Absolutely agree. These guys really are clueless about way too much regarding basic human interaction. Dom's idiotic and more than a bit offensive joke about the drag queen's name sounding like a taco stand was just bizarre -- which was almost certainly the point, but it isn't making him any less appealing as a character, which is almost certainly the point, of course, but all too often I'm left with the feeling of "who would do this?"

Well, they would, of course. I guess this is part of my annoyance with the 30 minute format of the show -- I feel like after all these weeks (and only about 4 hours in their company) all I've really gotten from them is that they're a bunch of immature jerks. I might have grown more interested in them as people if the episodes had a little more breathing room somehow.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 3/5/14 at 2:29pm

I actually do think they have the fact that the characters are all regular pot smokers to explain why they are just a little too stupid and delayed in their adolescence. You've got a waiter who knows how to make a chicken dish who thinks that means he should be able to open a restaurant in 24 hours (probably because he has gotten stoned and watched a Restaurant: Impossible marathon one weekend) and a bunch of people who make and play computer games and an artist's assistant who doesn't really produce anything but knows that everything he sees sucks compares to his theoretical output.

And mostly they hang out and talk and get stoned and talk a lot more and probably think what they are saying is profound and they watch cartoons and they play video games and once in a while they join an impromptu tribe at a park, or a dance club, or a street fair.

Basically, it completely nails San Francisco.

[DAME]

Posted: 3/5/14 at 2:31pm

"I actually do think they have the fact that the characters are all regular pot smokers to explain why they are just a little too stupid and delayed in their adolescence. "


This is why it rings untrue.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 3/5/14 at 2:33pm

Next season, I would love all the characters to go to the Dore Alley Street Fair where somebody with a video camera asks them en masse what they're reading right now.

[HorseTears]

Posted: 3/5/14 at 6:23pm

I totally get not connecting with the characters or the writing, but I don't get sticking with a show that isn't working for you--why the obligation? A lot of bitterness in this thread, too--some of it having seemingly nothing to do with the show and some of it approaching this territory:


We get it. They're dumb, young ruffians who smoke the dreaded marijuana!

[Joviedamian]

Posted: 3/5/14 at 7:21pm

"There are people who are still in denial that Andrew Keenan-Bolger got butt-fucced and Jonathan Groff got rimmed."

Was this on the show or in real life? I don't watch looking as I don't have HBO...but so would love to see the series...

[HorseTears]

Posted: 3/5/14 at 7:28pm

One would assume both, Jovie.

[Joviedamian]

Posted: 3/5/14 at 7:42pm

^^^ True, but not always. But in the series, is AKB the bottom and or JG getting rimmed?

[HorseTears]

Posted: 3/5/14 at 8:22pm

Ha. Jovie, since you don't seem to mind spoilers: The scenes in question involve Dom (Murray Bartlett) effing the sh*t out of a random Grindr hookup who happens to live in his apartment building (AKB). And the other scene involves Patrick (Johnathan Groff) getting treated to a surprise rim job by his new love interest, Richie (Raul Castillo). Now you know!

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 3/5/14 at 9:23pm

You may recall I was an early pre-adaptor of the series, and looked forward to its premiere. I recorded the series from episode one. I do not DESPISE the series, as I do Girls, a show I never watched again after JordanC gave me the same advice you have now given me twice in this thread, and I assure you, if I hated Looking even half as much Girls, I would never have appeared in this thread again. Remember, I thought it was getting better every week through episode four.

If I recalibrate my understanding of the program, that it is not an ensemble show featuring the stories of contemporary queer men and their friends, but recognize that it's a simple character study of a realistic group of typically stupid Northern Californians, then I can be satisfied that the show has reached its potential.

Updated On: 3/5/14 at 09:23 PM

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 3/5/14 at 9:52pm

I didn't think Horse's comments were directed at you, but I could be wrong, Namo. It's more people who have said how they have hated the characters and show from day one--really though the opinions in this thread are a lot more levelheaded than ones I've read elsewhere (if anyone has a lot of time to kill check out the imdb.com forum for the show.)

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 3/5/14 at 9:52pm

(That said, I watched all of this season of American Horror Story and complained about nearly everything, so...)

[HorseTears]

Posted: 3/6/14 at 2:34am

Edit: NVM. Carry on. Nothing to...look at here.

Updated On: 3/6/14 at 02:34 AM

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 3/6/14 at 7:30am

I liked this episode. Augustine is my least favorite character though. He's a douche. Glad his boyfriend sent him packing.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 3/6/14 at 10:26am

When he puts in his short appearance each week, his personality has reversed. There must be a LOT of interesting story happening elsewhere when the camera is focussed on Patrick's parking issues.

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 3/6/14 at 12:18pm

Well two weeks happened between last week and the wedding this week--Frank probably was getting pretty fed up with Augustin's weirdness--and then when he said he had been paying CJ... The change in Frank's attitude made sense to me. *shrug*

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 3/6/14 at 12:20pm

Yup. That's what happens to everybody who watches General Hospital for ten years or more. You fill in the blanks by imagining scenes and plot lines that are never shown to help what you're seeing make sense.

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 3/6/14 at 12:32pm

Haven't watched GH for that long but I suppose 15 years of AMC is the same. :P I get your poin, and there's truth to the fact that unlike with the poor soap writers trying to grind out a script each day based on often inane headwriter plotlines and make them make some sense, these writers probably think they're doing realistic art (making the audience fill in the blanks of things that happen off-screen is trademark of this kinda naturalistic "slice of life" filmaking) But I don't see it in this case as much of a stretch. I didn't really need to see weeks of reaction shots of Frank slowly getting more pissy and giving Auggie increasingly dirty and annoyed looks.

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 3/6/14 at 5:28pm

I didn't understand why paying the hustler was where A drew the line in the sand, but I did understand that's what he was doing. It didn't strike me as out of character, just something where I'd like to know the character's reasoning.

I've never been in his position myself, but when such stories have been told among gay friends of mine, the payment usually produced laughs, not clutching of pearls. Updated On: 3/6/14 at 05:28 PM

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 3/6/14 at 5:44pm

You mean Frank drew the line, right? I think it's cuz Frank agreed to the filmed sex as part of Auggie's art, which he now wasn't even going to show after Frank got him the show, and Auggie had been paying CJ through the nose for this whole project when Frank has been supporting Auggie and paying his rent all this time to support his art.

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 3/6/14 at 5:45pm

Of course Frank was dumb to think CJ was not being paid (though I think he even asked one time and Auggie denied it.) I know from my POV I would be fine with a threesome--they've done it before, but think differently about it *after the fact* I found out it was paid for. And Frank seemed kinda guilty for enjoying it so much. Or something.

[HorseTears]

Posted: 3/6/14 at 5:55pm

Eric, your patient diplomacy is seriously impressive. Must be that cool-headed Canadianness.