You know what small moment I find so significant? There's a scene in s2x6, the incident with "Zucchini Man". There's a part where Justin's been sulking about it, and Brian actually starts to explain himself. He says something like, "I don't even remember it, or him. It was nothing." He's soft, looking Justin in the face, he says it really gently, like dropping all the smartass and seductive patter.
Now we know he's not making an excuse or just talking his way out of trouble like an ordinary fuckboy, because he's Brian Kinney, he doesn't do that, he'd never apologize. He's really trying to explain himself so Justin understands what these hookups are, and what they aren't. But Justin wants to talk about what Mikey said to him, whether he's in Brian's home out of pity, and the moment passes.
I think it's a big deal, a moment that tells a lot about Brian and his real feelings for Justin. For one, it's unprecedented that Brian would try to explain a hookup to anyone. For another, and this could just be Britin goggles, but it doesn't sound anything like Brian's initial encounter with Justin.
Thoughts?
Hey anon!
I kinda have some thoughts on that whole interaction with the aptly named Zucchini Man. If we look at where britin are at prior to this episode they've just come through the post bashing arc, Brian's taken him in after Jennifer tells him he's struggling, helping him with his fears of crowds on Liberty Avenue, dancing at pride and the episode previous buying him the computer so he could continue to draw. So we can see Justin is definitely more than a warm bed at night he does mean something. What that something is, is what I think this episode tries to deal with. We open at Debbie's everyone celebrating Justin staying at art school and another thing I love and find so interesting is Brian's never been shy in having PDA in front of the group with Justin for all his "He's not my boyfriend"
The first instance we get of Justin having a deeper meaning in Brian's life is when Debbie comments "They're like fucking newlyweds" displaying that even they can see this is a surprising turn of events. One of the main themes throughout the show for them is that ongoing battle of - What constitutes being a real couple? Them trying to balance whether Justin truly is okay with them being open and seeing other people and Brian's fear of confronting how he really feels about Justin and love in general. Is he scared to admit he's in love because of his trauma with his childhood or that he's gonna become those people he's always hated living in domestic bliss. Which to him means stripping away his identity as this proud gay man who does what he likes when he likes into just another white picket fence couple. The other one being saying it versus showing it, up until this episode Brian has mostly shown his love and care for Justin now we deal with him both trying to voice and show it.
We get a glimpse into these two issues with the Zucchini Man because before Brian spots him he's doing the food shop with Justin (which hello Kinney that is kinda domestic) and alls well. He sees the guy, he's checking him out and maybe he would've gone home with him anyway, maybe not. The interesting part for me is that when Justin approaches babbling about pasta and coupons (#cutie) and spots the guy he gets a tiny bit jealous and tries to assert that he's with Brian by making a joke about being tight.
The turning point is when the guy turns to someone else and says " That's Brian Kinney he used to be the hottest guy on Liberty Avenue and now he's in a relationship" Those words right there, his biggest fear, like a knife to his heart. For me this really influences Brian, so what he does he do to prove he's not that - takes him home and then Justin catches them together.
From Justin's POV he tells Michael now that they were Iiving together and doing by normal people's standards couple's stuff he thought it meant they were gonna be monogamous. From a writing perspective that's what they wanted this episode to deal with and so they needed these two moments to collide and give us the eventual resolution they come to which is establishing the rules.
So I think in the moment you mention he is being honest and earnest when he says he meant nothing because he did. A part of it was the fear of him no longer being the young, beautiful, Stud of Liberty Avenue. That's how Brian lived his life prior to Justin saw a cute guy, got laid and that was that just sex. So the dialogue here is him realising it's more with Justin he enjoys being with him outside of that not because of it. It's a tiny stepping stone of moments as next we get his silent admission to Debbie that he is in love with him, the jealousy when he sees Justin kissing someone else at club after he's walked out. Brian getting a visual that he isn't Justin's only option it's not how it was at the start with a lovestruck teen. He's desired by other people so if he truly loves him he needs to give him a sign of that. So he admits it's no longer about guilt anymore he's actively choosing him and the power behind "Coming home to you" in my opinion is a lot.
