There’s a, like, Director’s Cut of The Untamed on YouTube and NOBODY TOLD ME?!
So, like, I’ll have to (sarcasm font) WATCH THE WHOLE THING AGAIN? All those Preternaturally Beautiful men, AGAIN? I must sacrifice AGAIN?! Oh dear! Oh my!!! SUCH a shame. *sighs EXTRA Dramatically while popping an enormous tub of popcorn*
TV + MOVIE | Looking (2014-2015) + Looking (TV Movie, 2016)
I am categorizing this under the same denomination as Firefly in that they were both seemingly good shows with potential, cancelled after 1 to 2 seasons because of low ratings. Show of hands who else calls that system bullshit 🤚
THE SHOW
Admittedly, Looking is nowhere near the same caliber as its predecessors (read: The L Word and Queer as Folk), but had it been given a chance, I think could have become something good. I was invested in these characters enough to be bummed when I realized I had finished the first season. Then again, that happens with short episodes and short seasons; it all goes by too quickly. As soon as you start to get into it, it’s over.
I didn’t think it was super groundbreaking setting this show in San Francisco (it really makes total sense given the LGBTQ community the city has), and most of the time, the pace of the narrative seems fairly sluggish. But slow isn’t always bad; it was refreshing not having a scandal every second in a television show. And just because it lacked that type of intense drama doesn’t deem it bad or not worth watching.
What I found most disappointing was that, in its two seasons, I didn’t feel that Patrick had nearly as much character development as Dom or Agustin. While I was invested enough in his story to care whether he ended up with Richie or Kevin (I’m still undecided about who I’m rooting for), overall as a character Patrick’s personality remained entirely the same through most of the series. The few moments in season two where he stood up for himself to Kevin were somewhat redeeming, but a lot of his character was stagnant. Dom showed some ambition and pursued his restaurant, and Agustín became a much more selfless person as he started working for a youth shelter… But Patrick only ever really sought relationships and whined to his friends when things weren’t working out for him and/or were not the way he imagined. I recall a moment during the series when he was ranting about what he wanted in a relationship, but not once did I ever hear him talk about those things to the people he was dating before actually dating them. It was honestly no surprise when things didn’t work out. I will say, as a habitual television viewer, that it was, however, more intriguing to see the reserved lead character be such a main focus of the show, rather than the more sexually driven character placed at the forefront – like QAF’s Brian Kinney or The L Word’s Shane.
When I reached the end of season two, I was glad knowing there was a 90-minute TV movie to really give it some closure. I mean, they could have let the show just end as is, letting everyone use their imaginations as to how the show ended up, and it would have worked just as well, but adding a longer finale episode (a TV “movie”) will most likely give it a more to a true close. Just another reason why cancelling shows so quickly makes no sense to me. In the case of both Firefly and Looking, BOTH of them came back for a final movie to wrap up everything that needed wrapping. Why not just let the series continue a little longer, and let it conclude in a more natural way than trying to force concluding answers to lingering questions into a couple of hours?
A few other notes: I loooooved seeing Daniel Franzese – Damien from Mean Girls – as a supporting character (he was such a beautiful bear), and honestly he was one of my favorites in the show. But Scott Bakula could have been skipped. I would like to talk to the casting director about why they believed Scott Bakula was the best choice for the role of Lynn. Doris and Dom’s friendship is the best, and the history between Dom and Patrick is one I don’t think I’ve seen before, which I liked. I’m just always jealous of TV show friendships and how close they are to one another.
THE MOVIE
The finale begins with a nine month flash forward; Patrick had since moved back to Colorado to “work things out,” and was returning to San Francisco for **SPOILER** Agustín and Eddie’s wedding! All of the cast has returned – which is a feat in my eyes, considering the finale was filmed a little over a year after the last episode of the show.
Let’s be real, though... this was just a 90-minute vehicle for us to figure out who Patrick would end up with. The other characters had their respective scenes about what was going on in their lives (Dom with a successful food window; Agustín and his marriage; etc.), but the movie mostly revolved around stolen kisses and longing glances for Patrick’s central arc.
Also, will someone please inform me on why Frank was still around – in both the show AND the movie – after his breakup with Agustín? I don’t believe he really added anything to Agustín’s arc other than a very, very brief “Will they or won’t they get back together?” scene. Maybe he stuck around to illustrate how small the gay community is in San Francisco? Patrick did comment on that at one point. Yes, I’ll just stick with that.
There was a scene I did relish where, upon arriving at a coffee shop to discuss business, Kevin completely reamed Patrick about who he was as a person during their relationship and it was so wonderfully accurate about Patrick’s character in the show. But dare I say, in the time between show and finale, Patrick did seem to have matured. Not much, but enough where you felt he was more level headed to deal with whatever romantic venture he would take on next. And while I couldn’t help but root for both of Patrick’s romantic interests – they both had their good moments – I believe he did end up with the right person.
OVERALL
I enjoyed the show; I did. But not where I feel so strongly about it, like other reviewers online. I’ve seen a lot where they make it sound like Looking is the crown jewel of LGBTQ television.
Looking does have qualities that other shows do not (including, apparently, much more lax rules about nudity; thank you HBO), and I love Jonathan Groff while also becoming new fans of some other actors... but I guess for me, it was something to cross off from my watch list and to pass the time. I typically rate what I watch (movies and shows alike) based on whether I would want to own it and/or if I would want to watch it again... and I don’t think I would for Looking. If it would have aired longer, and I were given more material to base my opinions off of, maybe I could get on board with its so-called brilliance. But for now, it was entertainment – because where else could I see Jonathan in a leather vest?!!?! – and it’s time to move on to my next binge.
IDK how long this will be up, but whew!! This was my guaranteed mood-booster as a young person. The OG and best version of Anne IMO, with Megan Follows.
Anne of Green Gables (1985)
