Manuel here wishing I could borrow Kevin’s puppy sweater to discuss this week’s Looking episode. “Looking for Glory” begins just as “Looking for Returns” did, with the blissful domesticity of Kevin and Patrick, though the latter’s breakfast in bed disaster lets us know this won’t be a smooth return to normal after the events of the last two episodes.
Thus, in an attempt to begin telling people that they’re now “a thing,” we get to witness the awkwardness that follows during a work meeting when they finally spill the beans. “I just hope it won’t affect our company culture of fairness and that heterosexuals won’t be discriminated against” says Meredith who later went to chat with HR; might this be a sign of more drama for Kevtrick? (Pattin? There really is no good couple portmanteau for them, is there?)
The One Up Him boys ain't having it
Elsewhere, we see Dom’s chicken window slowly coming together and see Agustin grapple with the reality of dating an HIV-positive person and his own inability to get out of his head (Dom, helpful as always: “It’s not 1994, just go on PrEP and get over it”). More aptly, we saw Eddie show his more vulnerable side (and no, I’m not just talking about Daniel Franzese going full frontal; our first Looking full frontal shot?) and spouting some necessary tough words at Agustin about the hypocrisy of a seemingly inclusive LGBT community:
“You have any idea how what it’s like to be a big poz queer in this town? Everyone in San Francisco loves to talk about how well-informed they are and how inclusive they are. But really, when you get to it, they’re just the same self-hating, close-minded racist gays you see prancing at Santa Monica and WeHo”
This is, of course, what fuels the GaymerX pollen which finds Kevin and Patrick getting the word out about their battle game app. Hilariously, they get called out by a charmingly bitchy gay. “Different types of gays? Twinks vs Bears! So you’re game is about stereotypes?” he asks. Patrick suggests it’s actually about subverting stereotypes which elicits the greatest double read in the entire episode:
“It’ll be interesting to see what you and your brother think ‘subverting’ means.”
Thankfully, ginger (if lightweight) Brady, with Richie (in full eye-roll, heartbroken-yet-caring mode) in tow, finds the game “hilarious” and sees in the gay gaming power couple a possible angle for a magazine article. And so we witness the greatest most awkward double date ever between exes which underscores both how well Kevin and Patrick work together while also signaling how it might not all be bliss between Richie and Brady. I particularly enjoyed the palpable tension as Brady said he would have to take back all the bad things they’d said about Patrick.
The episode ends on a double note; Patrick and Kevin refuse to listen to that “bitchy queen” review they get (“Another attempt to label and divide the community. Bullshit. One star”) yet it leads them to bashfully say the ‘L’ word to one another. I hope there’s room for growth (and tension) in this coupling because this seemed all too tidy, no? I worry that all those Richie close-ups means we're headed for more of this gay triangle dynamics, but that's a tad of a retread, no?
Overall, it was a nice bridge episode which touched on prickly issues with enough wit and warmth to further cement my thoughts that this is one of the best shows on the air right now. I want to highlight the amazing work production designer Todd Fjelsted did with GaymerX, particularly with bringing to life “One Up Him.” Check out the full roster of subversive gay stereotypes over at his Instagram.
Best line of the episode I wish I could off-handedly use:
“Guess that makes you Homewrecker Gay.”
Best Doris moment: Slim pickings this week so I’ll just go with her glee as she pictured her weekend trip with Malik.
Best gif-worthy moment: Patrick’s breakfast in bed disaster (coupled with Tovey’s sleepy wtf just happened reaction)
Previously: 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 2.6, 2.7
Did this episode make you feel more for Kevin & Patrick, or are their aw-shuckness cutesy (if scantily-clad) interactions beginning to feel cloying? I would obviously give this episode more than "one star" if only for its meta-commentary; what about everyone else?