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‘Looking’ fans reflect on the HBO show’s queer legacy, 10 years later
What are your feelings on 'Looking'? Were you a fan or a hater? Or have you grown to enjoy it more with time?
Jonathan Groff, newly minted Tony winner, recently looked back at the scrutiny and backlash that Looking faced, and now it’s gay Reddit users’ turn.
Debuting in 2014, the HBO series focused on three queer men in San Francisco, with Groff costarring with Frankie J. Alvarez and Murray Bartlett. The supporting cast featured Russell Tovey, Raul Castillo, and Lauren Weedman.
Looking only lasted two seasons before HBO canceled it, though the network did at least produce a TV movie to wrap up the storyline.
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Starting a recent thread in Reddit’s r/askgaybros community, user hallwardgray said Looking represented “a pretty significant moment for gay storytelling” that never really took off like other premium TV comedy-dramas did, even with the pedigree of executive producer Andrew Haigh (Weekend, All of Us Strangers).
“I remember some criticism of it not reflecting enough diversity, both on the LGBTQ+ spectrum and racially, but that doesn’t explain the lack of buzz or audience to me when you have Girls becoming a cultural touchpoint at the same time and being even less diverse on every front,” hallwardgray added.
“I get the sense that it was a few years—maybe 6 or 7 years, even—ahead of its time, and that the audience might have materialized had it been running between [2018 and 2021] instead. … What gives? Do you think there are other factors at play? I used to joke with friends that it was the first gay show that dared to be boring, but I really loved it and wish it had gotten more flowers.”
In the comments, user armedgorillas said that Looking appealed to urban gays who understand the point of view the show provided.
“Take the episode where Patrick and Richie take off work and walk around the city,” armedgorillas added. “It starts with Richie eating Patrick’s ass, then they just talk the rest of the day. The sex is playful, but spending time with each other is presented as way more intimate. This seems true to life to me and a way to build tension through the episode, but a straight might see this as denouement.”
Oriellien also thought the show targeted a certain demographic.
“Looking just seemed to be a drama solely (or almost solely) about queer people and their daily lives, and nothing really all that interesting to someone outside of that community,” he wrote. “It was nice to watch as a gay man, but… [I don’t know] what the entertainment value would’ve been if I wasn’t gay.”
Commenter chronolynx wasn’t such a fan, writing, “I really wanted to like Looking when it came out, but … the characters in Looking were just the wrong combo of boring and insufferable for me to completely disconnect. Literally the only character I cared about was Richie.”
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Pishposhpoppycock also thought Looking ought to have been looking for more engaging characters.
“Their storylines weren’t interesting, aside from maybe Dom having a midlife crisis being stuck working as a waiter in his 40s and living with a roommate to be able to afford his [San Francisco] apartment.”
And Reddit user SMVan split the difference, saying, “I liked it, though Patrick was truly insufferable. From my lens, it’s an accurate portrayal of a beautiful, white male privilege. I don’t think it had a diversity problem. Though I don’t know how it was set in SF and void of any Asian male character (except for Patrick’s inconsequential coworker).”
EmporioS, meanwhile, had a biting, four-word criticism of the HBO show: “Not enough full frontal.”
What are your feelings on Looking? Were you a fan or a hater? And have you grown to enjoy it more with time?
Let us know in the comments below!
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