Looking

I have just recently finished watching Looking the series and the movie and I cannot find words to describe how realistically beautiful and emotional it was!! I must say I did not like Patrick as a character but he more than enough made up for it by the end of the movie. Seriously, we need more awesome quality series like this!! Too bad is was discontinued.

For the very first time, I feel like there's something on TV oriented for the gay public worth of my time. I immediately became hooked up on this show because the characters are not shallow or mechanical (as it usually happens in gay movies and TV shows), but deep, alive and fun - in great part due to the amazing actors. Also, the stories in every episode are incredibly compelling and don't make me feel ashamed of the "gay world" as it usually happened when I watched Queer as Folk or many other shows where characters only preocupation is to have sex. The three main actors certainly are doing a great job and I couldn't have chosen better ones to impersonate each character. Thirty minutes episodes are way too short. I absolutely love the show.

Looking follows a trio of friends in San Francisco as they deal with various dating conundrums and relationship drama. The first season consists of just eight, 30-minute episodes – which sucks, because this series is great and addictive.

Some people have called Looking the gay(er) version of Sex and the City, although that doesn't do the newcomer justice. There are funny bits, sure, but these flow naturally from everyday, believable situations. The tone is more documentary, far less exaggerated, and there isn't a new hook or theme each week. It's just a continuing story that is soap-like without getting soapy. The series doesn't rush, giving intimate scenes – with engaging, natural dialogue – room to breathe. Andrew Haigh's influence as a director is clear. He previously made the well-received movie Weekend, which has the same style. (Though not he but Michael Lannan is the main writer and creator of Looking.)

The cast is charming and convincing. And fairly hot, which doesn't hurt, as there is some not-too-crude nudeness. The three main players are Patrick Murray (Jonathan Groff) a twinky game designer who has awkward sexual tension with his boss, Agustín (Frankie J. Alvarez) a scruffy artist who has trouble finding his inspiration and Dom (Murray Bartlett) a mustached, beefcake waiter with ambitions of opening his own restaurant. Supporting are the scruffy artist's boyfriend (O.T. Fagbenle), Dom's business partner and potential love interest Lynn (Quantum Leap and Enterprise's Scott Bakula), Patrick's aforementioned boss (Russell Tovey of Being Human), Dom's best girl-friend Doris (Lauren Weedman) and last but not least; Richie (Raúl Castillo), Patrick's hot and sincere love interest. An entire, sweet and sexy episode simply follows Richie and Patrick on their first date.

It's great to see a group of characters who are representative of gay life without trying too hard. They aren't caricatures and the series doesn't strain something trying to check all the boxes of all the sub-scenes within the gay scene. It doesn't run screaming from gay stereotypes but also doesn't overly sashay towards them. The Big Gay Issues have yet to take center stage – marriage, adoption, discrimination – the show being less militant than something like Queer as Folk. (Opinions may differ on that being good or bad for the gay cause.) Though there is barely a straight person in sight, and only one recurring woman in the cast, anybody watching the series could easily relate to the emotional turmoil these characters go through, regardless of their own orientation.

I generally prefer quality over quantity, but Looking is too high- quality for me to not want more quantity. So it's good that a second season is in the works, due late 2014 / early 2015. I guess that it will feature a love-triangle (or two) and I hope that it will show a bit more of the origin of the 'main three'. You don't see them together a lot and their dynamic with each other hasn't really been explored. As long as it stays this good, I will certainly keep Looking.

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Interesting to read some of the reviews of this show.Personally I find it a very entertaining,very watchable show, certainly not slow, and as one reviewer commented its nothing but sex,sex, sex! I think he completely misses the point of what the the writers and producers of this show have given us. I find the show has a wonderful sense of time and place, like Maupins Tales of the City which was so evocative of San Francisco in the seventies, the TV shows from those books were also great,this new show is expressive not just of present day gay life San Francisco,but of many cities in North America. Its a funny,heartwarming and very real series,reflective of many sides of peoples lives, and insightful as to how many of us think and behave. I find the dialogue extremely effective, the acting A1, and am happy to see that there will be a season two. Keep it going!!!

Looking is my favorite LGBT show. It is very nicely done, very real with characters you can relate to.

It was way ahead of the time, I believe it would be more popular now, maybe on a streaming service would get more seasons.

The show is nice and very realistic. As a part of the LGBT community, I found their problems and stories very relatable and true.

It is no Hollywood BS, just real guys, no posh word or anything.

I wish it would have more seasons, I miss it.