Looking: The Complete First Season (DVD)

This is absolutely my favorite television series ever! It is a beautifully shot, exquisitely acted look into the lives of 3 gay men living in San Francisco. If you love movies that are character driven and really allow you to get to KNOW the characters and feel what they're feeling, this series is the best example I've seen on TV. Comprised of everyday situations that we all can relate to, the drama and comedy comes from the place that it comes from in our real lives...our interactions with friends, family and love interests, our discomfort in certain situations, the small meaningful moments that we must share with our best friends. The dialogue is humorous and often underplayed, being delivered the same way that we would really speak when conversing with our friends. Jonathan Groff is outstanding as Patrick, who is probably THE most real and complex character I've seen on TV to date...and you find yourself instantly relating to Patrick and routing him on, flaws and all. The rest of the cast is superb also, with a special shout out going to Raul Castillo, who brings such emotional integrity to the character of Richie, with eyes that deliver such impact. The only thing that comes close to Looking Season 1 is Looking Season 2, which has just finished airing on HBO. In the second season, the entire cast gets their chance to shine, and every single one of them brings it with everything that they have! I have never seen a cast of any show go this far and deep to make their characters so real, and it is a joy to watch! My hope is that we get many years of this exceptional, ground-breaking series! I know that me and all of my friends are waiting with our fingers crossed!

Sadly season one has concluded and like all grand "soap operas" the ending left relationships topsy turvy so now we keenly wait for season two to see what those crafty writers will come up with. I have really enjoyed and heartily recommend LOOKING, an excellent new series with realistic, well-defined characters and situations that we can all identify with. It mainly revolves around three quite different friends and their complex relationships and work day activities. You're going to adore the just turned 40 Dom who is battling to set up his dream restaurant and though at first I wasn't too keen on nerdy Patrick, I now love this character. And who can resist Patrick's boss Trev with his anglo twang, cute stick out ears and delectable fleshy rump as displayed in episode eight. Think it's well worth purchasing this series when it is released. I have it on pre-order and can't wait to relive all the episodes in their entirety and savor the moments you often miss in a fast moving brief chapter. Not unlike QUEER AS FOLK but a lot more gritty and contemporary (and a hell lot more real!) as you would expect from Andrew Haigh of WEEKEND fame who is co-executive producer and director of the early episodes. And being set and filmed in San Francisco (the location shooting is great and avoids the traditional picture postcard look of the city) is an obvious plus. Unfortunately there are only eight episodes in season one but the great news is, LOOKING has been renewed for a second season! And hopefully with more episodes. Come on HBO, eight half-hour episodes, just whetting the appetite!! From what I have seen from the first season, this series is one of the best, most entertaining and thoughtful gay-themed programs to hit our screens.

When I heard about "Looking" I wasn't excited at all. It sounded like a bad copy of "Queer as Folk" but I decided to give it a chance anyway. And I'm glad I did! "Looking" follows the lives of three gay friends in San Francisco, but what makes this show so unique is that they don't have to try too hard, I even forgot at times that it was a "gay show" because you find a little bit of yourself in every character, and you get to love them by the second or third episode and you get addicted instantly, that's how I know a show is good! The cast works really great together, the series doesn't follow the typical stereotypes, they are just guys with issues that anyone would have, which I find very refreshing, and lately, media is all about gay teens, but what about gay adults?The shoots from locations of San Francisco are just beautiful, and the writing is superb, but I'm sad that the season only has 8 episodes because I want more! At least it was renewed for a second season earlier this week, and hopefully season 2 will have 10 or 13 episodes.This show may not be for everyone, some scenes are explicit (not graphic, but you quickly understand what's going on without seeing anything graphical), and it gets a little cliché sometimes, but it's a good show overall. Every episode is a great episode.It's really worth the pre-order and I can't wait to see the last two episodes! (by the time i'm writing this, only 6 of the 8 episodes have aired so far). Start watching if you haven't seen it!