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| Photo Credit: HBO |
With just one episode left, it's time
for Looking to begin
wrapping up the season's various story arcs, and “Looking For
Sanctuary,” starts to do just, laying down a few plot twists and
hinting at where our three leads will end up once the finale rolls
around.
Kevin and Patrick continue to take
their relationship at warp speed. Kevin is buying a new apartment,
giving he and Patrick the opportunity to do couples things like
fantasize about banging up against the front window and bounce on
beds while shopping for mattresses. And Patrick takes Kevin to meet
his mother Dana (which rhymes with
banana) for dinner, which goes very well.
It's not all paradise though. Patrick's
sister Megan is not happy
with the recent developments in his personal life. Jon is her
husband's best friend, and she is definitely team Jon, defriending
Kevin on Facebook and refusing to come to the aforementioned dinner.
Like any mother, Dana is playing referee to her two squabbling
offspring, and asks (more like tells) Patrick to come to the zoo with
her and Megan so they can come to an understanding.
Easier
said than done. Proving passive aggressiveness is a family trait,
Megan is all veiled, barbed comments during their family outing until
Patrick calls her out. The two go back and forth over Patrick's
recent choices, but like most sibling arguments, it runs much deeper.
For Megan, Patrick's homewrecking ways, and their mother's acceptance
of his new relationship—along with him not having to worry about
providing grandkids, having a career as video game developer and
being able to live in San Francisco—is just another example of the
special treatment her brother receives due to his sexuality. Of
course, we know from watching Patrick ( as well as Agustin and Dom)
these past two seasons that Megan's belief that gay equals total
frivolous freedom is untrue. Still, it's an opinion not often given
voice, and adds a layer of complexity to Megan beyond the judgmental
sister.
Dana
has a bomb of her own to drop, that being she's been having an
emotional affair with a man named Dennis and is thinking of leaving
their father/her husband. She says she's going to pursue things with
Dennis so she can honor her truth. Megan asks her about honoring the
truth of her marriage, to which Dana answers that the longer you are
with someone, the more complicated that truth becomes. Patrick's
love life has been one big ol' bowl of complicated for as long as
we've known him (a fact Dana hits him with by subtly underlining how
her current dilemma is similar to the one he just resolved), so when
she asks for their support, he falls in line, with Megan quickly
following suit. As with recent episodes of GIRLS,
which have dealt with the fallout of Hannah's dad Tad's coming out,
“Looking For Sanctuary” mines the bewildering, but ultimately
maturing experience of realizing your parents aren't perfect
automatons, but human beings with their own flaws, fears and
problems.
As
with attending Doris's dad's funeral a few weeks back, talking to his
mother—and importantly, hearing her talk about how her choices,
good or bad, have been hers to make—inspires Patrick to leap across
another milestone with Kevin, as he agrees to move in and spend
Christmas with him. Patrick's story seems to be wrapped up with a big
bow, but with one episode left, anything can happen—especially when
you consider Patrick is hosting a house warming party next week.
Here's hoping there's no tequila.
Agustin
moves forward in his personal life this week as well. Eddie is in a
bind when an artist he hired for the homeless shelter doesn't show
up. After fielding a few far-fetched questions about Truvada (like
Agustin asking if the drug will make him go into convulsions), he
asks Agustin to pull himself out of his self-imposed artistic
sabbatical and create something for the kids.
The
two run into Frank of all people while looking over a rough draft of
Agustin's handiwork, and things get suitably awkward. Agustin brings
up his work with homeless trans kids, though Frank still eyes him
suspiciously, almost squinting to see if this same man he made the
mistake of moving in with. Eddie admirably backs up Agustin's claims
of turning over a new leaf, and though he still doesn't appear
convinced, Frank offers to meet up sometime before leaving.
Frank's
not only one taking the new Agustin with a grain of salt. Charm and a
great sense of humor aside, Eddie has been keeping Agustin at arms'
length, skeptical of the depth of his feelings. Later, Eddie brings
up the fact Agustin introduced him as a friend, but Agustin correctly
counters that Eddie was the one who didn't want to label their
relationship.
“I
want to be your boyfriend,” Agustin says. “What do I have to do?”
Eddie finally gives in, and the two kiss.
Not so
good at bonding this week are Dom and Doris. The latter comes to the
former's chicken window with some bad news: her uncle is contesting
her father's will, which means the money she promised him will be on
hold for at least few months. True to form, Dom lashes out at the
hand who tries to help him, even scoffing when Doris reminds him her
father just passed. Later, he brings some Fro-Yo to their apartment
as a peace offering, but for her the argument has illuminated the
dysfunctions in their friendship.
“We're
a codependent mess,” she tells him while packing her things to
leave, and hearing her confess to feeling guilty about prioritizing
Dom over Malik, it's hard to disagree. To draw on the episode's
title, Doris needs sanctuary, and at the moment that is her
boyfriend's place.
Dom
wanted to realize his dream on his own. Sadly, it looks like he's
gotten his wish.
--Other
Thoughts:
--No
Richie this week, but given the larger role Kevin now occupies in
Patrick's life, it makes sense we'd see less of him. Hmm, perhaps
we'll see him at the Kevin and Patrick's house warming party next
week? If the two did hookup, it'd be nice reversal of the season one
finale, though it would undo a lot of the work of establishing Kevin
as an integral part of the show.
--“Fuck
you! Hope all your dreams come true!” Doris is priceless.
--Dana:
“Did you want a Xanax honey? 'Cause I got some.” Spoken like a
true WASP.
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