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| Photo Credit: HBO |
Well, that didn't take long. After confessing to Dom and Agustin he's been sleeping with his boss Kevin last week, Patrick spends much, if not all of “Looking For Results” going down an epic shame spiral as the Molly-assisted, sex-in-the-woods fantasy of “Looking For The Promised Land,” gives way to reality.
Things don't start off that way. The episode opens with he and Kevin in post-coital bliss in a sleazy hotel, sharing the kinds of specific “me too!” details of growing up—in Patrick's case, doing a happy dance when your father's best friend (who, with his love of motorcycles, sounds like he could've been Uncle Jessie from Full House) comes to visit, or in Kevin's, making up a dance routine to your favorite pop song--many gay men can relate to. As Kevin extols the joys of Top Trumps, a hugely popular English trading card game, the chemistry between these two really snaps into place. You could almost imagine them as a real couple, chatting about random shit and making up gay versions of Top Trumps that involve Lusty Lads of London versus Gay for Pay.
The keyword being almost. Because even while Patrick claims Kevin and his boyfriend are having major problems, the fact Kevin that says others finding about their affair would spell the end of it is telling. And though Patrick tells his friends being Kevin's little secret is sexy, it only takes one little rash for him to freak out, not only about his HIV status, but where this dalliance is going. It doesn't help that Richie shows up at his door due to some Agustin drama; Patrick lies to him about seeing anyone, but then pushes Richie for a lunch date. Later, Kevin offers some solace by admitting he's a mess as well, before busting out his childhood dance to Take That's “Do What You Like.” It's adorable, but like last week's trip to Russian River, it's ultimately a temporary distraction from the real challenges they have to overcome if their hookups are ever going to turn into a real relationship—that's assuming either of them truly want what they have to turn into a relationship.
Speaking of spiraling, Agustin continues to make bad decisions, taking some drugs after hoping to run into Eddie at a bear bar and running into Scottie—the man he and Frank had a threesome with in the series pilot—instead. Scottie reveals Frank (who he sees all the time by the way) told him about their breakup, then asks what Agustin has been up to, which we know is a whole bunch of nothing. Scottie isn't dickish when he says any of his, but it makes Agustin feel shitty enough that he takes a hit of the narcotic Scottie's sipping.
As serendipity would have it (or not, if you're Richie), Richie and a few friends find him zonked out at a random street corner. Agustin is so delirious he forgot he was an asshole to Richie and starts speaking and singing to him in Spanish while he and Patrick carry him to bed. Not much new here--Agustin reacting to pain by getting fucked up and damning the consequences--but if the after-episode commentary is to believed, he may have further to go before he hits bottom. Then again, next week's preview sees him hanging out with Eddie, so maybe there's hope yet.
Dom's moving forward professionally, settling for a window eatery style setup since it's cheaper than opening up a restaurant (though having to cough up six months' rent in advance doesn't sound like a drop in the bucket). However, he's still hitting a brick wall emotionally when it comes to Lynn. He asks if he misses his deceased lover Bryant, to which Lynn answers “of course” before asking whether Dom adhered to the checklist for securing his getaway abode or had sex with anyone in the same blasé tone.
As I said in the last week's recap, the open relationship appears to be working out so far; Lynn and Dom are both mature men who've been around the block more than a few times, so avoiding an monogamous relationship feels like a smart decision. However, it's becoming more and more obvious that while he has no qualms with sharing his boyfriend, Lynn sharing his emotions is another matter. His feelings about Bryant and his death are buried so deep, that the more Dom pries, the more Lynn will likely pull away. Also, there's still a subtle father-son dynamic to their pairing, and couch sex aside, Lynn appears more than happy to play Daddy Warbucks. Dom on the other hand, clearly wants a boyfriend, not a father, and unless Lynn embraces that, there'll be conflict down the road.
Other Thoughts:
--Dorris appears to have snagged a man, the handsome and burly Malik. While it probably won't get as much screen time as the boys' relationships, it'll be interesting to see how it affects the group dynamic, especially he friendship with Dom.
--Dom and Agustin leaving Patrick to his own obsessive Googling devices during his AIDS/Kevin panic may have been a bit douchey, but felt honest to the dynamic that often exists amongst long-time friends. Sometimes you just don't have the energy to deal with your friends' emotional baggage, and after you've known someone long enough, you know when you have to let them figure their own shit out, and vice versa.
Agustin on Dorris: “She's just so rude sometimes.” Pot meet kettle.
“No that's okay. I live in San Francisco, they give them out like coffee stirrers.”
“You can't do that! Homeless people have Twitter accounts!”
Personally, I always liked Take That's “Back For Good,” but Kevin's dance routine to “Do What You Like” is priceless.
I don't know about you, but a drag queen revue of Showgirls sounds awesome.
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