Looking (HBO Comedy-Drama Series)

I have rare moments in life when I don't know what I'm feeling at a particular moment.

Looking poster for Season 2

Last July 4, I finished watching "Looking," a two-season comedy-drama series in HBO (2014-2015) that tells the stories of three grown-up gay men living in modern San Francisco. That day I just wanted to hug a lot of people and I didn't think any emoji can capture my emotions.

"Looking" stars Broadway heartthrob Jonathan Groff as Patrick, a 29 y.o. game developer who is your gay buddy longing for a serious relationship and, at the same time, willing to experiment.

As easy as in the pilot episode, Patrick tries his luck in meeting a few men and making his mostly uncalculated moves. He is unable to shut his honest mouth as he opens up to new acquaintances which then lead to failed attempts.

Groff's Patrick is adorable. He's like the younger brother that you wish you can play with, hug when you're happy or sad, punch when you just want to, and talk to when you're feeling bored or overly excited. Patrick is a really nice guy and his vulnerability as a gay guy, as a nerdy gay guy, as a single nerdy gay guy who just wants to love and be loved, would surely keep you wanting more. Episode after episode. Smile after smile.

Agustin, Patrick, and Dom

His softness is balanced with the stronger personalities of his friends Dom (Murray Bartlett), the proud and impulsive aspiring entrepreneur and Agustin (Frankie J. Alvarez), a thriving artist who, like Dom, has a high tendency to jump the gun.

Being best friends, these three are enough compelling reasons to religiously follow the show. Their lives intertwine but the show runners did a good job in highlighting their separate storylines so we can see through their dreams and aspirations.

They are not just gay guys who like to flirt. Sure, they have a lot of steamy sex scenes with different guys, but you can see how they treat their relationships beyond the flesh. They long for something that touches on the emotions--finding what it is that makes them truly happy.

***

#TeamRichie

#TeamKevin

For the main love triangle in the story, Patrick is such a sweet guy that you can't blame him if he can't make his mind up between Richie (Raul Castillo), the loyal and emotional Mexican barber and Kevin (Russel Tovey), his sexy British tech boss who enters his life while still in a relationship.

Is it #TeamKevin or #TeamRichie? Dammit. Just stick to #TeamPatrick

No matter who he ends up with, someone will get hurt and he is bound to lose a great person. Like Patrick, show followers are divided between #TeamRichie and #TeamKevin only to end up miserable in the season 2 finale because they don't know who he finally chooses. If you consider yourself a fan of the show though, know that you should always belong to #TeamPatrick.

The funny and lovable Doris

While the show can come across as a 'gay drama' to some, there are several comic surprises--most of them courtesy of Doris (Lauren Weedman), Dom's best friend and the only female friend in the circle. She's the brutally honest straight friend who is ever caring to her queer folks. Doris speaks the truth without delay but ensures that you're not offended with her satire and sarcasm.

***

With all the commendations I give to Looking, I still summarize it as one big heartbreak. It's so good that 1) it hurts to know that it only ran for two short seasons, 2) most episodes have open endings that compels you to click on the next episode ASAP, and 3) with all the complications of their loves and lives, you can't help but to let the characters stay in your mind for long.

You let them live inside you as if they were your best friends. You want to make sure that they are okay, and that even if they leave your mind, they will be okay out there. Such is the magic of simplistic, realistic storytelling of its creator (writer-director) Andrew Haigh.

"There's more OUT there" says the show's tagline. Pictured here are the adorable cast members of Looking

Every now and then a story is born and it's unlike any other.  For its part, Looking is about LGBT but it present the truths of people who others may easily dismiss as sex-starved individuals. There is heart and art to the ways they tell the stories of the Gs in LGBT. It's comedy is subtle yet effective and it's drama doesn't solicit a boring sobfest.

It's not yet too late to catch Looking. It's TV movie airs this July 23 on HBO. In it, we get to revisit the characters' lives years from when we last saw them in Season 2. 

"Of God and Men"

Memoir
Raymond Alikpala
2012, Maverick House Publishing

If you're a homophobic person, this book is not for you (or maybe in time, it will be). If you're a transitioning homophobic or you don't give a big deal out of homosexuality, then by all means, read this book.

Of God and Men is a memoir that can be read beginning with the Epilogue. It might seem to be a long read since it began with the author's childhood (he finished recounting his story when he was 40 years old) but Raymond Alikpala tried his best to walk you through a childhood that was strangely unique than what most of us experienced--a childhood that was relatable only to a minority of the population.

Alikpala grew up feeling and thinking that he was gay but acting like the opposite. Not everyone will be able to relate to him but I'm sure each of us has had a childhood that was confusing as well--forcing us to act what we thought was appropriate and accepted by the society we were growing up in--only to realize years later that we didn't exactly make all the right choices anyway.

Raymond, being gay, is no stranger to this tale. His story was, however, told with so much honesty that one would think he knows the author all his life.

Various chapters in Alikpala's memoir revealed his long desire to have a true best friend and lover, and his several failed attempts at that. Perhaps this is one of the reasons why the book is long, transparent, and detailed--so one can relate to him, understand him, and offer a friendship and care that this good son, ex-devout Catholic, overachiever student so deserves.

Alikpala's bravery in sharing his coming out story (read: to "come out" is a big deal and to "share" it is another) is admirable. While he remains a barely recognizable author (like most LGBT writers), the local literary scene needs more fearless souls like him so it could offer a broader range of stories for modern readers.

Of God and Men is the first book I read that highlighted the unlikely connection between faith and homosexuality. It was written in a controlled prose (meaning, the writer chose his words carefully) that it would pass for conservative readers but it also offered a bit of nasty storytelling that it would surely attract liberated ones.

Whether you're a member of the LGBT community or you just want to know more about it and about them, go ahead and grab this book.

It's just like talking to a friend over coffee: expect a conversation that is light, easy to follow, and can get serious and funny all throughout. Unfortunately, it doesn't end after you finish a cup because it's 447-page long.

My rating: 3.5/5 rainbow-colored stars