A mainstay of the episodic television format is the second season episode dedicated to a side character. The world has been built, the main characters have been defined, the plot arcs are all set in motion; now it’s time to flesh out the map by exploring the side roads. That means that Doris, previously a brief, silly footnote in the main trio’s lives, is finally featured as the leading lady.
We begin in a diner the morning after Halloween. Patrick has been made aware of last night’s supremely embarrassing outburst, but at least has the decency to be supremely embarrassed about it. Doris is so over it that she’s not even joining Dom and Ag in mocking the poor bastard, she’s just texting her boob to Malik. But the holy sanctity of gay brunch is abruptly dispelled when her phone buzzes not with a response from her boyfriend (if they’ve dropped the b word yet, who knows?), but a notification from her aunt that her father has died. (Side note: who sends that kind of information via text? Her aunt is a straight-up jerk.)
An immediate road trip to Modesto is in order. Dom drives because he is a functional adult, but also because the deceased wanted him for a son-in-law. Despite his lack of connection to the family or the situation or to human interaction in general, Patrick tags along. From now on, whenever you watch, pretend that he’s a transfer student from another galaxy. The show makes a surprising amount of sense as a gritty Mork & Mindy reboot.
Sorry, mental detour. Next stop is a visit to the funeral home, where Doris has to confront reality and see her father’s body. Attempts at humor in this situation would only be appropriate from an exceptionally close friend, so the fact that Dom can make a crack about her dad’s drag queen paint job without getting decked shows what kind of bond they share. The Challenging Closure ’14 Tour continues when Dom heads to the site of his father’s diner, which now proudly serves the best apple fritters in Modesto 10 years running. Viewers always talk about how relatable Patrick is, but I never truly understood it until he broke into a sprint to buy a half dozen pastries.
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Back at the hotel, they blow off some steam with a swim. More than half an hour later I hope, because cramps. Patrick pries into Dom and Doris’ teenage sex life, which it turns out was only satisfying for the Closeted Crusader. Good thing they didn’t keep trying to make that happen! Since dealing with death still isn’t really on anyone’s agenda, they pursue other vices, like fried chicken, booze and mocking small town gay bars. There’s lots of dancing to bad music and, in Patrick’s case, lots of longing for a partner. Any partner. Because even though Dom just ended a relationship and is still managing to keep it together because he knows that today is not about him, Pat can’t help but focus on how it’s been like a week since he got some play. Unless we count his low-level sexual assault of a man in an elf costume, in which case it has literally been less than 24 hours.
That fact really gets to him at the funeral the next day, when he openly weeps for himself while the people around him respectfully mourn the loss of a good man. His later explanation that it was his first funeral doesn’t seem likely (unless we go back to the alien hypothesis, in which case: sure), but the point is that people should probably stop bringing Patrick places because he’s developing a pretty solid track record of messing things up.
Case in point: he gets into a car accident at the cemetery where Dom’s dad is buried. And sure, it wasn’t his fault entirely, the other guy was driving pretty fast. And he was trying to create a nice moment where Dom could come out to his dad even though he couldn’t find the specific tombstone. (And don’t judge Dom for that. Speaking from experience, it can be really hard to remember where someone is buried.) So is it fair to say that Pat ruined two experiences involving dead relatives in one day? Absolutely not. Am I going to say it anyway? You betcha.
At least his ineptitude paves the way for some really wonderful moments in the hospital waiting room. First, Doris gets to give her inheritance to Dom so he can complete his chicken window. Saying chicken window aloud is part of the grieving process because it is physically impossible to be unhappy while saying chicken window. She’s investing in her own future with that one for sure. And second, Malik comes and gives his girlfriend (you know he says it even if she doesn’t) a great big hug and she sobs and sobs in a way that she didn’t with anyone else including her own family, and it says so much about their relationship that this is the moment where she feels safe to empty the tank like that.
Since Dom’s vehicle situation is compromised, Malik also drives everyone home. I like this guy. First stop is Patrick’s place because really though why did he even come in the first place? And who is outside waiting for him but Kevin. Pat seems fine with it, but I’m more than a little unnerved. Like, how long have you been standing there, bud? Luckily, alien life forms don’t know about our human dating norms, so when Kevin is all “I left my long-term partner to take you on as my lover-slash-employee and then camped in front of your living space like a creep even though last time I saw you, you were a drunken train wreck,” Pat responds with sloppy make-outs. Theirs is truly a solid love, guaranteed to stand the test of time.
guyinnh
this show sucks
Cam
Are they angling for Patrick to attempt suicide at the end of the season or something? He seems very unbalanced.
As for Kevin waiting for him, sad that my first thought when he says that he left his boyfriend is “I wonder if his boyfriend knows this?”.
guyinnh
i’m hoping for suicide
Caine
OK do they REALLY want me to believe that super hot Kevin is pining over not hot Patrick? I don’t buy it.
onthemark
Yikes, I usually read these before watching the show, but this one sounds almost unbearable.
NG22
This was a rewarding episode. Doris was an exemplary lead. She laughed and she cried and she made us want to do the same. One of the strong suits of “Looking” has always been nuanced characterization. This episode maintains that.
The writers gave Doris more emotional resonance, but maintained her snarky humor. It was mesmerizing to watch her. I loved this episode for the same reason I loved episode 5, with Richie. It was nice to leave San Francisco, to see more people and their lives. The show is strongest when it expands its perspective from just a love triangle.
That said, the love triangle is a lot of fun, too. What an exhilarating surprise seeing Kevin outside of Patrick’s apartment — looking gorgeous as ever. Kevin is so sexy when he’s vulnerable. We’ve waited a long time for an official relationship between these two. It was rewarding to see them do it the right way.
Not as rewarding: this recap, and all of the commenters who act as if they are being forced to watch.
MinnesotaNotNice
Always love Doris and what she brings to the scenes that she’s in and it was a real treat to see her as the main focus of this episode.
Have grown really tired of Patrick and his ‘all about me, all the time’ syndrome. I thought it was very odd to see Kevin outside of Patrick’s place when he arrived home. Kevin says that he left John, but I’m of the opinion that after they both left the Halloween party in the previous episode, John sensed that there was something serious going on with Kevin & Patrick and I think it’s more likely that John gave Kevin his walking papers and Kevin won’t admit that to Patrick.
Need more Richie and Eddie…..just sayin’!
Cam
@NG22:
Your comment seems like copy taken directly from a PR release for the show.
Paco
“Theirs is truly a solid love, guaranteed to stand the test of time.”
Yeah, until Kevin decides to go back to his ex or gets an itch for a new “mistress”, because that’s how those that want to have their cake and eat it usually roll. Either way, this will provide another season of Patrick being a complete mess. They really do deserve one another.
AxelDC
If Kevin is willing to leave his boyfriend for anyone, then their relationship is already over. Whether or not he and Patrick stay together, Kevin was already detached and looking for someone else. Kevin isn’t giving up anything by leaving his LTR for Patrick, because he’d already checked out when he kissed Patrick last season.
As for the other characters, who cares?
MarionPaige
It seems to me that the character Patrick is now being presented as a very unlikeable character, deliberately. The monologue at the Halloween Party and the crying fest at the funeral all present Patrick as this Odd potentially unstable person that the show doesn’t even expect the audience to like.
At the Halloween party, basically, all of the characters AND THE AUDIENCE were viewing Patrick as this unstable unlikeable person. How does the character come back from that? And this character is allegedly the star of the show?
stanhope
One could only hope that the Patrick character offs himself. That character is a world class horror. Essentially the show sucks but since there is nothing else to watch at the same time I turn it on so HBO is encouraged to create more gay programming. Perhaps next time they will get it right. I marvel at how this crap gets on but Noah’s Arc was let go.
Doughosier
I don’t know, I really liked this episode.
robho3
I have the best idea to make this show better—KILL OFF PATRICK. This episode would have been so good if Patrick wasn’t in it. I think they should kill off Patrick and Augustin (maybe an apt fire!) And focus on all the other characters. The dynamic between Dom And Doris was great in this episode, I would would like to see more of this with the other characters. Patrick should just go away he irritates everyone.
NG22
@Cam: I enjoy the program. I think it’s subtle, sophisticated, and engrossing. Nonetheless, I recognize that it’s not for everyone. I encourage those who dislike the show to stop watching.
Just because your perspective is more critical does not mean it is more valid. One does not need to work for the show or HBO to love this program. Your frequent questions regarding my association with the broadcast only underlines your own cynicism. And I know cynicism. I’m a New Yorker.
Skip
Okay, I get it. Patrick’s a mess, but please, enough with the suicide shit.
Kangol
Reading all the comments about Looking reminds me, why isn’t Queerty posting about Girls any more? That little garden of narcissism is 4 seasons in and like a weed is still going strong.
Alan down in Florida
@Caine: Matter of taste dude. Kevin is a little too rough trade for my taste whereas Kevin physically checks off all the boxes of what I define as my type.
Alan down in Florida
@Alan down in Florida: Sorry – Patrick physically checks off all the boxes of what I define as my type.
Blackceo
Queerty has such dedication in trying to make “Looking” happen.
enlightenone
@NG22: “…We’ve waited a long time for an official relationship between these two. It was rewarding to see them do it the right way.”
“WE?” You and your 12 year old girlfriends! (See Cam’s comment.)
enlightenone
@MarionPaige: “…It seems to me that the character Patrick is now being presented as a very unlikeable character, deliberately.”
It’s been that way at least since the last three episodes of Season 1! What took you so long?
enlightenone
@stanhope: “…I marvel at how this crap gets on but Noah’s Arc was let go.”
I’ll say it. Some things are just White and Black!
Arcamenel
I loved the episode until that end scene. I know Patrick wants to be in a relationship but he needs to find out who he really is first. Also I’m 99.99% sure it was Jon who left Kevin.
Cam
@NG22: said…
“I enjoy the program. I think it’s subtle, sophisticated, and engrossing. Nonetheless, I recognize that it’s not for everyone. I encourage those who dislike the show to stop watching.
Just because your perspective is more critical does not mean it is more valid.”
_______________________
No, when I said “Your comment seems like copy taken directly from a PR release for the show”. I wasn’t complaining because you were complimenting the show. I was pointing out that you most likely were affiliated with the show, or had copied your comments straight from a show PR release. The comments did not sound organic in nature, but manufactured.
NG22
@Cam: I wrote it on the spot on this website. I’ve never even seen a press release for “Looking.” I’ve never been to San Francisco. I’ve never worked for HBO. I’ve never met Andrew Haigh, Michael Lannon, or any of the other cool people who work on the show. If I had done any of these things, I would be touting it.
I’m not sure if that’s meant to be an insult to my writing or not. If you wrote and thought the way I do, you’d know it was an organic (if not informal) comment. That was my alternative version of a recap, as I disagree with what this writer presents each Monday. Perhaps you’re just used to thoughtless, angry brainfart comments on this site and elsewhere.
If you compare my Looking comments to other comments I write on the site, you should be able to see consistent elements.
smittoons
I don’t get most of the hate for this episode. The more intimate stories are far and away the best ones. This is very reminiscent of the exceptional season 1 episode which solidified Patrick and Richie’s relationship by only focusing on them. A whole episode revolving around the most entertaining character, i.e. Doris? It really works, everything about the funeral scenes was touching and believable… except Patrick. His crying scene was played for laughs, as was his tagging along in the first place.
The reason Patrick doesn’t always work is because even after meeting his mother we have an incomplete picture to explain how an extremely attractive 30-something living in San Francisco with very comfortable and sexual friends could be as clueless about gay culture and every day facts of life as he often is. Just saying he was a small town oppressed gay and ex-fatty doesn’t cut it – the character is often not believable and as winsome as Jonathan Groff is, his casting only shines a harsher light on these flaws.
That said, the character doesn’t overpower the good drama that was on display here.