In news that has us immediately renewing our Showtime subscription, the network revealed today that Bridgerton‘s Jonathan Bailey will be joining the previously announced Matt Bomer in the upcoming historical fiction miniseries, Fellow Travelers.
But wait, there’s more: The two hunky gay actors will be playing lovers! All aboard!
Truly, we’re sold on that information alone, but Fellow Travelers, based on the critically-acclaimed book by Thomas Mallon, is a fascinating story—one with an unfortunate relevance to today’s world.
Matt Bomer and Jonathan Bailey are going to play lovers in a new Showtime series…
I am going to need so much time to mentally, emotionally, and spiritually prepare for THAThttps://t.co/ZmeMJpnnlx pic.twitter.com/TFsUO052qQ
— Jarett Wieselman (@JarettSays) July 11, 2022
The series will be a “love story and political thriller” set in 1950s Washington, D.C. Bomer stars as Hawkins Fuller, a charismatic political operative who largely keeps to himself. That is, until he meets Tim Laughlin (Bailey), a recent college graduate said to be “filled with optimism about the post-WWII future.”
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But their romance sparks in the shadow of McCarthyism, a dark time in American history when conservative politicians exploited fear and drummed up anti-communist paranoia, declaring war on “subversives and sexual deviants.” The series takes its title from a phrase popularized during that era, colloquially used to refer to people who were sympathetic to the ideology of a political organization—typically a pejorative used to label those intellectually aligned with communism.
At a time when right-wingers are trying to keep LGBTQ education out of schools and drag queens out of the public eye, the themes explored in Fellow Travelers sound unsettlingly prescient.
It’s potentially heavy stuff, but the series promises plenty of thrills and intrigue, following Fuller and Laughlin’s “volatile romance” over the course of four decades, with the two crossing paths “through the Vietnam War protests of the 1960s, the drug-fueled disco hedonism of the 1970s and the AIDS crisis of the 1980s, while facing obstacles in the world and in themselves.”
Related: Pride & Patriotism: 10 queer films remind us we are not alone on Independence Day
Fellow Travelers —which is slated to begin production in Toronto later this month—comes from creator Ron Nyswaner (Philadelphia, Homeland), and counts Halston‘s Daniel Minahan among its executive producers and episodic directors. Variety previously announced that Girls and Get Out‘s Alison Williams has also joined the cast.
Honestly, the thought of seeing Bailey and Bomer in fancy, period-specific clothing has us giddy. But until photos start leaking from set, all we can do is daydream. So, in the meantime, let’s take a look back at some of the actors’ steamiest Instagram posts to get that imagination running wild.
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greekboy
I’m pretty sure Matt Bomer was put on this mortal coil to do nothing other than to keep me happy
Mario
“But their romance sparks in the shadow of McCarthyism, a dark time in American history when conservative politicians exploited fear and drummed up anti-communist paranoia, declaring war on “subversives and sexual deviants.””
Queerty is peddling fake news again! I guess this author is NOT a student of American history. There were as many red-baiting Democrats as there were red-baiting Republicans back then.
Lest you forget that Robert F. Kennedy served as counsel for Joe McCarthy’s senate committee’s investigation into communist infiltration, and Senator John F. Kennedy supported McCarthy’s endeavors.
linedrive
There was no mention of party affiliation. Conservative didn’t automatically mean Republican then (or now honestly) so perhaps you are no student of American history either.
Hal9K
I actually created an account to respond to your blinder informed reading of this article.
To assist you in remembering what was actually written let me quote EXACTLY from what is written “ when conservative politicians exploited fear and drummed up anti-communist paranoia,…..”. NOWHERE is a party affiliation mentioned, only an ideology.
Perhaps before you open mouth and insert pen count to 10…reread what is written…then perhaps you may have something salient to contribute.
Kangol2
Mario is not very informed. He/Marcy/James Hart latches onto anything to try and trash Democrats, Biden, etc. He’s apparently unaware that there were and still are very conservative Democrats as well as Democrats who describe themselves as “conservative”; for Mario/Marcy/James Hart, it’s all very rigid and drawn directly from his right-wing sources.
Tellingly he hasn’t quoted the recent poll showing that half of Republican voters are now dumping traitor Don the Con, or anything else show the GQP is in trouble in a number of races around the country. Nor is he mentioning that several key inflation indices are falling, that gas in particularly has been in a nearly month-long price decline, that there are now more than 11 million open jobs (still!) in the US, that the unemployment rate remains at 3.6%, etc. Probably because FoxNews/Breitbart/TruthSocial, etc. aren’t posting such stats!
abfab
Saint Mario sounds as dumb as Kellyanne Conwoman, with her alternative facts and Log Cabin talking points. You did us all a service righting this strange person’s wrongs. I wonder what he gets paid to counter the truths on this and other sites?
DBMC
Now, who’s unaware of history? Does your history book stop in 1962?
JTinToronto
Blah blah blah
MacAdvisor
Mario, your statement are typically right-wing nut job, a tiny bit of truth mixed with a huge amount of hogwash and lunacy. While there were some Democrats and liberals (notably the ACLU, as an example) that were involved in Red Baiting, it was mostly a rightwing thing. Back in the 50s there were VERY conservative Democrats that would be MAGA Republicans and very liberal Republicans. The later is really who took on McCarthy and brought about his downfall. In any case, Queerty is absolutely correct in laying Red Baiting at the door of conservative politicians exploiting fear.
Please see:
htt ps://e n.wiki pedia. org/ wiki/ McCa rthyism
inbama
Compared to Trump, McCarthy’s crimes almost seem quaint.
Using his position to cultivate relationships with anti-American terrorist groups as a way to remain in office in spite of having been voted out positively dwarfs the Wisconsin Senator’s impersonation of Maximilien Robespierre.
It’s nice we can get a security clearance, but we live in far more dangerous times.
bachy
Nary a buttock or a bulge on display, Bomer’s gay game is so squeaky clean, he’s Old Skool. It’s either a career-maintenance strategy or he’s planning to run for office someday. He’s not No-Homo, but he’s definitely No-Porno.
Texasholdem
He has three teenagers. Maybe he just doesn’t want to embarrass them.
graphicjack
umm.. have you seen the still shots from Magic Mike?
bachy
@Texasholdem: 3 teenagers? Omigod, what is happening to the gay community??? When did Suburbia and a minivan become “the dream”?
@graphicjack: are you kidding? The images on IMDb are so tame they could appear on the Disney Channel!
Ken A.
He showed his penis in Boys in the Band.
LMG
You quite obviously have never seen “The Normal Heart”!
Prax07
1950’s Washington? Hard Pass. Enough of that type of hellscape in 2022’s reality, don’t need to watch it on TV.
Ken A.
Bomer is 44 Bailey is 34, whose the daddy. Bomer is now in the category of DILF.
Essie
While I truly love both Bomer and Bailey, this series sounds like a real downer. I just know I won’t be able to get through it. Also, I don’t have Showtime and I don’t think I want it. So, pass.
LMG
Once again Mario, the Super Troll, rears his ugly head and pen to make a negative comment about Democrats – as if that excuses the numerous negative excesses of Republicans who now comprise a whole new bunch of neo-McCarthyites – the “new” McCarthy of CA, Cruz, Cotton, Boebert, Greene, Gaetz, Hawley, etc., etc. And the biggest one of all – The obese loser from Mar-a-Lago. PU!