susidee34's Full Review: Queer as Folk - The Complete First Season
To quote Nick Meno … “We all need to learn a lesson from crayons. Some are sharp, some have weird names, and they are all kinds of colors. But in the end, they have to learn to live in the same box”… And so it goes with the British hit that dipped into white color Pittsburgh, Queer As Folk. It lasted for five seasons with some characters playing in every episode, and they are the main characters, although there was a fine display of characters that appeared throughout the series.
The main characters, and playing in every episode, are: Michelle Clunie, playing attorney Melanie Marcus Thea Gill, playing teacher Lindsay Peterson [the only person nominated for any award individually] Gale Harold, playing sexual stud Brian Kinney Randy Harrison, playing 17 year old high school student Justin Taylor Scott Lowell, playing accountant Ted Schmidt Peter Paige, playing window dresser Emmett Honeycutt Hal Sparks, playing comic book enthusiast Michael Novotny Sharon Gless, playing Michael’s mother, Debbie Novotny [basically everyone’s mother]
The group and the story line is similar to “Friends”, or it would be if Chandler and Ross ever manned-up and came out of the closet. Each person is diverse and unique in their own way but as a group they play off each other beautifully, grounded all by Debbie Novotny who is outwardly proud of her gay son, Michael, and everyone she comes in contact with, either through PFLAG or her restaurant becomes aware immediately that she is intensely loyal to her son, and his friends. Don’t mess with Mother Nature, or Debbie Novotny.
If you have one single homophobic gene in your body, this is definitely not a series for you. Of course, as a homophobe, you wouldn’t be looking for this anyway and if you did, then you deserve what you get because you are obviously just being nosy and getting your closet thrills.
The season opens in the local nightclub, Babylon, and all it entails. It seems to be predominantly a gay bar although you see the occasional lesbian, and straight gals, hanging around. The club is sexually charged, with their pounding music and wild lights, backroom orgies, and flamboyant dancers. It is, for all intents and purposes, a meat market and you will usually find Brian there shopping. The others in the core group - Ted, Emmett, and Michael - are his buddies and always seem to be shopping but leaving with an empty cart.
Michael and Brian are life long friends, having ‘almost’ shared a sexual encounter together but it has never been truly realized. Their relationship is a love/hate thing. More love than hate, for sure. Brian is completely narcissistic and considers most below him - in more ways than one. Michael is almost like a little puppy dog following him around, catering to his every demand. Whether Brian has any true feelings for Michael may be disclosed at later time but, at this point, you consider Brian to be a total, well, Epinions won‘t allow what I would say..
There is much to dislike about him. And they play off that completely with his character. I’ll be a headshrink for a minute and say that he obviously comes from a very broken home, just from hints that are tossed around, and doesn’t allow himself to become personally involved with anyone. To him, love is a one-night-stand and he often doesn’t know the name of the guy he wakes up next to in his apartment. Working in the advertising field, he seems to be successful, if his apartment and clothing are any indication.
Michael, on the other hand, is a complete dreamer. He holds a mundane job, apparently as manager or assistant manager, in a store called Q-Mart or sometimes referred to as Big Q, wonder where they came up with that name? He is attractive and well dressed and no one at work even assumes he would be gay. He is one of those sweet, loveable, guys you just want to give a big hug to or bake him some cookies or something. His total obsession, other than Brian, is comic books - more importantly, action figure comic characters. Childish at times, he is a fiercely loyal friend and utterly devoted to his outlandish, and accepting, mother, Debbie.
In the first series he is hurt at work and must see a chiropractor, the delicious Dr. David Cameron, played by Chris Potter. As it turns out, Dr. Dave is gay and he and Michael start a good relationship which has Debbie practically in tears [A doctor? … a mothers’ dream] and Brian in a tizzy.
Season one also brings us Emmett, who is so openly gay that he was probably born with a boa already on. He is presently ‘temporarily’ staying with Michael, although it has been over two years, and employed in the garment industry and loving it. I’m loving him to death, as well. With Emmett you have a truthful soul. You never doubt where you stand with him, he says what he feels and feels what he says. He doesn’t pull punches with you and if he thinks you are being a hateful old shrew, he’ll tell you that too. You’d never find a better friend than Emmett and you cherish each minute he is on the screen.
Finally there is Ted. He is just about as uptight and boorish as the others are playful. Not unattractive, for some reason he just can’t seem to find the perfect guy. In season one we see him take home the wrong guy who gives him some GHB and he overdoses, going into a coma. This is where you see the true nature of the major players and what they are made of. After his recovery, Ted becomes more reluctant in looking for a partner, although he never stops dreaming of the white picket fence and 3.5 children and a dog.
We also meet Lindsay and Melanie, as Lindsay goes into labor and delivers a cute little boy … fathered by Brian, her life-long friend. The introduction of this baby into the mix does little to soften the dislike between Melanie and Brian, who both love Lindsay intensely. To Brian she is Wendy and he is Peter Pan. She is an accomplished artist, promoting other new artists, and now she has this wonderful child. Melanie seems, at times, both loving and overprotective. She is more world wise, apparently a successful attorney.
Leaving us Debbie Novotny, played with great zeal by Sharon Gless. She is extremely out there, all frizzy hair and outlandish clothes. She’s outspoken, loud, sometimes brash. She is completely loving and accepting and the shoulder everyone cries on when things go bad. Her home is as open as her heart. Living with her is her brother, suffering from AIDS, and a variety of people throughout the series. If you need a place to crash, this is the house.
She knows everything about you and everything you might even think of doing. As a waitress at a gay-friendly restaurant, she proudly wears her PFLAG. In every episode she wears a teeshirt with some symbolism or saying on it, she never fails. She also sports a rainbow vest covered with an array of buttons. In one episode we find Brian and Michael lying on the floor, surrounded by various take-out containers. Brian says one thing he always remembered about the Novotny house was that there was always an overload of food. Michael returns with what he remembered about Brian’s home, an overload of alcohol.
Debbie has a borderline relationship with Brian. She knows Michael has always secretly loved Brian and even suspects that Brian, in his own way, secretly loves Michael. She is one person that always gives it to you straight, whether you want to hear it or not, and she never misses an opportunity to lay it on the line to Brian.
Entering the picture, in the first episode, and remaining throughout the series, is loveable and adorable Justin. Only 17, still in high school, he gets in the bars with fake ID’s and on this particular night he sets his sights on Brian Kinney. Why not? Everyone else in the place has. He has never truly explored his sexual fantasies and he decides that Brian is just the one to show him the ropes. We won’t even discuss the complications of him being underage, something he doesn’t divulge to Brian until it is too late. Nicknamed Sunshine by Debbie, Justin, a budding artist, lights up the room when he enters. He is both the embodiment of child and man, innocent and aggressor. At times he is the complete child and, at other, wiser than all the others on the show.
During season 1 Justin’s parents first learn he is gay, then find out the man he is involved with is 29 years old. Dad, a man’s man, finds it hard to accept, even confronting Brian and turning his back on Justin. We see that Justin is a drug Brian can’t quit although they are often at odds with each other. We also find the perfect union between Lindsay and Melanie is strained beyond repair after the baby arrives. After being together for years, they actually go their separate ways mid-way through the first season. However, as part of the main group, their paths constantly cross.
Other issues discussed in season one are the AIDS scare when Emmett fears he has tested positive. So they aren’t completely unaware about AIDS but they certainly seem to take an awful lot of risks. We also cover one of those ‘self help’ groups that helps turns gays straight again, with all it implies. Sexual harassment in the workplace is a topic of one episode and shared parental rights comes under scrutiny.
Overall, it is a highly entertaining show that covers a lot of issues that are pertinent in today’s society. Participants in the series aren’t all gay, although they portray their parts with complete believability. America, not being as open about sexuality as other countries, had a difficult time embracing this series. Notations were made on IMDB that a good many agents wouldn’t allow their clients to read for parts because they understood this would be a sexually driven show.
I will admit it is sexually driven. Even the language, in normal conversation, has a lot of undertones. There is nudity, male and female, full frontal. There are sexual acts performed although they never show the penetration you still are fully involved in the sexual scene being shown. It leaves nothing to the imagination. There is a lot of drug use in the series and it seems like they are always drinking. The language is often raw and liberally laced with swear words.
None of this bothers me because, in the long run, these are simply a group of friends hanging out and having a life. Sometimes it is good, sometimes it is bad. They all have jobs, responsibilities, bills. It is more like everyday life than most series because these people have issues, discuss their issues, argue, and make love. Things don’t always ‘work out’, sometimes life is just dirty.
I’m fully looking forward to season 2, which should arrive anytime.
"Queer As Folk" revolves around a group of gay friends (men & women) living out their day-to-day lives in Pittsburgh, PA. A groundbreaking series set ...More at HotMovieSale.com
Based on the British television series of the same name that became a sensation abroad Showtime's QUEER AS FOLK quickly became as big a hit in the US ...More at Family Video
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