Plot Details: This opinion reveals minor details about the movie's plot.

The second season of QUEER AS FOLK is quite possibly the season with the most pivotal scenes in it. Although it's even more comedic than the first season, it's all the more emotional and a bit more (Ok, a lot more) relationship-focused. To the naked eye, Season 2 isn't an important season (Season 4 is in that category, sadly), except for the facts that continue on in later seasons, such as Michael's new relationship with Ben, Justin's affair with Latin stud Ethan and Ted's new business; But to those who know the characters inside and out by now, they, or you, should see that the little things, such as small face expressions or one tiny spoken line, makes a character's growth almost surprising and shockingly humane.

To those who are just looking for spoils or for those who are just dropping here, the short synopsis in Season 2 is about six months after the season finale of Season 1 (where Justin was gay bashed by fellow classmate, Chris Hobbs). Justin's been in a rehab center / hospital (?) for six months getting better with the damage on his head and Michael is back from Portland with Dr. David. He later reveals to Emmett and Ted and everyone else soon enough the real reason he came back and their story goes from there. Justin keeps asking why Brian hasn't visited him once since he's been bashed but what he doesn't know is that Brian has been visiting him; during the night while he's sleeping. In a childish, naive kind of manner, Brian refuses to tell him when Jennifer, Justin's mother, has a talk with Brian. Ironically, even though not telling him he's been visiting him everyday for the past six months, he tells Jennifer he cares for him... a lot. His and Justin's story goes on from there and in between, Daphne (Justin's best friend) and Debbie (Michael's out-of-this-world mom) are cheerleaders on the side line and Lindsay and Melanie still have more to take care of then their friends, like family and etc etc.
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MAIN CAST DESCRIPTION

Brian Kinney (GALE HAROLD) is still a mean, heartless sex machine that still doesn't care what people say or what people tell him. Shockingly, throughout the season, Brian shows more compassion to both Michael and Justin but they don't fight for his attention anymore. This change may glide by unseen but when noticed, the changes to the show can either be a stunning start to a second season or an uncomfortable change of scenery, depending on what eye is watching. The kisses Brian and Justin have are also less exotic (still exotic in a couple of scenes of course) and more compassionate, obviously showing signs of progression of a person who is madly in love and the other caught in the midst of it. It's a love story that (kinda) has never been told and QAF captures all of this very well. Even when Brian helps out a homophobic client (he works in an advertisement agency), he tells the client to donate money to the Gay Marriage Initiative, which involved both Lindsay and Melanie on a personal level. Though Brian was helping himself by getting money, in the end, he also helped a small portion of the gay community who wanted to get hitched by forcing a homophobe to donate some dough to homos. A couple of other obvious changes in his character involves Justin. He begins to consult with him on almost everything he does, has a mesmerizing look on his face whenever he looks into Justin's eyes, showing a sign of weakness, but most importantly, he gets angry and jealous when he finds Michael and Justin sleeping on his bed, close and almost touching. It's proof that, even though he doesn't want to be, he is beginning to get emotionally attached to Justin, so the thought of anyone stealing him pis*es Brian the hell off. It may sound a lot but in 20 something episodes, these changes are only whip cream on an already iced cake. It's little changes in character like this that can get surprising and it can surprise anyone how slowly yet gracefully these characters grow. (5/5)
PIVOTAL SCENE: Episode 2 is Brian's pivotal scene, where Justin does not want to have any sexual contact because of his past trauma, which he can't get over. Near the end of the episode though, Justin decides he wants to and in an unlike-Brian way, Brian asks virginal and angelic questions like "Are you sure?" and "slowly...like the first time?" Instead of a brutal fu*k fest, Brian grants Justin's wish and he goes slow and has a 'so in love' kind of face with an emotional and pleased glare in his eyes. (4.5/5)

Michael Novotny (HAL SPARKS) is still a childish fan of comics and he's still with David... that is until the second episode, when he finally confesses. His admitting to his failure with Dr. David is both touching yet predictable and his longing for another relationship is high. In the first season, Michael was a definite follower, always following Brian's actions and orders but this time, Michael is trying to find his own path, leading to a new relationship with a college professor named Ben Buckner. Michael's personality doesn't really change, if not at all, but the way he matures throughout the season, coping with every ones changes of relationships, including his own, is unlike Michael. He also begins to write a comic book called RAGE, with Justin drawing the characters. It's an interesting collaboration that still doesn't let the two boys go past acquaintances, which is the best storyline that could have ever been told between the two because if they were going to become friends, the storyline in future seasons would have been greatly altered. (3.5/5)
PIVOTAL SCENE: Episode 18, when Ben is hospitalized, Michael has the fear that Ben might die. He gives a worthy performance of tears that isn't necessarily award worthy but it's realy and gives off feelings of guilt, sympathy and remorse. Brian is there and ironically, steals the spotlight when he hugs Michael and in a vulnerable tone, says: "Everything's gonna be fine." (4/5)

Justin Taylor (RANDY HARRISON), recovering from the traumatic experience he endured during the last episode of the first season, gives performances of different angles and personalitites. He cries too much early on in the season, acts like a Brain clone yet is in the need of his love all the time during the middle and during the end episodes, when his affair with Ethan immenses, he becomes a strong young man that is ultimatly ungrateful but unshy of all of the things Brian has done for him. The real change in him is obviously his maturity from a helpless and weak gay boy to a strong and independant young man. He doesn't rely on Brian too much from the middle on and he realizes how cold the world can be, in a naive sort of way. While Brian and Justin were the center characters in the first season who had to showcase their skills as actors, this season lets the both of them take a step back and let everyone else shine. (4/5)
PIVOTAL SCENE: Episode 2 can also be Justin's pivotal scene, as it is Brian's, but episode 4, where it is Pride Weekend, Brian and him are hanging out at Woody's (local gay bar) when Brian catches the eye of a hunk. Justin is already used to Brian's high sex drive by now so he kisses Brian's muscular arm and leaves him to his evil ways. The subtlety in his kiss and the way his eyes understand are so passionate, it's almost scary. Either that or episode 13, where Justin becomes a go-go dancer. Hey, he's pretty impressive. (4/5)

Lindsay & Melanie (THEA GILL & MICHELLE CLUNIE) have even more problems to deal with this season. Both have intimate problems (LDB it is called, aka Lesbian Bed Death), they try to get hitched but as always it goes wrong, and Melanie's hot ex, Lita, 'visits' in almost every episode after the wedding (she appears before it, though). The both of them don't really have the ultra dramatic experiences like the other main characters but Lindsay and Melanie are just as important, as the blessing that Brian takes for granted sometimes that is Gus and Justin's happiness with Brian would not have been possible without them. Hell, without them, the show would be 90% sex, instead of 55% sex. (3.5/5)
PIVOTAL SCENE: Episode 11, the wedding ceremony, isn't anything dramatic or especially special but the passion in the eyes of these two women during the adoring "I do" are desriable and irresistsble. It would have been icing on the cake if the show filmed a short, romantic sex scene between the two (they don't have any problem showing more romantic or more exotic sex scenes with the guys) but it works.(4/5)

Emmett Honeycutt (PETER PAIGE) is still a confidante and the most flamboyant but this time around, his storyline is much more complex and interestingly deep. He gets different kinds of jobs throughout the season, such as being a naked waitress (yeah, pun intended) with Michael for a short time, a naked maid who works for 'conservative' men, and becomes the porn star Ted was looking for in Ted's new porn business. The interestingly deep part I was talking about earlier is when Emmett doesn't date a young man but a man who is probably 30 years his senior named George Shickle (who has something to do with pickles). The storyline between the two is obviously aimed at the older audience and brings out a somewhat comedic side to the second season (especially when the oldie dies), which is already chock full of loving storylines and non-cliche drama. (3.5/5)
PIVOTAL SCENES: Episode 14 and 15 aren't anything we never seen before on television but when Emmett has sex with George on an airplane bathroom and George dies, it's sickening and questionable. When Emmett is banned from speaking at his funeral, it's almost heartbreaking to see a character who's always happy get depressed and lose all hope for his deceased lover. (3/5)

Ted Shmidt (SCOTT LOWELL), in the first season, was a boring accountant that also was a masterbating addict (it gets worse this season) who got put in a coma because of a crystal meth addict he decided to take home named Blake. Him and Emmett were and still is best friends and him getting shut down by every man he tries to hit on still doesn't change, and he loves it. After disappearing in the season finale of the first season, Blake doesn't make one appearence in the second, but that doesn't mean Ted doesn't have any romance... or sex. He's still a nut case and he still has his addiction to porn to overcome but when he gets fired from his job as an accountant, Ted gets depressed for a couple of episodes, can't find a job and then creates his own, by creating a porn website from scratch. (3.5/5)
PIVOTAL SCENE: In the first season, Ted's pivotal scene was earlier than most, as the scene where he takes too much cocaine (I think it was coke) that Blake gives him before he gets into a coma is excellently acted and played out. Sadly, in this season, while Ted has more focus, there's no scene whatsoever that showcases his somewhat above average acting skills. He is more interesting, though, and has a main storyline that goes throughout the series. (2.5/5)

SECONDARY CAST DESCRIPTION

Debbie Novotny (SHARON GLESS) is still a loud mouth and she hasn't changed at all since the first season. The new changes in her life are that she meets a cop her own age whom she starts dating and she refuses to accept the fact that Michael is dating HIV positive Ben Bruckner, leaving a sort of strained relationship between mother and son. She also sees that Brian has love or is in love with Justin and from here on out, she lets him know she sees right through his rough exterior. (4/5)
RELATIONSHIP: Carl Horvath, a somewhat homophobic cop (3.5/5)

Ben Brukner (ROBERT GANT) is a newcomer to the second season and he meets Michael and his mother in Michael's new comic book store. Pretty soon from there on out, Ben and Michael begin dating with hurdles along the way, including Michael's fear of having sex with an HIV positive man. But the person who takes this harder than anyone is Debbie, who is terrified of the fact that Michael will always have a chance of getting it if he continues to date Ben. She accepts him the same episode when Michael gives a nice acting performance, episode 18, when Ben is hospitalized and all three of their relationships get even more lovable and civilized. Ben also has a secret with Brian that Michael finds out and even though it isn't a big must see episode, it is an add to the usless drama between that episode. Ben is also a great add to the characters, as he's the only spiritual one in the entire series. (4.5/5)
RELATIONSHIP: Michael, Debbie's son (5/5)

Jennifer Taylor (SHERRY MILLER) is more intentive and now a participant in PFLAG, a group of supporters of the gay community. Near and in the middle to the end, Jennifer begins to accept Justin's sexuality, his relationship with Brian, and the friends around them (although I never seen her associate herself with the lesbians). This process in her character makes her progress seem fiercely realistic and makes her role much more important that what it was in the first season. She also has her own fair share of drama, the most important being the divorce between her and Justin's father. (3.5/5)
RELATIONSHIP: Criag, her now ex-husband (3/5)

Vic Grassi (JACK WETHERALL) is the reflection of Debbie. They're still the same and both don't really have that much story to tell but they're still handy when it comes to comic relief or a push for if one of the characters need it. The only important thing Vic has done in the second season is make a cake for Melanie and Lindsay's wedding! (3/5)
RELATIONSHIP: None

Ethan Gold (FABRIZIO FILIPPO) is a late newcomer (he arrives in Episode 16) but when he arrives, he does it so quick and with a bang that it's hard not calling a main character. He isn't poor but he's on the verge, he's a true romantic (even if some of it is just plain shmaultz) and he has an affair with Justin. It's difficult not to like his Fab's acting abilities, which is both smooth yet strong and his way with the script exquisitely rolls of the tongue. (4/5)
RELATIONSHIP: Justin, episode 16 through end (4/5)

THIRD PARTY CAST DESCRIPTION

Daphne (MAKYLA SMITH) is still Justin's best friend and though she makes more appearences in contrast to the first season, it's still not enough to say she's important to the series. It's a win-lose situation. The role for her is perfect but it doesn't do her acting abilities justice, or give her enough credit. For some reason, she seems to be the only person Brian is always nice to. (4/5)

Carl Horvath (PETER MACNEILL) is a somewhat homophobic cop who investigates a murder that occured behind the Liberty Diner, where Debbie works as a waitress. From there on out, he makes a quite a few appearences with his relationship with Debbie growing and his thoughts about the gay community progress into acceptence. For those who were or are tired of all the gay and lesbian action in the show, you'll finally get some straight action. Take warning, though. If you worship youth, then the older, straight love between Carl and Debbie is not for you. (3.5/5)

Cynthia (STEPHANIE MOORE) is still pretty useless. Just as before in the first season, she'll say a line or two and disappear. All I gotta say is that she must be a really tough chick to put up with Brian's arrogance. I envy her. (5/5)

Tracy (LINDSEY CONELL) is a nice co-worker of Michael's that found out he was gay by Brian in the first season. When Michael takes a job at the Big Q again, the two rekindle their friendship. She makes occaisonal appearences that involves the Big Q and Episode 4, the pride episode. (4/5)

KEY EPISODES:
Episode 2 - Award worthy performances from both Randy Harrison and Gale Harold but Gale Harold takes the cake.
Episode 4 - Brian and Justin's affection towards eachother is obvious and almost uncanny in this episode
Episode 10+11 - Episodes that intersect with past and future episodes
Episode 12 - MIchael finally lets go of his crush / love for Brian
Episode 13 - Michael's father is found, Both a comedic yet traumatic experience
Episode 19+20 - Epi 19 leads up to the hard beating of episode 20, where Justin leaves Brian for Ethan once and for all.

QAF Season 2 DVD Evaluation:
With 6 disks, just as the first season, you'd think the bonus disk would have so much to offer but like every tv on dvd bonus disk, it disappoints. I will tell you this, though; It is better than Season 1's boring set of bonus features. Season 1's bonus features included previews and photo galleries but the only thing worth seeing was the introduced-by-Hal Sparks extended / deleted scenes and the bloopers, which were hilarious to watch. On the Season 2 bonus disk, the QAF team take it a bit further by adding the bloopers and other interesting things to watch, like interviews with the QAF cast at different radio shows and promotion places. Other features include a taping of a 2002 pride tour with Robert Gant, Peter Paige, Michelle Clunie, and some others and the making of the comic book, RAGE. Trailers and previews of future seasons and other television shows and movies are in the mix as well, but who cares about those? When you buy a dvd of let's say... Law & Order:SVU, you wouldn't want a preview of Queer As Folk or Desperate Housewives on there, right? It remains pointless, which is why the dvds will never get a perfect score. Still, Queer As Folk: Season 2 Box Set is still better than Season 1's and it proves that with every mistake QAF makes, a bigger step they take. We'll just have to see how Season 3 holds up.

Scores Done by Acting Skills and Pivotal Scene / Relationships + Bonus Disk:

1.Brian 5/5 + 4.5/5 = 9.5/10
2.Michael 3.5/5 + 4/5 = 7.5/10
3.Justin 4/5 + 4/5 = 8/10
4.Lindsay & Melanie 3.5/5 + 4/5 = 7.5/10
5.Emmett 3.5/5 + 3/5 = 6.5/10
6.Ted 3.5/5 + 2.5/5 = 6/10
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1.Debbie 4/5 + 3.5/5 = 7.5/10
2.Ben 4.5/5 + 5/5 = 9.5/10
3.Jennifer 3.5/5 + 3/5 = 6.5/10
4.Vic 3/5 + 0 = 3/10
5.Ethan 4/5 + 4/5 = 8/10
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1.Daphne 4/5
2.Carl Horvath 3.5/5
3.Cynthia 5/5
4.Tracy 4/5

Bonus Disk Has great features and much more better than the Season One Bonus Disk. Although, it isn't perfect and the photo galleries and previews/trailers of other television shows are plain camp. 4/5

Queer As Folk Season 2 / FINAL SCORE: 3.7/5 or 4/5 (A great DVD Box Set that has a better bonus disk but less edgy-like episodes than its first season)

Recommended: Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Fit for Friday Evening
Suitability For Children: Not suitable for Children of any age