Queer as Folk (US Version - Season 1)

(Woops. Was supposed to post this last night.)

No snippy title for this one - sorry to disappoint

It's too foundational for me to get cute with. I don't even really remember when I first heard about the show, but I definitely knew it existed at some point before I turned eighteen. I'd subtly glance at the boxset for it when I came across it in the mall, and when I went to visit my family in Australia (and finally got some good internet access) I binged it like crazy, although I know I've never gotten to the end.

So it's also a bit weird to try and sort out my thoughts and feelings about something that's this important to me. How do I know if I actually think it's good, or if Young Bradley thought it was? Because honestly, the opinion I'm left with at the moment is that it FUCKING HOLDS UP.

Honestly, the acting is pretty fantastic, the writing has some flaws occasionally, but (as of this season) I've found the storyline really compelling, and the interactions very realistic. (Granted, the setting is possibly a bit strange - I highly doubt the gay scene in Pittsburgh, of all places, is so violently metropolitan as it's portrayed in the show, but I withhold my judgement there, as I've never been to Pittsburgh, or done much of the gay scene in any big, American cities.)

Now, bear in mind that this commentary applies to Season 1, only - I'm still working my way through them on my morning-workout-routine-gay-training-montage treadmill runs. But I have have thoughts about the characters so far, and how they build the story.

And OH MY, the characters. I'm less in love with Michael and Ted. Michael's just sort of a blank slate of motivations, willing to let other people mould him and shape him as they please. It's possibly interesting, but it's not winning me over, and given how the show sets him up as basically the central character, I find myself rebelling against the idea of ever giving him a chance.

Ted's kind of unpleasant. Maybe we're supposed to find his situation - age and mediocrity in a community that reviles those things - to be somewhat sympathetic, but all it comes across is as a bit pathetic and cynical. He rails against the worship of youth and beauty, bemoans that he has neither, but continues to obsess over the very things he's always complaining about. It's not unrealistic, of course - it's just not incredibly endearing.

Emmet, on the other hand, is fantastic. Not only is he actually his own person - unlike Michael - and actually full of real, sincere warmth and caring - and not just directing good behaviour to the people he's attracted to like Ted. But he's full of that rebellious and unapologetic strength that I've always admired (and somewhat envied) in the more femme men I've know throughout life. Not to mention, as a character, he breaks a lot of stereotypes - I quite enjoyed that episode where he toyed around with being a dom top.

Justin is also pretty good. The character doesn't do too much for me in general, but he's solid - his motivations work, his situation works, and you understand him and are rooting for him. Obviously some things change in Season 2 (I remember that much) which make him much more interesting, but for now he's mostly just a good, grounded character that helps move things along. And his interactions with Brian are always great, and where I think the best value in the character lies - I think he once had a line like "You can't scare me away. I'm on to you." And I just thought that was awesome.

Then there's Brian Kinney. It almost feels like I should hate this character. You know - Mary Sue vibes. Too competent, the actor's too hot, too 'right all the time.' Maybe. Or maybe I'm just imagining whiny internet people - this discourse is kind of stale, so it's not like I'm out there having discussions about this.

But Brian's character is almost the triumph of the show. Because they manage to portray a promiscuous, cynical lifestyle as both glorious and deeply unhealthy, and they manage to do it with a fair amount of nuance. By the end of the season we can see Brian is someone who deeply cares about the people around him, but is too entrenched is his choices, his ego and his damage to always do the right thing. I've always found that pretty interesting.

I don't know if I have any sort of grand thesis about this. Indeed, I go out of my way to not let myself think that I have magical, original insights into media. I'm just a guy who enjoys the show, and thinks it represents something significant in gay history. I don't think Season 1 was ever where I left off, but I'll keep watching and see if any of the others bug me.

So consider this season 1 of my blog posts about this, and stick around for the rest. (Whenever they arrive.) 😉 Until next week, where hopefully I can stick to my assigned days better.