‘Looking’ to Celebrate (E6)
This week’s episode, Looking in the Mirror, was filled with a lot of drama. First off, Pat mentioned the “B” word, which caught Richie by surprise. Their relationship does seem to me moving fast but Richie is ultimately okay with it. Pat is excited, yet nervous to show off his new boyfriend at Dom’s birthday. Dom is turning 40, which apparently in gay years might as well be 60. He’s definitely not looking forward to celebrate because he’s still trying to get his life on track and get his restaurant idea off the ground. Lynn has been a great friend and mentor in helping Dom grow up and get on his feet. Dom’s realizing his Grindr days and 20-something year old flings are numbered.
They celebrate on a beautifully sunny day at Dolores park in the heart of San Fran. Pat introduces Richie to Agustin, one of his closest friends since college. But things start off rocky and it only turns into a train wreck. Agustin comes off rude and is a complete asshole. I can’t believe how unsupportive he is about Pat’s new relationship. I can’t tell if he’s angry about his own life and just taking it out on Pat, or if he truly believes Pat deserves better. Agustin seems to be in a difficult place himself so I think he’s just angry towards everything. It doesn’t help that he recently got fired and is trying out this new artistic venture, photographing the life of a male prostitute. Things get a little complicated as Agustin’s work and personal life co-mingle when CJ (male prostitute) meets Frank, Agustin’s boyfriend, at Dom’s birthday. It just doesn’t feel right. You can feel there’s something off and it’s definitely not going to end well.
Things get a little more weird when Pat runs into his boss and boyfriend. All four guys make the proper introductions but Pat feels his partner may not be up to par. He makes a comment about Richie’s work that makes things awkward. Maybe Pat does think he’s settling for less. You can definitely sense it in his demeanor.
The sh*t really hits the fan after Agustin blatantly bashes Richie when Pat privately asks him what he thought. Well things didn’t turn out so well because Richie happens to be walking by and overhears. Richie’s reaction is totally understandable as he jumps at him wanting to start a fight. Agustin retreats back from embarrassment but Pat has to separate them before Richie gets physical.
As the birthday party comes to an end Dom makes his was to Lynn’s place. We all know Lynn is the age appropriate kind of guy for Dom, but does he realize that? Lynn’s idea and willingness to help launch a pop up version of Dom’s restaurant is truly sincere and means a lot. Dom needs this kind of support in his life right now. But when he reacts by kissing Lynn it seems too much too fast. Lynn recoils with “if we’re working together, that’s a lot right now already.” It’s the right response in my opinion. Dom shouldn’t be mixing business with pleasure when he’s so unsure. Agustin definitely didn’t get the memo though. His night ends with Frank and CJ having sex while Agustin films it for his “project”. But we see that may not be all that’s happening.
As the day ends for Pat, he makes clear he’s happy and proud of their newly found title of “boyfriend”. He asks Richie to accompany him to his sister’s wedding in the coming weeks. While it was a great gesture, I don’t think it was fully heartfelt. Pat has some hesitations that we’ll have to see happens in due time.
I’m excited to also mention, HBO recently announced Looking has been picked up for a second season.