Looking

Series 2...

Phew, what a relief!

Improvements abound everywhere...it's more cohesive - at last, storylines.

Series 1 should be regarded as an elongated entrée [yes, in Europe the entrée is the starter, it makes sense]...Series 2 is fast becoming a delicious main course.

Alas...too late...cancelled...our advice: come out with all guns firing, weak starts get you nowhere.

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Series 1...

Episode 1...

It's early days, but...what a major disappointment.

It's incomparable to everything that people were trying to compare it with...

It's not a gay Sex and the City.
It's not a patch on QaF.
And...it's not as flimsy as Tales of the City.

What it is...is regurgitated drudge...with the same-old-same-old situations: cruising in the park, bad internet dates, threesomes, bumping into & onto exes, mopping over exes, dope-smoking and an under-achieving clone...who should shave the moustache off immediately!!!

At under 30 minutes, it's too short for any real development to happen (and, nothing really does happen) and with such a wide range of racially diverse characters (that's the politically correct box ticked) there's no chance of any kind of involvement...each appearing to be one-dimensional and, dare we say, rather stereotypical...dammit, it's that 70s porn clone!!!

As said...it's early days, but...what a major disappointment!

Episode 2...

No improvement...this installment is primarily concerned with that timeless cut/uncut conundrum...disengage brain, no intelligence necessary.

The main problem with 'Looking' is that it has no identity...it's not a comedy because it's not funny...and, it's not a drama...because, nothing worthwhile happens...and, two sex scenes in a 28 minute show is not drama...it's lazy.

Go on...make it interesting.

Episode 3...

Officially, we now HATE it...saunas, male prostitution and gaming...! Really, is that the best you can come up with?!?

The most controversial thing was the 'British people are awful' line...well, that's a matter of conjecture.

This series better start to shape up or it's going to be shipped out...

Episode 4...

It actually starts off rather well...the on-screen relationship between Goff and Tovey has potential - these actors work well together.

Ditch the artist and the moustachioed knob and the future looks a little brighter...are things looking up?!? We will soon see.

Episode 5...

Can it build on the improvements of the last episode??? Well...the moustache and the artist were nowhere to be seen...that's good.

What we are left with is a conversation between dewy-eyed lovers...and, it's kinda sweet and kinda boring.

Going nowhere fast...

Episode 6...

Aaaw they're boyfriends...Aaargh the moaning moustache is back, why has no-one ever heard of Peri-Peri chicken - don't they have Nandos in SF?!? And, an even bigger AAARGH, the slimy artist is slimier than ever.

Oooh, they might not be boyfriends anymore!

This amount of excitement is catatonic.

Episode 7...

The colo(u)rist did a great job...the cameraman would have done a better job with a tripod - the wobbles are annoying.

Yes, it is getting better...still, the room for improvement is immense...the artist, the moustache: get rid.

Focus on how much of a knob Patrick is...bring out the comedy (and tragedy) of his knobbish character...and, it really does end with a great line. Onwards and upwards.

Episode 8...

The last episode of a less-than-thrilling-more-than-fickle series...can it go out on a high?!?

Yes. How's that for a surprise!

Home truths and some all-too-familiar situations hit their mark...and, Patrick (Jonathan Groff) played it to perfection...that look, that tear, that smile. Been there, done it, regretted it (well, maybe just a little).

It took a while - and, it was worth it.

*The second series...Richie, Kevin and Doris are to become show regulars...does that mean dropping the moustache and the artist?!? We can only hope.

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Trailer...