All of a sudden we're in "love," are we?
Maybe it's time -- at least for the show. I doubt it for Patrick and Kevin.
We're getting toward the end of the second season of HBO's gay drama "Looking," and raising the specter of love might be the perfect way to cause some commotion before season's end -- namely because it allows for a healthy amount of skepticism, rampant second-guessing and an endless supply of nervous tension.
In classic Patrick style, the word first comes out in a casual, colloquial way before he gets awkward and hammers it home with all his doe-eyed "I do, I love you" intensity. We wait for Kevin's response, and then he says he loves Patrick, too. Cue kiss -- and the skepticism I just mentioned.
The writers of "Looking" must be cognizant of the fact that viewers are raising single eyebrows and rolling their eyes ever so slightly at the rapid escalation of Patrick and Kevin's relationship. But haven't we all expressed similar surprise about real-life couples hitting the fast lane?
Many viewers have probably found themselves in the exact shoes now worn by Richie. "So you all are a thing now?"
Maybe this episode, titled "Looking for Glory," is priming us for some tough questions about "love," as it were.
For instance, can true romantic love exist, really exist, when we feel it for multiple people at once?
I'm not saying Patrick is faking it with Kevin, but come on. Don't tell me he feels nothing for Richie.
And what about Agustin and Eddie?
They haven't said they love each other, and I don't think they are even on course to do so any time soon.
But is it OK to freak out a little bit when it comes to one's health, as Agustin does when he fears he was exposed in hooking up with HIV-positive Eddie?
Does the fact that Agustin does freak out mean he cares about Eddie any less?
If Eddie and Agustin are on their way to love, how long a period of time should Agustin have to put all his fears and concerns in the right context?
Strong feelings for someone else don't automatically make us disregard the fears and insecurities we might have about being with that person. Should they?
What about Doris and Malik? Is Dom about to lose his best friend, to her new best friend? How does love for one person affect our friendships with others?
All of these questions should provide for a strong ending to the season. There are certainly plenty of directions to take the plot.
Here's hoping that one of the plot lines they continue to explore is Eddie and Agustin's -- and in depth.
"Looking" is tackling the dynamics of modern-day HIV infection at an interesting time.
PrEP, the preventive treatment for HIV-negative people, is changing conversations about sex, intimacy and dating in the gay world -- and beyond -- as we speak. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is currently pushing a new campaign to get out the word that treatment for HIV infection works. And it really does work.
It's the sort of topic that other mainstream shows just aren't going to touch, and it's a perfect example of why having a show like "Looking" is so important.