My Review of Fellow Travelers: "Make It Easy"

 

Written by Anya Leta And Jack Solomon And Ron Nyswaner 

Directed by Uta Briesewitz 

Hawk (to Kimberly, re Tim): "He wasn't my friend. He was the man I loved."

Oh, wow. Eight episodes and I made it to the finale and what an absolute stunning piece of television. It's been a hell of a journey but now the story has ended for both Hawk and Tim.

Interestingly, we went back to the 1950s for some of this episode. Hawk and Lucy were married, mostly happy and the latter was expecting Jackson. Tim on the other hand, just got out of the army and yes, he reunited with Hawk.

Tim's time in the army not only made him want go move into social work, but the sexual dynamic between Tim and Hawk took a turn. Tim even got to top Hawk during a scene that had a jab at Tim drinking milk. Of course though, happy reunion wasn't going to stay on the cards.

Mary, who had disappeared a few episodes back returned to warn Tim about being an inconvenience to Hawk. Her words ended up being true but before Tim could do anything about them, Jackson was born and that kind of nixed that confrontation.

In 1986 though, Tim was getting closer to death and Hawk wanted to be with him for his final moments. There was a lovely scene with Tim and Lucy as the latter realised how much Tim meant to Hawk. I got why Lucy wanted to properly meet Tim and it certainly gave her the sense yo leave Hawk for good without any bitterness for her husband.

As for Hawk and Tim, their last scenes were some of the best we've had in the entire miniseries. Tim however did make Nawk step aside while both him and Marcus along with several other protestors made one last stand in order to bring awareness to the AIDS crisis.

The last scene with the memorial broke me a little. I knew Tim was going to be dead but watching Hawk breakdown at Tim's "beyond measure" memorial flag and admitting to Kimberly that Tim was the man he loved. Yes, I did cry at that scene but what a beautiful final moment. 

- Both McCarthy and Cohn's deaths were covered in this episode. Cohn's flag had "Coward. Bully. Victim."

- Jerome admitted to Marcus that he was positive. Frankie wasn't sad when Cohn's death was announced.

- Standout music: Johnny Mathis I Look At You and Arthur Russell's Love Is Overtaking Me.

- Chronology: 1957, 1986, 1987, 1996, 2012 throughout the episode.

Make It Easy made for a gut wrenching, absolutely beautiful finale to a poignant miniseries. I've enjoyed this from start to finish and the love the series has gotten was justified. Sublime performances from Matt Bomer and Jonathan Bailey but everyone was fantastic to watch along with the quality in writing and directing. Everyone should be proud of this production. 

Rating: 9 out of 10

My Review of Fellow Travelers: "White Nights"

 

Written by Brandon K. Hines And Ron Nyswaner 

Directed by Destiny Ekaragha 

Tim (to Hawk): "Everything we said last night. Everything we've been through. What is wrong with me?"

The penultimate episode and another big time jump. We trade a groovy decade for one with flairs and one of the biggest protests to happen for the queer community. We also had another awkward reunion between Hawk and Tim.

Since the last time the two of the clapped eyes on each other, things have changed for the pair. Tim spent time in prison, came out to his family, moved to San Francisco with Marcus and Frankie and worked with the latter as a social worker. However in spite of those positive changes, he was still drawn into Hawk's orbit yet again.

As for Hawk, his marriage was barely hanging on, he somewhat wrecked Kimberly's (Brittany Raymond) baby shower and Jackson died between episodes due to a heroin overdose. That, along with the excessive drinking and drug use, Hawk seemed to be hellbent on killing himself. 

Going to Fire Island on Hawk's beck and call certainly turned out to be a mixed experience for Tim. Sure, he made some new friends like Rafael (Carlos Gonzalez-Vio) and also clashed a bit with Hawk's new boytoy/dealer, Craig (Morgan Lever). Though not as bad Craig clashed with Hawk when he dared to bring up Jackson at the worst time.

Yes, this episode had Tim realising that he needed to completely break away from Hawk while in 1986, Hawk was by Tim's after the latter's latest setback in the hospital. Then there was the Lucy and Kimberly scenes where the latter did all the work in figuring out for herself that her father was gay.

As for the Marcus and Frankie storyline, there was the origin of how Jerome came into their lives. The backdrop of Harvey Milk's death and the protest that followed at the Elephant Walk Bar was a great way of bringing these three characters together. 

- Not too surprising that Hawk preferred the term "homosexual" while Tim and everyone else preferred "gay". 

- Plenty of talk of the meat rack on Fire Island while in San Francisco we had Cleve Jones (Augustus Oicle) also talk about Milk being murdered  y Dan White.

- Standout music: Dan Hartmann's Relight My Fire, David Bowie's Boys Keep Swinging and Sylvester's You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real).

- Chronology: 1979, Fire Island, San Francisco and Washington. 1986 San Francisco. 

I loved White Nights. Two very important plots in regards to gay politics and culture and both done so well too. It was nice to see more focus on Marcus and Frankie as well as what seemed to be the end of Hawk and Tim yet again.

Rating: 9 out of 10

My Review of Fellow Travelers: "Beyond Measure"

 

Written by Dee Johnson 

Directed by Uta Briesewitz

Hawk (to Jackson): "There's nothing wrong with you. You're gonna be fine. We're all gonna be fine."

After five episodes in a largely 1950s setting, this episode finally decided to move things a bit further ahead by throwing us into the late 1960s. To recap, Senator Smith killed him, Hawk and Lucy got married and Tim joined the army.

At the start of this episode, Tim's time in the army had not only seen him becoming staunchly anti war but his actions in one of his protests with Father Lawrence in Baltimore led to him becoming a wanted man. That alone meant a reunion.

Well, a reunion somewhat facilitated by Marcus who contacted Hawk about Tim's predicament. Over a decade might have passed but it didn't stop Hawk from going out of his way to actively Tim, in spite of the latter being a bit resistant to his ex lover's help. 

Tim stayed in a cabin while Hawk tried to find a way to get Father Lawrence to take the rap for the anti war protest. It didn't take long for Hawk's son, Jackson (Etienne Kellici) to find him and for the two of them to bond with one another. 

Jackson got a lot of focus in this episode with both him and Hawk largely at odds, until the last scene. While Tim's presence might have upset Lucy, he did manage to reunite Hawk and Jackson before turning himself into the police. 

As for Marcus, when he wasn't putting Hawk and Tim back into contact with each other, he was looking after his father. Not surprising Marcus's father was unaware he was gay and thought Frankie was a strange name for a girl. Frankie on the other hand had his own plot that would take him to San Francisco. Yes, between episodes, both him and Marcus had broken up and this episode didn't reunite them.

- Lucy had no problem telling Tim that she burned one of his letters to Hawk. She also admitted to an affair from her past.

- It seemed like Marcus was asking out that woman who was looking after his father. 

- Lucy's mother was definitely aware of Hawk's extramarital affair. It also seemed like they were hinting at mental health issues for Jackson.

- Chronology: Mostly 1968 in Washington and Baltimore as well as 1986 San Francisco.

Beyond Measure was a nice way to shake up the timeline and one that was definitely needed. Hawk's family dynamic might have been on a shaky ground but in his own way, I do believe that he loves them as much as he does Tim. There was some truly brilliant scenes here.

Rating: 9 out of 10

My Review of Fellow Travelers: "Promise You Won't Write"

 

Written by Katie Rose Rogers And Robbie Rogers

Directed by James Kent

Cohn (to Tim): "Kid, you're a terrible liar. You should work on that."

Well, I think this episode might have served as a wake up call for Tim Laughlin. I mean, be became disillusioned with both his politics, employers and relationship with Hawk. To his credit, he didn't just mope about it.

Instead, he did certain things about his disillusionment. First thing, upon realising that Roy Cohn used a forgery image during further Army-McCarthy hearings, he told McCarthy what Cohn had actually done. McCarthy however didn't want to hear it, which was a mistake on his part. 

Then there was Tim's bathroom confrontation with Cohn himself. A tense scene brilliantly played by Jonathan Bailey and Will Brill. Cohn was definitely his repugnant self with the way he patronised and tried to intimidate Tim. Tim's entire political beliefs in McCarthyism went out the window. He did the sensible thing and quit his job.

However he just traded one system of oppression for another as he enlisted in the army instead. Tim also ended his relationship with Hawk, but given that the latter was lying to him, putting distance and entering a lavender marriage with Lucy Smith, Tim made the right decision to end things.

The Smiths were more focused this week too with Leonard getting arrested for lewd behaviour and sent to an aversion therapy centre. There's a bitter commentary on how Hawk replaced Leonard along with the sudden suicide of Senator Smith when Leonard's secrets were about to be made public.

Last but not least, I'm not surprised that Marcus's position in The Post didn't go as well he wanted to. Saying that, at least he got leave on his own terms, we got some backstory on his relationship with his father and some nice scenes with Frankie. Saying that, both characters could do with a bit more screen time.

- Frankie and Storme are going on a tour. I've liked the few scenes Storme has appeared in.

- Jean certainly didn't hold back with her anger over McCarthy not getting her pregnant while Schine "dumped" Cohn towards the end of the episode.

- I expected that Leonard was going to reveal that Hawk took his virginity but instead they just jetted off together when they were younger.

- Chronology: A few weeks since Christmas in the 1950s while still 1986 during two brief scenes where Hawk saw Tim in the hospital.

Promise You Won't Write definitely played on the theme of disillusionment with many characters and those characters in return certainly doing something about it. That included characters I wouldn't root for as well.

Rating: 8 out of 10

My Review of Fellow Travelers: "Your Nuts Roasted On An Open Fire"

 

Written by Anya Leta

Directed by James Kent

Hawk: "How did I do?"

Fred: "We're not supposed to say. What the hell, it's Christmas. Clean as a whistle."

Hawk: "Happy Holidays."

Ooh, a Christmas episode within the middle of this miniseries and this one certainly had a bittersweet taste among some of the festive cheer. By screwing over one hypocritical closeted guy, Hawk and Tim also helped two equally undeserving ones to boot.

The last scene of the previous had Hawk photographing evidence of McCarthy with a man. I mean the photo wasn't explicit but certainly incriminating enough. The type of photo that Joseph wouldn't want to get out.

However Hawk wasn't going to keep it to himself and while Tim appeared to court favour with Joseph and Jean, he also happened to deliver the photo to David Schine. An opportune delivery too, considering that both Schine and Roy Cohn were on thin ice this week.

Yes, Roy's pestering of the army to keep David within the United States saw pressure on McCarthy to throw both Roy and David under the bus to protect himself. However with that photo now in Cohn's possession, McCarthy's now at a disadvantage. 

As for Hawk and Tim, they did have some nice scenes together in the 1950s while the former managed to cheat Fred Treband's (Michael Therriault) polygraph test, even to the latter's bewilderment. Then there was Hawk getting closer to Lucy while congratulating Marcus on his improving career move.

Then there's the San Francisco side of the episode. Tim being an AIDS activist as well as a political switch up made a lot of sense as did that fight between him and Hawk. The end scene with Hawk finding out that Tim was hospitalised was rather devastating.

- Tim got Hawk a nice tie while Hawk palmed off some old cufflinks to Tim while giving Lucy a nicer necklace. I loved that phone conversation between Tim and Lucy in 1986.

- We met Marcus and Frankie's son, Jerome (Jude Wilson) while the rather spiteful Miss Addison (Keara Graves) put Hawk into Fred's crosshairs. Fred seemed unmoved by gay men raking their lives as was Jean.

- Standout music: Frankie's version of Santa Baby, Dean Martin's The Christmas Blues and Klaus Nomi's Silent Night.

- Chronology: Christmas 1953 in Washington as well San Francisco 1986. Hawk has been working for Senator Smith since 1948.

Your Nuts Roasting On An Open Fire was definitely an enjoyable, tense episode. Hawk under the scrutiny of a polygraph test while McCarthy,  Cohn and Schine were all trying to either save each other or throw each other under the bus. The secondary romance with Marcus and Frankie also got some nice focus too.

Rating: 8 out of 10

My Review of Fellow Travelers: "Hit Me"

 

Written by Ron Nyswaner And Brandon K. Hines And Jack Solomon

Directed by Destiny Ekaragha

Tim (to Hawk): "It's not who we sleep with. It's who we love."

Well, this was certainly an episode, wasn't it? Between the past and more recent for Hawk and Tim, this episode really ran the gamut for the two of them.

In the near present day, Hawk got to see for himself how ill Tim had become and it was certainly an eye opener for him. It was so much of an eye opener that Hawk had no choice but to get himself tested by the end of the episode. 

Back in the past, the events from the previous episode had seen Haek and Tim estranged, until the former decided to "forgive" the latter and the two took a trip to San Francisco for the first time. Not only was it a means for Hawk to spend time with Skippy away from prying eyes but he had another motive for the change of scenery.

While Tim almost gave into having sex with an older man in a bathroom stall, Hawk along with an old army buddy, Bill (Craig Arnold) got disgraced soldier, Daniel (Robert Bazzocchi) to open up about enemies of Senator Smith. The ending of this episode certainly gave Hawk an advantage over McCarthy and his cronies.

This episode certainly gave more focus to McCarthy as Jean Kerr challenged his masculinity, resulting in a marriage proposal. Then there was Cohn's scenes with David Schine (Matt Visser). I found them particularly riveting to watch, given their messy dynamic.

Going back to Hawk and Tim though, I did love that Tim's drunken antics at the restaurant resulted in that sexy as fuck "hit me" scene between the two of them in their room. Not to mention the more poignant one on the beach where Tim talked about who we love. You can tell that speech affected Hawk more than he wanted to admit.

As for Marcus, his relationship with Frankie mirrored Hawk and Tim as well. He didn't want to admit that Frankie was a boyfriend and a racist/homophobic encounter outside a bar certainly brought out their differences. Saying that, I did enjoy the focus the two of them had this week.

- In the time that Hawk and Tim fell out, the former embarked on a relationship with Lucy and the latter had a birthday.

- The start of the episode had Hawk photographing Tim.  The latter kept the photo over three decades later.

- Standout music: Freddie Mercury's The Great Pretender and Tim's drunken rendition of Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps.

- Chronology: Four weeks since the events of the previous episode. 

Hit Me was definitely unabashed in the sex scenes with both Hawk/Tim and Marcus/Frankie while examining the horrible hypocrisy of McCarthyism. There was so many fantastic moments throughout this whole episode. 

Rating: 9 out of 10

My Review of Fellow Travelers: "Bulletproof"

 

Written by Dee Johnson

Directed by Daniel Minihan 

Sandy: "I take care of myself. I work out. I'm young, dumb and full of cum."

Hawk: "You're bulletproof."

Second episode in and still with the timelines splitting, we pick up from where Hawk had landed in San Francisco and the first thing that happened was meeting with Tim's sister, Maggie (Edie Inksetter). She wasn't particularly pleased with Hawk and she made sure he knew it.

Not that Hawk was too deterred by a disapproving relative. Nope, he still wanted to reunite with Tim but before he did, he took in some of the younger gay scene. That included a rather interesting scene where a younger gay man named Sandy (Max Kobetich) and his friends displayed a carefree way of life that Hawk clearly envied.

As for the reunion between Hawk and Tim, it was certainly tense between the two of them. Yes, there's some bitterness as we're told that Tim couldn't love anyone after Hawk and he was quick to remind Hawk that his condition wasn't airborne. 

Going back into the early days of their relationship, there was more tension between Hawk and Tim when the latter struck a friendship with Hawk's secretary, Mary (Erin Neufer) and the latter's live in girlfriend, Caroline (Gabbi Kosmidas). On one hand, it was great to see Tim's friendship with Mary and Caroline. Unfortunately,  it's a friendship with consequences.

With more investigations this week, it was Mary and Caroline that were hounded by McCarthy and Cohn's snooping into the gay community. Just as frustrating was Hawk forcing Tim into sabotaging Mary and Caroline's relationship in order to take the heat off Mary. Caroline on the other hand was thrown under the bus.

As for the rest of the episode with Hawk and Tim, we had the former paying a visit to his family, spiting his dying father, going to lengths to protect Senator Smith while also growing closer to Lucy. Then there was Tim confessing his sins to a priest again. He's certainly not really working through his guilt.

- We got a title sequence for the miniseries and as I didn't mention it, I do like Hawk's Skippy nickname for Tim.

- Marcus got a love interest in drag entertainer, Frankie (Noah J. Ricketts). Storme DeLarverie was played by Chelsea Russell.

- I got the impression that Hawk might have had a previous sexual history with Senator Smith's son, Leonard (Mike Taylor) while I liked Tim's scenes with Luis (Nck Name).

- Chronology: 1953, Washington and 1986 San Francisco.

Bulletproof had its moments, subtlety discussing the AIDS crisis in between the political collisions, the tense scenes between various characters and of course, the reunion between two former lovers. Not to mention the religious and family discourse throughout.

Rating: 8 out of 10

My Review of Fellow Travelers: "You're Wonderful"

 

Written by Ron Nyswaner

Directed by Daniel Minihan

Tim: "I'm your boy, right? And your boy wants to go to the party."

Hawk: "How much does he want to go?"

Yeah, I know. I should have reviewed this months ago but I didn't. However I am now and it was certainly worth the wait. This episode kicked things off to an intense start.

Bouncing back and forth between the 1950s and 1980s, this miniseries opened with a much older Hawk Fuller (Matt Bomer) at a family birthday party where his friend Marcus Gaines (Jelani Alladin) delivered some bad news about Hawk's former lover, Tim Laughlin (Jonathan Bailey).

Early in this episode, we're aware that Tim's ill and both him and Hawk didn't end their relationship well. Hawk also married his childhood friend, Lucy Smith (Allison Williams) and while they had two children and grandchildren, it's pretty much a marriage of inconvenience between the two of them. Lucy wasn't best pleased when Hawk went to see Tim. It's the older scenes that bookends the episode.

The bulk of the episode largely focused on the beginning of Hawk and Tim's romance and it's rather hot and messy. There's no denying that Matt Bomer and Jonathan Bailey radiate chemistry and their sex scenes (along with some toe sucking) certainly heated up the episode. No, seriously, they're that great to see.

Of course, while Tim and Hawk bond over sex, they somewhat differ politically to a point and a party hosted by Roy Cohn (Will Brill) certainly brought out their differences. Saying that,  it didn't take too long for the two of them to reunite in the episode.

As for the rest of the episode, we had the whole McCarthyism layed out, with both Hawk and his friend George (Jameson Kraemer) throw one of Hawk's former one night stands, Eddie (David Tomlinson) under the bus. That had some pretty disastrous results.

- Tim talked a lot of about being religious in this episode. He also drank milk a bit and mentioned his first lover being a priest. Hawk's was a guy named Kenny.

- The bar that Hawk, Tim and Marcus went to was the Cozy Corner. Chris Bauer played Joseph McCarthy and Linus Roache played Lucy's homophobic father, Senator Wesley Smith, a mentor to Hawk.

- Standout music: Stevie Wonder's If It's Magic and Anita O'Day's You Turned The Tables On Me.

- Chronology: 1952 and 1986 Washington, along with a trip to San Francisco.

You're Wonderful has gotten this miniseries off to a great start. Yes, there's political intrigue, a split timeline and unabashed sexiness with the two leads. Looking forward to the rest of this.

Rating: 8 out of 10