Patrick’s journey to a deluxe apartment in the sky, complete with a loving partner by his side, has been one of Looking’s most fascinating journeys over these past two seasons. And as much as I want to cheer him on as he moves towards what will surely be his most adult relationship, my heart couldn’t help but break for him a lot as the wheels started coming off the welcome wagon. And it wasn’t just the sight of Kevin’s framed Field of Dreams movie poster on the wall of his new home.
It hurt to watch him finally come to terms with the fact that he’s been so willing to overlook the flaws in his boyfriend and the unsteady ground that they are treading upon together, because he was so desperate to be in a relationship—an exclusive relationship at that.
The hardest part of it was that Patrick can’t really fault his boyfriend for feeling differently, even if it throws some unexpected trust issues into the mix. Kevin was completely honest about his feelings and even offered to make the adjustments in his thinking necessary to keep things moving forward. That it had to come out after it was revealed that he still had a Grindr account proves Patrick, bless his heart, was never really honest with himself this whole time, nor did he seem to make it clear about his expectations.
What neither us viewers or Patrick got by the end of this half-hour was any kind of resolution. By the end, he had run to see Richie, seeking a bit of solace and a haircut. A sensible choice as Patrick was likely not ready to face his friends and admit that their concerns were founded. Instead, he sought a neutral party, and definitely the person in this show with the best head on his shoulders. As with a lot of Patrick’s decisions though, it doesn’t make a lot of sense. Just like him telling Richie to buzz all his hair off… he’s so impulsive and needy, but with such a good heart. We root for him at the same time that we wince at each uncomfortable step that he takes.
There was at least one little grace note of resolution tonight with Dom and Doris finally admitting to each other that they needed to, for lack of a better term, break up. He had been leaning on his friend far too much and he seemed ready to stand on his own two feet, particularly with everything pertaining to his new restaurant. It’s a terrifying prospect opening up a new food place especially in San Francisco, but seeing Dom standing outside the window, basking in the glow of the neon sign that bore his name was just the moment of triumph that we want for all the characters in this show.
The question now becomes whether HBO is going to renew Looking for another season. And if the show doesn’t get picked up again by the cable giant, if it will get saved by another network or an online service. There are plenty of reasons to not bring it back for round three (ratings haven’t been too great, and it hasn’t generated the buzz that many of HBO’s prestige shows have stirred up), but I hope the suits over at the network give it a chance. There isn’t any other current show telling stories like this in our almost overwhelming media landscape. And they need to be told and need to be given a platform to be heard. Here’s hoping Looking gets a chance to continue to do just that.
Robert Ham is a Portland-based freelance writer and regular contributor to Paste. You can follow him on Twitter.