User reviews

Interesting to read some of the reviews of this show.Personally I find it a very entertaining,very watchable show, certainly not slow, and as one reviewer commented its nothing but sex,sex, sex! I think he completely misses the point of what the the writers and producers of this show have given us. I find the show has a wonderful sense of time and place, like Maupins Tales of the City which was so evocative of San Francisco in the seventies, the TV shows from those books were also great,this new show is expressive not just of present day gay life San Francisco,but of many cities in North America. Its a funny,heartwarming and very real series,reflective of many sides of peoples lives, and insightful as to how many of us think and behave. I find the dialogue extremely effective, the acting A1, and am happy to see that there will be a season two. Keep it going!!!

Lighten up: Looking is not a documentary and its characters may not be instantly relatable (or even terribly likable). But those are not necessarily shortcomings.

Viewers who relax and just let the show unfold will find they'll enjoy it more than if they spend every moment trying to find themselves on screen or divine some higher purpose from watching it.

It's well known that in gay online culture, "looking" means "I'm available for sex - now." Here, however, it means so much more.

These characters are really looking for fulfillment: through relationships, careers, self-expression, entrepreneurship, family and friendship. (Oh, yeah -- if that hot guy over there is down to play, so are they). But hooking up is not the central theme of this show despite the sexy come-on of the title.

This show is not Queer as Folk, Part II. While QaF's characters spent a lot of time wringing their hands over equality, acceptance and pride, Looking's whole approach to being gay has matured along with society and the audience. These characters are fully realized, assimilated and don't dwell on whether society accepts them.

The men of Looking are just too busy fiddling with their smart phones (cruising Grindr or Scruff, perhaps?) to waste any time navel-gazing over their sexual orientation. There's a post-gay sensibility about these characters (Yup; I'm a homo - so, what?) that is very refreshing. QaF often just waved a rainbow flag when its stories ran out of steam. Don't expect that to happen here.

Looking also avoids a pitfall about which gays have long griped: the over-use of stereotypical, "fem-acting" gay characters. Looking's guys range from pretty masculine to downright butch. Finally, here's a show that celebrates the fact that intimacy between men can be a hyper-masculine experience and deserves to be showcased as such. These dudes just enjoy getting frisky with other dudes. There's nothing sissy 'bout that.

It's also refreshing to see characters of different ages relating socially even though some might say this happens infrequently in the real world. Older characters may sheepishly refer to the "old days" while the younger characters pretend not to notice that their friends are, well, older.

As the series unfolds, I hope the show will explore inter-generational dating, open relationships, monogamy, celibacy, and also how many of these things can also take place within a marriage.

I also hope it will delve into the still-surprising "ordinariness" of what it is to be gay today, especially in a major city. Despite the good word of mouth, leading a gay life can often be less than fabulous. There's a fair amount of slogging away at work, paying taxes, taking out the trash, tending to family and mowing the lawn. Just ask around.

It would be easy to pigeonhole this as a "gay" show, but I hope heterosexual viewers will fall in love with its quirky characters and insights.

They'll discover that whether gay or straight, we're all more alike than many of us realize: People are generally horny, driven to succeed and need to feel loved. In short, we're all Looking.

This series was ahead of its time; there is no other way to describe such this amazing show that could have given way more that it was given the chance to. HBO shouldn't have let it go that easily, even though they gave it a proper ending it feels like you want to watch more and more. Patrick and all the characters are well played and every single taboo among the gay community is discussed or mentioned in a very smart, classy and way we all can learn about them.

Some folks are complaining that the show seems "too slow" or "is boring". I disagree completely. I'm much more invested in the characters precisely BECAUSE it's not "Hollywood slick". The lines are utterly natural and real to me. Nothing seems "forced" or "acted". The sex-scenes are frank, but very tasteful and more is implied than ever shown, anyway. The humor is genuine and seems completely spontaneous. I really appreciate this more methodical approach. No, it doesn't represent every single facet of the gay community, but it isn't trying to either. Just the lives and loves of a few guys in San Francisco...that's all. It can't be everything to everyone...and shouldn't try. I love it so far. Hoping it's renewed!!!

I have just recently finished watching Looking the series and the movie and I cannot find words to describe how realistically beautiful and emotional it was!! I must say I did not like Patrick as a character but he more than enough made up for it by the end of the movie. Seriously, we need more awesome quality series like this!! Too bad is was discontinued.

The show spoke to me in a way that QUEER AS FOLK never did. As a early 30 something I saw something in it that I could relate to. I know many did not and were hoping to see another campy gay soap opera filmed in Canada with guys who looked like Andrew Christian models that spent 8 hours a day at the gym. This was the first gay series that I ever watched that didn't feel the need to dumb itself down so the airhead club queens would get it. Nor did it feel as if it had to be political to the point of coming across like an ABC After-School Special. It just wants to tell a story about 3 (now 6) people living and loving in the magical city by the bay.

For the very first time, I feel like there's something on TV oriented for the gay public worth of my time. I immediately became hooked up on this show because the characters are not shallow or mechanical (as it usually happens in gay movies and TV shows), but deep, alive and fun - in great part due to the amazing actors. Also, the stories in every episode are incredibly compelling and don't make me feel ashamed of the "gay world" as it usually happened when I watched Queer as Folk or many other shows where characters only preocupation is to have sex. The three main actors certainly are doing a great job and I couldn't have chosen better ones to impersonate each character. Thirty minutes episodes are way too short. I absolutely love the show.

Even though many say that this show isn't good, i must disagree. For the first time I'm able to see a show that is presenting the normal life of the gay people without many erotic scenes (I mean if you are looking for porn, then go watch porn..). So I think that this show is even better than QaF because it is much lighter, the characters are much more real (I mean Brian.. really? -.-)and grounded, also they are not feminine and finally, Looking is a show that presents us in a not stereotypical manner. I loved the thing that i didn't notice how the time flied while i watched the show, and at the end i felt like aw.. it ended.. :(. So I still can't understand why is there that much hate for this show. I have been looking for a show with gay main characters for a while now and i didn't like any of them as much as i liked the first episode of this show. Everything about this show is satisfying: The acting is very well, the plot is quite good (for a pilot at least), the characters are pretty likable, they are not like extremely hot nor ugly but quite normal looking and it makes you to connect with them so easily. I will definitely continue to watch this show and I sure hope that it will last long.

This is by far the best gay television ever produced, and far better than all but one or two gay movies. Its greatness is owed to only two of the many talented people involved, without whom it would be merely good: Andrew Haigh, the creative genius behind it, and Jonathan Groff, its spectacularly versatile, gifted and delightful star.

The episodes written and directed by Haigh are so perfect they make me want to sing (I can't sing); the episodes written and directed by others are all right, but more tedious than fascinating.

The very, very best episodes are the ones featuring Groff (Patrick) and Raúl Castillo, who plays Patrick's boyfriend Richie. They're the sweetest, sexiest, and yet most thoroughly believable romantic scenes I've ever seen anywhere. No melodrama, lots and lots of truth and intelligence. An American never could have created such a program as Looking; very few from anywhere could have either, which is why I call Haigh a genius.

The first season follows an arc, but a quality arc, not a story arc. They get consistently better through Episode Five, then gradually fall off after that. But even at its worst, Looking is the very best there is.

Two of the lead actors (Groff and Murray Bartlett) are openly gay, which helps A LOT. Not only does it increase Looking's credibility, but it minimizes the number of stupid, insulting but evidently obligatory "How was it kissing a man?" interviews with straight actors.

The show is called "Looking", therefore, they are 'looking' for encounters. It's not pretending to be any different than what it is.

People may say that it's an unflattering representation - but it's still a highly pushed gay show... When the market is flooded with examples of such, then you can choose the one that's the most ennobling, but for now, it's still a small step in the right direction... We've had serious programs like "Queer as Folk" before, but never something so conventional and light hearted, whose only difference from similar shows with straight leads is that it's told from an alternative point of view. It may focus on a minority of a minority, but so what? I think that's only because it's trying to be less 'pro-advancement', and more casual.

It's getting so much attention because programs that are perceived to be 'flagship' in some way often have the most difficulty bedding in. They're expected to carry the can for everything, and you can't please all of the people, all of the time. That's why it's getting a fair amount of criticism, I think, because it's not weightier, given the subject it takes on.

And I'm not one to go out of my way to watch gay shows either (I am gay), but this one really hit me, just an overall good feeling show about love for gays without hardships or discrimination. The characters are lovely, I personally am in love with Dom, but I really enjoy how they've all played out. Really unfortunate that HBO decided to cancel it and all we got was a movie to finish it off. I need more!! To sum it up it's a great show with a very nice atmosphere and decently emotional writing. 9/10

While "Looking" does attempt to address some of the many situations of the average gay, it falls a little short on the reality. A bit fluffy and with so many stereotypes in the line up of characters, it comes across as a bit too Hollywood. I suppose that this is necessary in order to catch the attentions of the "Non gay" audience… after all most of the straight people out there who turn on the t.v. to watch this series on a regular basis, must have quite a bit of curiosity about us. It's almost like a bad accident: You simply can't turn away, you have to look just one more time and see what's going on. Well, "Looking" is much the same way. I remember when watching "Brokeback Mountain" for the first time. I was more interested in the audience's reaction to the first deep mouth to mouth kiss and also when the belt came off and the action started in the tent. The audience gasped and then went silent. I watched as the people in the theater began to squirm in their seats and turn away - it was uncomfortable for them. The little whispers in the theater were of disgust and revulsion. Oh well… life goes on and this scene gave a hint of it - like it or not! This series has some really great potential, if the producers and writers decide to get down to some serious creativity. I hope that by the time the story gets started, the public can see that we gay people have a lot more in common with the straights than simply "Looking!" We are real people who live our lives in a heterosexual world all the while fitting into society in our own way. I'm going to continue following this story just because there is so little on the tele. anymore to keep a person from falling asleep with the remote. Hopefully, there will be some really memorable moments before the series ends and it will provide some insight for the curious out there in t.v. land. I'm glad I live in the 21st century… we have come a long way and it's nice to see something gay on t.v.

I'm probably being melodramatic. But like 5 mins in and they're critiquing someone for being fat followed by critiquing someone for having a lazy eye. Was too much for me. I was like damn, five minutes in and I'm already garbage (two shots to the heart). Maybe it's part of me never being able to outgrow the lazy eye regardless of the surgery. I'll give it some time, and try to watch.

Looking is my favorite LGBT show. It is very nicely done, very real with characters you can relate to.

It was way ahead of the time, I believe it would be more popular now, maybe on a streaming service would get more seasons.

The show is nice and very realistic. As a part of the LGBT community, I found their problems and stories very relatable and true.

It is no Hollywood BS, just real guys, no posh word or anything.

I wish it would have more seasons, I miss it.

After 2 seasons I just wanted more and more of this show. Such a shame it was cancelled!! Bring it back!!!

This was honestly the best TV series I've ever seen, it just felt real. I think that's why was so drawn to it watch it!!!

Looking follows a trio of friends in San Francisco as they deal with various dating conundrums and relationship drama. The first season consists of just eight, 30-minute episodes – which sucks, because this series is great and addictive.

Some people have called Looking the gay(er) version of Sex and the City, although that doesn't do the newcomer justice. There are funny bits, sure, but these flow naturally from everyday, believable situations. The tone is more documentary, far less exaggerated, and there isn't a new hook or theme each week. It's just a continuing story that is soap-like without getting soapy. The series doesn't rush, giving intimate scenes – with engaging, natural dialogue – room to breathe. Andrew Haigh's influence as a director is clear. He previously made the well-received movie Weekend, which has the same style. (Though not he but Michael Lannan is the main writer and creator of Looking.)

The cast is charming and convincing. And fairly hot, which doesn't hurt, as there is some not-too-crude nudeness. The three main players are Patrick Murray (Jonathan Groff) a twinky game designer who has awkward sexual tension with his boss, Agustín (Frankie J. Alvarez) a scruffy artist who has trouble finding his inspiration and Dom (Murray Bartlett) a mustached, beefcake waiter with ambitions of opening his own restaurant. Supporting are the scruffy artist's boyfriend (O.T. Fagbenle), Dom's business partner and potential love interest Lynn (Quantum Leap and Enterprise's Scott Bakula), Patrick's aforementioned boss (Russell Tovey of Being Human), Dom's best girl-friend Doris (Lauren Weedman) and last but not least; Richie (Raúl Castillo), Patrick's hot and sincere love interest. An entire, sweet and sexy episode simply follows Richie and Patrick on their first date.

It's great to see a group of characters who are representative of gay life without trying too hard. They aren't caricatures and the series doesn't strain something trying to check all the boxes of all the sub-scenes within the gay scene. It doesn't run screaming from gay stereotypes but also doesn't overly sashay towards them. The Big Gay Issues have yet to take center stage – marriage, adoption, discrimination – the show being less militant than something like Queer as Folk. (Opinions may differ on that being good or bad for the gay cause.) Though there is barely a straight person in sight, and only one recurring woman in the cast, anybody watching the series could easily relate to the emotional turmoil these characters go through, regardless of their own orientation.

I generally prefer quality over quantity, but Looking is too high- quality for me to not want more quantity. So it's good that a second season is in the works, due late 2014 / early 2015. I guess that it will feature a love-triangle (or two) and I hope that it will show a bit more of the origin of the 'main three'. You don't see them together a lot and their dynamic with each other hasn't really been explored. As long as it stays this good, I will certainly keep Looking.

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Have watched this show multiple times, and still love it. It's very natural and entertaining, was happy when it at least was a movie to be seen regarding the ending. I really enjoy that it's about the gay scene, which I don't think there is enough good series and movies about.

The series wasn't an absolutely stellar one, but didn't deserve early cancellation. The problem was more with the quality of writing and superficiality of the script. There was no deep exploration of the characters and that made it seem as if they were people who just went from day to day without a plan. There were too many scenes where the dialog in the group resulted in babbling, unfinished sentences and talking over one another. That became annoying early on. It could have had a long run like "Queer as Folk" (US version) did if the writing had been more thoughtful and focused. Despite all the failings, it really did not merit cancellation as it could have been easily salvaged, had the shortcomings been appropriately addressed. It is far better than the current series "Generation" which is really over the top with all the non-binary, gender fluid stuff....without any story attached!

Because the sudden cancellation by HBO must have come as as a surprise to the series creators, S2 ended without closure. The movie made a year later was an attempt to tie up loose ends and bring closure to the story arc. As such, it is done very mechanically and hurriedly, with a very trite script and a "happily ever after" ending. Not a great end for a series that started with such a lot of promise and potential!