Gays of our Lives: Better ‘Days’ Ahead?

Hit The Floor (U.S.)

Oh well, I guess that Zero had to come out at some point. It’s been awhile since this storyline started and if Zero and Jude’s relationship wasn’t outed then the story would just start to drag, like with Will on Nashville, who stayed closeted for so long you started not to care.

So I get this plot twist. I’m not sure if I buy it though. Zero’s decision to come out so publicly so suddenly doesn’t make much sense. It seemed like a move borne more out of plot than character. That said, I do want to see where the story will go from here. I do like they avoided the plot point of someone finding out about the affair and blackmailing Zero, which I totally expected. This was a refreshing twist.

I can’t imagine Zero’s career won’t be damaged by this, it wouldn’t be realistic if it weren’t, especially after what happened with real life athletes after they came out. Then again, we haven’t had a professional sports player come out at the height of his career like this so we’ll see. I suspect that that Zero will ultimately break Jude’s heart.

And it might not have anything to do with his coming out party. I just wonder if Zero can take the pressure that’s headed this way — and if he’ll actually remain faithful to Jude.

Emmerdale (U.K.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1scDOkLF9fo | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcQFrmm9yR8

Cain being uneasy listening to the details of Aaron’s rape is very realistic, even if he’s supportive of Aaron and only wants to help him.

It was nice to see Aaron’s family and Adam being supportive of Aaron, especially since they usually have little to do with him.

I’m not sure how I feel about this softer side of Robert, who is completely devoted to Aaron, even though he was trying to kill him a few months ago. But that’s the kind of stuff you have to deal with when throwing red meat to the shippers: ignoring Robert and Aaron’s ugly violent history and some of the awful, evil things Robert has done.

Bah.

Extra scenes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezEtxB30S1Q

Hollyoaks (U.K.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0Oz-NPUJEM

On one hand, I agree with Tony that Ste is totally wrong for Harry. But on the other, Tony just needs to let it go and let Ste and Harry fall apart on their own. Because they will. However Harry saying that Ste is a better father to his children than Tony is hilarious since Ste rarely sees his children and doesn’t even know where one of them is. Overall, Harry needs to stop being such a brat.

General Hospital (U.S.)

It was nice to see Brad and Lucas in the same room and in the same scene. Shame that there was no discussion of their own story. I did enjoy their talk to Kristina about coming out issues, mostly because it was interesting to hear Brad and Lucas coming at it from different angles. Everybody’s coming out is different. But when are we going to get some much needed resolution for that dumb ass ‘Brad is married’ story?

I’d even be okay if Brad just came to Lucas and said he resolved the whole mess off screen and was divorced just so he and Lucas could move on. They don’t even have to explain anything. They end other stories off screen, why not one that never mattered much to begin with? I guess it’s nice that GH is still doing gay storytelling, but this new story with Kristina probably doesn’t bode well for anything happening with Brad and Lucas. I think their brief, infrequent appearances will remain just that.

Now I admit I’m not a regular viewer of this show, but neither Sonny nor Alexis, despite their many flaws, strike me as homophobic. I don’t see them being upset or rejecting Kristina because she’s gay or bisexual. And I hope the show doesn’t put that on either character just to create drama.

Holby City (U.K.)

I know Lee is a violent, crazy, closeted queer with a baby on the way, but he’s still dreamily handsome. Sigh. I’m so shallow.

My first reaction to this clip is: why was Dom still be allowed on Allison’s case wh
en his bosses knew of his personal conflicts with Lee?

You’d think they would have insisted Allison get a new doctor under the circumstances. It probably wouldn’t have changed anything though. Allison clearly knew her husband was gay/bisexual, but when she met Dom she’d had enough and dumped Lee.

But I’m not sure what to make of Lee. That crazy rant he had in the cafeteria didn’t make much sense. He hooks up with men then steals their stuff because he hates himself? At least that’s what I got from that conversation. What was it all about?

Another thing is that Dom seemed surprised that the police had talked to Lee and were assured he hadn’t take Dom’s things. But I was under the impression that Dom had tried to find Lee, but couldn’t. If the police had tracked him down, wouldn’t they and shouldn’t they have let Dom know?

And I’d like to know why the police took Dom into custody when it was clearly self-defense. Griffin had to pull Lee off of Dom and he saw Lee grab the knife and threaten Dom with it. Seems like a clean cut case to me. Or was that to create ‘drama’?

How To Get Away With Murder (U.S.)

A brief glimpse of Oliver was the only bright spot in this overstuffed and very convoluted return. I said at the winter break that this show has gotten way too complicated. Half the time I don’t remember who is doing what to whom and why or what anybody’s motivation for their behavior is. The show is a mess. And it only took them a season and a half to get there.

Every time they sort of answer a question, they have to add three or four more plot elements to the brew. Like the whole thing with Wes/Christophe. Now I’ve never been a Wes fan, he’s always been extremely annoying to me. I wanted someone to muzzle him when he whined endlessly about Rebecca. Now he’s got a new reason to whine. Sigh.

Also, Annalese was clearly spying on Christophe, but at the same time she was very pregnant with her own baby, which was the baby she was deluding about. What’s up with that? And why are Bonnie and Frank drugging her? Or did she know they were drugging her? I couldn’t figure that out. And don’t get me started on the whole trial with the silbings. That plotline is also gotten far too messy and complicated.

I hope the show starts to winnow out some these plot arcs. There’s just way too much going on. Shows that get too caught up in their own mythology usually wind up being strangled by all the story points. That seems to be what is happening here.

Secret Lives (Finland)

There’s a lot of strange plot points going on right now with Elias, Lari and Kalle. And most of them I don’t care for.

I think this whole thing with Elias taking a job with the family enemy is terribly contrived. And Sebastian won’t win father of the year for asking Elias to spy on Aki, risking his first real job.

Elias and Lari working together? Gee, there’s a shocker. At least Lari, for once, told Kalle the truth right away. I just wish that Kalle would be more honest with Lari rather than drinking alone in his apartment. He’s been doing that a lot lately. I hope they don’t turn Kalle into a drunk so Lari will go cry on Elias’ shoulder.

Elias is supposed to be this mature guy going on with his life, but he still has a major bon
e for Lari. He purposefully interrupted Kalle and Lari’s kiss and then couldn’t stop staring at Lari’s half naked body (not that I could blame him). And he wasn’t pleased when Lari was worried about Kalle’s reaction about Lari and Elias working together.

But I’m wondering how the rest of this plot stuff ties into everything? Like Ismo insisting that Kalle pretend to be straight in order not to upset his amnesiac mother? And with Kalle spending so much time with that girl… Hmm.

Now I don’t watch the rest of the show so I’m wondering if Kristina really has amnesia or is she faking to get sympathy? Because I wouldn’t put it past her. And if she doesn’t have her memory back now I think she’ll get it, but keep it to herself because it furthers some dumb scheme of hers.

Like I said, there’s a bunch of really odd plot points going on right now. All I know is I don’t like where it’s obviously leading.

Additional Scenes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtx4U0CpxaY

Credit: Freeform/Sven Frenzel

Shadowhunters (U.S)

You ever want to reach in the TV screen and shake an actor or actress until you can get a decent performance out of them? That’s how I’m feeling after last week’s Shadowhunters. This show’s leads, especially on the male side are giving such onenote, monotone performances that it ruins any potential for real drama. So much is made of Jace and Alec’s intense bond, a big plot point in this episode, but the actors are giving me so little that I simply don’t believe it.

Oh well, at least they finally had someone lay Alec’s feelings for Jace on the table. But I found it funny that Clary basically said ‘You can never be with Jace because he’s straight.’ Except that for some mild flirting between she and Jace, Clary can only assume Jace is straight.

He certainly hasn’t shown any interest in any woman and only barely her. It would be nice if the show played all this with some ambiguity in this so called triangle (a polygon if you include Magnus and Simon), but I don’t think the heavy handed writing is capable of that.

Simon’s storyline continues to interest me the most, but I find it a bit odd that everyone is so casual (including Simon himself) about Simon’s sudden exhibition of non-Mundane attributes. Given the time he spent with the vampire clan you’d think someone would think something was up.

Learning that Luke was not only werewolf, but a good guy in all this was a nice twist. I’m glad the show isn’t going to portray all adults as evil. I also liked the introduction of Alec and Isabelle’s mother. That she is is so mean to her own kids, but treats Jace like a real son is a interesting plot point I want to see more of.