Gays of Our Lives: Dropping the Balls

Days of Our Lives  (U.S.)

I’m wondering why Days is even bothering with this storyline.  They clearly don’t care about it or the characters.

The storytelling, if can be called that, is lazy.  The actors seem bored with the lackluster, emotionless material.  Worst of all, it’s actually getting to the point where it’s borderline offensive and has a distinct stench of homophobia.

For example, did any of the various relationships between any of the straight couples happen off screen like Derrick and Paul’s did?  They have been dating for months and the show could barely be bothered to hint at it.  And all of Derrick’s on-screen scenes was about Derrick asking if Paul really wanted to be with Sonny.

Of course, in the end, Derrick clearly was as tired as the viewers watching Sonny and Paul dancing around each other and got himself out of the relationship, if it could even be called that.  Any other soap character would have schemed and plotted to keep Paul for himself, not basically hand his man over to the competition.  But like I said from the start, Derrick was only here to get Sonny and Paul together.  Lame.  And we’ll never see Derrick again, even though we know he works at the hospital.

The following scenes with Sonny and Paul admitting their feelings was so poorly done.   Paul and Sonny say they can’t be together because of Will, but you really don’t feel the conflict since the show barely mentions Will and most of his strong ties are no longer (or barely) on the canvas.  Their ‘guilt’ is manufactured and contrived.  And weeks ago, Sonny decidedly said he and Paul’s inability to get it together was not about Will.  Or did the show forget that?

Moreover, there was no romance, no joy, no passion.  And given that it was a moment that was long awaited, the camera couldn’t cut away from their chaste kiss fast enough.  

I just wonder why the show is so standoffish and skittish about this relationship when they weren’t like that with Sonny and Will/Will and Paul.  That story got tons of airtime and the show didn’t hold back on the romantic stuff.  I still recall how hot Paul and Will’s sex scene was.  Clearly something has changed.  I can only guess it’s with the writers.  Odd since we know one of them is openly gay himself.

Emmerdale  (U.K.)

Poor Finn, dumped right before the ball dropped.  I do hope he and Kasim can work things out.  The guys do have chemistry and I like Kasim.  But Kasim is right, Finn’s clinging to Kasim does stem from losing his father and it may not be the right time for Finn to be involved with someone.  

However, just because it’s not the right time doesn’t mean they shouldn’t give it a go. I don’t think it’s the end of them.  It would be weird to have it be over so quickly after the months it took to get them to this point, most of which Kasim was in a coma.

I like seeing Ronnie and Lawrence together and happy, but it’s obvious Lawrence has problems being affectionate with Ronnie and we know they don’t share a bed and aren’t having sex.  Its one of the few times a chaste hug between gay lovers makes sense.  I do hope the show is going to explore that issue and deal with it.  I don’t expect to see Lawrence and Ronnie in bed, but I do think the show should write that aspect of the story frankly and honestly.

People of the Valley  (Wales)

If my beautiful husband wanted to lay around in tank tops and shorts and watch tv all day there is nothing or no one that could make me answer the door or a ringing phone.  People can come back later and that’s why you have voicemail.

That said, those scenes of Tyler and Iolo trying to spend the day alone together were super adorable and why they were one of my favorite couples of last year.  I just love watching them enjoying each other and their married life.  For someone who has watched Iolo be unhappy and miserable for so many years, I can’t get enough of it.

My favorite part was Iolo wickedly regifting the ugly sculpture that Gwyneth gave them.  Loved it.  Those scenes definitely put a smile on my face.  But I do need a story for these two that is not about Iolo being mean to Gwyneth, as fun as it may be.

Rownd a Rownd  (Wales)

I like and appreciate that Rhys is not begging David for his time or taking whatever scraps David is willing to give him.  I also like that Rhys ended it when David hemmed and hawwed about making a choice.  It’s perfectly fine if David needs time to decide what he wants and gets his life together.  But I like that Rhys doesn’t want to be ‘the other man’ and broke it off.  I have never liked the trope where the out gay man is willing to be a closet case’s dirty little secret.  Kudos to the show for avoiding that nonsense.

And of course we find out that David has been attracted to men before now, but never acted upon it until Rhys.   Yep.

I’d like the show to explain why David never gave into his feelings before.  He’s a good looking man pushing 30.  What held him back and what was it about Rhys that made him go for it?  I do think Rhys and David have chemistry, and they’re both good looking guys and I buy the attraction but I don’t think the show has spent very much time actually developing a relationship between them.

It would be interesting if David and Rhys got together and then realized the only attraction was physical.  But I don’t see the show doing that.  I’m sure they’ll write this and depict it as love.  I think the next beat of the story will be David deciding to tell his girlfriend the truth, but she tells him she’s pregnant first.

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