Is it possible that Patrick is actually heading toward some kind of bliss with Kevin? I still remain suspicious of what’s to come for our young hero and his adorable British beau, but all signs in this week’s episode are pointing toward some kind of stability for the couple, complete with the two ready to co-habitate in a sleek looking apartment.
The tone of the entire episode was pitched toward emotional apex. Agustin was forced to confront both his feelings for his ex-boyfriend, Frank (who gave a little too much sass to his former boyfriend), and his feelings for his now official boyfriend Eddie. Doris and Dom struggled with their co-dependent relationship, which now seems to be on particularly rocky ground, now that the money she promised him is going to be stuck in limbo for four months. If that weren’t enough, we were thrown into the whirlwind of Patrick’s family during a trip to the zoo with his mom and sister. Like all folks of a certain age (30 years and above), we are forced now to finally make adult decisions and think about the consequences of each step that we make. Those sure can be complicated, eh?
This still leads me back to some small worry about Patrick, considering how quickly he’s rushing into Kevin’s arms, to the point of being willing to give up his rent-controlled comfort zone. It’s fairly obvious that he still holds true to this pie-in-the-sky ideal about romance and relationships. As charming as his partner was with his mother, shouldn’t Patrick hold some measure of worry that the rug could get pulled out from under his feet?
I fear a little bit for Dom, too. With no financial support and the loss of that huge source of emotional support, this could easily send him running back to Modesto with his tail between his legs. The writers might have been setting that up this whole time with the return visit to his hometown. It could also mark the return of Lynn if Dom decides to go running back to his ex in hopes of getting some cash to complete his restaurant dream.
While things are still so nebulous for the other two main characters, the writers of the show at least gave us a bit of unquestionable hopefulness with Agustin and Eddie. Not only because the latter was encouraging the former to start thinking about art again, but also due to the perfect chemistry between the two. The scene towards the end when Agustin finally threw himself at his partner’s feet (metaphorically speaking) and urged Eddie towards something more serious was so tender and sweet, announcing another transitional step for these characters.
Again, adulthood means that the goals that we had for ourselves and the lives we thought we wanted have to be flexible. We have to be ready in some small way to move in a new direction when the world shifts under our feet. Each one of these men—and Patrick’s mom for that matter—are all feeling those rumbles. The test will be if they can ride out the shockwaves with as much confidence as they can muster or curl up in a ball, hoping it goes away.
Robert Ham is a Portland-based freelance writer and regular contributor to Paste. You can follow him on Twitter.