Starring:
Year(s) Aired: 2000-2001
Year of DVD Release: 2002
Rated: Not Rated
Approx. Running Time: 956 minutes
Format(s): DVD (6 discs)
My Rating: 4 stars (Out of 5)
Episode Summary:
Episode 1 (Pilot)
After a night out at the club Babylon with Michael, Emmett and Ted; Brian picks up a cute guy named Justin for a night of fun.
Episode 2
Michael stays in the closet at work, which causes some problems with an interested co-worker while at the same time he struggles with feelings of jealousy over Brian's relationship with Justin.
Episode 3
Lindsay and Melanie have a bris for their new baby Gus, which Brian decides to miss until Michael convinces him otherwise. Meanwhile Ted finally gets lucky with a guy, but ends up with devastating results.
Episode 4
While Ted lies in a drug-induced coma, Brian learns he's named the executor of his friend's living will. Also, Justin's mother suspects the truth about her son's sexuality.
Episode 5
Michael fends off the romantic interest of a female coworker who doesn't know he's gay and instead dates a handsome chiropractor, while Brian is propositioned by a potentially lucrative client of his firm.
Episode 6
Michael's new chiropractor boyfriend gets into a tug of war with Brian over Michael, as Ted recovers from his O.D. by dating Roger, a stable but overweight chorus director.
Episode 7
Debbie meets Dr. David; Justin's father learns the truth and decides to send Justin away to school; Brian's emotional hold on Michael and dislike for Dr. David intensifies.
Episode 8
Justin's father attacks Brian outside Babylon; Michael gets a promotion at work; Justin moves in with Brian.
Episode 9
Michael decides to break up with Dr. David, who surprises Michael by asking him to move in with him; Lindsay and Melanie ask Brian to relinquish his parental rights to Gus; Emmett becomes addicted to cyber-sex.
Episode 10
Dr. David pressures Michael to move in with him; Brian's loft is burglarized; Justin runs away to New York City; Lindsay and Melanie begin to drift apart.
Episode 11
Michael ends the relationship with Dr. David; Ted and Emmett get tested for AIDS; Brian throws Michael a surprise 30th birthday party and outs Michael to his co-worker; Emmett makes a pact with God.
Episode 12
Michael and Dr. David enjoy their new-found domestic bliss; Emmett joins a "conversion therapy" group; Lindsay and Melanie continue to fight about Brian, finances and their future; Ted becomes very sexually active.
Episode 13
Brian sleeps with a co-worker who then files a complaint against him; Emmett continues to try to go straight; Melanie finds solace from Lindsay in the arms of another woman.
Episode 14
Brian is named in the sexual harassment suit and turns to Melanie for legal advice; Emmett starts dating a woman in his continuing attempt to go straight; Michael lies to David about seeing Brian.
Episode 15
Lindsay leaves Gus in Brian's care on the weekend of the Leather Ball. Michael is nervous about meeting David's son. Ted takes a walk on the wild side. Brian comes out to his father after he learns that Jack has cancer.
Episode 16
Michael and Dr. David disagree about finances; a strange Frenchman moves in with Lindsay and Gus causing a stir; Justin is suspended from school.
Episode 17
Dr. David and Michael host a high-society fundraiser, Michael excludes the gang; Lindsay and Guillaume prepare for the big day; Justin continues to be harassed at school.
Episode 18
Brian discovers David at the baths; Justin finds out his parents are getting a divorce; Ted reconnects with Blake; a hunk from Babylon hits on Michael.
Episode 19
In the throes of a hot session Brian gets upsetting news; Daphne asks Justin to be her first time; Ted wants Blake, despite his crystal meth addiction.
Episode 20
Who will be crowned King of Babylon? An innocent trip to the mall lands Vic in jail; Brian is beaten at his own game.
Episode 21
Brian is chosen 'Ad person of the Year' and encouraged to take his talent to the Big Apple; Vic appears in court to plead his case; Blake gets a job; David's ex-wife's divorce takes him to Portland.
Episode 22
Brian turns 30; Michael and David prepare for their move to Portland; Ted faces the truth about Blake; Justin and Daphne attend their prom where a big surprise awaits; On his way to the airport, Michael receives a call from Brian.
My Comments:
The premiere season of one of the most ground-breaking programs ever seen on American television. Based on a British series of the same name, Queer As Folk takes an honest look at the various facets of gay life and culture and does not shy away from the issues promiscuity, obsession with youth, drug abuse, HIV/AIDS, hate crimes, homophobia - at home, in school, and in the workplace - and the dangers and pressures faced by gay teens trying to come to terms with their sexuality while also trying to gain the acceptance of their peers and family. It watches like a soap opera, with a balanced mix of drama and humor - but be warned, this was a Showtime series and as such it contains adult language, nudity (full frontal, male and female), and graphic depictions of sexual acts.
Q
Not Rated (MPAA)
4 Stars
2000
2001
Gay Interest
Television
Main Index
Starring:
Year(s) Aired: 2002
Year of DVD Release: 2003
Rated: Not Rated
Approx. Running Time: 956 minutes
Format(s): DVD (6 discs)
My Rating: 4 stars (Out of 5)
Episode Summary:
Episode 1
Brian helps Justin recover from his bashing at the hands of Chris Hobbs; Lindsay suggests marriage to Mel; Michael returns home, without David.
Episode 2
Still traumatized from his bashing, Justin is unable to get close to Brian; Ted's boss fires him for surfing porn at work; Michael and Emmett work as nude waiters.
Episode 3
Brian wins an award for saving Justin, despite a scathing editorial from a gay columnist; Michael wants to re-establish his friendship with Brian.
Episode 4
The entire gang celebrates the Gay Pride Parade in Pittsburgh; Michael worries his co-workers may see him there; Lindsay feels threatened when Mel's ex shows up.
Episode 5
Ted decides start a gay website; Justin decides to leave art school until his motor skills return; Michael quits his job to open his own comic book store.
Episode 6
Brian suggests to Justin that they expand their relationship; Ted new business takes off, with a little help from Emmett; Michael is smitten with a new customer.
Episode 7
Michael decides to keep seeing Ben, despite Brian and Debbie's vehement protests; Emmett starts acting like a star; Mel and Lindsay ask Lindsay's parents for cash.
Episode 8
Michael starts dating again, after having broken up with Ben; Justin meets someone his own age at a party; Emmett is shocked to discover he has a secret admirer.
Episode 9
Michael decides to win Ben back, no matter how much Brian and Debbie are against the union; Ted tries Viagra; Brian's new man turns out to be his mother's priest.
Episode 10
Debbie finds a dead body in the diner's dumpster; Michael is more upset when his favorite comic book hero dies; George and Emmett get closer.
Episode 11
The entire gang pitches in to plan Lindsay and Mel's wedding.
Episode 12
Debbie takes matters in her own hands to discover the identity of a John Doe; Michael is upset to learn that Ben and Brian once slept together years ago.
Episode 13
Michael wonders what his connection is to a celebrated Drag Queen who shares a past with Debbie; Justin decided to become a go-go dancer to pay his tuition.
Episode 14
Justin is rolling in the dough, but his schoolwork suffers; Carl asks Debbie out; George asks Emmett to accompany him on a world tour.
Episode 15
Brian is jealous when Michael and Justin decided to start a comic book; Leda offers to renovate Mel and Lindsay's attic; Emmett is barred from George's funeral.
Episode 16
Michael plans a surprise party for Ben, which doesn't go well; Ted wonders what to tell his new beau about his career; Justin meets a young violinist and is smitten.
Episode 17
Busy impressing his new boss, Brian cancels plans with Justin; Emmett receives a surprising gift from George; Lindsay and Mel try to spice up their relationship.
Episode 18
Bitter about Brian, Justin turns to Ethan; Michael panics when Ben is hospitalized; George's estate offers Emmett millions to keep quiet about their relationship.
Episode 19
Michael discovers Justin's affair, and is tempted to tell Brian; Mel and Lindsay feel awkward with Leda around; Debbie challenges Carl to a bowling contest.
Episode 20
Justin must decide who he should be with, Brian or Ethan; Ben tells Michael he is going away for six months; Ted reveals his true feelings to Emmett.
My Comments:
Another engaging, highly entertaining season. Though I wasn't much fond of Ted's porno venture. I liked him much better before that turn, though Emmett's "Fetch Dickson" is amusing. Oh, and that Ethan kid that Justin cheats on Brian with is fugly. Sorry. Also, Professor Ben? Not so hot. Definitely a step down from Dr. David.
Q
Not Rated (MPAA)
4 Stars
2002
Gay Interest
Television
Main Index
Starring:
Year(s) Aired: 2003
Year of DVD Release: 2004
Rated: Not Rated
Approx. Running Time: 673 minutes
Format(s): DVD (5 discs)
My Rating: 4 stars (Out of 5)
Episode Summary:
Episode 1
Brian and Justin move on after breaking up; Michael and Ben discuss living together; Mel and Lindsay talk about having another child.
Episode 2
Free of Brian, Justin must find a way to pay his tuition; Mel wants another baby; Emmett is tempted when an old flame drops by.
Episode 3
Lindsay and Mel ask Brian about fathering a second child with them; Deb is nervous about spending the night with Carl; Ben decides against moving in with Michael.
Episode 4
Ted and Emmett move in together and find they are truly opposites; Mel and Lindsay ask Michael to father their child; Brian is forced to baby-sit his spoiled nephew.
Episode 5
Debbie and Vic rally support against Police Chief Stockwell's bid for mayor and his conservative platform. Despite that, Brian decides to work on his election campaign.
Episode 6
Thanks to Brian's marketing savvy, Stockwell leads the polls; Michael discovers Ben's steroid use; Ted is arrested just when he and Emmett meet the neighbors.
Episode 7
Emmett pleads with Brian to get Stockwell to drop the charges against Ted; Justin suspects Ethan of infidelity; Ben's steroid use gets out of hand; Mel is pregnant.
Episode 8
Justin decides to win Brian back and begins by interning at his agency; Ted is unhappy with Emmett being the breadwinner; Michael and Ben try to help a young hustler.
Episode 9
Mel and Lindsay quarrel over her long work hours now that she is pregnant; Woody's is closed down for a minor violation; Ted sinks into a deep depression.
Episode 10
Brian and Justin are at odds over his work with Stockwell; Ted goes away for the weekend and meets new friends; Mel becomes annoyed by Michael's constant concern.
Episode 11
Stockwell meets the gay community, which doesn't go well; Brian is fired from the campaign; Ted's drug use escalates; Ben and Michael tell Hunter he is positive.
Episode 12
Vowing to expose Stockwell, Brian investigates the murder of Dumpster Boy; Mel and Lindsay urge Emmett to stage an intervention on Ted's behalf.
Episode 13
Justin may face expulsion for designing anti-Stockwell posters; Hunter goes undercover to collect evidence for Brian; Emmett has had it with Ted's drug use.
Episode 14
Brian exposes Stockwell on the eve of the election; Debbie rallies the troops on election day; Ted hits rock bottom; Hunter's mom shows up demanding full custody.
My Comments:
The soap opera continues, though for a shorter season than the previous two. Big respect for actor Scott Lowell's portrayal of Ted's downward spiral of depression and drug abuse. One minor complaint is the addition of the character "Hunter," whom I never liked.
Q
Not Rated (MPAA)
4 Stars
2003
Gay Interest
Television
Main Index
Starring:
Year(s) Aired: 2004
Year of DVD Release: 2005
Rated: Not Rated
Approx. Running Time: 780 minutes
Format(s): DVD (5 discs)
My Rating: 4 stars (Out of 5)
Episode Summary:
Episode 1
After spending all his money getting Stockwell defeated, Brian is at a crossroads about his future; Michael and Hunter return home to face the custody hearing.
Episode 2
Brian starts his own ad agency; Ted graduates from rehab with Blake by his side; Michael and Emmett go on a retreat; Justin decides to join a gay vigilante group.
Episode 3
Justin finds himself risking his life with the Pink Posse; Avoiding his friends, Ted finds work as a waiter; Vic decides to move in with Rodney, leaving Debbie alone.
Episode 4
Justin finds Cody becoming too violent; Brian hires Ted at his new agency; Mel struggles with an important case; Hunter's social worker arrives unannounced.
Episode 5
Debbie feels left out of Vic's new life; Ben asks Michael for an honest opinion of his new book; Cody challenges Justin to confront his violent side.
Episode 6
Debbie and Vic have words over his new life, which ends in tragedy; Michael and Justin receive good news about 'Rage'; Brain is told some devastating news.
Episode 7
Debbie continues to be numb over Vic's death; Ted falls into old habits when Blake tries to break it off with him; Brian is diagnosed with testicular cancer.
Episode 8
Brian continues to keep his illness to himself; Debbie tries to re-connect with Horvath; Justin and Michael hear a pitch from a Hollywood producer about 'Rage'.
Episode 9
Emmett gets mixed messages from a pro-football player; Jealous over Michael's success, Ben finds sympathy from a former student; Justin discovers Brian's illness.
Episode 10
Brian continues to deal with radiation treatment; Ben is tempted when a former student shows interest in him; Sam and Lindsay struggle with their mutual attraction.
Episode 11
Brian fund-raises for the gay center; Emmett and Drew continue their affair; Sam is ready to fight for Lindsay; Ben and Michael have suspicions about Hunter.
Episode 12
Brian participates in the Liberty Ride; Hunter tells Callie about his status; Emmett is unsure about his affair with Drew; Mel and Lindsay contemplate a separation.
Episode 13
Preparations for the Liberty Ride get underway; Mel is confined to bed rest for the rest of her pregnancy; Justin is invited to Hollywood to pitch 'Rage'.
Episode 14
After getting married in Canada, newlyweds Michael and Ben are stopped at the U.S. border; Mel goes into labor; The Liberty Ride enters the final stretch.
My Comments:
Season four was definitely not the strongest for this program and as things change and the characters drift further apart, it becomes apparent that this is the beginning of the end of this incredible show.
Q
Not Rated (MPAA)
4 Stars
2004
Gay Interest
Television
Main Index
Starring:
Year(s) Aired: 2005
Year of DVD Release: 2006
Rated: Not Rated
Approx. Running Time: 870 minutes
Format(s): DVD (5 discs)
My Rating: 4 stars (Out of 5)
Episode Summary:
Episode 1
Michael arranges a surprise 10th anniversary party for Mel and Lindsay, not realizing that the two have separated.
Episode 2
Furious about Mel and Lindsay's separation, Michael decided to hire a lawyer to gain joint custody of his daughter.
Episode 3
In what is shaping up to be a three-way custody battle, Michael is stunned when Brian gives Lindsay financial help so she can make a bid for custody as well.
Episode 4
Debbie finds she is not missed at the diner, as her replacement is just as popular as she is. Classmates find out about Hunter's HIV status.
Episode 5
Hunter is ostracized at school for being HIV positive; Loretta expresses her love to Debbie; Brian is stunned to find out he has an STD.
Episode 6
Ted plans to seek revenge against a guy who shunned him; Hunter starts skipping school; Brian feels he is no longer number #1 as a new younger guy hits the scene.
Episode 7
Ben sinks into a depression after Hunter leaves home; Lindsay moves back home with her parents; The community starts a protest against a law that would limit same sex couple's rights.
Episode 8
Justin finds himself in jail for protesting Proposition 14 in front of his father's store; Mel starts dating; Emmett is surprised by a familiar face.
Episode 9
Lindsay feels threatened by Mel's dating; Justin's mom announces she is seeing a younger man; Drew decides to come-out on national television.
Episode 10
An event at Babylon to bring more attention to Proposition 14 ends in tragedy.
Episode 11
The Babylon bombing brings Mel and Lindsay closer; Brian decides to make some changes in his life; Michael continues to struggle for his life in the hospital.
Episode 12
Brian proposes marriage to Justin; Mel and Lindsay discuss moving to Canada; Emmett catches Drew with another guy.
Episode 13
In the series finale Brian and Justin prepare for marriage, while Mel and Lindsay prepares to move to Canada; Both Ted and Emmett find surprises at a ski-weekend.
My Comments:
While the final season of this show was just as dramatic as any other, the actual ending was a bit anti-climactic, especially for a show as groundbreaking and original as this one had been. Still, in it's fifth and final season, Queer As Folk never failed to satisfy.
Q
Not Rated (MPAA)
4 Stars
2005
Gay Interest
Television
Main Index