Arts & Entertainment
‘Looking’ no more
Poorly focused HBO gay dramedy deserved cancellation
From left are Frankie J. Alvarez, Jonathan Groff and Murray Bartlett of ‘Looking.’ (Photo by Richard Foreman, courtesy HBO)
HBO’s “Looking” will not get a third season and rightly so. If ratings, which were consistently low, were the only factor, one could argue the show was canceled too soon, but the problem with the show begins and ends with the main character, Patrick.
Patrick serves as an entry point to a diverse world for white audiences, similar to Piper’s role in “Orange is the New Black.” Patrick is a white, believably attractive, upper-middle class 29-year-old living in San Francisco. The first time we see him, he’s cruising in a park and giggling like a child who found a Playboy. In fact, the first thing any character says to Patrick is “Stop talking,” which might as well have been my mantra while watching the series. Through Patrick, non-gay viewers experience all the awkward moments of growing up and coming out.
Despite having been out and living with a close circle of openly gay friends for a long time, everything is new for him. His boyfriend wants to top? He has bottom shame because of what his mother would think. A character is taking PrEP? Patrick calls him a Truvada whore. His friends invite him to Folsom? He’s embarrassed to be wearing a leather vest.
This could have worked as a character either significantly younger or newly out, but it’s simply not believable for someone so entrenched in the gay community to be so new to it all. Unlike Shoshanna from “Girls,” Patrick didn’t have the excuse of youth, but even she grew up. The creators of the show didn’t even have the decency to make Patrick a side character.
In season one, Patrick can’t see a future with Richie because Richie is Mexican. He instead sees himself with his boss Kevin (a Brit), though Kevin has a boyfriend. Patrick blames his mother for this, which makes absolutely no sense. Later, after leaving Richie, having an affair with and ultimately moving in with Kevin, he realizes Kevin may not always be faithful, as if Kevin wouldn’t cheat again down the road. Was this shocking to anyone but Patrick?
Sure, it’s true that hot messes often make for good TV — maturity and contentment rarely make for compelling drama — but “Looking” never managed to give its audience a reason to care about its lead character.
Another groan-inducing moment was the Halloween party episode because, as he would repeat several times, Patrick wanted to be a “fun gay.” Sorry, Patrick, but somebody has to be the Ross of the group, and it’s you. What’s the least fun thing a host can do? Try to force the fun. He insists on singing karaoke, though nobody is interested. His costume, as he explained several times, was “Gordon Freeman, the most popular video game character of all time!” He gives a drunken speech that embarrasses his friends and exes almost as much as it embarrasses himself. He even tried to make himself the center of attention in the next episode when he invited himself to Doris’s father’s funeral and, in a surprise to exactly nobody, made a fool of himself.
How are people still friends with this guy?
Ironically, said funeral episode was titled “Looking for a Plot,” which is what I’ve been doing with this show since episode one.
“Looking” fans describe the show as “realistic,” but equality means canceling a bad show because it’s bad, not keeping a bad show on the air because it’s gay. Patrick is a forced protagonist. Interesting things keep happening to him, but he is remarkably unremarkable. The show shoved aside any decent conflicts or topics and instead focused on a wholly uninteresting lead character while rich side characters struggled for screen time.
“Looking” will wrap up with a TV special that will hopefully be titled “Looking for a Doris Spinoff.”
Sports
Jason Collins dies at 47
First openly gay man to actively play for major sports team battled brain cancer
Jason Collins, the first openly gay man to actively play for a major professional sports team, died on Tuesday after a battle with brain cancer. He was 47.
The California native had briefly played for the Washington Wizards in 2013 before coming out in a Sports Illustrated op-ed.
Collins in 2014 became the first openly gay man to play in a game for a major American professional sports league when he played 11 minutes during a Brooklyn Nets game. He wore jersey number 98 in honor of Matthew Shepard, a gay college student murdered outside of Laramie, Wyo., in 1998.
Collins told the Washington Blade in 2014 that his life was “exponentially better” since he came out. Collins the same year retired from the National Basketball Association after 13 seasons.
Collins married his husband, Brunson Green, in May 2025.
The NBA last September announced Collins had begun treatment for a brain tumor. Collins on Dec. 11, 2025, announced he had Stage 4 glioblastoma.
“We are heartbroken to share that Jason Collins, our beloved husband, son, brother and uncle, has died after a valiant fight with glioblastoma,” said Collins’s family in a statement the NBA released. “Jason changed lives in unexpected ways and was an inspiration to all who knew him and to those who admired him from afar. We are grateful for the outpouring of love and prayers over the past eight months and for the exceptional medical care Jason received from his doctors and nurses. Our family will miss him dearly.”
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Collins’s “impact and influence extended far beyond basketball as he helped make the NBA, WNBA, and larger sports community more inclusive and welcoming for future generations.”
“He exemplified outstanding leadership and professionalism throughout his 13-year NBA career and in his dedicated work as an NBA Cares Ambassador,” said Silver. “Jason will be remembered not only for breaking barriers, but also for the kindness and humanity that defined his life and touched so many others.”
“To call Jason Collins a groundbreaking figure for our community is simply inadequate. We truly lost a giant today,” added Human Rights Campaign President Kelley Robinson in a statement. “He came out as gay — while still playing — at a time when men’s athletes simply did not do that. But as he powerfully demonstrated in his final years in the league and his post-NBA career, stepping forward as he did boldly changed the conversation.”
“He was and will always be a legend for the LGBTQ+ community, and we are heartbroken to hear of his passing at the young age of 47,” she said. “Our hearts go out to his family and loved ones. We will keep fighting on in his honor until the day everyone can be who they are on their terms.”
The Washington Blade will update this article with additional reaction when it becomes available.
Glitterati Productions held the “Studio 69” party at Bunker on Friday, May 8.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
Arts & Entertainment
Washington Blade’s Pride on the Pier returns June 13 to kick off D.C. Pride week
Pride on the Pier officially launches Pride Week in D.C.
The Washington Blade’s annual Pride on the Pier celebration returns to The Wharf on Saturday, June 13, 2026 from 4-9 p.m., bringing thousands of LGBTQ community members and allies together for an unforgettable waterfront celebration to kick off Pride week in Washington, D.C.
Now in its eighth year, Washington Blade Pride on the Pier extends the city’s annual celebration of LGBTQ visibility to the bustling Wharf waterfront with an exciting array of activities and entertainment for all ages. The District Pier will offer DJs, dancing, drag, and other entertainment. Alcoholic beverages will be available for purchase for those 21 and older.
“Pride on the Pier has become one of the signature moments of Pride in D.C.,” said Lynne Brown, publisher of the Washington Blade. “There’s nothing like watching our community come together on the waterfront with live music and incredible energy as we kick off Pride week.”
Pride on the Pier is free and open to the public, with VIP tickets available for exclusive pier access to the Dockmaster Building. To purchase VIP tickets visit www.prideonthepierdc.com/vip.
Additional entertainment announcements, sponsor activations, and event details will be released in the coming weeks.
Event Details:
📍 Location: District Pier at The Wharf (101 District Sq SW, Washington, DC)
📅 Dates: Friday, 13, 2026
⏱️ 4-9PM
🎟️ VIP Tickets: www.PrideOnThePierDC.com/VIP
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