Last year, I wrote about the then-brand-new HBO series “Looking.” It was a review, and I’ve since learned I’m not supposed to write reviews as a columnist, so this isn’t going to be a review. It’s a plea to HBO: renew this incredible show for a ?third season.
The second season came to a close Sunday and the show has yet to be renewed for another season, ostensibly because of its ?low ratings.
It’s true the show has dwindling ratings. Like, really low. Vox was right Monday when they called it “the best show no one’s ?watching.”
The second-to-last episode only pulled in 300,000 viewers, which is so small it’s roughly equal to, say, the amount of people who still think Chris Christie is going to win the ?Republican nomination.
But this is an HBO show: ratings aren’t nearly as important as they are with shows on networks that rely on advertising like ABC or FX. And for HBO, quality seems to usually win out ?over quantity.
There are a couple things that could save “Looking.” For one, it’s got a cheap, ?relatively unknown cast.
The only mildly famous actor on the show is Jonathan Groff, and that’s only because of “Glee” and “Frozen,” and of course his Broadway career.
Also, it’s cheap to produce. This is no “Game of Thrones,” folks. The most action this season was a mild fender bender in episode seven. Other than that, the show consists of ... talking.
A lot of talking.
That made it sound like a bad thing. But it’s not.
The dialogue is one of the ?strongest aspects of the show. The nuance and subtlety evokes a realism that is nonexistent in past shows about gay relationships like “Will & Grace” or “Queer as Folk.”
Those shows were about gay people; “Looking” is about people — who just happen to be gay.
I’m not asking for three more seasons. I’m not even asking for two. I’m asking for one more season, just like, 10 more episodes to wrap some things up.
Throw me a bone, HBO!
The show has a small, but very, very devoted fan base. We all want another season.
I’ve read think pieces, listened to podcasts, followed hashtags — the fans ?have spoken.
There’s even a petition.
It’s the little show that could. After a first season with some problems like fairly unlikable characters getting too much screen time and really awesome characters getting too little, show runners Andrew Haigh and Michael Lannan wrote a much more cohesive ?storyline for season two.
It simply deserves another season. It’s a quality show at the bottom of a pile of really crappy shows that get a lot more attention.
And you know, HBO, if you do decide to cancel it, we’ll probably just chalk it up to homophobia. Nobody wants that.
zipperr@indiana.edu
