Welcome to THEJNSREPORT’S: IN Between Men Season II: Reactions and Impressions of the popular Web Series

In Between Men Writer/Creator, Executive Producer,  Quincy Morris told us where we could see the entire 1st and 2nd season online at Blip.tv in order to give our impressions on his creation. For those who don’t know IBM. It’s a web series that speaks to the issues a gay group of friends encounter while living in NYC.

In my opinion it’s essentially the gay version of Sex and the City and long overdue.  Overall I like the cast of the show and the content which deals with real life issues, friendships, and of course what it’s like to be  young gay masculine guys that don’t fit the stereotypes of what gay looks or is supposed to act like.  With each passing webisode the series takes off and improves.  For the purposes of this report. We’re dealing with Season II.

Episode 1: Dying to See You

For the most part the series is short episodes on average of 11-15 mins or more depending.  Episode 1 starts off on the premise of friends finding out that Jake a character and friend of the Main character Dalton Fuller, (Other friends included) has died from a ruptured aneurysm.  Personally I found there to be a slight lack of emotion in this scene that doesn’t really transfer to me the tragic passing of a close friend that moves me as a viewer enough to really believe it. One could pass this off as simply the shock of the sudden loss at that moment but it takes a bit off of the emotional moments we as the viewing audience are to take from this loss by the group.

We get a “Fuck!” from character Benjamin Reed, and “Can we seem him?”  I suppose this can be overlooked somewhat as Dane the MD. Character has a more expected emotional reaction to the sudden loss than the rest of the group.  I guess we all grieve in our own way.  The episode concludes with the remaining living friends consoling each other and remembering their friend over a meal at a restaurant.  Life goes on and so will they.

However, where one character is gone, room is made for the appearance of another and so begins the second season of In Between Men.  There is no doubt in my mind with major backing and the budget to shoot longer episodes this webseries could be an even bigger hit produced for a major network like Showtime or HBO.  The writing of the show is strong and speaks to critical elements of social exchange and perceptions of who or what “gay” looks acts or sounds like.

Episode 2: Under The Big Top

Under The Big Top was exactly what I meant when I said  the show gets better which each episode.  Due to the fact that these are pretty short episodes it really makes what we the viewers see that much more important to either be pulled into the show or not.  Episode 2 Under the Big Top introduces us to a potential new love interest for main character Dalton Fuller via a sexy bar owner with southern charm.

The story is linear and continues to lament the passing of Jake and the planning of his memorial while we get acquainted with the lives of the supporting characters.  It ends with narrative similar in style to that of Sex and the City and does so brilliantly while explaining the various nuances of the Gay Scene of NYC.

Episode 3: The Gangbang’s all here

The Gangbang’s all here gives us the memorial service for  Jake which is attended by Dalton, Dane the doc, Ben & his brother Andrew, Kyle who was Jake’s boyfriend, Jake’s ex-girlfriend and the introduction of Brian the cousin of Jake’s ex-girlfriend. Dalton’s apartment is immediately pimped out to cousin Brian who is at the moment homeless as he looks for an apartment and who happily accepts Dalton’s couch as his new digs. Dalton feeling backed into a corner doesn’t rescind the invitation.

Curiosity over the orientation of Brian is immediately thrown into question making for fun speculation of what could ensue once Brian moves in.  There’s mention of involvement in a gangbang the night before during observation of a moment of silence that I have to admit is pretty funny.  This brief period of levity is immediately turned 180 degrees with the surprise appearance at the memorial by Massimiliano the sexy older Italian love interest of Dalton who broke his heart at the end of Season 1.

At this point we immediately can get to see the powerful connection of two lovers seeing each other again for the first time post breakup.  The issue of being out and acceptance of what that would mean for two men on different levels of comfortability with their sexuality and openness is discussed as Dalton and Massimiliano agree to have an open relationship.  The episode ends with Brian hooking up with Bridgette Lock the assistant of Jake’s ex girlfriend in Dalton’s bed, shattering the initial assumption by Dane that Brian was into Dalton and gay.  Big Top fades out on the male bonding routine of playing hoops in the park  with Dalton, Massimiliano, Dane, Brian and Ben.

Episode 4: Arts and Aircrafts

It keeps getting better.  In Arts and Aircrafts Dalton trying to rekindle the magic with Massimiliano has a day planned for just them two when he is surprised to find Massimiliano has nonchalantly hinted that the day won’t even begin to get off the ground so to speak as he places his passport in plain view on the counter while making a call after having just presented Dalton with coffee. What I always love to have ready happens next which is Plan B no pun intended lol.

Dalton decides to go to the museum alone and meets yet another sexy foreigner this time an Israeli guy with the accent of a french man Eli. The two begin discussing the art work of Chagall. The scene shifts to Brian in Dalton’s apartment getting ready to take a shower when a knock at the door reveals a character Dominick (ex bf of Dalton) who is surprised to see Brian half dressed in Dalton’s apartment.

Looks say it all and the look Dominick gave Brian up and down several times before he closed the door left us momentarily speechless with big grins on our faces.  Dane’s occupation is revealed in an unexpected “doctor” visit by  Jean-Marc, the guy he helped gangbang the night before Jake’s memorial.  The examination ends with a date request from Jean-Marc who we’ve nicknamed “Gangbang Jean”.  I have to say that the casting is great as each character gives us enough depth to keep us interested in what they do and what will happen next.

Up next is Ben Reed grabbing lunch from a street vendor which turns into an impromptu hookup date with a construction worker when Ben forgets his wallet in the office and the construction worker takes the opp to play “knight in shining armor” and buys Ben’s lunch.  Being a no nonsense hit it and quit kinda guy Ben minces no words with the construction worker and has the booty call set up for that night with the arrogance one would expect from an attractive guy who knows he could have pretty much any man/woman he wants.

Episode 5:  Kind of a Big Deal

In this episode we found ourselves pulled into learning about the good doctor Dane’s not so good habit of dealing out prescriptions not specifically for actual patients.  Meanwhile, Ben has to deal with a conniving coworker trying to steal his account at work for a multi million dollar ad campaign.  The group meets up at another night spot to catch up, shoot the breeze and once again pay tribute to the memory of their now deceased friend Jake.

I.B.M keeps you wanting more.  We’re left wondering what will happen when Dane’s love interest is rushed into the ER on an apparent drug overdose at the end of the episode.  They just lost their friend Jake and now as an enabler, Dane is facing potentially losing his career not to mention the life of the guy he’s been seeing.

To be continued… Episodes 6 thru 9.  Stay tuned.