Welcome to THEJNSREPORTS: In Between Men Season II Continued…Reactions and Impressions Episode 6 – 9

Episode 6: La Familiar – Reactions and Impressions

Episode 6 starts us off with immediate drama as Paul is in the hospital with Dane by his bedside after his overdose on prescription drugs that he could only get from Dane putting his (Dane’s) career in jeopardy.   Paul seemed believably desperate.  We were surprised  at his initially warm demeanor promising Dane he won’t reveal where he got the drugs from yet almost as quickly blackmailing Dane when he starts to leave.

From the start I liked this because we’re starting to really get into more serious issues facing the guys as Dalton too comes face to face with a guy he dated in the distant past.  The initial warm intro is offsetting because of the sudden cold and calculated delivery of his lines which were spot on.

The guy playing this character Gustaffson’s assistant, absolutely nails the scene with his screen presence and the effortless look of a sadistic villain with the cold low tone in every word he carefully delivers to Dalton during their brief interaction.  The Klingon Proverb “Revenge is a dish best served cold” immediately came to mind.

When the scene shifts to the bar we get to see Cain affectionately hugging on Dalton in front of the guys creating a cute if not awkward moment.  Dane unloads about Paul O.Ding and looks to be brow beaten which doesn’t happen.

My favorite part of this episode however, is the “Gentleman’s Club” meeting for Dynamic where a couple of anti-gay ad guys shove their feet so deep up their own asses while talking disparagingly about the orientation of their client and implying the bigoted stereotype that there aren’t any gay men who are masculine while doing their bumps of coke.  Bill overhears their remarks sizes them up and then classily waits for them to come out the bathroom before giving them the business so to speak.

Again the look on both those guys faces when they realized that they had just met their client in the John was just priceless.   “You assholes today have no shame” was the perfect return for the remark in the John where he said “these faggots today have no shame”.  Now back away my scotch can’t breathe”. I laughed my ass off!!!  It reminded of an episode of True Blood where the character Lafayette told the homophobic pigs who said they didn’t order “a burger with AIDS”, what time it was.

Brian’s secret of being arrested for gay bashing was a good touch because up till now we haven’t known much about him other than he’s the cousin of Kendra.  We’re Interested to see how this particular story develops.  One thing’s for sure, it doesn’t fit that someone who seems so cool with all these openly gay men would have something like that in his past.  Great writing and conflicts.

Episode 7 La Familiar Pt. II

It’s official, I’m fully invested in this show.  There is brutal, if not undenial honesty  and truth being expressed in this episode throughout.  It’s surreal to the point  that I sat still reflecting on the fact that I’ve had conversations eerily similar to some of those had between the guys in this particular episode.

I had ambivalent feelings in this episode because for myself personally the belief in God and being born again is not to be taken for jokes.  I replayed the scene in my head several times and came to the conclusion that this was an honest expression of what it is like when some one becomes overzealous in any facet or genre of life.  Paul doesn’t come across as extreme as Dane makes him out to be when he simply asks that they all say grace.

All that being said, I have to admit that I too on often occasions during a family prayer in which a certain person known to pray in excess of even the most patient of persons threshold, would open an eye and look at my sister or brother and even mother some times and share a smile at the long windedness of the prayer.

The hand holding for such lengthy periods just left one’s hands clamy and disgustingly moist from my brother’s grip.  He’d been known to sweat profusely and this I reluctantly have to admit only hardened my resolve against longwinded prayers.  There I said it.

Getting back to the show.  I found it a cathartic moment to witness Dalton humble himself, not care about losing the job he pitched for, but being a man, being honest and telling the truth to someone he owed it to, and not just for himself but for this person who carried this insult and baggage for so long wanting closure.

Dalton didn’t react vengefully he was understanding and forgiving and seeking the same.  His honesty and doing good is what in the end made him grow as a person.  Again great message and acting.  Great show!!!

Episode 8: Two for One

This “Two for One” episode had us gagging not just because of the play on words in which one could take that to mean a menage a trois, or gangbang, a training session, the run through,…whatever lol.  But because, come on, who hasn’t had a moment like this where two suitors are intersted simultaneously and you get caught in the middle.  My brother “geniusly” points out it could also be taken to mean Happy Hour.

Better still,why not fast food chains?  They’re always advertising 2 4 1 specials.  A friend of mine likes to say “they don’t wanna leave no money on the table…Dollar Menu.”  Ok back to the episode.  We have to ask first, who hasn’t been guilty of the simultaneous date interests cosmic collision experience ala Massamiliano, Dalton & Eli in Two for One?

Dalton, played by (Nick Matthews) reaches for the Oscar but doesn’t quite get it for his great peformance in how he handled Eli’s unexpected appearance at dinner.  The awkward expression on everyone’s faces especially Massimiliano, had us feeling the heat and tension of the hot seat Dalton just experienced.   Talk about getting caught with your pants down.

One could almost see the scene go further downhill like “Murphy’s Law” where Cain would also shockingly be in the same restaurant and see Eli’s entrance while Dalton’s seated next to Massimiliano.

After seeing all three of these sexy guys, if we had to pick our money would be on Cain.  That includes whether it were a romantic, and/or physical showdown between all three for Dalton’s affection.  However, many a pimp have said, “If you follow the pimp manual step by step you will get out of situations like that unscathed”.  Note:  Not a pimp, don’t know any, just sayin that’s what we had heard.  LOL

I could see it now, first Eli and Massimiliano blame Dalton for this debacle and call him a ho, Dalton says their open, he can’t and won’t choose and leaves and Eli, Caine, and Massimiliano fight each other for Dalton’s affections only to ultimately forget Dalton and start dating each other in a sick twisted Twilight-Zonesque sort of way…maybe, uh absolutely.  Moral to this story here though is be careful what you wish for.  Dalton did set the ground rules as an “open” relationship.

The episode gets even better when Ben’s outed by Jeremy his über brown-nosing rival.  With the slimy smarmy backstabbing geek look he embodies that everyone loves to hate.  We all knew that ship and news would have to sail sometime but did he really have to blow up Ben’s spot like that?  Uh that’s a hell no!

Now Ben and his ex are being coaxed to work more closely together on the ad campaign since the cat is out of the bag.  Rekindling the past while living in the present shows the problem. One has to choose one person but it’s very difficult to do when the heart loves so many.  In any case this is a definite favorite episode to date.

As for Brian I knew that there was an explanation to the gay bashing revelation.  Wrong place, wrong time frozen in disbelief ends up taking the blame for a gay bashing that he didn’t actually take part and yet didn’t really stop due to his shock of the moment.

Dominick (Dalton’s ex) and Dalton’s interaction over a business opp once again had us in stitches.  The play on words and his interest in Dalton’s personal as well as professional life is classic behavior of an ex flame.  All these options leave us anticipating lots of shenanigans to come in Season 3.  You can just see Dominick trying even harder to get back into bed with Dalton using any means necessary.

Episode 9: Wake Up Call

What an awesome way to end the season!  I have to retract my prior statement and say this is my favorite episode to date.  Really lookiing forward to season 3.  In this episode we see Mr. Hit it and Quit it Ben Reed under the weather and being tended to by his ex who takes the opportunity to feed him soup and seductively steal a kiss.  Like the saying goes the way to a man’s heart is through food.  Cooking and feeding someone says a lot.  His getting the promotion is just what the doctor ordered.

Brian too shows us how he is quite the ladies man.  His scene in the kitchen where he’s bout ready to drop trow and as he said “Put some olive oil on it”, absolutely hysterical!!  Clearly that’s the trouble with having a roommate. LOL  His wake up call for an ex partner testing positive for HIV another sobering curve.

As for the revelation that Brian’s homophobic friend Sam’s girlfriend is none other than his coworker he’s been banging.  Whoa!!! don’t envy anyone caught in the middle of a situation like that. Kudos to Brian though for stepping up and ending that mess once he knew the situation.

Questions to be answered in season 3 will definitely include does Brian tell Sam that he’s been with his girl?  Which also begs the question how could a woman so interested in the gay bashing story in Brian’s past, be dating a homophobe?

Dane’s new patient a soldier looks every bit the part of a sexy new love interest or in the very least hookup in waiting.  Both guys give us a great scene and appear clearly into each other while Dane tries to keep their interaction strictly professional however, his online hookup profile gives him away.  It was cool to see two guys genuinely sit down talk and get to know a bit about each other over wine and not just have sex on their first night.  We’ll be interested to see where this goes.

What’s great in this episode is also the addressing of today’s current hot button topic Gay Marriage.  I.B.M does a great job with the time it has in giving us the human faces vested in this issue and showing us why there is such a strong battle to legalize Gay Marriage across the country.  Whether you agree or disagree with it.  Showing the human side to any argument is always more powerful than just spouting off.  Wethe audience, want to see the people that are affected by the issue at hand.

Massimiliano getting back with his wife for his son absolutely crushes Dalton but leaves him open to pursuing one of the other potential love interests in the waiting.  Overall this show has tons of drama and story to go and build on.  Season 3! Season 3!! Season 3!!!

Q&A with Writer/Creator of the In Between Men Series Quincy Morris

Q: What was your inspiration for creating and writing the show?

QM: Actually when I started writing In Between Men, it wasn’t really a show.  The show is partly based on a previous relationship I was in with an Italian guy from Rome.  After we broke up, I went into a deep depression for about 8 months.

I was tired of being in the dumps so I decided I would write down, document our entire relationship. Writing was always cathartic for me, so I thought this would help. While I was writing, I also started integrating a lot of my feelings, viewpoints, perspectives I have been carrying around about the gay community for years, and how I oft times feel disconnected to what we know as mainstream gay culture.

I also felt like there were others out there like me who didn’t really see themselves as gay men represented in media in a way that was not, one dimensional, cliche, caricaturish, or the over the top flaming comic relief.  So inspiration for the show comes from past relationships as well as political and cultural views.

Q: How did you come up with the lead character?

QM: The lead character is based mostly on myself- my strengths, my flaws.

Q: What are the high and lows of producing a web series show like IBM?

QM: The highs in producing your own webseries, is full creative control and freedom. The ability to collaborate with whomever you want. One of my biggest joys about the producing my own  work is being able to give opportunities to people that I think are very talented. It feels good to contribute to the growth of their careers.

One of the lows is having to go out and fundraise and marketing, getting the show in front of as many eyes as possible. But that’s not a challenge exclusive to producing a web series. Those are challenges every filmmaker faces.

Q: Where do you envision the series going in the next Season?

QM: Season 3(it actually feel surreal to even say that) will find Dalton settling down into a nice healthy relationship.  But overall, we will continue to see the guys experience life the way mostly everyone else does, in the world at large, and not just in an insular gay world.  I think that’s what our show delivers best and what separates us from other shows.

We actually thought that same thing when looking at the show as well.  All types of people and lives collide and are expressed in the show.  We love that

Q: Can we expect the addition of yet another character to the show?

QM: Season2 had many new characters. We had almost 70 characters in Season 2, 90% of them were new.  You will definitely see new characters in Season 3 as well as some returning favorites.

Thanks for your time Quincy it was a pleasure to get to talk to you and get first hand insight into the makings of In Between Men as well as yourself.  Great series.  Looking forward to Season 3.