Is this technically a gay show? Even after getting through the whole thing, that's still kind of tricky to answer. There's never any physical intimacy shown between the two leads, not even a single kiss. What it gives you instead is something that goes way deeper than that. It traces an emotional bond that spans a full decade between two guys who are both dealing with their own baggage, and what they share basically amounts to being soulmates. The story moves across Japan, South Korea, and Berlin. Honestly, whether people want to call what they have a romantic relationship or not doesn't really matter to me. A relationship doesn't need a label like boyfriends attached to it to actually mean something. And closeness doesn't need to be physical to feel genuine. What this show captures is something quieter but way more powerful, a bond rooted in understanding, respect, and just showing up for each other. Across eight episodes, each running 35 to 45 minutes, this is one...
The doc-series starts with Tim and Michael reaching out to drag queen Trixie asking for a standalone show of their own. Trixie informs them that they are not ready yet and they need to understand middle America better. They need to prove that they “can make flyover state gays laugh” and Trixie will “consider” producing their show. As part of this, the duo rent an RV and across 6 episodes, visit 6 different locations including Columbus, Ohio; Louisville, Kentucky; Nashville, Tennessee; Georgia; Pensacola, Florida and finally to New Orleans, Louisiana. The idea is that the duo meet some local gay establishments in each place, educate audiences of the kind of gay life-style people live there and eventually end the episode with a standup comedy show in a local establishment most likely a bar, or a comedy club or whatever else. They’ll need to pound the pavement, immerse themselves in the community, and find out what makes the local queers tick. Easier said than done.
A show like this might sound good on paper. Hey. Let's take this 2 famous comedians on a road trip, make it unapologetically queer and "funny" and bring in a fresh perspective to LGBTQ+ lives in unexpected places. Sadly by the end of episode 2, I was so bored, borderline embarrassed to watch how this two wonderful comedians were making a fool of themselves. As the guys meet with real people across the country, they sometimes engaged in authentic, heart-warming conversations about community and learn how queer culture not only survives, but thrives outside of our typical enclaves in the biggest cities. But then trying to make. Joke out of every single thing or word being said made it extremely annoying. It would have been ok, if they were funny, but they were just not. Even the snippets form their standup comedy were just not funny. I am assuming the makers will try to put in the best parts from the actual standup, but you could see no audience was laughing, their jokes and style of comedy and questions they would ask were repetitive in each city. I found the audiences in those comedy specials in each city having the same look as me "Why am I here watching this". What a sad journey from giving us some of the most hilarious short reels on the internet to this awful embarrassing show, which I really cannot understand how anyone would like. (3/10)
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