Gaycation is a mix of a travel show and a deep-dive documentary that feels incredibly personal. It follows Elliot Page and best friend Ian Daniel as they head out to explore what life is actually like for LGBTQ+ people in different corners of the globe. Instead of just hitting the tourist spots, they really get into the nitty-gritty of the local cultures in Japan, Brazil, and Jamaica. The first season is made up of four main episodes, each about 45 minutes long, and it wraps up with a heavy special episode about the tragic Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando. In Japan, the pair hangs out in Tokyo , looking at the weird mix of high-tech living and old-school traditions. They check out a place where you can actually rent a friend, party in the tiny bars of Ni-chōme, and even see a "friendship marriage" at a temple. The most intense part is when a young guy uses their cameras to finally tell his mom he's gay, which shows how much pressure there is to just "fit in"...
The story focuses on 39-year-old Simon, who is basically addicted to dating apps because he's desperate to find "The One," even though he mostly just ends up with shallow chats and quick flings. He’s been talking to this guy named Felix and thinks he’s finally found love, but it turns out the whole thing is a fake profile. Luckily, he has his best friend Jocelyn, who is always there for him when things go south. As he travels all over Montreal, it feels like he’s just mapping out his own fears. He has a hilariously awkward hookup that gets walked in on by a roommate, and another time he tries to act all chill but totally loses it when a guy doesn't text him back. One guy actually rejects him because he doesn't think Simon looks like his photos, only to call him back once he realizes Simon is a celebrity. He finally thinks he has a real spark with someone new, but then he finds out the guy is married, leaving him crushed all over again. He dives right back into the apps to hide the pain, choosing the quick high of a new match instead of just sitting with his own feelings. While all this is happening, he keeps trying to find the real person behind the "Felix" profile. It turns out he's been ignoring an overweight guy from his gym this whole time because he was too busy looking for guys with perfect bodies. When the truth finally comes out, they actually connect, which leaves a little hope for them at the end while Jocelyn stays by his side as his steady, sane anchor.
I’ll be totally real with you—I had no clue who this Simon guy was before I started watching. I just went into it as a regular viewer with zero expectations, and I ended up absolutely loving it. Simon Boulerice is so brave in how he plays this role because he’s not afraid to look desperate or even a little bit pathetic, which makes the whole search for love feel so raw and real. It perfectly captures that frantic, lonely feeling of swiping through dating apps in a big city like Montreal. The show looks bright and colorful, but you can always feel that sense of being vulnerable, which is something I’ve definitely felt myself when using those apps. It’s so honest about how empty the digital search can feel sometimes. Simon is a tricky main character because he can be self-centered, but you still root for him because he just wants to be loved. I also really liked how they kept the episodes short and snappy, and using real clips of Simon's actual TV appearances made everything feel much more authentic. It’s not every day you see a famous person show their messy, vulnerable side like this, so I give the creators a lot of credit for that. I should also say that some of the guys that the show chose for Simon's hookups were really hot, especially the married one and also the rude guy who rejects him. It was also nice to see that Simon does try to make some sort of connection with every hookup, even though eventually mostly nothing comes out of it.
This is a stylish and funny show that serves as a beautiful tribute to Montreal while also warning us about the lonely digital holes we try to fill with our phones. (8/10)
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