Queer As Folk - Season 3: The Dark Season (Some Spoils)

In a way, Season 3 of Queer As Folk was a make it or break it moment for the series. We all know the show ended in only five successful seasons so Seasons 4 and 5 were determined by the success of Season 3, which already had Seasons 2 and 1 under its belt. Season 3 had much stories to tell, since Season 2 finished with Justin leaving Brian for Ethan, Ted and Emmett forming a relationship, Michael's and Ben's relationship blossoming, and more that which I will talk about later on in the review.
So, as usual, the QAF box sets include 5 disks, with all episodes on disks 1-4 and the bonus stuff on the fifth disk, and Season 3 is no different. Usually, I review the bonus disk last on my QAF reviews but this time, let's just get it out of the way.
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BONUS DISK

In my past reviews of Seasons 1 and 2 of QAF, I always stated how useless the bonus stuff was. Previews and trailers of other movies and television shows, photo galleries, and how they made Babylon and etc etc are things I, personally, don't wanna know. What I want to know, if I buy a DVD box set of a television show, is how the sets really look like, how the actors interact with each other off screen, and most of all, bloopers! To my surprise, Season 3 bonus disk has all of these! The bonus disk may still have useless junk like TV spots, trailers and a looooong program called "Enter Babylon: Los Angeles" but I was literally shocked at how much the good stuff over shadowed the bad. The bloopers, also known as "Wrap Party Reel," are as funny as ever and "Hot Summer Days" is an enjoyable special on the lives of 5 different actors from the show, Scott Lowell (Ted), Hal Sparks (Michael), Thea Gill (Lindsey), Pater Paige (Emmett), and Robert Gant (Ben).
The bonus disk also contains some other decent stuff, like a sneak peek at Season 4 (...), a sort of behind the scenes with the cast and crew (which is entertaining to watch) and an excellent music video called "Some Lovin'" that features the QAF cast in all of their dancing glory. Oh, the irony. Leave it to Hal Sparks (called the funniest teenager back then) to ruin a dancing routine comically and Gale and Randy, who play Brian and Justin, to be the center topic of the music video. What really intrigued me, though, is that Peter Paige aka Emmett, looks a lot like Madonna during the breakdown of the song, where he was a wig on and eastern-like clothing on. All in all, the bonus disk beats both Season 1 and 2 to oblivion. (4.5/5)
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MAIN CAST
Gale Harold (Brian Kinney)
Randy Harrison (Justin Taylor)
Hal Sparks (Michael Novotny)
Peter Paige (Emmett Honeycutt)
Scott Lowell (Ted Shmidt)
Thea Gill (Lindsay Peterson)
Michelle Clunie (Melanie Marcus)
Robert Gant (Ben Bruckner)
SECONDARY CAST
Sharon Gless (Debbie Novotny)
Jack Wetherall (Vic Grassi)
Sherry Miller (Jennifer Taylor)
Harris Allan (Hunter)
Peter MacNeill (Carl Horvath)
Fabrizio Fillippo (Ethan Gold)
THIRD PARTY CAST
Makyla Smith (Daphne Chanders)
Stephanie Moore (Cynthia)
Carlo Rota (Gardner Vance)
Lindsey Conell (Tracy)
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MAIN STORY LINES

Season 3 starts off immediately after where Season 2 left off, which is already a weird situation since the growth in the actor's faces and characteristics changed but the show's setting is like a day to a couple of days afterwards. Anyway, Justin and Ethan are in a new relationship. They seem to be doing good and Justin seems happier with the romantic yet less noble and rich Ethan. Although, it's almost short-lived, as when Justin goes to Brian's house to pack his things, he is haunted by the memories that him and Brian had shared in that historic house (where he lost his virginity and stayed there since). The cinematography in this scene is brilliant, as the memories flash at the same time Justin is packing. The action that the memory portrays is showcased in front of him and it's one of the most beautifully yet hauntingly done scenes in the entire QAF series.
Justin's and Ethan's relationship is a bit more mature than Brian's, even if they're both teenagers. The maturity shows that both know what they want and Brian is still living in his teenage years, at least mentally. The relationship isn't as riveting, shocking and predictable or even as exciting as when Justin was dating Brian but it keeps you off your feet or toes, which is refreshing since with Brian, Justin just couldn't win and kept hitting a wall over and over. All in all, the storyline with two of these fine men are refreshing to the extent of something new and short-lived enough not to take too long to proceed or to take too much of the season. (3.5/5)


At the end of Season 2, it was thought that Ted and Emmett formed a relationship and went off to have sex. Though it seems as though in the first episode, they really didn't. They only literally slept together, like in the same bed, just feel asleep. Interestingly enough, Emmett was the one who refused to have sex on the first night they got together, because he wants to be their first time intimate, special, innocent. From a man who has all kinds of sex almost daily, this becomes laughable and doesn't become a very serious storyline... until halfway through, when Ted gets fired from his job and can't get any other job he tries to get. This small yet reoccurring problem because big, very big, and almost shockingly dangerous when Ted's depression takes a huge leap from just staying at home all day to getting addicted to crystal meth to deal with all of this. Emmett realizes this soon enough and being the sweet man that he is, he doesn't tell anyone and therefore becomes sucked in into the lifestyle, being Ted's handyman, sex slave and cheerleader for anything he does. This roller coaster ride leads to the polar point, where Melanie and Lindsay agree to trust Ted with Gus (their son) college fund, starting with $5000 in which Ted steals to go to a white party. Emmett realizes this when Ted suddenly disappears and Melanie and Lindsay asks where has the money gone and predictably, he replaces it and protects Ted from exposure of his addiction secret. Not to spoil the outcome of this roller coaster ride from hell, this light storyline gone bad showcases both Emmett's and Ted's acting abilities to the limit, where Ted's act as a crystal meth addict is both scary and fiercely realistic and Emmett as the helpless house wife who can't help the problem is an act he pulls off smoothly. This is the season where both of them shine. (5/5)

For almost the entire season, Brian is on the brink of utmost depression but in his way, he always seems to hide it. Of course, it is OBVIOUS he misses Justin but as we should all know by now, Brian doesn't admit he loves or misses him. Hell, he doesn't even deny he misses Justin. He merely changes the subject or mixes up a few words to confuse whoever is listening. An example of this is when he is in the park with Lindsay in the first episode and Lindsay brings Justin up and Brian clearly yet vulnerably states:

"I never loved him... and even if I did, I'd never ask him to put my needs above his or be something he's not to make me happy..."

It's a hidden but somewhat obvious confession that Brian says with an angry face, making the viewer think or believe that either he's annoyed of everyone thinking he loves Justin or he's angry for the fact everyone keeps bringing the thought of Justin.
This borderline depression gets to him to the point where he begins losing his, what I like to call, "all star attraction." In Seasons 1 and 2, Brian could get whoever he wanted but this time, some even shoot him down for a different guy. Brian even becomes even more dependent on Michael, forcing him to go an orgy party in one episode later in the season and going to his house on a daily basis to take him to Babylon.
Other than the problem with Justin, Brian begins to help a homophobic cop become Mayor and almost all of his friends exclude him or begin to get angry with him in every episode. Soon enough though, he ruins his chances of getting him to win and gets fired from his job. It's almost uncanny how him and Ted suddenly have something in common. (4/5)

I can honestly say that by now, it's almost hard to see why Lindsay and Melanie are in the show. They hardly have any drama, they hardly have anything to do with other character's story lines and yet, they have the most explicit sex scenes the entire show seems to showcase.
Some problems this season for the lesbian couple is the friendship with Ted. Melanie is especially close to Ted because of their borderline careers and when Ted steals, Melanie is enraged and calls Emmett a "silly f*g" when an argument ensues between the two. What's also important for Mel in this season is the fact that she can't get pregnant. She stated a couple of times before in a couple of episodes but this season, she has some surgery thing done and she asks Michael to be the doner of Lindsay and Mel's next child, which Mel is going to carry. In the beginning, Melanie writes up a 'formality' absolving all parental rights from Michael, which Michael doesn't like but she eventually comes around.
While all of this is going on, Lindsay doesn't really have any serious problems going on and as a result, she's like filler on a Britney cd, which is bad. Still, you can't help but love the 'cwazy wesbians' as Brian would say. (3/5)

Oh, Michael. The childish adult who's favorite past time is comic books, which is so pathetic in both Brian and my eyes! And in this season, he even gets more childish on the topic of Justin leaving Brian. He tries so hard to get Justin out of the picture and bash him for leaving Brian that when he succeeds, you can't help but get tired of his jealous-type charisma and a person who would just not but out of anyone's situation. You thought he was jealous of Brian during seasons 1 and 2? PSH! He might have gotten over his crush for Brian but the jealousy he has for Justin hasn't subsided and even increased, as demonstrated when he keeps blabbing on how Justin brought Ethan to Melanie and Lindsay's welcoming party (???) and Brian gets so sick of it that he socks Michael right in the eye!!! Which he rightfully deserved. Other than that, Michael is the same really. His relationship with Ben also gets more interestingly romantic, in a husband and wife kind of way. (3/5)

Ben, Michael's lover since Season 2, is still a spiritual kind of guy but that doesn't last long this season. After a friend of his, his ex lover, dies of HIV complications, Ben turns to Steroids to, I guess, fill the void of his heartache. This somewhat addiction turns Ben into a center for problematic antics, such as turning into a "raving sh*t" as Michael would call it and attacks Brian, gives attitude in every conversation and begins avoiding people.
This is shortlived however and when male hustlers begin doing in front of their apartment, Ben saves one from being jumped and blah blah blah along the way, the hustler (Hunter) and him begin a son and father relationship. Michael refuses at first, helps out a little in the middle, and soon enough, gives in. Yes, they kept the puppy. (4/5)
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OVERVIEW

Season 3 of QAF is the darkest of the dark, at least so far in the series. Everything changes fairly quickly yet slow enough to show some pace and when they do change, it's like a tidal wave. One thing changes, it takes another or more with it. Ethan, who works on the street, listens to Brian when he tells him "there's nothing noble about being poor" and therefore, signs a contract leaving Justin in the dust. Justin follows him to a show and there he finds Ethan cheating. They break up and soon enough, Brian and Justin reconcile, which by the way is one of the most romantic and lovable sex scenes in television history I must say. Again, the cinematography is amazing.
Other highlights in the show is, like I said before, the darkness of it all. Everyone is sad or depressed or angry at some point and when it does come to that point, it's a rollercoaster ride from here on out. The most driven and shocking, though, is Ted's storyline, where he gets addicted to crystal meth. His acting abilities surpass anyone this season and how he ends up in the finale is heartbreaking and Emmett's pain on feeling helpless is nonetheless heartbreaking as well.
Ben's change as a spiritual and calm man into a "raving sh*t" is fustrating and really grabs your attention, especially when Michael threatens to use the needle Ben used to infect himself. Intense, much? (4/5)

In a nutshell, Season 3 is a wonderful yet short season where not all the characters are recognized but when they are, they are focused and in on the joke. But the joke is on us. We'll be gasping, crying, and yelling at the television screen while we forget the obvious. It's a fictional television show and that just states how realistic these actors can be. Pick Season 3 up now because it is the season where everything measures up. Sadly, Season 4 isn't what you are going to expect.

FINAL SCORE: (4/5)

Best Episodes: Episode 4, Episode 6, Episode 8, Episode 9, Episode 14

Season 2 / Season 1