Looking: The Complete Series and the Movie

Gay viewers either seemed to love or hate the San Francisco-set dramedy "Looking," which revolved around three gay male friends and was, prior its premiere on HBO, touted as a "gay male version of 'Sex and the City.'" (Yes, even though "SATC" was sometimes described as a show about gay men that happened to star straight women, we did kind of need a show of our own.)

The tone of the show was quite different from "Sex and the City," although its central protagonist, Patrick (Jonathan Groff), did have a Carrie Bradshaw-like tendency toward self-absorption. What he lacked, though, was Carrie's whip-smart voice and the unending cavalcade of romantic adventures she and her three closest female friends had week after week.

"Looking" was a very different beast, opting for a long arc and a detailed, as well as leisurely paced, analysis of complex relationships between gay men. Never as sexually adventurous as "SATC," "Looking" was much more about matters of the heart than of the libido, the occasional three-way and abortive jaunt for anonymous sex in the woods notwithstanding.

Initially criticized for a lack of racial diversity and failure to address different subsets of the LGBT community, "Looking" did include Latino characters, a poz love interest for Cuban-American character Agust�n (Frankie J. Alvarez), and a female best friend, Doris (Lauren Weedman), for hunky would-be restauranteur Dom (Murray Bartlett) -- she was always a highlight, far outstripping any "fag hag" stereotype.

Though the series only lasted two seasons, it did have enough of an audience that HBO gave fans a TV movie as closure. If you disliked the show, you won't be tempted by the prospect of both seasons, plus the movie, all in one Blu-ray package. If, however, you thought the show's genuine sweetness outweighed its annoying elements -- the poorly handled love triangle between Patrick, his handsome on-and-off boyfriend Richie (Ra�l Castillo), and his British co-worker and possible soulmate Kevin (Russell Tovey), for example, or the lame dramatics that both Agust�n and Patrick got up to -- then you might want to pick this up. The bonus, of course, is the valedictory movie, which previously has only been available on the digital download format.

The movie is the only incentive for those who already acquired the Blu-ray releases of the individual seasons. This set offers no new commentary or other features (not even on the movie). The only extras are the 16 audio commentaries that were available on the earlier releases. Pick this up if you loved the movie, or if you like the show and never bothered with the Blu-rays. Otherwise, if you were lukewarm on the movie, already have seasons one and two on your shelf, and lack the completist gene, you're good.

"Looking: The Complete Series and the Movie"
Blu-ray
$49.99
http://store.hbo.com/looking-the-complete-series-blu-ray/detail.php?p=1042892&v=hbo_shows_looking