In looking at how many episodes were in the first two seasons of ‘Queer As Folk,’ you could say that the show ran for seven seasons, rather than just five. There’s some sort of comfort to be found in thinking that it has been around that long, although the pains of it now being off the air still continue to reverberate throughout our lives and indeed that of society itself. For if ever there was a time when such a positive and realistic show about queer life was needed, it is now. It certainly has influenced the world in such a way that it seems hard to believe that it only ran for five years. This thirteenth episode of the first season would have made a good cliff hanger for an end-of-season episode.

A new upstart at Brian’s agency made himself known. He’s young, hot, and what do you know? He has good ideas and so Brian pulled him in on a senior brainstorming session for a new ad campaign. But Kip targeted Brian for a higher purpose and propositioned him and moved in for the kill. But Brian turned him down – if you can believe it – only minutes later to say that HE (Brian) always makes the first move and so they end up having hot sex in Brian’s office. Later, Brian regaled Mikey with his latest conquest. Michael warned him about having sex at work and Brian was shocked that there was no such activity going on at the Big Q. Michael said of course not. But Brian insisted there was once one Christmas and then poor Michael thought Brian had committed the ultimate sacrilege and fucking Santa! Alas, not, but one of Santa’s elves. Mickey warned him to be careful because he was treading into dangerous territory, and thus another note to Brian – do NOT have sex in the workplace! It will only lead to trouble.

And trouble did it ever. Seems Kip, raging high at Babylon, pulled Brian aside and told him that because they are both gay, Brian will have to have him promoted because queers have to look out for one another. Brian gave him a lecture on mix drugs and alcohol but never suggested him for the promotion. When the job went to somebody else, Kip got pissed and socked Brian and the agency with a sexual harassment law suit.

Trouble continued to brew for Melanie and Lindsay as they hosted a baby shower for another couple. They tried to put on a happy face, which Lindsay pulled off as the ever bright and cheery hostess, but Mel couldn’t conjure up the façade and stayed in the background. She hooked up with one of the guests whom she had never met before and they instantly hit it off and chatted away. Later, Mel let Lindz know that she is growing weary of working extra so she can stay home with the baby and they bickered about the illusion of being the perfect role models and left the house. At a bar she hooked up with Marianne, whom earlier at the shower seemed to be someone she could finally talk to and let it all hang out with and eventually they ended up back at her place.

As Mel came home you could feel her guilt as she made her way into hers and Lindz’ bedroom. Lindsay was worried because it was so late and Mel had never phoned to say where she was and when, or if, she was coming home. They showed up separately at the hospital when they went to pay a visit to the new mothers for whom they had the shower for. They reminisced about how wonderful things were the night Gus was born and how they got to this point. Lindsay agreed that they had their share of problems, but she seemed to be thinking now that they were not insurmountable and suggested that maybe Mel was right and they should talk to someone to help them work through their problems. But Mel was distant and in the hall outside of the room, she confessed her one night stand. Lindsay was shocked and taken aback and just left. Mel moved out and went to stay with her cousin. Adding insult to injury, it’s a cousin who swore that Mel and Lindz would never make it as a couple.

Emmett and Matt went for coffee one night and he told Em that he used to be a drag queen until he “saw the light” and the same thing could happen to him too but some people may want to lead him towards corruption and deviance from seeing the light. Thinking this is the path he should follow, he decided to clean house and threw out all of his gay trinkets. He began to act standoffish with Michael and Ted and when they asked him what was up, he said he’ll be “straight” with them, to which they giggled. Em, straight! He told them it was time for him to explore the part of himself that wasn’t gay. Whoa! What part would that be? And that is the same sentiment Ted and Michael expressed.

He told them about the group he joined that is helping him find his way back to his “true“ self because his gay self is only who he has allowed himself to become. Michael proclaimed it to be bullshit because he already is his true self. I guess the theme for TV tonight was gay conversion! Coincidentally, I’m in the processing of watching season one of ‘Desperate Housewives’ (I didn’t catch it when it started to air last season) and tonight I saw the episode in which Bree invited her minister over to persuade her son Andrew that he isn’t gay! Ted took quite a different route from Bree’s and decided to pay a gay porn star to show up at Em’s apartment and bring him back to his senses, but it backfired. Emmett thanked Ted for the eye opening experience that proved to him that he can resist any temptation, even the gay porn star of his dreams show up and ready for action. They ended up just talking. Ted was pissed because he paid Zach O’Tool to give Emmett a night he’ll never forget. Em said the group told him that his friends may go to extremes to try and prevent him from seeing the light and so he told Michael and Ted that it was time to get away and no longer associate with them.