In the 21st century, social media is everything - you can't go anywhere without people 'checking in' to Facebook or updating their Twitter. It's advanced and taken a new form when it comes to the beginning of relationships. Countless people meet each other on Plenty Of Fish or eHarmony. It stands to reason, therefore, that these factors would be incorporated into a show that portrays gay men in the 21st century. In the first two episodes, Patrick has a date with someone he meets on the Internet which goes horribly wrong. The reason for this is that the two men haven't really discussed who they are, they shared a few details and met randomly. As well as dating, we have the use of hook-up apps, including Grindr - an app where gay men can find the nearest gay man to them - is the main form of this. The first scene of the first season depicts the aftermath of the use of Grindr. Patrick meets a man in a park and is surprised at how different he looks in real life as oppose to his photo. The encounter is an anti-climax, which of course integrates with the idea of pornography, which is touched upon in the show. Pornography builds up a scenario that we perceive to be 'hot' or 'adventurous' and we therefore want to act upon it. In a porn film, meeting someone in a park would be a raunchy scene, but in real life, however, it's a disaster. The show explains that life isn't a porn film, sexual encounters in random places usually do end in anti-climaxes, simply because life isn't a scenario. The show continues exploring, looking at how sex through apps can be meaningless. In the second episode, Dom uses Grindr to call a guy round to his house; the pair have sex and the guy leaves - after a shower, admittedly. The stark reality is that in the age of the Internet dating things aren't necessarily romantic. This is not to say that's the whole premise of the show, it's not. It gives us a window into an area of Internet dating and the reactions to it.
Thomas Stewart is a graduate from the University of Glamorgan and currently a student on the MA in Writing course at the University of Warwick. He is a Freelance Writer for Mens Fashion Magazine, Make and Believe, Smashpipe and more. As well as writing, he loves horror films, folk music, Raymond Carver, patterned jumpers, Richard Yates, curry, Scarlett Thomas, editing, chick-flicks, watches and biscuits.
