QAF Timeline of some sort: Part 1
OK, so I know that there is no way to have a logical timeline in QAF. But I had some serious philosophical questions, like how many hours were Brian and Justin having sex in the pilot? How long did Justin stay with Brian at his loft in S1? So I decided to try and answer some of these crucial questions. And here it goes, although I warn everybody that this is some long and boring text because it ended becoming a commentary as well, so enter at risk. My main target is to establish internal chronology (time relationship between episodes). Inevitably, external chronology is also discussed.
Episode 1 starts at 1:00 am as we are told by Michael and it is early Friday morning (that is Thursday going Friday as we shall see). The crucial event (“that’s when it happened, when he came along”) occurs, therefore, shortly after 1. Michael’s voiceover, the yellow mist, the slow camera zoom, Sandstorm playing, seriously, the only thing they did not use was a huge gong sound to let us know of the big altering event. At about 2 am Brian calls Michael to go to the hospital. Justin goes to the loft afterwards and he and Brian “did it until 6”, as Justin says in episode 2. The episode finishes on Friday morning when Brian and Michael drive Justin to school and then leave for their own works. Gus was born around 1 am, so technically Friday morning and at the same time Brian met Justin (creeeeepyyyy): “when did it start?” “Around 7”, “and 6 hours later there he was”. Get it? Brian’s two “babies” arrived at the same time.
In terms of external chronology the episode takes place when high schools are open. High schools in the US do not open at the same date. Some open in late August, others on Tuesday, after the first Monday (Labour Day) in September. No matter where you place the episode you are going to have discrepancies. An August date would cause discrepancies in the first 12 episodes which are neatly tied together. But if prom took place in May the August date would cover better the gap between Justin’s hospitalization and the beginning of S2 by narrowing the gap down to 2 weeks. A September date would expand this gap to 4 weeks or more but it would fit better S1. Also if Justin’s school opened in August then it would have to finish in May and prom would most likely take place in April, hence increasing again the S1-S2 gap. Meh.
No matter what one chooses two things are certain: 1. Justin went looking for someone to fuck in the end of his first week back to school and 2. Brian and Justin were going at it for 2 or 3 hours, depending on how long one believes the detour to the hospital lasted. That leaves plenty of time for more than a fuck and a rim job. Oh, yeah, and trashing the loft (apparently the couch is fallen on its back, the floor lamp is fallen on a table, there is a stool upside down and the rest of them scattered, some of them on other furniture, chairs fallen). In any case no wonder Justin was sore the following day, not to mention that Brian was almost worn out!
Also, bad little Justin, partying on a school night. On a side note, how could both Brian and Justin be functional after only, what, a couple of hours of sleep? Sadly, Brian does not have an electronic clock in order for me to be more accurate.
This episode definitely contains many of fandom’s favorite lines: “I am going with him”.
“Where are you headed?” “No place special.” “I can change that”. Was that prophetic or what? Think how much this meeting influenced both their lives!
“Are you coming or going?”etc. Well, Brian, to be honest you also gave option number 3: “or coming and staying?”. So Justin took that one.
Also the line “Now, relax. I want you to always remember this. So that no matter whom you are ever with, I will always be there” is also very prophetic. Only Brian did not predict that it would apply to him too. Remember Hustler/Justin lookalike from 301 and Brian’s fantasy/table sex in 302? Heee! Be careful what you say Brian!
This episode has a great soundtrack. It starts with Can you Feel it! Second song is Let’s Hear It For The Boy (which is played in 103 as well). The You Think You Are A Man would also fit S2 finale perfectly. “Turn around, and walk away from the greatest lover you have ever known”. Seriously. Perfect for S2 finale!
What I do not like is the constant “kid” references in the episode (thankfully beyond 101 Brian does not use them any more).
“Just some kid. What’s your name again?” Brian on the phone with Mel.
“What is it with kids today?” Brian to Justin
“So you and Lindsay each had an infant tonight” Mel to Brian
“I am just teaching my kid the alphabet” Brian to Michael
“Fuck I had a baby. Two babies” Brian to himself
“We have to take the child to school” Brian to Michael
“Here we are Sonny Boy”. Brian to Justin, in front of school. This one I really don’t like. It is used again in 203.
Episode 2 picks up where episode 1 finished, on Friday morning. Justin at school talks to Daphne, Brian at work, wearing the same suit he wore in the end of episode 1, seduces married trick. Justin goes to find Brian the same night and ends up talking to Michael. Ted and Emmet advise Michael to not “waste his Friday night babysitting”. To sum up, Episodes 1 and 2 cover the events of about 24 hours, essentially from the first morning hour to Friday night.
Bad, bad Brian for making Sunshine cry. Also Brian does not believe in love. I swear I was itching to play 510 afterwards. The song “Sleep” by the Doves used in this scene is also played in 513 in a B/J scene.
Episode 3 is a “week after the baby was born”, as Michael says. It’s Gus’ circumcision ceremony and it is obviously the weekend. I assumed it was a Sunday, thinking that no Jewish religious ceremony would take place on a Sabbath, but I was wrong since at the beginning of Episode 4, the boys talk about what they did last Saturday night at Babylon (Brian made it an early evening). The episode finishes on Saturday night at Babylon, when Justin steals Brian’s trick and Brian definitely does not make it an early evening (Heee, Let’s Hear It For The Boy, yo), so essentially it only covers the events of a single day.
Episode 4 starts on a working day because Brian is dressed in a suit and Jennifer wakes Justin for school (it is 8:09 and Justin is late and only has 10 minutes to get ready. Does this mean his school starts at 8.30?). The boys at the Diner talk about the events of last Saturday night, which by the way were to die for. The boys go to visit Ted. This is weird. Ted passed out on Saturday night but the boys talk about it and go to visit him on Monday. This means that during Sunday no one looked for/missed Ted. Poor Teddy.
Anyway, everybody has to work after the hospital. Up to the point that Brian goes to Deb’s to collect Justin I think it is still the same day. At some point they all are at a steam room. However Michael wears the same outfit all day, albeit Brian has changed once to go to the baths (?), after visiting the girls and a second time before he went to find Justin, both scenes perhaps taking place at some point after work. Justin’s line “a lot can change in a week” further verifies that we are still a week from the pilot and Justin’s first (life altering) time. You got to love Justin’s certainty “he wants me. I’m going to live with him. I am going to be with him. You’ll see.” And boy, did we see! Apparently, what Justin wants, Justin gets. Brian says that Ted woke up when he arrives at Deb’s to find Justin, and as I said it is probably still Monday. Oh, and guess what, Justin was right. Brian does want him. Hmmm, it has been what, 24 fours hours since he sexed him, because I am guessing that the previous (Sunday) day he probably did not let Justin go home without a repeat. It is normal for Brian to have a Justin withdrawal syndrome. Also, why does Brian take Justin’s shirt off for a blowjob? Curious minds want to know.
Towards the end of the episode the boys escort Ted home. It has to be Thursday or Friday, depending on how you count (“why I had to stay there 3 days after I woke up?”). Last scene at Babylon probably takes place at the same night Ted is released. Michael and Brian want to pull each others plug.
Detail: the boys at some point talked about Ted’s 33rd birthday last year when they went to collect his 33 dildos (nice B-Day present there, folks. Teddy has supplies for life, that’s for sure).
In episode 5 Lindsay gives the first time indication when she comes to the loft and invites Brian for dinner on Friday. Apparently Brian does not kick out all of his tricks right after sex. There is one next to him. If the days described are consecutive then the episode starts on Wednesday. Since Ted is talking about his recent near death experience and Jennifer has taken action by visiting a therapist with Justin (really Jen?), I am guessing it is the week after the previous one (aka 9 days after Ted woke up and Jen confronted Justin about being gay). Also, in case you missed it, Justin really, really likes dick. On Wednesday night Justin sleeps on Brian’s couch. Also, apparently it is ok for Brian to tell Justin to get lost, but if a random trick says that, then random trick is out of the door faster than a bullet! By the way Brian is not Justin’s boyfriend, partner or even friend. Don’t worry my friend; you will become all of the above.
On Thursday night Brian takes his creepy, married client to Babylon. Jen looks for Justin in the Diner but does not find him (why didn’t you wait out of his school, Jen?). On Friday Jennifer finally finds Justin at school (See, it wasn’t that hard!). Ok, where did Justin spend Thursday night? I assumed it was Brian’s again but Friday morning we only get to see Brian and Michael driving to work and talking about creepy client. Daphne’s maybe? Also, who collected Justin’s uniform for school for Thursday? The Episode finishes on Friday night. Brian ditches creepy client and arrives late for Lindsay’s dinner (sexy booooooyyyyyy, sexy boooooyyyy).
The reason I think the 3 days are consecutive is because I cannot fathom Jennifer waiting for days before finding her son and because I am guessing 3 days are enough for a business meeting with a client who comes from out of town. So to sum up this episode takes place either the week after the previous one or you can have maximum a week gap if you assume that Jennifer waited for 16 days before she took action and went to see the therapist. Finally in this episode Michael meets Dr David, on Thursday and has a date with him on Friday. This event essentially ties episodes 5, 6 and 7 in the same week (see below).
Episode 6 I believe takes place during the weekend right after episode 5. Everybody is dressed casually and do things like being at a comic book shop (Brian, tuning out self pity and Michael talking about his date which I am guessing was last night because I doubt that Michael would wait for longer to talk to Brian), strolling around (Justin and Daphne), shopping (Melanie and Lindsay, Emmet and Ted), visiting (Brian the girls). The only person working is David which complicates things. I am opting to place this day on a Saturday and have David be one of these doctors who work half days on Saturdays. Justin gets invited to exhibit his work at the GLC, since he has an amazing feel for the human form, something that Brian has also noticed. Also, apparently Justin at some point performed an accio portfolio spell, since when he meets the girls he does not appear to carry anything but later at their house, voila! The portfolio is there. The opening of the show takes place either on the next day, aka Sunday (that is extremely short notice for Justin) or on a working day, aka Monday/Tuesday. Also, Jennifer has a very kinky mind, and Brian actually kisses Justin in a public place which is not Babylon/Woody’s *sqeeeee*. The episode finishes perhaps later on the night of the show opening, with Brian putting Narcissus to shame.
In this episode we only get to see one clear transition, but if everything happens in only two days then they seem to very compact: eg. Michael in comic shop with Brian, then at David’s office, later David comes by his house, then Michael is at Gym with the boys (about dusk time), later at night he goes to Woody’s with David. Ted shops with Emmet, then goes to the GLC for the date thing, gets matched with one of dudes, goes out with dude in daytime but wearing different clothes, goes to Gym with the boys and later at night he invites the dude to his apartment. This does not make any sense. Maybe we actually see more days but without a transition from day 1 to day 2, and the show opening takes place on Day 3. Perhaps it would make more sense to be one week after episode 5, but as I said episodes 5, 6 and 7 are tied together not to mention that the episode opens with Michael narrating his date and to me this indicates that it is right after the night he went out with David.
In Episode 7 we learn that “Studs and Suds” are on Friday. The events of the episode take place in consecutive days, and therefore the episode starts on a Wednesday, when Justin gets a nipple ring (“Guess what I got today” “A new bell for your bicycle?” LOL) and David is invited to dinner by Deb the following night. Despite Brian’s nonchalant façade, apparently he does like the nipple ring (Detail: judging from the pile of clothes on the floor, they probably could not get out of them fast enough. Also they are holding hands! How cute!).
Thursday night David goes to dinner at Deb’s and has sex with Michael (the line “I’ve been waiting all week this for this” together with Brian’s “you’ve been around for what, a week?” at the end of the episode is what ties episodes 5,6 and 7 in the same week, in my opinion. Alternatively one may disregard David’s and Brian’s lines or interpret them more freely and allow a week between episodes 5 and 6). Justin is confronted by his parents (“he wore a condom. I put it on him myself” LOL! Justin, TMI for your parents!). Brian waits for a trick in about 10 inches and should consider a career in telephone sales, although Craig probably does not think so.
On Friday Michael leaves for the weekend to go chase bears at the countryside. Justin gets attacked in school. Later at night Brian goes to Studs and Suds and gets attacked by rabid Craig. Apparently Justin is too young to know about studs and suds (although not too young to get fucked by Brian, heee). On Saturday Justin gets attacked by his father who wants to send him to a military school. Justin certainly seems to know about what is going on at the back room of Babylon. Hmmm, I wonder why that is. He also knows how to take it like a man. Yeah, we’ve noticed. Later, the gang pampers goldilocks Brian at his loft, Justin is being a drama princess and Michael returns worried from the country. Brian advises Michael not to go after anyone, like he did not go after Justin in S2 after Zucchini man. On another note Justin looks very comfortable at the loft. The same night everybody, but Justin, is at Babylon. Apparently Justin (was sent?) went home, but hopefully not before he had some sexy times with Brian (I can practically see the scene, Brian licking Justin’s burst lip). The episode finishes Saturday night with Brian and David pissing on Mickey having an Alpha Dog confrontation in the middle of the dance floor.
At this point it has been a month since the pilot episode, or to be more accurate 29 days, unless of course we insert gap weeks, which I haven’t for reasons I have already explained.
Episode 8 narrates the events of 4 consecutive working/school days. However, if the Big Q is open on a Sunday, then I guess it can be Sunday as well, although Michel’s colleague talks about some kid’s birthday this weekend, so I am guessing it is not any day of the weekend. Justin talks about his father’s decision to be send to a military school, which ties this episode with the events of episode 7. For this reason I am assuming it is the week that starts with the end of episode 7 and therefore it has to be either Monday or Tuesday, 3 or 4 days after the last scene of episode 7. I guess there is no reason not to allow a week gap between 107 and 108. I am opting not to, not only because of Justin’s line but because of Craig’s mental state. He attacked Brian on Friday, and next day his son left the house to go see him and also went looking for him again on a school night. I am not sure if Craig would be able to simmer for over a week, seeing Justin leaving the house to go to Brian, and do nothing about it.
On Day 1 rabid Craig strikes back. Interesting detail: apparently Justin has integrated with Brian’s friend quite well. Love how playful B/J are when they come out of Woody’s. Also, Emmet better keeps his hands off Justin. I wish I could hear what B/J whisper to each other. Later Debbie faints and Jen tears Craig a new one. It is almost dawn and people are still at Debbie’s. How do these people go to their jobs/school without falling apart? Justin spends the night on Brian’s couch in Brian’s bed. Also, Brian thinks Justin is brave *squeee*
On Day 2 Justin goes to school wearing the same clothes from the previous night. His life definitely sounds like a soap opera. Jennifer dumps a duffle bag on Brian, and Brian is probably having the worst day of his life. Michael offers himself for promotion and his boss invites him to dinner tomorrow night.
On Day 3 Brian causes havoc to a car sales shop buys a car. Michael goes with Tracy to the dinner party. Later Brian still pissed with Justin staying with him meets Hotlanda and takes him home. Justin has wrecked the kitchen cooked Jambalaya. Ok, I want to slap Brian in this scene but he is so pretty I want to lick him afterwards too. Also, did Brian offer his ass for a rim job?
On Day 4 Justin wakes up at the girl’s house. Michael gets the promotion. Brian picks up Justin from school and takes him to his parent’s house. Later Michael celebrates at the Diner. Brian can’t stay. He’s got someone waiting for him. Also, we learn that jambalaya is always better the second day. Notice the end title song “He’s all I want”. Hmmm, I am guessing at this point it’s about Justin’s emotional state. But we are getting there…
Episode 9 is about fathers and sons. It is stated that it is almost 2 weeks since Justin does not have a father. Does this mean that it is almost 2 weeks since Craig’s attack when Justin unofficially moved to Brian’s or almost two weeks since Justin officially moved into Brian’s after the unsuccessful meeting with his parents? I opted for choice number 1 (11 or 12 days after the attack which was at the beginning of the previous week, or 8/9 days since Justin officially moved it. The other option would mean that when this conversation takes place it would have been minimum 15 days since Justin officially moved in/lost his father and 18/19 days since Craig’s attack). I basically interpreted the almost two weeks comment as not being two weeks yet.
The episode covers 4 days with David’s dinner party happening on Saturday, as we are told. The first 2 days are definitely consecutive. If all days are consecutive then the episode starts on a Thursday when Gus is hospitalized. Brian tells off his adopted trick for going to Woody’s on a school night. “I’m a grown up”, “Barely”. A ha ha ha!
The next day (Friday) the girls ask Brian to give up his parental rights. Also the gang prepares Michael for the dinner party. Justin has all the answers. Also, apparently Brian knows that Justin has a calculus test coming. I can so picture Justin chatting about all school related things while Brian pretends he is not listening.
On Saturday Brian and Justin have a shower and duuuuude, Brian is helping Justin study French. They also have the talk about fathers and sons which prompts Brian to visit his dad. Brian asks his dad why he married his mother. Jack answers "you are a smart kid. Havent't you figured it out?". Does this mean that it was because he knocked his mother? No wonder Brian has such a fucked up opinion for relationships. David and Michael have their dinner party. For some reason Michael returns to his own house after the dinner party where Brian finds him *pets sad, crying Brian* (I am guessing this is why the writers had him returned-for Brian to find him). On Sunday Brian goes to sign the parental rights papers but changes his mind. This happens definitely after Saturday because in the last scene of the episode Michael talks to David and still has not digested the dinner food. David asks Michael to move in.