I have just finished watching Queer As Folk US Season 3. And Oh. My. Fucking. God.
I need fan!squee. Now.
Firstly TED/EMMETT
SO CUTE (*w*) I didn't realise they would be that cute together. I always liked Ted/Blake and still do, but they were really sweet as a couple, posing for photos together in the first episode. The whole best-friends-turned-lovers arc was realy well handled and when Emmett cheated on Ted I almost cried (;_____;) The angst! Emmett's apology and Ted's anger were so heart-breaking.
The episode where they bought the house together and Emmett was referred to as 'Mrs Ted Schmidt' was so adorable :DD 'This is what the well-dressed queer will be wearing' XDDD I love how Ted totally gets Emmett.
And then of course it all went wrong (>_____<) Emmett pleading for Ted to Brian was so sad, and I think Ted's depression and descent into sex and drugs was probably the most moving storyline of any season so far. Emmett was such a beaten wife; in denial and making excuses for Ted's behaviour. By the scene where they split I was crying all over the place, especially at the line 'you'll always be a piece of trash' and Emmett's self-deprecating response that he thinks that about himself every day. Ted's own admission that he hates himself and thinks he's worthless and ugly was also so totally upsetting, as was the whole of that scene which basically amounted to Ted forcing Emmett to take crystal and then attempting rape. I literally just sat there for the second half of the season crying 'no, Teddy, no!!' DD:
I was still quite glad to see Blake back <333 Especially now that his and Ted's positions have been reversed. Looking forward to seeing how that plays out in Season 4, although I do feel so sorry for poor Emmett.
That storyline was actually really emotionally tiring. I'm having to psyche myself up to watch it again, just because I find it so affecting.
(btw I noticed ted was getting progressively cuter during this series... better dressed and better hair... XDD and when he was on crystal he was weirdly hot.)
The Michael/Ben story was actually pretty similar in a way - in that Ben became abusive because of drugs and Michael become something of a beaten wife, but at least that was cleared up after a few episodes. I have to admit I have never understood bug-chasing, but when I saw the episode where Ben tells Michael he wants to be with another positive guy, I finally understood it. And the scenes where Michael daydreams of having unprotected sex with him, and when he threatens to stab himself with Ben's used needle were actually horrifying and so frightening. I'm so glad that Ben came off steroids (although was it just me or was he fine again immediately?) because he and Michael are still my favourite pairing (^w^) M/B ftw!!! ♥ I think their storyline was really great and probably the only one of its kind on TV - not for the warnings about steroids but for the exploration of the HIV issue and how it seperates them.
And I liked Hunter by the end of the season. Ben and Michael are so couple-y when they're acting as parents and Hunter hugging Ben in the last episode was really sweet <333 I'm looking forward to angsty custody battles or whatever in Season 4 as his weird psycho mum tries to take him away from them.
As for Brian, I came to like him a lot more over this season. The whole Stockwell campaign thing was a good plot, I think, and Justin's demonstration when he held up the placards of the gay people killed kinda rocked, as did Brian's conversion when he realised he'd no longer be able to have sex in public places XDDD I totally love how it was simply that and no other greater reason which compelled Brian to take action.
I think the whole series reflected that kind of 'police state' atmosphere well, with the clubs and bars being shut down and the characters appearing more in alleys and at night, and the arrests and growing police presence and interference. The mood definitely shifted from the first two seasons - this one was darker, more angsty and more intense. There were still the same jokes and humour - loved the joke even in the midst of Emmett and Ted's big fight as Ted yells 'I'M HAVING FUN!!!' but the characters felt more like they were under attack from all sides, and it was definitely not as light-hearted as the previous seasons which usually had a few happier storylines.
It was great though. Season 2 is probably still my favourite overall for the sheer fun value - episodes like the Pride one and Michael and Ben's meeting - but I think Season 3 is the most emotionally moving and the characters seem to grow a lot, for better or worse.
If only it were longer...
And now I need to go watch it all again, and hope that my Season 4 set arrives soon :DD I'm going to have to wait for Season 5 until after I've been to Japan...
PS - does anyone have the New Order song True Faith (Pet Shop Boys Remix) (played during the final scene of the last episode of QAF:US Season 3)? I can't find it anywhere. Also I'm looking for Happy Feet (High Heels Mix) by Jack Hylton which is on the Something for Everybody CD by Baz Luhrman, and is the song played when Brian is ah... 'celebrating' his birthday by asphyxi-wanking with his new scarf in the final episode of Season 1. They're slightly random songs, but I was just wondering if anyone had them :D