For those of us who hadn’t seenBridgerton, watchingJonathan BaileyinWickedwas nothing short of a revelation.His Prince Fiyerowas a bisexual dynamo with charisma overflowing out of him, gleefully absorbing all the oxygen everywhere he went. With a first impression like that, you’d think he carried all his roles with such gusto, butif you watch his Showtime miniseriesFellow Travelers, you’ll see a much different side to him. He andDoom Patrol’s ownMatt Bomerlead a tremendously romantic show that looks at one of the darkest chapters of American political history through the less-discussed angle of how it impacted the queer community. While Bomer is very on-brand as a tall glass of water with surprising depth, Bailey goes against type as an initially meek man who comes into his own as a fully formed lover boy.
What Is ‘Fellow Travelers’ About?
In the mid-1950s, at the height of the Joseph McCarthy-ledwitch hunts against perceived Communistsand anybody who could remotely be a fellow traveling “leftist,” US State Department official Hawk Fuller (Bomer) and political staffer Tim Laughlin (Bailey) meet. They have an obvious attraction to each other, despite their noted differences in personal philosophy and lifestyle. Hawk is fully committed to maintaining a take-charge attitude and a surface-level conformist lifestyle, even as he cruises late-night gay clubs in secret, while Tim is an idealist who yearns to help others and lead with love, even as he’s working as an assistant to the McCarthy office.Both are about as deep in the closet as they are deep in the mechanics of the terrifying sociopolitical landscape, fully aware of the everyday dangers they face of exposure and worse.
Even as they acknowledge all those complications, their feelings for each other are too strong, and they engage in a years-long affair behind closed doors that will force them to confront the parts of themselves they don’t want to see.Fellow Travelersuses their beautiful and tumultuous connection as a way to explorequeer historythroughout the latter 20th century, exploring how personal actions carry the weight of political activism when you’re marginalized by society.
‘Fellow Travelers’ Explores the Multifaceted Experience of Being Closeted
If I were to attempt to sell this show to someone who has never seen it, I’d argue its biggest draw is the way the show deftly explores the complexities ofliving with pride and honesty while facing such overt government antagonism. History books tend to whitewash McCarthyism as being mostly focused on Communism, but it had just as much of a hatred towards marginalized groups like people of color, queer people, liberals, those who were sympathetic towards America’s “enemies,” etc. The thumb it puts over all aspects of public American life affects Hawk and Tim in different ways inFellow Travelers, with Hawk forcing himself into an empty marriage with rich girl Lucy (Allison Williams) for security, while Tim questions whether he’s in the best position to effect change by working with someone like McCarthy, and if his being gay betrays his love for God.
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He’s the object of all our desires.
The show frequently dabbles in someForrest Gump-styleintertwining of history with fiction, be it witnessing the rise of the closeted andinfamous lawyer Roy Cohn(Will Brill) or the vitality of Fire Island as a sanctuary for gay men. One season-long subplot involving a relationship between Hawk’s close friend, Marcus (Jelani Alladin), and a drag queen named Frankie (Noah J. Ricketts), sees them move to San Francisco, where they experience the influence oftrailblazing politician Harvey Milkand the riots that ensued after his murder.Fellow Travelers' grasp of the scope of the queer experience and how it intersects with race and gender expression is vaster than many depictions of queer love, and that’s precisely due to the care put into its details. There’s no clearer indication of that than in how the show approaches its incredibly upfront sex scenes.
The Sex Scenes Act as Character Growth and Political Activism
Fellow Travelersis unafraid to show a depiction of gay sex that is both steamy and lustful in its staging, yetindicative of the deeper character struggles in its framing. Hawk and Tim havea sexual dynamic that is built around a consensual power exchangethat tends to what the other partner deeply craves outside the bedroom. Hawk is the top of the relationship, a control freak who prefers to take charge and set boundaries with little true vulnerability, acting out how much he needs to keep a handle on every aspect of his public life. Meanwhile, Tim is the bottom, someone comfortable giving himself fully to Hawk and finding solace and love in Hawk’s firm grip, showing Hawk the consideration and appreciation that he most needs.
The way the two explore their sexual intimacy as time goes on isn’t just a series of chances to see some genuinely steamy sex scenes; they’rereflections of the character growth the two go through together. Hawk becomes more comfortable letting himself become emotionally bonded to Tim, while Tim blossoms into a more fully realized individual with a clearly defined set of morals that he’s unafraid to stand up for. Given how we see Hawk and Tim’s approaches to interpersonal politics change as they evolve over time,the sex scenesact as a demonstration of how sex can be its own form of radical politicsin a world that cruelly deems that sex to be unnatural. Luckily, to drive that point home, the sex scenes are spicy cherries on top of two amazing performances that are career-bests for both actors.
Matt Bomer and Jonathan Bailey Are in Top Form in ‘Fellow Travelers’
Matt Bomer and Jonathan Bailey are perfectly cast as Hawk and Tim, respectively, but for entirely different reasons. Bomer is someone who has the classic good looks and tall stature of a vintage movie star, whichmakes Bomer the ideal poster child for 1950s cultural norms like Hawk seems to be on the surface. He imbues Hawk with a golden shininess that recallsRock Hudsonat his peak, so easily charming and commanding in his presence. However, he gradually lets us into his existential crisis and his eyes show how much he’s being suffocated, which he does for the sake of keeping up appearances. Everything about Hawk seems to be “what you see is what you get,” and Bomer’s performance is fully aware of how ironic and sad his internal existence is when he’s pushing himself away from Tim.
Bailey’s performance is impressive because of how much he hideshis own inherent charisma and sex appealunder his sensible sweater vests and poindexter glasses, shrinking himself to recede into the background. Bailey is somebody who usually projects confidence and composure at all times, and yet Tim regularly eats himself alive with doubts and insecurities, frequently going to confessions in a desperate attempt to absolve himself of his internalized shame. It’s not simply the ease with which he inhabits this discomfort, but also how he transitions into someone so at peace and open when he’s in Hawk’s embrace. Even later in his life, when Tim becomes a fully radicalized progressive activist, his sense of being out and proud is more defined by a humbly outstretched and inviting hand, rather than any blustery or imposing extroversion.
All in all, it’s the fireworks between these two that makeFellow Travelersa show worthy of being given a better look. Both Bomer and Bailey were Emmy-nominated for their work, and yetit still feels like this show isn’t brought up in discussion as a highlight of their careers.It certainly is for Jonathan Bailey, as Tim Laughlin is arguably the most emotionally complicated character he’s played yet, no doubt in part due to the space he was given to evolve him over the course of eight episodes. Now that Bailey is a fully in-demand Hollywood actor who’s probably going to charm the scales off many dinosaurs inJurassic World: Rebirth, it’s exciting to see the new variations of himself that he’ll come up with that won’t rely solely on his pre-established charisma. Personally, I can only hope that his future characters will wind up being as heartbreaking, scintillating, and inspiring as Tim Laughlin.
Fellow Travelers
In the tense political climate of the 1950s, two men embark on a clandestine relationship, navigating the dangerous waters of the McCarthy era’s witch hunts. As they balance their personal desires with the need for discretion, their bond is tested by external pressures and internal conflicts.
