“Get Away with Murder" Show Gay Sex Proudly as a Weapon
John Grauwiler was seated on a Chesterfield sofa in the back lounge area of the Atlas Social Club, a Hell’s Kitchen gay bar, on a Thursday night a couple of weeks ago, watching an episode of the new ABC series “How to Get Away With Murder.”
In particular, he was wanted to see what Connor Walsh, a young gay law student played by Jack Falahee, might be up to next, since his character’s aggressive sexuality (and the surprisingly explicit sex scenes for network TV) has been a major plot point.
In one early episode, Connor seduces an I.T. expert in a bar and then gets him to leak him documents related to a case. In another, he uses a Grindr-like app to find and later discredit a member of a jury who shows a bias against one of his law professor’s clients.
“He uses his sexuality as a weapon,” Mr. Grauwiler, 44, said in what sounded like an admiring tone.
Ben Maisani, an owner of the bar, peered at the television as Viola Davis, the show’s star, delivered a trademark scowl. “He’s confident,” he said of Connor. “Usually gay characters on television are somewhat neutered. They’re the sassy friend or the comic relief. Here you have a character who is unapologetically sexual and uses it to get ahead.”
The two were among the dozen or so men who were at the bar for another viewing night of campy, over-the-top TV, a ritual that goes back to the days of “Dallas,” “Falcon Crest” and, most of all, “Dynasty,” with its scenes of Joan Collins and Linda Evans wrestling on the ground in their Nolan Miller gowns.
“How to Get Away With Murder,” which the Atlas Social Club has been showing for several weeks, seems to be earning its spot in that pantheon, largely for one reason.
“The sex scenes are hot,” Mr. Grauwiler said. “They feel real. The show’s not that far-fetched. He can’t commit to the boyfriend, nobody makes a big deal of his sexuality, and he’s not carrying a rainbow flag. I like it.” (One sign of the character’s popularity: BuzzFeed recently posted an article listing “23 Reasons Connor Is the Best Part of ‘How to Get Away With Murder.’ ” Reason No. 13: “Basically, his sexiness knows no bounds.”)
That portrayal of a gay character who is open and unapologetic about his sex life was apparently important to the creator of the show, Peter Nowalk.
“I knew I wanted to push the envelope, especially with the gay sex,” Mr. Nowalk recently told the E! network. “And to me, writing the gay characterization and writing some real gay sex into a network show is to right the wrong of all of the straight sex that you see on TV. Because I didn’t see that growing up, and I feel like the more people get used to two men kissing, the less weird it will be for people.”
But not everyone at the Atlas on this night was unstinting in their praise of the show. One man wearing denim jeans and a Ralph Lauren bomber jacket was more ambivalent. The patron, who like many others out drinking did not want to give his name, said that Mr. Falahee is straight in real life and that he would have preferred to see a gay actor in the role.
“And I don’t like that he’s evil,” he added. “It’s the other side of the coin of being a cartoon character. Neither is a positive representation of homosexuality.”
Still, he has been watching the show religiously.
“I’m obsessed,” he said. “Even if the gay character is a sociopath, the show feels like a breakthrough.”
The camp factor seemed to be a bonus with the crowd that night, as well.
“It’s like ‘Dynasty’ mixed with ‘Law and Order’ and a little bit of ‘Legally Blonde,’ ” said Potenciano Adobas, 30.
Alex Vidoli, 26, wearing a flannel shirt and drinking a Jack Daniels and Coke nearby, seemed less interested in the history of camp or the larger issues of how gay men are presented on screen when asked why he watched the show.
Referring to a recent episode, he said, “That was one of the longest gay sex scenes I’ve ever seen on network.”
By
A version of this article appears in print on November 13, 2014, on page E9 of the New York edition with the headline: How to Get Away With Chutzpah. Order Reprints|Today's Paper|Subscribe
Comments