Looking‘s third episode explores the difference between the person we say we want to be and the person we are in the world. Discover who those people are for Dom, Agustîn, and Patrick in our full recap!
Patrick, Dom, and Agustîn each have ambition, talent, and goals in life that they are slowly starting to recognize. As each of them explore their futures in this week’s episode, “Looking at Your Browser History,” some dreams are set in motion while others lead to personal breakthroughs.
Straddling Torpedoes: At the launch for a new Navy themed game, Patrick and his work-partner drink and geek out over video games all night. During a rousing discussion, Patrick complains that the game offers no female characters to play with. When a strange Brit asks why Patrick plays as the girl characters, Patrick says he identifies with being the outsider in a world dominated by a status quo.
Below deck, Patrick goes after British Kevin to settle a bet on his sexuality. Inside a torpedo hanger, the two play a version of the game where Patrick shows off his gaming skills. After hinting around the direct question, Kevin says that he is gay, and also offers up that he recently transferred from Seattle to San Francisco to start a new team in Patrick’s office. Patrick loses the next round in the game after discovering he was just hitting on a guy who may be his next boss.
Chair Apocalypse: Agustîn’s work assembling other people’s art is not fulfilling. Frankie asks him when the last time he created something of his own was. If Agustîn wants, Frankie is willing to clear out the shed so he can start creating again. Sometimes the support of others helping you work towards your dream is the perfect determent to going for it. The added pressure of the morning results in an overly honest appraisal of his boss’s chair disaster.
After offering up the adjective, “apocalypse” for her work, Agustîn finds himself unemployed eating cake in a café. A fellow bearded man sitting next to him strikes up conversation describing his profession as a sex worker. There is no shame in admitting and owning what you are good at. Agustîn takes his card and the knowledge that there may be a chance for employment at $220/hr. However, it is the confidence that sticks with him after the encounter.
Portuguese Chicken: Dom is in an unusually good mood and it is all, begrudgingly, thanks to Ethan. With the flame lit, Dom’s explains during his interpretive Zumba moves that he is moving forward with his plans to start a restaurant. He takes his first step, asking a friend who is a chef to agree to go in with him on the venture. She admits that she would love to, but job security and money are essential. If he can come up with the money, she will consider it.
Patrick agrees that the plan for Dom will be a homerun if he can pull off the finances. Dom takes a trip to the sauna to find a young guy to hook up with. While he does get what he came for, he first has a pleasant encounter with a florist from the Castro. Len recognizes Dom from the restaurant and they talk about the allure of San Francisco. It may have lost its glow from Len’s arrival many years ago, but the few moments it shines, the possibilities seem endless. Their meeting ends with the promise of lunch in the future.
Incognito Mode: Patrick apologizes to Kevin about the incident on the boat only to discover a colder version of the guy he met the night before. Kevin pulls out a folder that shows Patrick’s browser history at the office. OK Cupid and Man Hunt are not exactly the types of sites that show full dedication, now are they? The project Kevin is bringing to the company is going to require a bit more focus than Patrick may be used to.
Later that night over Thai food, Agustîn and Patrick discuss Kevin and new careers for Agustîn. The latter assumes responsibility for calling himself an artist. What right does he have to hide behind the title of artist when he cannot remember the last time he created something? Patrick looms over the position he finds himself in with his own work. He does not go around calling himself a “level-designer.” He is in the industry he always dreamed of working in, but he is not taking the steps to go for the role he wants in it. They both need to try a bit harder.
Reporting for Duty: Patrick marches into Kevin’s office after a night of nonstop work. After Agustîn left for Oakland, Patrick deleted his OK Cupid account and worked on creating a female character for the Naval destroyable game. He explains to Kevin that he does care about his job and hands him the new build for the game.
Kevin admits that he has been toying with Patrick the last few days and always intended to place him on his team. But he does admit, confidence looks good on Patrick. We have to agree.
Watching the characters take steps for personal growth leaves this week’s episode on a hopeful note. There is still promise for Agustîn to bloom with artistic confidence. Still only three episodes into the series, the characters are growing into more dynamic people that audiences can easily become invested in seeing succeed. With the mysterious struggles of eight years past referenced continually, their stories are far from being over.
Watch Looking season 1, episode 4, “Looking for $220/hr,” Sunday, February 9 at 10 p.m. ET on HBO.