It started out looking like it was going to be yet another episode of Luke sniping at Brian and Brian denying that anything had ever happened between them while trying to point out all the ways that Luke is messing up his life.
Luke came home from a winter hike in the woods (taken, apparently, to avoid spending time with his family en masse at cousin Jack's wedding) to find Brian alone downstairs, reading the paper, while Grandmother Lucinda slept upstairs.
The two followed their usual pattern and Luke was about to storm out the door after telling Brian off yet again for denying what happened. Finally, though, Brian owned up to everything. Their discussion was so well done that I'm going to quote key parts rather than try and describe it. For the full effect, of course, you could always watch it here.
Brian: ...Kissing you was wrong. What was worse was making you think that it was all in your head. It wasn't.
Luke: So you admit it. You came on to me.
Brian: I admit I'm attracted to you. Who wouldn't be?
Luke: Well, generally, straight men? So I guess this kind of proves-
Brian: No, I told you, I don't like labels.
Luke: Then you're in denial.
Brian: No, I'm not denying anything. I'm trying to be honest with you.
..........
Luke: So You're saying that you are responsible for what happened between us?
Brian: Yes. But once it happened, I didn't know how to handle it. And so I took the coward's way out. But of course denying the truth just makes it worse. I know I put you in an impossible situation and I know I hurt you. I wish I could make the hurt go away.
Their scenes got even better from there, as the conversation turned to Brian's sexuality and the potential deception of Lucinda, with Brian swearing that he truly does love Luke's Grandmother.
After Brian explained all the ways he feels he & Lucinda are compatible and make each other happy, Luke raised an important objection that also, thankfully, touched upon an issue that has always upset Nuke fans.
Brian: I admit I'm attracted to you. Who wouldn't be?
Luke: Well, generally, straight men? So I guess this kind of proves-
Brian: No, I told you, I don't like labels.
Luke: Then you're in denial.
Brian: No, I'm not denying anything. I'm trying to be honest with you.
..........
Luke: So You're saying that you are responsible for what happened between us?
Brian: Yes. But once it happened, I didn't know how to handle it. And so I took the coward's way out. But of course denying the truth just makes it worse. I know I put you in an impossible situation and I know I hurt you. I wish I could make the hurt go away.
Their scenes got even better from there, as the conversation turned to Brian's sexuality and the potential deception of Lucinda, with Brian swearing that he truly does love Luke's Grandmother.
Luke: ...Look, I know what you're going through. But once you come clean, everything kind of gets a little better.
Brian: I know what you want me to say, but that's not who I am.
............................
Brian: ...She's an incredible human being and I love every minute of being married to her.
Luke: Are you... are you having sex with her?
Brian: That's none of your business.
Luke: Well, you made it pretty clear that you wanted to have sex with me. But somehow I'm crossing the line by asking who else you might be having sex with?
Brian: No, Lucinda and I are not having sex. She's not really well enough yet.
Luke: Yet? So you plan to?
Brian: I plan to be a good husband to her. Don't judge me, Luke. You can't know what my feelings are.
Luke: I'm not judging you, Brian. But trust me, I do know. I've been there. You're gay, and you're too scared to admit it.
Brian: .... to me, life is a bit more complicated than trying to find one word to define a whole person.
Luke: Hey, if you want to stay in the closet your whole life, more power to you. Personally, I find it a little suffocating.
Brian: I'm just saying we shouldn't judge each other. You're gay, you're out, you're proud, good for you. That's the way you chose to live your life. I made other choices and they're equally valid.
Luke: But it's not a choice. It's just who you are.
Brian: I know what you want me to say, but that's not who I am.
............................
Brian: ...She's an incredible human being and I love every minute of being married to her.
Luke: Are you... are you having sex with her?
Brian: That's none of your business.
Luke: Well, you made it pretty clear that you wanted to have sex with me. But somehow I'm crossing the line by asking who else you might be having sex with?
Brian: No, Lucinda and I are not having sex. She's not really well enough yet.
Luke: Yet? So you plan to?
Brian: I plan to be a good husband to her. Don't judge me, Luke. You can't know what my feelings are.
Luke: I'm not judging you, Brian. But trust me, I do know. I've been there. You're gay, and you're too scared to admit it.
Brian: .... to me, life is a bit more complicated than trying to find one word to define a whole person.
Luke: Hey, if you want to stay in the closet your whole life, more power to you. Personally, I find it a little suffocating.
Brian: I'm just saying we shouldn't judge each other. You're gay, you're out, you're proud, good for you. That's the way you chose to live your life. I made other choices and they're equally valid.
Luke: But it's not a choice. It's just who you are.
After Brian explained all the ways he feels he & Lucinda are compatible and make each other happy, Luke raised an important objection that also, thankfully, touched upon an issue that has always upset Nuke fans.
Luke: Except in bed.
Brian: Well, relationships aren't all about sex.
Luke: Oh, trust me, I know about that. I already went through one without it. But Brian, don't you think being attracted to the person you're with is a really important part of a relationship?
Brian: Well, relationships aren't all about sex.
Luke: Oh, trust me, I know about that. I already went through one without it. But Brian, don't you think being attracted to the person you're with is a really important part of a relationship?
Brian assured Luke that he is attracted to Lucinda in many ways and urged him to not let what happened between the two of them ruin what he & Lucinda have together. After admitting that he doesn't know what the right thing to do is, Luke agreed to keep Brian's secret rather than hurt Lucinda.
These were some really incredibly well done scenes. Van Hansis started out playing Luke as angry but slowly turned that anger into reluctant compassion once Brian started opening up. Laurence Lau, meanwhile, truly impressed me as Brian for the first time. His portrayal of this tightly controlled man as his facade began to crack just a bit, emotions coming to the surface, was excellent.
For the first time, I also have real hope that they're not going to make Brian into yet another psycho of the month character who does something to Luke to keep his secret quiet. Today, I felt that Brian was a character with real potential onscreen, rather than just in my ideas about how the show should go.
It was fantastic to see Brian put an end to the denial and to see Luke's perception of Brian shift from that of a villain to just a rather sad man, a picture perhaps of what Luke himself could have become if he'd stayed in the closet.
Again, there is a generational story that could be told here if the show was really willing to invest in it. Luke is a modern gay man, someone who came out in high school. Brian is a man who grew up in a time period not all that long ago where being gay was still classified as a mental illness. There was no Will & Grace, no Queer as Folk, no Gay Straight alliances in schools, nothing much to help Brian see being gay from anything but the official perspective.
I really hope the show explores this issue more and continues Brian down a path towards coming out. I'm not sure where today's episode leaves Brian & Luke. They agreed at the end that they'd cleared the air and were good with each other, so maybe we'll see a friendship begin to develop.
Whatever happens next, I find myself actually interested in it, rather than just bracing myself for the worst. I've been expecting Brian to go psycho on Luke at any minute, since the writers of this show seem to have little concept of creating any other sort of story. One of many examples from the past couple of years would be Noah's father, Colonel Mayer, who could have been written as homophobic and provided realistic, ongoing drama for Luke & Noah, but was instead written as homophobic and psychotic, trying to kill Luke to keep Noah from being gay.
I appreciate that homophobic characters aren't written as heroes, but it's irresponsible to make them all into total monsters like they did with the Colonel.
They tend to take everything to the extreme on As the World Turns, which is why today's scenes between Luke & Brian were even more impressive.
These were some really incredibly well done scenes. Van Hansis started out playing Luke as angry but slowly turned that anger into reluctant compassion once Brian started opening up. Laurence Lau, meanwhile, truly impressed me as Brian for the first time. His portrayal of this tightly controlled man as his facade began to crack just a bit, emotions coming to the surface, was excellent.
For the first time, I also have real hope that they're not going to make Brian into yet another psycho of the month character who does something to Luke to keep his secret quiet. Today, I felt that Brian was a character with real potential onscreen, rather than just in my ideas about how the show should go.
It was fantastic to see Brian put an end to the denial and to see Luke's perception of Brian shift from that of a villain to just a rather sad man, a picture perhaps of what Luke himself could have become if he'd stayed in the closet.
Again, there is a generational story that could be told here if the show was really willing to invest in it. Luke is a modern gay man, someone who came out in high school. Brian is a man who grew up in a time period not all that long ago where being gay was still classified as a mental illness. There was no Will & Grace, no Queer as Folk, no Gay Straight alliances in schools, nothing much to help Brian see being gay from anything but the official perspective.
I really hope the show explores this issue more and continues Brian down a path towards coming out. I'm not sure where today's episode leaves Brian & Luke. They agreed at the end that they'd cleared the air and were good with each other, so maybe we'll see a friendship begin to develop.
Whatever happens next, I find myself actually interested in it, rather than just bracing myself for the worst. I've been expecting Brian to go psycho on Luke at any minute, since the writers of this show seem to have little concept of creating any other sort of story. One of many examples from the past couple of years would be Noah's father, Colonel Mayer, who could have been written as homophobic and provided realistic, ongoing drama for Luke & Noah, but was instead written as homophobic and psychotic, trying to kill Luke to keep Noah from being gay.
I appreciate that homophobic characters aren't written as heroes, but it's irresponsible to make them all into total monsters like they did with the Colonel.
They tend to take everything to the extreme on As the World Turns, which is why today's scenes between Luke & Brian were even more impressive.
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