Editor’s note: The following contains spoilers for ‘Fellow Travelers’.
The tempestuous, thoroughly complicated emotion that islovecan manifest itself in many ways. From bombastic displays of devotion to subtle affectations, an integral right of all relationships is that each partner can show the other just how deep their feelings are in whatever way is most genuine and healthiest for each. Yet inShowtime’sFellow Travelers, the romance between government workers Hawk (Matt Bomer) and Tim (Jonathan Bailey) showcases the terror of living during McCarthyism, a time when allLGBTQ+people were considered subversive to an “American Spirit” that used violent nationalism as an excuse to practice harmful bigotry on an institutional scale. Through sex scenes that have been unfairly criticized for their “shock value,“Fellow Travelersnot only details just how deep the men’s love for one another is but alsospotlights the issues that threaten to tear them apart forever.
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.
The Steamy Scenes in ‘Fellow Travelers’ Are Integral to the Story
Fellow Travelers,a period dramathat covers the lives of Hawk and Tim beginning in the ’50s, allows viewers to gain a glimpseinto the reality of so many LGBTQ+ adults who recognized that what’s in their hearts can elicit attacksagainst them personally and destroy their public image.
Hawk and Tim’s feelings steadily grow throughout the show; what begins as a playful flirtation evolves into a love that jeopardizes the lives both have worked hard to attain.Their romance is extremely complex, and because of the world they live in, it must be kept invisible. This means that there is usually only one place they can fully bare themselves, both physically and mentally, to one another: the bedroom. It’s inthese most intimate moments that they can not only communicate their affection but must grapple with the defenses they’ve developed to survive.
The sex scenes inFellow Travelershave been criticized for their so-called “shock value,” as some people consider these graphic moments as mere dramatics that don’t add to the plot. But, these critics are missing not only a deeper understanding of the show’s central romance but also an illustration of how each man has been forced to cope with the world that threatens the identity that makes up so much of who they are.
Those ‘Fellow Travelers’ Scenes Are Instrumental in Tim’s Growth
The couple, in many ways, are complete opposites. Hawk (Matt Bomer) has grown stern from the pressures of a discriminatory society, never allowing feelings or others to jeopardize his standing, whileTim (Jonathan Bailey) retains a sentimentalitydespite not only his government’s hatred but messages from his religion that his identity as a gay man is a mortal sin. He struggles with these conflicting passions, fighting at the beginning to enjoy their time together without feeling immense guilt at giving into what he’s been taught are lecherous temptations. When he is finally able tofree himself from these harmful ideals, he’s able to release the restrictions that have governed him for so long and wholeheartedly embrace the love he’s been taught to feel ashamed of. He shows this not only in the act of sex but in the aftermath, cuddling with Hawk and admiring every part of him in a way both know would be impossible in public. Through this intimacy, Tim finally finds a spiritual release — a way to recognize that his feelings and identity are not the atrocities he once believed them to be.
For Tim, these sessions are moments of healing. They are not always healthy, and almost always precede the devastating heartbreak of having to once again hide his feelings from the world, but those glimpses of true freedom inspire him to seek that same liberation in his daily life. At first, this is a massive struggle. His outward disguise slips on occasion and leads Tim to act in ways that are dangerous to both men (namely showing his affection to Hawk in public). However, as the series progresses, he begins to care less and less about the opinions of others. He musters an immense amount of courage and decides tofeel pride about who he isinstead of continuing to hide. It is because of this love and sex between Hawk and Tim which hasgiven Tim autonomy for the first time ever, allowing Tim to transform and learn more about himself from each encounter. He evolves from a timid man to a proud and openly gay one unafraid of revealing himself to the world.
Hawk’s Fear Costs Him Everything in ‘Fellow Travelers’
Hawk is introduced as the envy of all around him, a war hero and successful government worker whose mentorship under Senator Smith (Linus Roache) grants him a level of social capital others would kill for. He has crafted a perfect persona (according tothe standards of society): masculine, domineering, yet still approachable. In response to the hatred he’s experienced in the past for liking men and the horrific trauma he faced in the war,Hawk’s preferred method of coping allows him to overcome these issues without ever having to really address them: control.
Hawk wields a near-unstoppable power in his personal and professional life that the man relishes dearly; this is because he knows, ultimately, that no matter his degree of prowess at work or at home,any person who knows his secret can undo every single thing he’s worked to achieve. No matter his talents and the hours he’s put in to become exemplary, any person with the knowledge of his true self can upend and destroy the life that he has literally bled for. Thus, his need for control carries into the bedroom. In his sexual experiences before Tim, he’s shown to use partners for physical pleasurebefore swiftly discarding them afterward. This callousness allows him to avoid developing any emotions for the people he spends time with, and his ability to masquerade during the day is bolstered by this unwillingness to allow any man past the walls he’s spent a lifetime building. He aspires to achieve big things and has no intention of letting anyone get in the way, but is thrown off course when he meets Tim.
When they begin sleeping together, Hawk exerts his typical control over Tim. Their sexual relationship is shaped largely by Hawk’s physical and mental domination of the slighter man. But, as their relationship grows, Hawk starts to disregard the previous rules that guided his life and indulges ina level of vulnerabilityhe’s never allowed himself before. They cuddle and they talk about their pasts; Hawk not only allows Tim to get to know him but shows a genuine interest in learning everything he can about his new partner. There is one encounter, in particular, that truly speaks to Hawk’s ultimate desire, although it is dressed in his usual aggressive flair. After a tense dinner, he and Tim have a particularly rough intimate moment where he makes him say, repeatedly, “I belong to Hawkins Fuller.” He derives pleasure from these words, yet the ecstasy they bring is twofold. Yes, sexually, it may satisfy a kink. But even more so,it shows that the love they shareis something truly of their ownin a world where everything Hawk has is under constant, silent attack. The feelings they hold for one another have given him something that is trulyhis.He finally has something good he can hold onto and cherish. Unfortunately, though, Hawk cannot help but cling to these constraints in fear of losing all he’d fought for, not realizing that he’s losing so much more in the process.
Love Takes Physical Form in ‘Fellow Travelers’
Fellow Travelersshows the unspoken communication oftwo men in love but unable to express themselves freely. In a society where any public affection spelled momentous hardship, Hawk and Tim struggle to maneuver themselves within their relationship in a way that doesn’t damn either. Their sexual life becomes an integral way for them to show their love to the other and exemplifies how each person grows as the series progresses. For Tim, his ferocious sense of self has always appeared in slivers. What he feels for Hawk only helps him learn to love this pride rather than hate it. For Hawk, the audience sees him give into the romance Tim brings out of him and compromises the steadfast behaviors that (in his mind) have kept him stable for years. In those sexual moments, he sees the potential for a life he won’t admit to desperately desiring:happiness with a man that he loves.
The sex scenes between Hawk and Tim symbolize the fire of rebellion against restriction that ignites within each of them. But, while Tim capitalizes on this to live an open life, Hawk has been conditioned by his hateful world that he can’t fathom endangering his manicured persona for the sake of true emotion. Through sex, Hawk can show Tim just how much he loves him, but as long as he refuses to carry that emotion outside of anywhere but the bedroom, it’s clear they’ll never be able to live the life together that they truly want.
Graphic sex scenes have often been used by TV shows to titillate audiences and shock them with what’s on display (sometimes making up for the plot’s failures). This critique has been leveraged againstFellow Travelersas well, asmany believe that the show uses sex scenesas nothing more than explicit histrionics to make up for the harsh realities of the surrounding story. However, it only takes a viewer really engaging with the content of these scenes to realize this critique is unfair. These scenes not only show these men’s intimate moments, but they’re essential to depicting how a hidden love can flourish. It’s realistic how only in these private moments can the pair unveil their truths, with each tryst being an escape from the harshreality of the time period. They must find a way to deal with their emotions for the sake of survival. Through these charged moments before, during, and after,Fellow Travelershighlights just how versatile the act of sex can be in storytelling and, by unabashedly portraying real gay love, the capacity of each sexual act to convey these men’s deepest thoughts and insecurities in a way words could never achieve.
