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Pop Culture Happy Hour

Fellow Travelers

Pop Culture Happy Hour

NPR

Books, Music, After Shows, Tv & Film, Film Reviews, News, Tv Reviews, Arts, Entertainment News, Music Commentary

4.510.6K Ratings

🗓️ 13 November 2023

⏱️ 15 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

The sweeping new Showtime series Fellow Travelers chronicles a relationship between two gay men played by Matt Bomer and Jonathan Bailey. It spans the McCarthy Era of the 1950s through the AIDS crisis of the 1980s. One is perfectly content to stay in the closet and live a lie, and the other wants more out of their relationship. As the years pass the two men keep coming back together only to find the power dynamic between them shifting back and forth.

Transcript

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0:00.0

A warning of this episode contains discussion of sex.

0:03.2

The series fellow travelers chronicles the passionate and complicated

0:11.1

relationship between two gay men from the McCarthy era of the 1950s

0:14.8

through the AIDS crisis of the 1980s. Over that time the two men, played by Matthew Boomer and

0:19.9

Jonathan Bailey, follow opposite paths.

0:22.6

One marries and as kids for the sake of his career,

0:24.9

the other dedicates himself to living openly

0:27.0

and becomes a protester, an activist.

0:29.3

In the meantime, they have lots and lots of sex.

0:32.4

I'm Glenn We're talking about fellow travelers on Pop Culture Happy Hour from NPR. Support for this podcast and the following message come from the Southern

0:46.8

Environmental Law Center and its podcast Broken Ground.

0:50.1

If awareness drives environmental action what happens when traditional news outlets disappear?

0:55.6

This season on broken ground, meet the environmental storytellers, reimagining how people get their news.

1:01.5

New episodes available wherever you listen to

1:03.6

podcasts. Joining me today is NPR Film Critic Bob Mandela. Hey Bob. Hey Glenn

1:09.8

good to be here. It's great to have you. Fellow travelers begins in Washington, D.C. during the era of Senator Joseph McCarthy's

1:16.3

crusade against communists and homosexuals in the federal government.

1:20.4

Matthew Boomer plays Hawkins, or Hawk, a handsome swaggering State Department official who hides an active gay sex life even as he courts and ultimately marries the daughter of a powerful senator, she's played by Allison Williams.

1:32.8

Jonathan Bailey plays Tim, a gay man who works for McCarthy.

1:36.0

He believes in McCarthy's cause and struggles with his devout Catholic faith, even as he

1:39.8

falls madly in love with Hawk.

1:42.2

I committed mortal sins for you.

...

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