Fellow Travelers is an American political, historical, romance miniseries based on the 2007 novel of the same name by Thomas Mallon. The series focuses on the ups and downs of a decades-long romance between two men working on or behind the political stage who first met during the height of McCarthyism in the 1950s.
Fellow Travelers 2023 @ Showtime, Paramount+, Amazon Prime Video
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After meeting by chance in Washington D.C. in the 1950s, Hawkins Fuller (Matt Bomer) and Timothy Laughlin (Jonathan Bailey) begin a tumultuous romance that spans the anti-Soviet era in the 1950s, to the "anti-Vietnam War protests" the 1960s, the drug-induced disco hedonism of the 1970s and finally the HIV AIDS crisis of the 1980s.
Their same-sex love faces many challenges from the political environment they are working in, a volatile world context and their own internal turmoil.
Fellow Travelers Season 1 Episode 1 "You're Wonderful"
At the present time, Hawkins Fuller whose wife is Lucy Smith (Allison Williams), has just been promoted to Vice Consul of the United States in Milan. He organizes a celebration party and is accidentally visited by an old friend (and possibly ex-sexmate), Marcus Hooks (Jelani Alladin). Marcus updates Hawkins some information about Timmothy's (Tim in abbreviation) situation after not seeing him for many years.
Hawkins recalls the time he ran into Tim at a political party for Senator Joseph McCarthy. Young Tim attracted Hawkins' attention when he chose milk as his drink at the party.
Hawkins helps Tim find a job as a secretary in a Senator's office, and Tim helps Hawkins grasp the internal situation here. Feelings quickly blossom between the two, Tim becomes the "boy" of an older and more mature Hawkins. Since meeting Tim, Hawkins gave up the habit of going to Chicken Hut to find young men for overnight love affairs.
Back in the present time, Hawkins, with gray hair, manages to get information about Tim's address and phone number and decides to fly to San Francisco to find him. Tim seems to be living alone and sick in a neighborhood full of many gay people.
Fellow Travelers Season 1 Episode 2 "Bulletproof"
In Hawkins's flashback, with President Eisenhower's new executive order, the purge (firing or forcing to resign) of homosexual staffs in the federal government became increasingly harsh, and the wave hit the State Department. USA, exercised by a task force called M Unit.
Mary Johnson (Erin Neufer) – Hawkins' female employee was living with another woman; Once she invited Tim to her house and spent a happy evening with her gay friends. Mary became the subject of investigation by M Unit - who came to her home to interrogate and search for evidence.
When learning that Tim had been to Mary's house, Hawkins was worried and forced Tim to write a heartbreaking love letter to Mary, with the goal of using it as clean evidence to explain to M Unit.
Before that, with his mother's encouragement, Hawkins decided to return to his hometown to visit his dying father. Hawkins' father used disparaging words and forced him to apologize for his sexual orientation. Hawkins angrily left. The father announced that he would not give Hawkins a penny in his will.
During his short time in his hometown, Hawkins had the opportunity to reminisce about his first love in high school - the pretty boy Kenny.
When felling the wave of purge could hit him at any time, Hawkins decided to take a step forward in his relationship with Lucy - Senator Smith's daughter.
Returning to the present, in San Francisco, Tim refuses to meet Hawkins and asked his sister to go to a cafe to inform him. However, after that, Hawkins still manages to enter Tim's house. Hawkins' appearance seems to give miraculous strength to Tim, who is now desperate and weak due to his HIV disease.
Fellow Travelers Season 1 Episode 3 "Hit Me"
In Hawkins' flashback, when learning that Hawkins wanted to marry Lucy Smith, Tim angrily avoided Hawkins. However, when Hawkins took the initiative to meet him, Tim quickly gave in and the two continued their secret and passionate relationship, continuously making their love making to a new level.
With his great love for Hawkins, Tim always wanted their relationship to be public and for them to be free to enjoy experiences like other regular couples. Meanwhile, Hawkins, with his political sensitivity, always wanted their relationship to be discreet and brainstormed to find some cover for the two of them.
The political atmosphere surrounding the tow gay lovers was increasingly oppressive, and Hawkins had been gradually becoming an active player in the political game.
Despite being the Chief Consultant to the Senate's Permanent Subcommittee on Investigation, David Schine (Matt Visser) is still forced by the Department of Defense to be drafted in the army according to regulations, despite the fierce opposition of Roy Cohn (Will Brill). – Chief Counsel to Senator Joseph R. McCarthy (Chris Bauer).
To pressure the Department of Defense to exempt David from military service, Roy used the Subcommittee of Investigation to target corruption and espionage at the Department of Defense, and Senator McCarthy carelessly followed Roy's scripts.
Hawkins told Tim stories related to the scars on his body, which were his experiences participating in World War 2 in Italy, against the Krauts (Germans). Wesley Smith seemed to be the person who saved Hawkins' life after the war, and that was also the reason why Hawkins was willing to do everything to protect Senator Smith, first of all confronting the traps tightened on Smith by McCarthy's allies.
Hawkins tried to approach veteran Lt. Daniel Cherney (Robert Bazzocchi) to buy evidence against McCarthy. While still a Lieutenant, Daniel had sex with McCarthy after being under the influence of alcohol; but then McCarthy tried to eliminate Daniel by falsely accusing him of "threatening", causing him to be prisoned by the FBI.
Returning to the present timeline, upon witnessing Tim's weak condition, Hawkins decides to stay in San Francisco to take care of Tim. Following Tim's advice, Hawkins goes to a medical center to get tested for HIV, at which he admitted to currently have same-sex intercourse.
Fellow Travelers Season 1 Episode 4
Fellow Travelers Season 1 Episode 5 "Promise You Won't Write"
Fellow Travelers Season 1 Episode 6 "Beyond Measure"
Fellow Travelers Season 1 Episode 7 "White Nights"
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