Paramount+ and Showtime have developed an adaptation of a novel by Thomas Mallon that chronicles the lives of two gay men across the mid-1950s all the way to the early 1980s, at a moment when society had different takes on LGBT people. In Fellow Travellers, Matt Bomer plays Hawk, a dude working for a rather inquisitorial committee tasked with chasing and making life impossible for LGBT people despite being a gay man himself.
We see across episodes how Hawk, being the tough closeted gay man he is, deals with issues like shame, deceit, guilt, and the impact of his actions upon those he considers dear. Hawk is a married man who cheats on his wife over the years with other men, and that crusade is taking an emotional toll on him.
Recap
In the fourth episode of Fellow Travellers, we’re taken deeper into the complexities of the relationship between Hawk and Tim right in the middle of the Lavender Scare. We kick off things in a scene outside the M35 office in the McCarthy years. If you’re not familiar with the Lavender Scare or McCarthyism, a man couldn’t be openly gay if he worked for a government entity. Being outed could mean career loss and becoming a social outcast.
The episode moves between different time periods, we see how Tim and Hawk kicked it off in San Francisco and how they were connected with Senator Joseph McCarthy, the inquisitorial man.
Hawk saw a lot of scrutiny from McCarthy’s subcommittee, he passed a test, but then he had to take a lie detector test. Hawk is a complex character with steely resolve, he can really hide inside that closet. We also see in the episode that Hakw had a fling with a member of the armed forces, and how his relationship with Tim was strained at a certain point.
We see how Hawk feels guilt and shame for his sexual orientation, he’s cheating on Lucy, his wife, and he’s moving away from Tim. Tim confronts Hawk concerning an AIDS anti-discrimination legislation project, and fears that Hawk might jeopardize that initiative.
The episode then goes full dark when Tim has a seizure and is taken to the hospital, leading Hawk to think and ponder about the consequences of his actions.
Fellow Travellers Episode Guide
- Episode 1: “You’re Wonderful” – Sunday, 29 October 2023
- Episode 2: “Bulletproof” – Sunday, 5 November 2023
- Episode 3: “Hit Me” – Sunday, 12 November 2023
- Episode 4: “Your Nuts Roasting on an Open Fire” – Sunday, 19 November 2023
- Episode 5: “Promise You Won’t Write” – Sunday, 26 November 2023
- Episode 6: “Beyond Measure” – Sunday, 3 December 2023
- Episode 7: “White Nights” – Sunday, 10 December 2023
- Episode 8: “Make It Easy” – Sunday, 17 December 2023
Release Date & Where to Watch
Fellow Travellers Episode 5 will be broadcast by Showtime and streamed by Paramount+ on Sunday 26 November 2023 at 21:00 hrs Eastern Time United States. Each episode lasts around one hour. The upcoming episode’s title is “Promise You Won’t Write”. In the following list, you’ll find the regional time release schedules for this program.
- Pacific Time (PT): Sunday at 6:00 PM (6:00 PM PT)
- Mountain Time (MT): Sunday at 7:00 PM (7:00 PM MT)
- Central Time (CT): Sunday at 8:00 PM (8:00 PM CT)
- British Standard Time (GMT): Monday at 1:00 AM (1:00 AM GMT)
- Central European Time (CET): Monday at 2:00 AM (2:00 AM CET)
- Australian Eastern Daylight Time (AEDT): Monday at 12:00 PM (12:00 PM AEDT)
Catch the latest episodes of Fellow Travellers via Showtime at the times and dates described above. If you have cable, you can stream the show online using your cable credentials to log in to Showtime’s website and its app.
If you get a Paramount+ subscription, you can also enjoy streaming the show from there. A Paramount+ subscription with Showtime, plus live sports and CBS access, will set you back $11,99 a month or $119,99 a year. This saves you nearly 15% of the monthly subscription, and you have access to a vast catalog of movies, series, and shows.
If you’re looking for a strong alternative to Netflix, Hulu, or Disney+, consider getting a Paramount+ subscription, as it offers content not available on these platforms, as well as all the content from filial networks like CBS, MTV, and Nickelodeon, making it a good alternative for content for all the family.
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