Bulletproof – As the second episode of Fellow Travelers begins, Tim’s sister Maggie (Edie Inksetter) sits down with Hawkins ‘Hawk’ Fuller (Matt Bomer). Maggie admits she is the one who called before saying Hawk is why Tim was never able to have a real partner. She doesn’t want Hawk anywhere near her brother. Maggie thought Hawk would be relieved not to have to see him.

1953 – Hawk attends a party for Senator Smith (Linus Roache). After giving a speech, Smith thanks Hawk for everything. Lucy Smith (Allison Williams) tells Hawk she is surprised he didn’t make a toast. They get a picture taken together. Lucy tells Hawk that Leonard Smith (Mike Taylor) is getting worse. Hawk says he’ll take care of it. Hawk informs Leonard that his father wants him to join him. He asks him to do what his father asked for once. Leonard suggests Hawk thinks he’ll be living off his dad’s money someday and maybe even live in this house. Leonard tells Hawk it is all his.

Tim Laughlin (Jonathan Bailey) hangs out with Mary Johnson (Erin Neufer). Tim introduces Mary to Jean Kerr (Christine Horne) and Joe McCarthy (Chris Bauer). Roy Cohn (Will Brill) asks Tim if he is Joe’s guy. Tim and Mary soon learn that Roy is there with his mother, Muddy. Tim thanks Mary for being his guest. Later, Tim and Hawk have sex before talking about their nights. Hawk thinks Tim and Mary should keep seeing each other because they both need cover. As for Hawk, he claims he is bulletproof because he has a bronze star. Hawk is going to keep working until he gets posted overseas. When they call him back, he’ll quit. In the morning, Hawk wakes Tim to tell him they fell asleep and he needs to get going. As Tim rushes to get ready, Hawk says he is going to look outside to make sure it is clear.

At work, Hawk talks to others about the impending executions of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg and the impacts. McLeod (Joel Keller) admits the country is under threat from Soviet spies and those who support them. McLeod is also worried about the sheer volume of deviants in their midst. The M Unit has dismissed or forced the resignation of twice as many federal employees for homosexuality as their counterparts have for community leanings. They’ve started issuing summons for those reported or suspected. With their help, McLeod wants to make the State Department one of the most trusted institutions again. As they leave, Mary tells Hawk she doesn’t know why he isn’t more concerned about this. Hawk asks when her next date with Tim is. Mary pulls away and walks away without saying.

Hawk goes to his officer and calls someone. He offers to buy them lunch since they’re in town. Marcus Gaines (Jelani Alladin) is asked about getting a secretary. Marcus talks to a friend about Langston Hughes. Eugene (Iman Ayorinde) and the others talk about their current financial difficulties. Marcus says Langston Hughes is on the front lines today facing Cohn and McCarthy. One man suggests Langston might be gay. Eugene says they don’t need to be doing dirty because it makes all colored folks look bad. Marcus argues they shouldn’t be spitting on their greatest poet. Langston Hughes (Brian Dunstan) is in a hearing with Cohn and McCarthy. He is asked about writing that black people will be jailed after the communists. Marcus listens from nearby as they accuse Langston of turning to communism.

Langston is asked if he ever wanted to make the United States Soviet at any time in his life. After the hearing, Marcus confronts Roy and Schine. He asks why they’re not shooting Communists in Korea. Hawk has dinner with his mother and learns that the IRS has finally caught up with Uncle Howard. His mother tells him that his dad is dying and he is open to putting him back in the will. He wants the promise of an heir. More than anything, his father would like an apology. It is a significant inheritance and it is Hawk’s for an apology even if that apology is insincere. Mary tells Tim she is putting her husband trapping skills to use so her parents would be proud. Tim asks if it’d bother her if they weren’t proud of who she really is. She tries not to think about it.

Mary asks Tim about being devout. For most of his life, he thought he was going to be a priest. Tim thinks Hawk is mad at him because he made a mistake. He admits that the pretending is getting to him. Tim wonders if it’d be better to kill it and be finished with it instead of constantly yearning for something he can’t have. Mary invites him to her house tonight since she is having some friends over. Although Tim hopes Hawk will call, Mary gives him her address anyway. Marcus isn’t allowed into the hearing on Mr. Cohn’s orders. Tim ends up going to Mary’s get-together. Mary introduces him to Caroline, Gloria, Luis, and the others. Tim is surprised Mary lives with Caroline. Mary explains that the neighbors think they’re trying to live on a budget. She asks him not to mention it to Hawk cause they’re all allowed to have secrets.

During the party, Tim dances with Luis (Nick Name). They walk together and talk about Tim missing God. Luis still has God because he has chosen to be celibate. Hawk learns that Marcus lost the subcommittee job because he took a shot at Schine and Cohn. He admits he couldn’t tolerate what they were doing to Langston. When asked about Schine, Hawk says he was born with a silver spoon and wants to be a hero. The waiter seems to flirt with Marcus. Then, Marcus reminds Hawk that Tim is a good guy. Hawk explains it isn’t easy with Tim. Marcus thinks the difference between them is that he’d like more than this at some point. Before long, Hawk visits his mother at home. Frances asks if Senator Smith’s daughter is still in the picture. Hawk excuses himself to lie down for a bit.

Marcus runs into Tim and asks if David Schine has a limp or shows any injury like a 4-F. Tim doesn’t want to answer until Marcus admits to seeing Hawk the other night. He admits he hasn’t noticed an injury. Marcus tells Tim that he saw Hawk at the Cozy Corner looking for trouble. Miss Addison (Keara Graves) answers the phone. It is for Mary and it is supposedly important. After the call, Mary leaves to take some mail to the mailroom. Instead, she meets Caroline (Gabbi Kosmidis) who reveals that someone reported her. Caroline says some guy in her office kept asking her out and she kept saying no. He might’ve been responsible. When they hear someone coming, they quickly split. Hawk looks at a tennis trophy and remembers playing with his past lover, Kenny. Estelle (Rosemary Dunsmore) interrupts to tell him his father is awake.

His father believes it was his mistake letting Estelle make him a momma’s boy. Hawk was never good at concealing himself. His father asks if he has changed. Hawk thinks so. The expectation is that he’ll be getting married and having children. His dad wants him to apologize for having no shame and making him endure rumors about his homosexual son. He also wants him to apologize for walking in and seeing him on his knees to that boy Kenny. Hawk says he is sorry that he’s dying and not a single soul gives a crap. As Hawk walks away, Russell tells him he isn’t getting his money. Hawk apologizes to his mother outside. She explains that the marriage is how she got what she wanted. Estelle goes on to admit it is easier to stay. Hawk says there is someone now before leaving. Hawk goes back to Tim’s place where he tells him he is home now.

At the office, Tim hears Cohn call Senator Smith a traitor for attacking him. He listens to them talk about David until they shut the door. McCarthy believes Smith has a skeleton in his closet and they just need to find it. FBI agents visit Mary and Caroline at home to question them about their relationship. The agent tells Caroline that her review has been scheduled. He reveals they may question her family and coworkers as well. Once they’re alone, Mary tries to comfort Caroline who is reluctant to let her. Later, Tim goes to Hawk’s house to tell him what happened with Caroline. Hawk isn’t sure he can help because both of them are screwed. Hawk orders him to sit down and write down what he says word-by-word. Tim follows his instructions and writes a letter to Mary about how he fell for her.

Tim writes that he always knew they would have no real future together. Tim stops and says he can’t do this. Hawk reminds him that he broke the rule and hung out with a bunch of homosexuals. As Tim continues writing, he writes that Mary not being a Catholic is a problem for him and his family. Hawk tells him that Mary will be able to use the letter to clear herself and pin it all on Caroline. Tim doubts she’d do that, but Hawk tells him to watch her. He gets upset and tells Hawk that he doesn’t understand them. He gets ready to leave before telling Hawk that Senator Smith is on McCarthy’s hit list. That’s the last dirty thing he is ever going to do for him.

Present – Hawk calls Lucy to tell her he’ll be coming home soon from a gay bar. He looks at a pamphlet about testing for AIDS. When another man hits on him, Hawk asks if he is concerned about everything going on. The guy doesn’t seem worried in the least. When Hawk leaves, he goes to Tim’s apartment. Tim tells him not to be afraid because it isn’t airborne. Maggie returns moments later and asks if Hawk is staying for dinner.

Past – Mary uses Tim’s letter to clear herself. She throws Caroline under the bus by saying Tim kept telling her that something was off about her. Mary says she confronted her after the FBI’s visit and Caroline admitted it was true. Marcus runs over to Bobby Kennedy (Ben Sanders) to see if they can talk off the record. Marcus suggests it is difficult for Bobby to watch the subcommittee since he should’ve been Chief Counsel. He mentions that Schine is actively avoiding the draft getting a 4-F classification in California where his family owns the Ambassador Hotel. Marcus gives Kennedy all the research he has done. Hawk listens to the Rosenberg trial with Senator Smith. When they’re alone, Hawk warns Smith that he is on McCarthy’s list and they’re looking for something on him. He says McCarthy has three weak spots, booze, Cohn’s ego, and the uselessness of David Schine.

Hawk needs some ammo to speed up their downfall. Senator Smith remembers the summer Leonard brought Hawk by. Someone asked him the other day why one of the most eligible bachelors in town hadn’t married yet. Smith admits he couldn’t answer. Hawk talks to Lucy to see how she is doing. Frankie tells Marcus that his story was nice. They talk about Langston Hughes. Hawk recites some of a poem and admits he knows it all by heart. Tim goes to confession where he says he had carnal relations with a man. When asked if he is truly sorry, he says yes.

 

Fellow Travelers Review

The second episode of Fellow Travelers didn’t quite hit the target as often as the opening episode. For better or worse, the sex scenes were toned down and the episode focused a lot more on McCarthy’s hunt for Communists. The series is juggling many concurrent storylines with some being more effective than others. The search for communists is a little slow and uneventful. Caroline’s situation should’ve been more effective, but the character was barely introduced before she was reported.

Through two episodes, Tim has become the only character that is genuinely easy to care about. Mary was in that category briefly until she threw her friend and lover under the bus. The eight-episode count and weekly releases are really going to hold Fellow Travelers back from being an emotional hit. The series could be a memorable tragic love story, but it seems it can’t get out of its own way.

Truthfully, this is far more complicated than it needs to be and tries to be more clever than it is. With all the side stories with Marcus, Schine, McCarthy, and others, the relationship between Hawk and Tim is being smothered. If that was given room to breathe, develop, and come to a tragic conclusion, Fellow Travelers could be a satisfying tear-jerker. After episode two though, it is starting to feel tedious.

This episode scores a 5.5 out of 10. Recaps of Fellow Travelers can be found on Reel Mockery here. Find out how to support our independent site at this link. Learn more about advertising on Reel Mockery here. Discuss Fellow Travelers with other fans at the Reel Mockery Forum.