Promise You Won’t Write – As the fifth episode of Fellow Travelers begins, Hawk (Matt Bomer) walks into the San Francisco General Hospital. He tries to get help from the receptionist but ends up looking around on his own. Hawk becomes distraught when he sees Tim Laughlin (Jonathan Bailey) having a seizure. Marcus Gaines (Jelani Alladin) escorts him away. In the past, Hawk meets Jimmy to say Leonard Smith hasn’t been home for the last two nights. Jimmy says he threw Leonard out of there last night for causing a scene. Hawk asks Jimmy to sit on him if he comes back. Jimmy warns Hawk to be careful since the neighborhood is crawling with cops.

Marcus hangs out with Frankie Hines (Noah Ricketts) until the police raid the club. Marcus and Frankie flee outside until Storme (Chelsea Russell) stumbles to the ground. Marcus walks off and leaves them. Frank tells Hawk that he searched three precinct houses before he found him. Hawk needs to get the arrest record. Hawk asks Leonard if he knows how much it’ll cost to get his record buried. He goes on to tell Leonard (Mike Taylor) that his father will never hear about this. Hawk goes back to Tim and pretends Lucy’s car wouldn’t start. He tells Tim they still have an hour before it starts to get light. Tim says he has been rather sweet lately. During the US Army-McCarthy Senate Hearings, the group discusses Private Schine’s work and requests. Mr. Welch complains about the treatment Schine has received.

Marcus hears his coworkers discussing whether Cohn will fall on his sword for his boyfriend. One of them jokes that he does that every night. Special Counsel Mr. Jenkins confirms he has questions for Senator McCarthy and Mr. Cohn. He asks Cohn how long he has known Mr. Schine. Roy Cohn (Will Brill) says about two years. He goes on to say Schine is one of many good friends. Cohn is asked if they’ve double-dated together. In private, David Schine (Matt Visser) complains to Cohn and insists he didn’t need any special favors. Cohn tells him not to worry about Welch and Jenkins because they’re just lawyers. As for Smith, he’s not going to be a problem for much longer. Moments later, Tim tells Cohn that Senator McCarthy is asking for him. Senator Smith (Linus Roach) tells Hawk and Lucy (Allison Williams) that he had a visit from Senators Bridges and Welker. Both are close allies of McCarthy.

They claim Leonard was arrested for some sordid business and they’ll expose it if the Senator doesn’t resign. Senator Smith didn’t believe it so he sent them the door. Hawk confesses it is not a lie because Leonard was arrested for commission of obscene and indecent acts about a week ago. Since they didn’t show the Senator an arrest record or anything Hawk doubts they have any hard evidence. For now, Senator Smith should tell Welker and Bridge that he’ll back off McCarthy. If it comes down to it, he can vote against expelling him from the Senate. Hawk explains they’re just trying to stall until they can locate and destroy the record. The Senator tells Lucy to keep Leonard out of there because he can’t stand to look at him now. Hawk promises to do everything he can to bury this although it’ll be expensive.

Senator Smith is willing to pay because he’ll be ruined if this comes out. The Senator is worried that Leonard will do it again and get caught again. Hawk says there are places that help men like Leonard. He tells the Senator not to blame himself because it is just one of nature’s mistakes. Outside, Lucy tells Hawk that she met two men in Madrid who called themselves traveling companions. She explains that she saw a look on the man’s face similar to one she had seen on Leonard’s face before. Lucy argues that Leonard can’t help who he is. Cohn approaches Tim in the bathroom and remembers he was recommended by one of Senator Smith’s donors. He asks Tim what he thinks about Whining Wesley and Sanctimonious Smith. Tim says he respects Senator Smith, but he still believes in the anti-communist cause.

Cohn asks about Leonard being a homosexual. Tim insists he wouldn’t know whether the rumor is true. Before Tim can leave, Cohn thanks him for the package he gave to Mr. Schine. Tim claims someone left the package on his desk. Cohn tells Tim he is a bad liar. Hawk speaks to Frank about the arrest record before Tim interrupts. In private, Tim tells Hawk what happened with Cohn last night. Hawk says he has a meeting and doesn’t want to talk about the envelope. He eventually says the envelope contained a letter from Corporal Daniel Cherney stating that McCarthy got him drunk and sodomized him. It stuck McCarthy, Cohn, and Schine together like glue while putting McCarthy in this current situation. Tim admits he doesn’t lie as well as Hawk who says he won’t survive.

Before Tim leaves, he says it is funny that Roy Cohn pretty much said the same thing. Frankie tells Marcus he thought he forgot about him. Frankie thinks Marcus can come back, but Marcus argues it isn’t safe for him. He tells Frankie about his father being a brilliant, classically trained pianist. It means a lot to his father to see his byline in The Post. Marcus wants to be honest with Frankie. Leonard talks to Lucy about going away. She told their mother that his drinking has gotten out of hand so he is going to a place to dry out. Hawk talks to Senator Smith. Since Smith hasn’t been pressed to resign, Hawk doubts they’ve found Leonard’s arrest record. He suspects a desk sergeant is out there willing to sell the record though so it isn’t over. They need to get to it first. In private, Leonard tells his dad that he stopped being his son the day Hawk showed up.

Leonard alleges that his father made him this way. Once he leaves, the Senator admits Hawk took his place and he let it happen. During the hearing, Cohn is asked about the photo and whether he submitted it as evidence. Marcus tells Tim he got in because a Washington Post press pass carries a lot of weight. Cohn shows everyone the photo of David Schine with Secretary Stevens at Fort Dix. He claims that Stevens asked to be photographed with Schine. Tim tells Marcus that the photo isn’t right because he saw it in their office. Hawk speaks to a doctor about the treatment given to homosexuals. He learns that they’re using shock therapy. Hawk says they believe Leonard will benefit from having limited contact with the outside world. Outside, Leonard tells Hawk he has been thinking about the first summer he spent time at their house.

Leonard remembers that they masturbated together near the fire. He thought about telling his father about Hawk, but Hawk argues his father would never believe him. Leonard admits he wouldn’t. He says he wants to be cured before going inside the facility. Jean (Christine Horne) warns McCarthy that Welch and Jenkins are smearing him with Roy and David’s filth. She questions why he didn’t fire Roy when he had the chance. Jean wonders if Roy has something on him. McCarthy claims a man from Wisconsin wouldn’t turn on his fans. She argues a man from Wisconsin would know how to get his wife pregnant. Tim approaches McCarthy to say Roy did something to the photo. McCarthy reveals he was once voted the worst senator in Washington.

Lesser men would’ve crumbled. Instead, Joe went to Wheeling, West Virginia and gave a speech to a bunch of ladies who applauded. He is now one of the most powerful men in America. Tim leaves without mentioning the photograph again. Then, he tries to visit Welch. He gives his receptionist an envelope. Marcus talks to his boss about covering the Senate beat. His boss doesn’t seem eager to give him that job. During the hearing, Welch presents the unaltered photo. Schine claims that Stevens asked him to stand next to him for the picture. He admits he never saw the other prints before the meeting. Stan mocks Marcus who follows him into the bathroom and urinates on his shoes. Schine tells Roy that he is going to New York to spend time with his family.

He argues that he isn’t like Roy because he is normal. Tim approaches Hawk to tell him he had to quit his job. When Hawk says he is going out, Tim asks him to take him too. Hawk believes he should’ve left him alone, but Tim is glad he didn’t. Hawk doesn’t want Tim to read about it in the papers so he tells him he is going to ask Lucy to marry him. An upset Tim walks away. Senator Smith shows Lucy pictures of his first campaign. He reveals he got a call from Senator Welker and they’ve found Lenny’s arrest record. If he resigns, they’ll keep Lenny’s arrest record under wraps. If he doesn’t, they’ll release it. Smith says this will hound Lenny for the rest of his days even if he is cured at the hospital. He insists that Lucy will be fine because she has Hawk. While he writes his resignation letter, Tim fills out an application for enlistment. Senator Smith kills himself.

Hawk comforts Lucy during the funeral. Marcus meets Frankie who asks if he is worried someone from The Post might see him. Marcus doubts he has much of a future there. He has received a few calls from a new publication called Jet Magazine. As for Frankie, he is going on the road with Storme. Tim hears on the radio that Roy Cohn has resigned from the committee. McCarthy’s approval rating is plummeting. When Hawk arrives, he learns that Tim is due at Fort Dix in two days. Hawk says he is not going to wait for him. He wants to take Tim somewhere. Once they arrive, Tim says he is sorry about Senator Smith. Hawk says he was good and decent. Hawk argues he didn’t raise his boy to be a soldier, but Tim is adamant he has to go.

Tim goes on to say he has to get over Hawk. He makes Hawk promise that he won’t write. In the present, Hawk sits on Tim’s hospital bed and touches his hand.

 

Fellow Travelers Review

This episode of Fellow Travelers was good in many areas and not so great in others. In some ways, the series goes too deep but it often misses key details when they’re needed the most. The potential was there for this to be an emotionally gripping, traffic love story with Hawk and Tim. Yet, those scenes rarely consume a third of each episode. This one focused on their relationship a lot more although they’re at the splitting point now.

Instead, the series has ineffectively attempted to retell the circumstances of homosexuals working in politics around that time. In reality, the characters rarely feel like they’re in any real danger. That side of the series and the political hearings aren’t as powerful as they could be, but they seem to be a bigger focus than anything else.

I haven’t read the novel so I am not familiar with the specifics. However, I keep waiting for something significant to happen to drive a wedge between Hawk and Tim and lead to their situation in the present. I’d hope there would be more to the story than just Tim enlisting in the army. Two things that hurt the series are the complexity of the story and the weekly releases. The combination often made it difficult to become familiarized with all the political characters and their respective roles.

That may not be the case if the series was consumed all at once or within a few days. Even then, Hawk and Tim’s relationship should’ve received the majority of the runtime for each episode while the political stuff should’ve been on the backburner. Watching them come together, develop, and attempt to avoid being caught while being dangerously in love would’ve been more exciting than the dull political hearings we’re getting now.

The episode scores a 6 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 and other hit shows at the Reel Mockery Forum.