Beyond Measure – As the sixth episode of Fellow Travelers begins, Tim Laughlin (Jonathan Bailey) tells Hawkins ‘Hawk’ Fuller (Matt Bomer) he is surprised he is still there and that he is alive. Hawk admits he never got used to his tattoo. Tim calls it his prison tattoo before asking if he forgot he is a convicted felon. At the Selective Service Officer in 1968, Tim and others storm in to take the draft cards. Then, they take them outside where they burn them. When the authorities arrive, the others end up leaving Tim behind. At home, Hawkins deals with a spat between Kimberly and Jackson over a guitar pick. Marcus Gaines (Jelani Alladin) tells Hawk that Tim is reluctant to accept his offer.

Hawk says the FBI is involved now so Tim needs to get out of Baltimore. Marcus says Tim was curious as to how Hawk knew he was in trouble. He asks whether he has been keeping tabs on him for all these years. Hawk quickly ends the call when Lucy enters the room. He makes up an excuse so he can skip their event. She reminds him it is the Stovers’ anniversary and they’re throwing a party. Jackson overhears Hawk say they can’t throw a party if they don’t have water. He promises to call her from the house. Before long, Hawk picks up Tim. Hawk tells him to lie down in the back since he is worried about the neighbors. Marcus checks a note from Franklin who asks him to call. He speaks to Cynthia about the book he is writing.

She admits it has been nice seeing him like old times. Marcus offers to take her to dinner sometime to thank her. Hawk takes Tim to their country property which is a quarter mile from the main house. They discuss Tim trying to find out whether he wants to be a priest. He is practicing celibacy although he slips every so often. He says it isn’t with anyone though. Tim says he is only staying until he gets instructions from Father Lawrence who is his mentor. When Tim was in the army, he lost faith in everything. Father Lawrence helped him find it again. Hawk found him a good lawyer because he shouldn’t go to jail for something like this. Hawk will check in on him later. Once he goes home, he is told Jackson is upstairs pouting. He agrees to check on him.

Hawk tells him he is glad he is there before reminding him to get cleaned up for dinner. Hawk and Lucy speak to Helen downstairs until they see Andrew outside. Hawk goes outside. Helen and Lucy talk about Hawk’s apartment which he has agreed to give up. Lucy is told to take comfort in the fact that Hawk comes home to her. The rest is about the meeting of needs. Lucy claims not to know what she is talking about. The attorney speaks to Hawk and Tim about the charges. They’re accused of kidnapping because they forced the clerk inside the building. The attorney admits they want to make an example out of them. He could work out a deal for no jail time, but Tim would have to name the other protestors. Otherwise, he could get 12 years. Hawk tells Jerry (Colin Glazer) that they’ll circle back.

Once they’re alone, Hawk comforts Tim. Hawk starts kissing him and says he missed this, but Tim asks him to stop. Tim held two truths in the past. They included his love for Hawk and his love for God. One was real and the other was a fantasy. Hawk says he feels the same way about his family. He tells him that Lucy brought Kimberley and Jackson up for the weekend. Tim thinks he should go be with them. In the shower, Tim asks God why he always fails and gives in. He goes to the confessional and confesses to sinning. Tim admits he is in love with someone he can’t have and he can’t stop thinking about him. The priest reminds him that the church views this as a mortal sin. During dinner, Jackson asks if he can go to the Snyders’ tomorrow night. Lucy heard the older boy sells drugs.

Jackson denies that before questioning why he has to be there. Hawk won’t let him leave until he finishes his dinner. An angry Jackson begins eating with his fingers. Hawk yells for him to go to his room. Later, Tim sneaks over to the house and watches Hawk and the family through the window. An officer arrives to tell Hawk there have been break-ins recently. Once he goes back inside, Lucy says she believes Jackson came back. Hawk goes looking for him. When Tim returns to the cabin, Jackson points a rifle at him. Tim says he is a friend of his father before mentioning he knows their names. Once Jackson puts down the gun, Tim tells him how he knows Hawk. He comes up with an excuse as to why Hawk didn’t tell Lucy about him staying there.

Tim soon finds out that Jackson is a writer and smoker. He promises he won’t tell Hawk about that. Hawk finds a watch in Jackson’s drawer. Meanwhile, Tim reads the poems Jackson wrote. Jackson admits he just wants to get away from there. At home, Hawk asks about the watch. Jackson says someone gave it to him. Hawk tells him he’ll return it and apologize. Jackson asks Lucy if she knows someone is staying at Hawk’s cabin. Frankie (Noah J. Ricketts) visits Marcus to remind him he asked him to call. He gives Marcus a gift. Frankie is going to San Francisco and he is done performing. He is going back to school for social work. Marcus thinks he’ll be good at that because he is tougher than most. Marcus has to go back inside when her dad yells for him.

His dad tries to convince him to get with Cynthia. Marcus says he won’t have kids or a wife because he likes being free. He admits he was in love with someone named Frankie. Hawk tells Tim that Jerry got in touch with Lawrence’s lawyer and he wants to turn himself in. He’s willing to let Tim give them his name and location to get a deal, but Tim insists he isn’t going to do that. Tim asks why he cares about any of this. Hawk offers to let Tim stay there since the season is ending. He’ll be there when he can be if Tim wants him to be. Hawk says they don’t have to do what they used to do. They end up playing with themselves together. Once they finish, Hawk argues there is no sin in what they just did. Tim wants him to go away. Hawk goes back and helps Lucy.

She says she never needed to intrude on him in the cabin in all these years. Lucy just wants to make sure that family comes first. Hawk says always. He gets the door when the others arrive. Later, Hawk learns that Lucy fired Andrew because his work is sloppy and he’s never on time. She reveals she had an affair when she was in Europe. Hawk insists he thinks she is the most beautiful woman in the world. Lucy wants a family so she asks for a baby. They celebrate with the Stovers later. Jackson visits Tim in the cabin because he dropped acid. Tim brings him inside and quickly realizes that he is hallucinating. He tells Jackson that they just need to wait it out. Chet watches Lucy from a distance during the party. They end up kissing while the others are outside.

Tim watches over Jackson who wishes his dad could be as cool as him. He goes on to say he hates him. As they watch the fireworks, Tim says they feel they hate someone sometimes because they feel they don’t love them when they want them to. He suggests Hawk loves Jackson the best way he knows how. Jackson says Hawk and Lucy lie. Tim believes everyone lies sometimes. Lucy kisses Hawk and asks if he likes it. He thinks she should get some sleep. They have sex. Later, Hawk goes to the cabin where Tim tells him that Jackson is asleep. Tim tells him about Jackson’s poems. He doesn’t think he should stay there because it isn’t good for him or Hawk’s family. Hawk doesn’t want to let him go to prison.

Hawk gets Jackson up and takes him home. In the confessional, Tim says he doesn’t know how love can be a sin. Tim ends up going to Hawk’s house. Lucy admits she knows who he is. Tim uses the phone to call Jerry to say he wants to turn himself in. They arrange to meet at the bus stop. After the call, Lucy asks Tim if he has been staying in the cabin. He says yes before she asks about the letter he wrote Hawk years ago. Lucy confesses she burned it so he never saw it. Later, she complains about Hawk bringing Tim into their lives. She asks him to keep whatever this is out of their home. Hawk drives by just in time to see Tim being taken into police custody. Marcus visits Frankie and talks to him about moving to San Francisco. Marcus asks about a kiss.

Frankie thinks they’re both growing up. Marcus feels like he’s a hundred years ago. Hawk checks on Jackson and asks him not to do that again. They talk about his poems. Hawk says he loves him and admits he won’t tell Lucy about the acid. Jackson believes there is something wrong with him. Hawk comforts him and says otherwise.

 

Fellow Travelers Review

The sixth episode of Fellow Travelers felt out of place compared to the episodes before it, but again the flow of the series is really hurt by the weekly releases. It was a decent episode on its own although it feels like a lot of what happened before this point has been for nothing. I feel like I’ve made it through all the grueling McCarthy hearing scenes for them to amount to very little.

I’ve been expecting something bigger to happen between Hawk and Tim, but that may not actually be in the cards. Instead, Tim may just go to prison because of his involvement in an anti-war protest with Father Lawrence. The episode had some good moments though, especially the scenes with Jackson and Tim. Despite being a bit odd compared to earlier episodes, this was likely better because it didn’t have all the political hearings.

There are still points when it is clear this could’ve been so much better, so much more emotional, and so much more memorable. I just hope the last two episodes can reach an emotional peak at some point because viewers who’ve stuck it out deserve that. This episode scores a 6 out of 10. Recaps of Fellow Travelers can be found on Reel Mockery here.

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