The episode begins with the gang--minus Justin--at Woody�s
watching an episode of everyone�s new favorite show �Gay
As Blazes�. The characters are boring and perfect. They�re
having an anniversary dinner for one of the show�s couples
who are celebrating �ten years of fidelity�. The characters
then talk sadly of their friend who has been going to clubs
where gay people <horrified gasp> �dance, take drugs, and
have sex�. Or so they�ve been told. No one knows for certain
because these guys are too perfect to ever go to such a place!
They will never become stereotypes like their friend. No, no,
not when they can be role models for the community instead!
Why go out partying on a weekend when they can be members
of their gay men�s reading group instead!
Everyone is enthralled but Brian, who hates the show. He
uses the remote to turn the TV off, declaring �Blaze This�
and everyone in Woody�s unhappily protests. Emmett loves
the show because the characters are so �dreamy�. Lindz likes
it because it positively represents the gay community and
she feels it is realistic. Brian asks if it�s so realistic then
where is the sex? Mel asks doesn�t he get enough of that
at home? Michael and Ted defend the show, saying that
the characters are realistic and it isn�t �all about sex� for them.
Brian still disagrees. The show is not honest. It�s just
politically correct garbage.
Mel brings up that Brian is being given an award for being
the Gay Hero of The Year. Brian doesn�t want it. He feels
he didn�t do anything to deserve an award. Emmett argues
that he saved Justin�s life the night of the bashing. Brian
isn�t too interested in the award and starts to leave. The
others turn the TV back on to enjoy �Gay As Blazes�.
Mikey follows Brian outside and they walk down the street
together. Mikey wants them to go hang out together but
Brian says he has to go home. Mikey jokes that he�s trying
to set a good example for the gay community. Brian says no.
Justin is home by himself and he still gets �a little freaked out�
sometimes. Mikey produces two passes to a comic book
convention that he wants Brian to go to with him. Brian�s
not too interested. Mikey whines that they haven�t spent
any time together since he got back to town so Brian agrees
to meet Mikey at the convention.
At Lindsay and Mel�s, Mel is frantically searching for her
keys while Lindz chomps on a doughnut and Brian is trying to
get Gus to walk. Brian is still not interested in the award and
comments that he will be screwing with Lindz and Mel�s social
climbing if he doesn�t accept it because they are on the awards
committee. Lindz literally grabs him by the balls and squeezes
until he agrees to accept it the award and attend the ceremony.
Brian crumbles to the floor in pain as Gus starts to walk, taking
his first steps. Lindz and Mel hug and celebrate while Brian
weakly calls for his son to walk to him.
At the diner, the gang is reading a newspaper article that is
slamming Brian. The article was written by Howard Bellweather.
He�s also being award as the Gay Man of The Year. He slams
Brian in his article, saying Brian is not a hero but a child molester
because the young man he is credited with saving is actually his
teenage lover. Brian and Justin are at the counter and Brian playfully
asks if the �teenager lover� is Justin? Justin just gives him a look as
they go on reading.
Debbie asks who this guy is and Ted lists off his accomplishments,
including being �Pittsburgh�s Gay Social Conscience�. Bedwetter,
as Debbie calls him, is being giving an award, too. Brian should
be proud, he�s just been insulted by the best. Brian wants to sue
because the guy said he was 31. He�s 30. Justin asks how that can
be all that Brian cares about. The guy practically called him a child
molester. Brian jokes that no one should know that better than Justin.
They exchange a cute look as Brian starts to leave. Mikey yells at
him not to forget the comic book convention.
Emmett is happily skipping down the street of a nice neighborhood
to meet his new employers. They are this perfect, politically correct
gay couple that remind him of his favorite couple from �Gay As
Blazes�. He starts to undress but they tell him not to. They know
he�s suppose to be a naked maid, but they prefer it if he stays
clothed. They respect him and don�t want him to feel like an
object when working for them.
Michael is waiting at the comic convention for Brian, who never
shows. He gets distracted by a hot cop who he ends up tricking with.
Lindz and Mel are having sex on the couch, complete with their
vibrator, when they�re interrupted by two members of the award
committee who shows them BedWetter�s article about Brian. They
defend Brian, saying the article is unfair. Besides, the award is about
Brian�s heroism, not his sexual activity. The other two don�t care. The
great WedBetter has spoken and it would be embarrassing now to
give Brian the award. Not to mention that some of the financial
supports might withdraw their money from the even if Brian gets
honored. They want Lindz and Mel to talk Brian out of accepting
the award.
Michael, Ted, and Emmett are on three-way calling. Mikey�s at work, complaining that Brian stood him up. The others can�t believe he�s
surprised by that. Ted is jerking off and has to go. Emmett is ironing
when one of his employers comes in wearing only a towel. He drops
it on purpose and Emmett ends up giving him a blowjob.
At the diner, Justin is back at work and is waiting on Michael. His
hand shakes when he tries to give Mikey his water glass and he spills
some of it, apologizing. Debbie comes over and says it�s fine. She
kisses Justin and sends him off as she sits down with a miserable
Mikey and asks what Brian has done now. Mikey says that Brian
stood him up at the comic book convention and Debbie reams him
out, asking why he always makes his happiness about other people.
Why does he think he needs a man to be happy? He needs to get
over any Brian fantasies he has because whether he believes it or
not, Brian really does love Justin. As much as Brian can love any
one, that is. Mikey says that the point is, he and Brian are best
friends. That wasn�t suppose to change.
Emmett feels guilty over his fling with his boss and he tells
Mikey and Emmett about it. He feels that he has ruined a happy,
monogamous couple.
Brian and Justin are holding hands, walking down Liberty Avenue
together. Awwww, it�s so cute! Justin is still uncomfortable in
public, around others, and Brian is trying to get him to loosen up,
and loosen the death grip he has on Brian. Justin apologizes for
hurting Brian�s hand and lets go, teasing, �Look, no hands�. A
stranger accidentally bumps into Justin and he nearly freaks,
snapping at the guy. Brian pulls Justin back into his arms and tells
him to relax. They stop outside a bookstore where Howard Bellweather
is autographing his new book.
Ted is all gushing over Bedwetter, saying how much he admires the man.
Bedwetter isn�t impressed. Justin butts in then, throwing a copy of the
book in front of Howard and telling him to autograph it to Brian Kinney
and apologize for being a sucking sack of shit. Bedwetter asks who
Justin is and he drawls that he�s the �teenage lover�. An amused Brian
stands smirking in the crowd as Justin tells Bedwetter off. Bedwetter
says that Justin is the one who should get an award for his bravery.
Justin replies that Brian saved his life and Bedwetter says that Brian
has also stolen Justin�s innocence. One day Justin will realize that
and see that Brian has hurt him just as badly as Hobbs did. Justin
shoves the books off the desk in frustration and leaves. Brian takes a
moment to tell Bedwetter that he�s 30, not 31 before leaving also.
Emmett is cooking dinner for the �devoted couple� when the
other partner comes into the kitchen. He comes onto to Emmett
and Em blows him, too.
Mel and Lindsay have invited Brian over and they are seriously
wining and dining him. He knows they want something and tells
them to just spill it. They make up some lame excuse about how
they have convinced the awards committee that he doesn�t want
the award so it�s ok for him to decline now. Brian knows they�re
B.S.�ing him and calls them on it, asking if the real reason is that
the awards committee read Bedwetter�s negative article about him
and now they�re embarrassed to award him and afraid of the
consequences from their financial backers if they do give him the
award. Mel and Lindz admit that he�d guessed right. But they
remind that he didn�t want the award to begin with. So what�s the
big deal with giving it up now? Brian laughs then that he�s not going
to do the Politically Correct Crowd any favors. He�s decided he wants
that award after all. Mel and Lindz are frustrated with him and leave
him alone at the dining room table as he practices his �speech� that is
sure to insult everyone there.
Debbie and Vic go to Woody�s for a drink and see Mikey and
Ted there. They encourage the guys to go do something other
than sit around a bar all night. Live a little. Ted heard about a
BB--Body Builders--party in town. He and Mikey decide to go.
At the party, Ted and Mikey soon realize that it is actually an
orgy. And it�s not �body builders,� it�s �bare backers�. Howard
Bedwetter is there having unprotected sex and Ted is disillusioned.
The guy is a total hypocrite. They make a hasty retreat.
Mel and Lindz are helping with the preparations for the awards
ceremony and tell their friends that Brian won�t decline the award.
Their friends decide to just refuse to give it to him but Lindz comes
up with some excuse that Brian could sue them for �breach of promise�
and bring lots of negative publicity down on all of them. Mel�s best
legal advice is just give him the damn award and be done with it.
At Babylon, Ted is now pissed that Bedwetter is such a hypocrite.
Brian may not be perfect, but at least he is honest about himself,
unlike Bedwetter. Emmett goes back into his guilt mode about
breaking up the perfect, committed couple as he admits that he
fooled around with both partners. Brian comes up and asks
Mikey to dance but Mikey isn�t interested. Brian starts to
walk off but Mikey tags along, asking why Brian never showed
up at the comic convention. Brian can�t believe he�s making
such a big deal out of it and starts to tell that he picked up a trick.
Besides, it was just some silly convention. Mikey argues that it
wasn�t. It was suppose to be about them, their friendship. Them
hanging out together like they use to, before Michael moved off
with David and before Justin got hurt. He was expecting things
to be the same, but obviously they have changed. Mikey leaves.
Emmett tries to quit his employment, but the couple attempt to
convince him to stay. They�re both very pleased with him so
far. Emmett realizes then that both men are aware that he tricked
with the other. He�s floored by the news. He thought they were
this politically correct, perfect, monogamous couple. Apparently
that is just the image they present to the world. Much like Bedwetter,
they�re hypocrites, too. They like to fool around on the side while
pretending to condemn such activity in public. Emmett quits, angrily declaring that he might be a slut, but at least he�s honest.
Justin is walking down Liberty Avenue by himself this time. Brian
is waiting for him, arms open wide, as �When My Boy Walks Down
The Street� plays. Brian is quietly whispering words of encouragement
as Justin struggles to be comfortable in crowds again. He keeps his
composure and finally reaches Brian who hugs him. Justin admits
that he wasn�t sure he could do it, but Brian knew he could. Brian
kisses him and Justin asks what that was for. Brian teases Justin about
how much he likes sex in public. A very cute scene. They joke
around with each other, Justin suggesting that Brian blow him on the
street, in public then. Brian thinks they should take his recovery a
little slower . . . They should walk back to the loft first, then he�ll
blow Justin. Justin wants to walk back to the loft by himself, though.
Brian jokes that Justin is trying to dump him and Justin laughs that
he is. He�s tired of Brian always following him around. Doesn�t
Brian have any friends his own age? Brian does, but none of them
adore him as much as Justin. Justin disagrees. He knows one friend
that cares, meaning Michael. It is a quiet reminder of the distance
between the two friends and how they should repair it. Besides,
Brian has an award ceremony to attend. Brian�s still not thrilled over
the idea. Justin kisses him and assures him that he is a hero. Justin
walks off by his own then and Brian watches him go, happy that
Justin is recovering and regaining his confidence.
At the award�s ceremony, everyone is dressed in their finest,
sitting at their table and wondering where Brian is. Bedwetter
is called up and gives a long, boring speech that puts Debbie
to sleep. Ted knows the man is a hypocrite and doesn�t believe
in him anymore, but still believes in what Bedwetter claims
to stand more. Brian�s name is called out to come and receive
his award . . . but no Brian. He didn�t show. Lindsay says
that Brian has �made his point�.
Cut to the comic book convention where Mikey is. Brian
surprises him by showing up. Mikey starts to say again that
things have changed between them and their friendship and
that�s ok. Brian suggests they go get their picture taken in
the superhero cardboard cut outs. Mikey says no, it�s stupid.
Brian disagrees that it wasn�t stupid when they were kids and
they use to read comics together in Mikey�s old room. It
wasn�t stupid when they said they would be friends forever,
always be there for each other. Michael can�t believe that
Brian remembers all that. They go over to the cardboard
cutouts and stick their heads through. They get their picture
taken.
At home, Emmett is watching �Gay As Blazes�. His favorite
couple has taken in a trouble teen who can�t believe that there
are really gay people out there like this couple. They assure
him that they are not sexual predators. Emmett is no longer
impressed and shuts the TV off, declaring �Blaze This.�