Half Man on HBO

[d.anders]

I caught the first episode last night. Not sure what is going on. The relationship with the two step brothers seems oddly hyper-sexual. I don't ever recall a story where anticipation of a boy-on-boy kiss is so strong. Difficult to tell where this is going. As a gay man, I can't help but feel like I'm being strongly manipulated.

[+ SirBillybob]

One Rotten Tomatoes review sums it up as a “punishing watch”, but it’s Richard Gadd of Baby Reindeer, buffed up. I think I’ll wait to binge the first half of the 6 episodes. I read an interview but it’s a bit of a plot spoiler, which I don’t mind in some cases. 

Edited April 26 by SirBillybob

[d.anders]

Yes, Gadd is buff, and shirtless in the very first scene. There is so much tension, I kept waiting for Gadd to grab Jamie Bell by the head and shove his mouth into Gadd's pits. Maybe I'm just a horny old gay man hoping for a cheap thrill, but the homoerotic sexual tension in this one seems deliberate.

[+ ApexNomad]

Reviews have been mostly excellent. I watched the first episode and was intrigued; you can tell it’s going to be a heavy, difficult watch. Part of me wonders if it’s better to binge it so you can stay immersed and not sit with that tension week to week. But at the same time, with material this intense, a break between episodes might actually be the better way to process it.

[d.anders]

The violence scares me. In my world, blood has no place in intimacy. However, I am aware that many men like violence with their sexual tension. All throughout history, especially during war. But it's not my fantasy. Given the reviews, I'm going to take this one in small doses and see where it goes.

SPLOILER ALERT! I just want to be clear, or was it my imagination, did Niall wake up with a wet dream in his shorts after he slept the night in Ruben's arms?

[+ ApexNomad]

16 minutes ago, d.anders said:

The violence scares me. In my world, blood has no place in intimacy. However, I am aware that many men like violence with their sexual tension. All throughout history, especially during war. But it's not my fantasy. Given the reviews, I'm going to take this one in small doses and see where it goes.

SPLOILER ALERT! I just want to be clear, or was it my imagination, did Niall wake up with a wet dream in his shorts after he slept the night in Ruben's arms?

Wet dream. 

[TonyDown]

I haven't read reviews, to avoid spoilers.

I thought his Baby Reindeer was great, the kind of series I was drawn to see the next episode.  

 

Epi 1 of Half Man was a bit of a chore.  Maybe it's me, in the wrong frame of mind.

I will tune into Epi 2. 

We have to, right?

I like Jamie Bell, I must say.

 

 

Edited April 27 by TonyDown

[d.anders]

6 hours ago, TonyDown said:

We have to, right?

I tend to give deference to members of my tribe. Jamie is a cutie, even with his weathered face. The two actors playing the younger boys are particularly well cast. I don't think this is an accident.

[+ SirBillybob]

13 hours ago, ApexNomad said:

Reviews have been mostly excellent. I watched the first episode and was intrigued; you can tell it’s going to be a heavy, difficult watch. Part of me wonders if it’s better to binge it so you can stay immersed and not sit with that tension week to week. But at the same time, with material this intense, a break between episodes might actually be the better way to process it.

Why I have this …

[+ ApexNomad]

3 hours ago, d.anders said:

I tend to give deference to members of my tribe. Jamie is a cutie, even with his weathered face. The two actors playing the younger boys are particularly well cast. I don't think this is an accident.

I think the actors playing Niall and Ruben look so much older than the 15 and 17 year olds, respectively, they are supposed to be playing.  Given the material I completely understand. But they don’t look their age. 

[+ ApexNomad]

55 minutes ago, SirBillybob said:

Why I have this …

I want one of these. 😂

[d.anders]

1 hour ago, ApexNomad said:

I think the actors playing Niall and Ruben look so much older than the 15 and 17 year olds, respectively, they are supposed to be playing.

I wasn't clear on their ages at all. I knew I wasn't yet 18 in high school, so I assumed both were under 18, which made all the "sex" scenes more intriguing.

[+ ApexNomad]

3 hours ago, d.anders said:

I wasn't clear on their ages at all. I knew I wasn't yet 18 in high school, so I assumed both were under 18, which made all the "sex" scenes more intriguing.

I wasn’t aware of their ages too until I read a review.

[d.anders]

Just saw Ep 2. Wasn't expecting any of that.

[+ ApexNomad]

22 hours ago, d.anders said:

Just saw Ep 2. Wasn't expecting any of that.

So far the teens have been driving the narrative. I’m looking forward to seeing more of Gadd and Bell in the present day.

[+ EVdude]

Too dark, too violent and triggering. Won’t be an episode 3 for me.

[+ Gar1eth]

On 4/26/2026 at 7:02 AM, d.anders said:

As a gay man, I can't help but feel like I'm being strongly manipulated.

FYI-I've seen Episode 1 and part of Episode 2.
 

I don't see it with a scripted drama like this. I mean it does seem to have been written with us in mind. But then you might have to say the same thing about any TV shows, movies, or books with a homoerotic theme and extremely attractive actors. 
 

What I object to more are actors, rock musicians, and the like who have been totally heterosexual their entire life saying things like how while they've never had a same sex relationship, they might be open to it. Or playing around in interviews and not confirming one way or the other. One specific example of this which offended me at the time was back in 2015-2016 when Nick Jonas was playing a gay character on Kingdom. I realize it was for promotion of the show. But there were a lot of shirtless pics and interviews along with some mild innuendos that a same sex relationship wasn't totally out of the cards. I think I can remember discussions here on the Message Center about his possibly fluid orientation. 

[MikeBiDude]

Well, just finished Ep3. This series certainly keeps one at the edge of their seat!

[+ SirBillybob]

Fairlay Community Center (fictional)

Edited May 8 by SirBillybob

[TonyDown]

Finished Epi 4.

Here's an interesting review.

https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/half-man-jamie-bell-hbo-max-tv-review-2026

 

[Nightowl]

At times it’s difficult to watch but it has still captured my attention.  I don’t know where it’s going—probably nowhere good—but I’m riveted.

[MikeBiDude]

5 hours ago, TonyDown said:

Finished Epi 4.

Some great acting in Thursday’s Ep4. Thanks for the link to the review.

[TonyDown]

4 hours ago, MikeBiDude said:

Some great acting in Thursday’s Ep4. Thanks for the link to the review.

That's what I was thinking, especially Jamie Bell.  I've always liked him.

 

[d.anders]

On 5/5/2026 at 7:46 PM, EVdude said:

Too dark, too violent and triggering. Won’t be an episode 3 for me.

I stopped watching. Lost interest early on while watching Ep3. I do not like violence between men, especially gay men. Did not like the adult actor playing Jamie's husband, and I did not like the character of Jamie's mother. I don't like drama where I'm struggling to watch, and where certain characters don't interest me.

[+ SirBillybob]

Deep-sixed wedding banquet scene extra Debbie … 

Edited 13 hours ago by SirBillybob