The Ties That Bind

Season 1, Episode 15, Aired
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Episode Summary

Lindsay reluctantly leaves Gus with Brian while she goes out of town for a conference. David's 12-year-old son Hank comes for a visit that David has planned down to the very minute. Jack tells Brian he has cancer and only has a few more months. Hank tells Michael he didn't want to visit, that he's only here because his mother made him. Debbie advises Brian to be honest with his father before he dies. Brian leaves Gus with Justin so he can go to the Leather Ball at Babylon, a move that will earn him angry castigations from both Melanie and Lindsay. Ted discovers that a former business school classmate is an award-winning "Leather Daddy" whose house includes a dungeon-themed playroom. Ted refuses Dale's proposal to be his "slave." Michael thinks Hank hates visiting his father because he's gay, but it's really because of David's itineraries and over-planning. The two end up bonding over a mutual love for comic books. Brian comes out to his father, and almost punches him when Jack says he's the one who should be dying. Finally fed up with being so predictable, Ted returns to Dale's and surrenders himself over to him. Jack seems to be in a better mood when he comes to see Brian again, but tells him not to tell his mother he's gay. Lindsay and Brian introduce Jack to his grandson.

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8.8
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Fan Episode Reviews (5)

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  • Linze asks Brian to watch Gus while she goes away to a meeting for the weekened. Brian's father stops by with some unexpected news. David's son is coming to town for the weekend. Ted runs into a old friend from school who turns out to be totally differentmoreless

    10
    "Perfect"
    By breezy2281, Aug 31, 2008 Report Abuse
    I thought the beginning of the episode was funny when Linze was freaking out about leaving Gus with Brian, like he couldn't handle it. So, there was a lot going on with Brian this episode. He has to deal with watching his son, and then out of the blue his father shows up at his place and announces that he has cancer. Only having a few months left, Debbie tries to convince Brian to tell his father who he is before his father dies. Brian was hesitant but in the end decided to tell his father anyway. His father didn't take it well and was actually pretty mean. Brian tells him off and leaves. In the meantime Mel shows up to take Gus, and Brian is pretty harsh with her as well. She wasn't cutting him any slack and he's trying to deal with the news he just got about his father, and his father's reaction to his lifestyle. As if that's not bad enough, Linze shows up and reads Brian the riot act as well. Brian's dad shows up again and Brian tells him that Gus is his grandson. Brian takes a picture that his father handed him of when he was a little boy and his dad was holding him. In the meantime Ted runs into an old friend from business school, Dale. When all the boys go out to the Leatherball at Babylon, Ted finds out that Dale is not only gay but turns out to be a dominatrix. Ted went over to Dale's house to have a drink and catch up. While looking for the bathroom he accidentally finds Dale's playroom. Dale puts the moves on Ted but Ted is freaked out and isn't into it. After realizing how predictable he is to everyone around him while ordering lunch, he tries to change it up. Ted goes back to Dale's place to experience the dominatrix, and he does. On the other hand David's son Hank comes to town for a visit, and Michael is really nervous. David runs around like a frantic mess, a chicken with his head cut off with this schedule he's made of things for he and his son to do while they're together. Hank tells Mike that he's only there because he made him come. After that remark i thought Hank was going to turn out to be a spoiled, snotty brat. Turns out, he doesn't have a good time when he's at his father's because he goes to his dad's to get away from stress, but he always has to be doing something every minute of the day because of this schedule his father makes to make sure he has a good time. Mike confronts David about this and things get a little heated. Mike and David have a fight, and when dropping Hank off at the airport Hank tells his father as well. I think this was a real eye opener for David. There wasn't much going on this episode with Justin or Emmett. Good episode, looking forward to the next one.moreless

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  • Brian plays Dad for the weekend.

    9.8
    "Superb"
    By luv4brian, Jul 03, 2007 Report Abuse
    Lindsay's out for the weekend for a teacher's conference. Mel's out of town as well, visiting her family, so that leaves Brian in charge of Gus. He's actually doing a good job at it too, well for the time being. Brian's father stops by for a visit to tell him that he found out he has cancer, and only a few months to live. After hearing Debbie's advice, Brian decides to come out to his dad before he dies, and not surprisingly, doesn't get a friendly reception. Being tempted by the "Leather Ball" at Babylon, Brian leaves Gus in Justin's care. Melanie comes home early and pops by to check on Gus' where-abouts, as Justin was just about to feed Gus hot milk. Melanie's furious with Brian's decision to neglect Gus, and lets him know it when he gets back home. At the end of the episode, Brian's dad comes back to Brian's apartment to give him an old photo of the two of them, when Lindsay and him reveal to Jack (Brian's dad), that Gus is his grandson.

    The last 5 minutes are very heart- warming, despite Brian and Jack's falling- out earlier in the show.moreless

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  • 9.7
    "Superb"
    By tommyoliver21, Jan 31, 2007 Report Abuse
    I really liked the say that the episode flowed. Ted finally lets loose some, Dr. David learns that he's just a bit overbearring and far too scheduled, Brian learns that the best way to get over his dad is to be one to Gus, and he gets a verbal berating from both Lindsey and Melanie.

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  • I loved this episode!

    9.6
    "Superb"
    By tiewashere, Jan 24, 2007 Report Abuse
    This is up there in my favorite episodes of Queer as Folk list. I loved how they added a 12 year old child character and showed his ideas towards gays. I didn't think they were particularly true to what a 12 year old would believe but whatever(!) it made me happy!

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  • Daddy's and Evil Step Mom's

    7.5
    "Good"
    By SMGslayer97, Nov 19, 2006 Report Abuse
    This was cute episode all around. We got to see Michael's potential as a father, which does come into play later on in the series. But the most adorable part of the episode was Brian and Gus. While he was having a little trouble learning and isn't quite used to the responsibility with Gus yet he does make such a sweet father and he does have a way with his son. Gus is, as always, the cutest thing you could ever see. He gives Sunshine a tough run for his money.moreless

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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  • Trivia

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    • Ryan Cooley who played Hank also plays 'JT York' on Degrassi: The Next Generation. Edit
    • Despite being from Oregon, David's son has a very noticeable Canadian accent throughout the episode. Since the series was filmed in Toronto, it's probably a safe bet that the actor who played Hank was from the area. Edit

  • Notes

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    • Music: "Radiocapte" by Rinocerose; "U-Turn me" by Byron Stingly; "Cultural Year Zero" by Recon; "Who Am I" by Massiv, "I Need Feel" by H2so4; "Green Tomatoes" by 45 Dip; "Kitten Moon" by Fluke; "How Soon is Now" by The Smiths Edit
    • Even though the shot is brief, Scott Lowell (Ted) is the third cast member (& second man) to do a full frontal shot. Edit

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