Season 2: Episode 6, 'Mixed Blessings' Michael, now fulfilling his life's dream of owning a comic book store, gets a crush on a customer named Ben (Robert Gant). What happens after that is too important to be spoiled, but suffice to say it's the most emotionally-wrecking thing that ever happens on this show (and a lot of emotionally-wrecking crap happens on this show). Season 1: Episode 22, 'Full Circle' While Michael packs up to move to Portland with his boyfriend, Brian shows up at Justin's prom. And that goes for every person, every planet, every mountain, every grain of sand, every song, every tear. And since God is love and God doesn't make mistakes, then you must be exactly the way he wants you to be. At least that's what I was always taught. (Yeah, good luck with that.) It all comes to a head when Ted gives him one of the best speeches of the entire show: '… created you in his image. Season 1: Episode 13, 'Very Stupid People' Emmett (Peter Paige) has been trying to go straight. The dysfunctional/codependent nature of Brian and Michael's friendship will hit many peaks, this episode is just one of them. Season 1: Episode 10, 'Queens of the Road' Brian throws Michael a surprise birthday party and outs him to a coworker. (You'll soon learn that Brian has father issues.) Season 1: Episode 7, 'Spells Like Codependence' Justin's homophobic father attacks Brian. (Remember this guy.) Ted winds up in a coma. Ted (Scott Lowell) hooks up with a guy whose drugs cause him to OD. Also, Brian objects the circumcision of his son, Gus, and thus establishes his favorite pastime of antagonizing Melanie while Lindsay defends him. She's the poster PLFAG mom, and ultimate dropper of wisdom. Season 1: Episode 2, 'Queer, There and Everywhere' Meet Michael's mom, Debbie (Sharon Gless). The final two seasons get a little too dramatic at times-and maybe a bit improbable (Justin goes to Hollywood to work in the movies!)-but the finale pays off, so you'll want to know what got you there. And even though it came before the true advent of prestige television, it still has a long-arc format wherein little bits of every episode tie into both what's happening in the moment and what will happen in the future. Generally speaking, all of Queer As Folk is watchable.

That said, Justin experiences the most growth over the show's course-but since Brian and Justin spend most of the show's run in various states of emotional entanglement, it's easy to follow them as a dynamic duo. It's no wonder that when his childhood best friend Michael (Hal Sparks) created a gay superhero, he modeled him after Brian.

He's a classic Anti-Hero-With-a-Code, but in a way that's never boring.

Best Character to Follow: The most interesting person on the show, easily, is Brian Kinney.

Ted queer as folk