Abhiroop Das
Created by Richard Gadd, HBO Max’s ‘Half Man‘ juggles the past and present of Niall and Ruben’s complicated relationship, both as friends and brothers, and potentially as something greater. While the duo was inseparable as teens, now, several decades later, there is a seemingly insurmountable distance between the two, in no small part due to Ruben’s self-destructive tendencies. However, when he shows up at Niall’s wedding unannounced and eager for a one-on-one confrontation, the story has to dial back several decades into the past to answer some questions, mostly about how this curious dynamic came to be.
What starts out as a rough friendship built on mutual benefit soon turns into a rather unusual bond, one that defies all definitions. As the drama series reveals just how close-knit Niall and Ruben were at one point, it doesn’t take long for questions about their respective sexual identities to take shape. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Niall Appears to be Gay and Has a Complex Relationship With His Sexuality
From what we see of Niall in the premiere episode of ‘Half Man,’ he is most likely gay, but there are still many ambiguities at play. Though he and Ruben describe each other as “brothers from another lover” their relationship can hardly be boxed into any one category or definition. What becomes clear over the course of the episode, however, is that there is a strong sexual underlayer at play every time Niall and Ruben get close to each other. One night, Ruben brings a sex worker to his home for Niall to have sex for the first time, but things don’t go as easily as planned. For a while, Niall feels no sexual stimulation when she approaches him, but that changes when she sucks his finger.
Though Niall has sex with the sex worker and eventually orgasms, it’s largely because Ruben sits right by his side, almost too close to his naked body, and whispers tips and words of encouragement throughout. The entire exchange of words almost feels like Ruben is talking dirty, and that relentless teasing is all it takes for Niall to orgasm. As such, there is a good chance that Niall has been suppressing his sexual identity in front of the public, given that the present timeline is centered around his marriage. While we don’t know who he is tying the knot with, it is most likely a straight marriage, which leaves it up in the air whether Niall ever learns to deal with his sexual feelings about Ruben.
Ruben’s Sexual Orientation Continues to be a Mystery
Though we get a good look at Niall’s life in episode 1, much of Ruben’s past remains obscured, including his sexuality. While we see him interact with Niall very closely when the latter has sex, it’s hard to gauge whether or not Ruben is aroused himself. The same holds true for many other sexually charged scenes of the episode, as while we often catch Niall’s reaction to such moments, Ruben’s take on things is always slightly more diffused. The only time he does get excited is during fights, and we see that happen in real time when he punches the adult version of Niall. After lying down on the floor with him, Ruben scrubs off some of the blood with his saliva before holding Niall close to his chest.
While such sequences can be interpreted as sexual in nature, there is once again no confirmation of the same, which maintains, if not outright increases, the mystery around Ruben’s sexuality. Things get even more complicated when the idea of love is introduced into the story. While there is indeed a strong sense of kinship between him and Niall, we still don’t know whether it has an explicit romantic component. Given how the duo interacts as their older versions, it appears that they have spent a lot of time apart, which can definitely leave a lasting impact on their relationship. In a conversation with Decider, creator Richard Gadd, who also plays Ruben in the show, described their love as “transcendental and extremely powerful,” which leaves the door of possibilities open.
Read More: Is Half Man Based on a True Story? Are Niall Kennedy and Ruben Pallister Based on Real People?
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