Sons and Lovers (Wings)

Sons and Lovers is the 13th episode from the 7th season of the sitcom Wings.

The Story

Roy is celebrating his 12th birthday (he was born in a leap year), and a party has been planned. Helen announces that she has invited his son R. J., to whom he hasn't spoken to in almost five years since he came out. Initially things seem to be going quite well--if Roy abruptly changing the subject whenever R. J. talks AbOUT his personal life could be called quite well. Unfortunately, it falls apart when R. J.'s partner Luke shows up. When Roy sarcastically thanks R. J. for "throwing" his homosexuality in his face, he retorts, "So my being who I am is ruining your life. Well maybe I shouldn't be in your life," and storms out. Eventually he decides to fly back to Boston with Luke, despite Roy's protests. But when he still can't bring himself to even say the word "gay," R. J. finally loses patience with him. In a last-ditch effort to stop his only son from walking out of his life forever, he finally--loudly--acknowledges that R. J. is gay and that he loves him.

A secondary story involves Antonio and Brian. Antonio guilt-trips Brian into taking his place as a cabbie, but then proceeds to make him absolutely miserable by criticizing everything he does. unfortunately, he has even less luck following Antonio's examples when he picks up R. J. and Luke as passengers. As the young man tells Brian about his troubles, the best Brian can muster up are Antonio's safe phrases, like "you don't say" and "looks like rain."

The episode marks the return of Abraham Benrubi as R. J., who had only recently started on "ER."

Actor Tim Bagley, who played R. J.'s partner Luke, would also play another gay role on Will and Grace.
The episode was originally supposed to end with a civil ceremony in which R. J. and Luke get married, but it was dropped because Friends was pursuing a similar storyline.

The episodes dealing with R. J. are notable because they challenged the gay stereotype that would be perpetrated by shows like "Will and Grace." Very few, if anyone, would believe a 6'7", 300+ lb. man could be gay.