Back when narratives about gay men were almost always stereotypical, Looking broke the mold by featuring gay life as relaxed, relatable, and riddled with as many problems as any other community. The series delves into the lives of Patrick (Jonathan Groff), Agustín (Frankie J. Alvarez), and Dom (Murray Bartlett) with great depth and sensitivity. Patrick is stuck between two loves, Agustín is finding his artistic voice, and Dom is having quite the mid-life crisis. Their problems are at once specific and universal, and they always feel real thanks to the humanistic approach of the show. The intimate tenderness of director Andrew Haigh’s films—an impressive list that includes Weekend and All of Us Strangers—is thankfully and joyously present here.

No one will bat an eye on its subject matter now, but when Looking came out in 2014, it was branded as controversial, with some of the criticism coming from within the community itself. Now, it’s rightfully taken its place as a cult show classic.