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HBO Max's Gay Christmas Dating Show Is As Demented As It Sounds
12 Dates of Christmas is exactly the kind of reality TV chaos we NEED this holiday season!
If you're in the mood for a holiday trainwreck, HBO Max's new reality dating series 12 Dates of Christmas is a full-sized serving of yuletide insanity.
Unlike your average dating show, there isn't just one lead, but three: Faith, Chad, and Garrett walk into a picturesque Austrian castle with no idea what they're about to get into. One by one, new singles wander into the estate ready to try and find the magic with each of our leads and for some reason, it's Christmas-themed? Not too sure why, but this will all go down easier if you don't ask too many questions.
There's Chad, who has serious feelings for every girl that walks in the foyer — until the next girl walks in. There's Faith, who knows exactly what she wants and that's tall, Black, and handsome. And there's Garrett, who immediately lays his red flags on the table when he opens his confessional with, "I find that it's hard to trust guys. If someone is getting close, I sometimes pull back."
Garrett's dates are all stunning specimens of men: there's the needy and overbearing Corey who cries thirty minutes into episode one, the confident and peacocking self-described "gaysian" Steven, and Jose, who actually met Garrett previously on a Grindr hookup in the real estate business and the two quickly hit it off.
And the men just keep coming. Dominick, who wormed his way into our hearts with an Avatar: The Last Airbender reference, is a blast to watch because it's clear he's not interested in involving himself in the castle's drama — or Garrett at all. Garrett, who is stereotypically handsome in a muscular white twink sort of way, is used to men throwing themselves at him and is absolutely mystified at Dominick's apathy. That insecure desire to earn Dominick's love at the expense of his connection with Jose is bewitching to watch, (justice for Jose) but makes for absolutely amazing television.
Expect plenty of heterosexual shenanigans as well, men (whose entire personality is being tall) getting schwasted at parties, uncomfortable Christmas karaoke in silence, awkward canoes rides, and everything else you might expect from a Christmas-themed dating show: absolute chaos.
12 Dates of Christmas is streaming now on HBO Max! Watch the trailer below!
Taylor Henderson is a PRIDE.com contributor. This proud Texas Bama studied Media Production/Studies and Sociology at The University of Texas at Austin, where he developed his passions for pop culture, writing, and videography. He's absolutely obsessed with Beyoncé, mangoes, and cheesy YA novels that allow him to vicariously experience the teen years he spent in the closet. He's also writing one!
Taylor Henderson is a PRIDE.com contributor. This proud Texas Bama studied Media Production/Studies and Sociology at The University of Texas at Austin, where he developed his passions for pop culture, writing, and videography. He's absolutely obsessed with Beyoncé, mangoes, and cheesy YA novels that allow him to vicariously experience the teen years he spent in the closet. He's also writing one!
