Mary Hartman Meets a Gay Couple

This week, in a first-ever solo episode, Drew talks you through not just one episode of the cult series Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman instead the whole of the show’s art for its two gay characters, Ed and Howard. What’s remarkable about this nuanced portrayal of a same-sex couple is that by virtue of airing before the AIDS crisis, the showrunners didn’t need to make these two characters angel gays. They’re as neurotic and complex as any of the straight characters on the show, which means it’s an example of a progressive representation back in 1976.

If you want to see Ed and Howard (and everyone else) in action, check out the supercut of their whole story on Patreon. It’s free for everyone, so even people who aren’t pledging can watch it. There is not another place online where you can easily watch Ed and Howard’s whole story.

But also check out Matt Baume’s 2020 video on why this show’s gay storyline still matters.

Episode artwork by Ian O’Phelan.