I ain't mad at Shenny. But what's up with TiBette?

Why is eveverybody on the L Word so bent out of shape about Shane and Jenny getting it on? Aren't these people lesbians? Don't they know lesbians do this sort of thing all the time? Cue the excruciating theme song because it's definitely the way that we live -- and looooove!  Lesbians tend to end up in bed with their roommates and BFFs. It's just a thing lesbians do. They're not always, you know, boundaried. Wait, is that a word? I've had lesbian shrinks throw that word at me more than once. Which is one of the reasons I gave up lesbian shrinks for straight male shrinks.

But that's another story. The point is, Shane and Jenny have cute energy together and I'm totally buying that they would end up in the sack. And yeah, I can see why everybody is in LMFAO mode. Though, that Bette cackle at the end seemed way overdone.I mean, what's so f-ing funny?  But the fact that they're getting down all of a sudden is not nearly as grody and gagillicious  as, say, Max taking the strap-on to Billy that one time at the Planet. That was a total ew!  Kit and Papi? Double ew! But Shenny? What's surprising is that it didn't happen earlier. Not that this relationship will have great potential, given Shane's intimacy problems and  Jenny's general psychoness. (Not a word either? Sue me. My editor doesn't even read my L Word blog, so I can get away murder here.)

But, hey, big ups to Mia. Really. She is just  so much better than most of the cast at the acting thing. But why name names this late in the game? Let's focus on the positives for a second:

There's Mia's inspired interpretation of freaskshow Jenny. And Leisha's great way with Alice. And the comfortable, fun interaction between some of the cast in the final season. You get the sense that these women have gotten close over six years and are just having a fun time playing off each other this time around. Look at Shane and Jenny together. There's fun familiarity there that makes their hookup pretty believable. 

Phyllis firing Bette  at the bar was sort of fun, too. Then again, real actors seem to bring out the best in JB and Cybill Shepherd is a solid veteran who seemed to have pulled some decent comedy out of her this episode. I mean, those two together? Talk about an ew!  But Phyllis coming on to Bette was amusing enough. Seriously, if you lower your expectations enough and stop being a stickler about decent or even lucid writing, it's still possible to enjoy this show.

What wasn't amusing at all was Alice getting all public service announcementey  on The Look. Why won't the writers of this show get that the gay soap box non sequiturs are just plain lame? If I wanted to hear cliched, humorless, gay political ranting I'd check in with one of my gay activist friends.  Actually, I'll almost forgive Chaiken for giving us that scene where Alice talks the  suicidal teenager off the ledge because it was really in the function of introducing the cute director of the gay center. Which takes us back to the way we live and love.

 Alice and Tasha seem to be headed toward that other thing unboundaried lesbians tend to do: Bringing a third party into their relationship to ultimately f*ck everything up. Seems the gay center girl is gonna be all up in Tasha and Alice's sh*t. It'll start like it always does. Just a fun little triangle of platonic friendship. But as we all know, this could easily end in a threesome (maybe if we're really lucky, there will finally be a hot sex scene in season 6). Or worse,  a lesbian game of musical chairs. The second the Indigo Girls tune ends, well, who knows who'll get kicked to the curb. And in which direction the U-Haul will ride.

I have no idea where Tasha and Alice are headed with this. But I know there will be drama. I know because mama said:

"The third wheel friendship is never acknowledged as dating, but it is kind of a three-way romance,'' Chaiken told me in a recent interview. "And invariably it leads to drama. Two of the three people involved usually end up in an affair.''

Chaiken would not say more.  But  wait for it. Some sort of bs is gonna go down. Hey, it's better than worrying about who had the motive this week to kill Jenny. Honestly, Tina is not going to kill Jenny. That would be like, another show.

Which takes us to Bette and Tina. Um, why do I feel a bit uneasy about these two?  First of all, after all that hot makeup sex last season, why are we just about nearing the halfway mark for the final season without any real TiBette action? And what could this mean?

But the more disturbing question is, why did I not hate on Bette's pirate blouse this week? I mean,  I have been turned off by  every single one of her pirate blouses. But this episode, she was, I don't know...sort of PILF. 

 

 

 

 

Comments

[Sue]

Finally! We're getting back to the L-word that we know and love. Last night's episode was a vast improvement from the first two. I said after episode one that if the trainwreck got better I would eat my words about it being such a disaster. Well I'm eating my words. The cast was great, especially Leisha and Mia, and it moved along much more smoothly.

I also thought that Bette's laughing at the bar was oddly over the top, but overall it was an enjoyable episode.

I really think that marketing the show as a murder mystery and putting the end at the beginning was a big goof. It caused a lot of confusion and was too drastic of a change.

[dutch/juno]

Lydia, what a difference it makes to have Angela Robinson direct an episode!! A much better flow to things, and Alexandra Kondracke's writing is such an improvement over....ahem...'you-know-who'....btw, in your conversation with IC, by any chance did the length(s) of these episodes come up? I swear that last night's was the shortest one yet. I know that some folks expect that the Final will run two hours in order to tie things up (HA!). As for the lack of TiBette "action", well, all these seasons we've longed to see 'em being supportive of each other and really communicating, so that seems to be what IC's giving us. It does feels a bit like Lucy with the football though.

[Beluga]

@dutch/juno: Lucy with the football - right on. Hahaha! My paranoid mind thinks IC just likes to screw with TiBette nation.

This was a solid episode, although the bar is admittedly very low this season. It had its moments and was amusing, which is definitely an improvement.

It bugs me when IC inserts PSAs into this show - they're always clang like an anvil to the head. This time was no different. The Alice scenes were otherwise great, though.

I thought Bette's laughing fit was overdone, too. And PILF? Hahaha! Unfortunately, the pink-white polka dots (were they polka dots?) just killed it for me. The Phyllis scene was indeed amusing, until I realized that the premise was silly and made little sense. But I know you're right, and I shouldn't be expecting too much from the writing at this point.

I don't believe a word Jenny says, but I think that's probably the point.

[Katherine]

See, I found Bette's reaction totally plausable; it's the same one I had. I just can't get behind Shenny (nor would I want to), even if it is the way we live and loooooove.

As for Tibette... I'm feeling a little let down, quite honestly. I know we wanted to see them talk and all that BS, but seriously, I think pillow talk fits in the general 'communication' arena. Just saying.

As for writing, sub-standard or otherwise, I'm over it. I, too, am watching simply out of a sense of obligation. After all, what would be the point of skipping out for a short season when I've stuck around for all the other crap?

[btfan2]

WHY can't we post??

[Sue]

Hi Katherine and everyone,

A friend of mine from another blog pointed out what we've all known for some time, that the L-word has been an important show socially and culturally because of the community that has coalesced around it...and of course because it has fostered visibility and representation of the LGBT community in the media.

It's not been an important show in terms of it's content and writing however. The same plot-lines are recycled over and over, the dialogue is marginal at best (sometimes it's better than others)and while it's been very entertaining at times and the actors are great it's played itself out.

I'm thankful for what the producers and creators have accomplished, and hopefully it has paved the way for future LGBT television shows.

[btfan2]

I just can't seem to get a post up here. Are others having the same problem OR is everybody just over IT??

Oh well, I'm trying again. I don't much care about Shenny, I just don't want a ton of screen time wasted on Jenny again this season.

I also just don't care who killed jenny. I sorta agree with the poster that thinks she did herself. Or maybe she just flat out drowned, she is a ditz.

Lydia you know IC is going to thump TiBette so get ready.

As far as Alice and Tasha, well I love Alice, I love Tasha, I hate them together. There is no real chemistry they are a bore.

Honestly what I've seen so far is kinda crazy. The plot and interaction with each character is better but; the slow is awful - still.

To me it's like a long boring plane ride you just want it to end so you can get the "f" on with your life.

Jennifer Beals!! I wish I could quit you!!