Hello! Welcome to Friday, the very last weekday of the week! If you’ve ever wanted to see nature but gay and while high, you are in for a treat because Drew got high and watched Gay Nature Documentary ‘Queer Planet’. Gabe celebrated his connection to Looking as a queer trans guy. Also, Sally wrapped up a thrilling season of British lesbian reality TV with The Top Lesbian Moments on ‘I Kissed a Girl’. Also, Nic watched ‘The Acolyte’, a Star Wars series made by a real live lesbian!
Notes from the TV Team:
+ Even in the absence of chefbians, Kristen Kish’s war on sleeves continues, unabated, on this season’s Top Chef. And, of course, it is my duty to share the latest salvo in that battle:
— Natalie
Pretty Little Liars: Summer School Episode 206: “Chapter Sixteen: Hell House”
Written by Valerie Anne
Happy Pride to us!!
This week, Noa debriefs the Liars about her run-in with Bloody Rose, and how Jen saved her, officially looping her into the madness. Imogen says, “Welcome to our nightmare.” Later, Jen watches Noa lie to her boyfriend about why her feet are sore, and has to look away as he kisses her goodbye, blissfully unaware of the girls’ tension and Noa’s guilty conscience.
At the titular summer school, Kelly invites the students to Redemption House, where they’ll learn how to not go to hell…but it’s taking place at Imogen’s old house, and she’s pissed.
When Ash finds out about Redemption house, he’s also mad, because he knows it’s actually a Hell House full of Christian shaming nonsense, depicting “sins” like homosexuality. Which, despite sounding like something showrunners of PLL/Riverdale made up, is a real thing. Ash is extra pissed because they got sanctioned when his request for a Pride party was denied, and now Spectrum is now going to spend Pride protesting instead of celebrating. Mouse says porque no los dos: they can throw a pride party of their own, and make protest signs at it. Pride can be a protest AND a celebration.
At work, Jen says she knows Noa is conflicted, and starts to float the idea of a throuple, but Noa isn’t into that. She just asks for a pause while she figures things out, and knowing everything she’s dealing with, Jen agrees.
The Liars decide to see for themselves if Redemption House is a Hell House, and sure enough, it is. What’s worse, each room seems custom built for the Liars, down to Kelly portraying someone going to hell for doing what Imogen’s mother did…in her old room.
The Liars and their friends gather at the pool for a big ol’ Pride party. Everyone’s having a blast, except Noa who is glaring at Jen flirting with a girl, knowing full well it’s her own fault. Between this and the gay revelry around her, Noa finally tells the Liars she’s more than friends with Jen. The girls laugh because they’re not blind, and are supportive. Mouse is especially glad she’s not the only queer Liar. Noa realizes she wants to be with Jen, which means she has to break up with Mr. Perfectly Fine.
Unfortunately, when she tries to do that, her boyfriend tells her his mother’s house got robbed, and Noa realizes Jen stole the money she used to pay him back for bailing her out. She confronts Jen and says she still needs time, but just a day, then she’ll save Jen from purgatory.
Instead of a protest, the Liars decide to give Redemption House a taste of their own medicine, putting on monster masks and scaring everyone. Unfortunately, Bloody Rose is there and attacks Imogen, who claws her bandages off before Bloody Rose escapes. When the Liars find her and ask if she saw her face, she says yes…and it was her mother. I’m sure this is a mask of a mask situation, or an evil twin perhaps, but either way Imogen and I are shook!!
The Chi 613: “Legacy”
Written by Natalie
Earlier this season, while watching an episode of The Chi, I began to wonder if the show had really gotten better — a hard thing to do for a show in its sixth season — or if it was just gayer. Sure, I fancy myself as a serious TV critic but The Chi‘s parade of melanated queerness is unlike anything else we’ve ever seen on television and it’s hard not to be swayed by it.
But, as it turns out, even I have my limits. Because this week, even as The Chi got even gayer, I found myself wondering how any of this serves the show’s stories. I love the gays but quality trumps quantity every time and this just ain’t it.
Take, for example, Nina…who earlier this season ended her marriage to her wife and hasn’t been seen since. She reappears on our screens this week, not to comfort her daughter, Kiesha — who’s being forced to revisit the most traumatic time of her life — or to support her grandbaby, as he starts to feel the effects of Sickle Cell Disease. No, seeing her there would make too much sense; instead, we see her at home, opening the door to be reunited with her one-night stand, LaPorsha (AKA Da Brat). Apparently, Nina’s former mistress has been keeping track of her on Instagram and knows she and Dre split. LaPorsha stops by to put Nina on notice: when Nina’s ready to start dating again, she’s around.
Roselyn also re-emerges but, unlike in the past, when she’s brought some much needed drama, this week she drops in to takeover the local chicken shop. Really, we’re wasting Kandi Burruss on this?! On the plus side, though, Roselyn shows up to Smokey’s VERY, VERY thirsty: first she salivates over Dom (Lala Anthony) but then turns her attention to Dom’s cousin, Serena (Dre Hollingsworth). I can’t fault her in either instance, TBH.
Meanwhile, The Chi‘s other queer women do not have good weeks: after Victor’s arrest, he returns home to a frustrated Fatima, who decides the couple ought to take some space. She returns, in tears, to the arms of her mother and sister, Isis and Aerin (Monroe Alise and Toni Bryce). Tierra’s relationship is also on the ropes, as her boyfriend won’t even commit to a family Christmas card…maybe it’s time to reconnect with Roselyn? And while we don’t get an answer to the push/pull between Jemma and Britney this week, it looks like Jemma’s relationship with Jake might be on its last legs: she can’t get past his cheating.
Criminal Minds Episode 1701 & 1702: “Gold Star” & “Contagion”
Written by Valerie Anne
I do still love me a tol and a smol.
The BAU is back, baby! We open at Garcia’s birthday party, where Tara tells JJ about how she never sees Rebecca anymore even though they work in the same building and it’s killing her. JJ thought they were too old for dating drama, but Tara says it’s rough out there. JJ calls Tara hot, which is true and also another note for my “Bisexual JJ” conspiracy folder, and tells Tara that when she meets Miss or Mister Right, it will be work but worth it. She then immediately asks Tara if she’s heard from Emily. #JemilyForever
The team gathers to work on the Gold Star case, and find out that a classified file they were looking for was requested by none other than Tara’s ex Rebecca, and that she brought it to the supermax prison Elias is in. So Tara breaks their silence and confronts her about it, and Rebecca defends her decisions, saying she’s just doing her job. Tara can’t believe she’d work with a serial killer before her, and in the most petty gay way imaginable, Rebecca says, “At least he doesn’t lie to me.” Rebecca wants to set boundaries and accuses Tara of being bad at it, and Tara says she wanted to be friends but she’s not sure that’s possible anymore, and Rebecca agrees saying, “I don’t ask my friends to risk their jobs so I can do mine.” Way harsh.
As things progress though, Rebecca’s guilt gets the better of her and she starts looping Tara in even though she shouldn’t. She no longer agrees with the powers that be.
Garcia asks Tara how she handles being in the same proximity as her ex, since she’s dealing with the same thing, but Tara says it’s fine she’s fiiiine. Garcia doesn’t believe her, and Tara admits she’s been jumping through hoops to avoid being alone with Rebecca and it’s making her a little crazy. To get out of the office and away from the mayhem, Tara volunteers to go on a stakeout with Tyler, but much to her chagrin, Rebecca was assigned to tag along.
When Rebecca asks them to turn the AC on, Tara sasses that she could get out, and they quibble. Tara snaps at her, saying maybe if Rebecca hadn’t kept information from the BAU, Agent Bailey might still be alive, and Rebecca makes it clear she has thought of that, making Tara wince; that might’ve been too far.
Later, Rebecca wakes Tara up when Tyler steps out of the car and explainsher rationale for her actions and they both air out their real issues instead of just taking swipes at each other. Tara admits a lot of her anger has been based in her fear that Rebecca was putting herself in Gold Star’s murderous sights, and she’s just worried about her. They agree that they both had good intentions but less than ideal methods. And now maybe they can get back on a path to friendship…or something more.
