Wait, “The Morning Show” Got Gay?

The rumors are true! The Morning Show got gay! The AppleTV+ flagship soap opera that swears it is a Serious Program About Making The News, has gifted us with not only a lesbian character, but perhaps, a romance?

Okay The Morning Show Got Gay, How Did We Get Here?

Okay, let’s run through the pertinent events of season one so we’re all on the same page. Morning Show anchor Mitch Kessler (Steve Carell) was fired for sexual harassment. His co-anchor of fifteen years, Alex Levy (Jennifer Aniston), was left to pick up the pieces, much to the chagrin of network executive Fred Micklen (Tom Irwin) who was about to fire her. Meanwhile, Bradley Jackson, a local reporter in West Virginia (Reese Witherspoon) goes viral for yelling at a protester at a coal mine (you gotta just go with it) and the clip gets noticed by the show’s talent booker Hannah Shoenfeld (Gugu Mbatha-Raw), who gets her on TMS to be interviewed by Alex. It doesn’t go super well, but the new head of the news division, Cory Ellison (Billy Crudup) takes a liking to her.

A convoluted series of events ends with Alex announcing that Bradley is her new co-host at an event filled with members of the press, effectively forcing the network to let it happen. There a billion side plots, Alex has seven breakdowns (which I have ranked) and at the end of the season, Bradley discovers the network knew about the accusations against Mitch, specifically that he raped Hannah on a work trip to Las Vegas. Bradley wants to expose this, and Hannah reluctantly agrees to be interviewed, but revisiting this trauma leads to her overdosing. In the shadow of her death, Bradley and Alex decide to team up and expose Fred and the network live on air. The feed is cut halfway through! End of Season!

So Now What?

We’re only on the third episode of Season Two, but here’s what we’ve got so far Alex left the show and went to Maine where she has been writing a manuscript and chopping wood. Bradley has a new co-host, Eric (Hasan Minhaj) who we learn in the first episode is leaving for the recently vacated evening news spot. Bradley needs a new co-host, and of course the only person they can think of to bring back is Alex! Never mind the fact that they have not spoken in eight months! The network isn’t doing hot, money wise so Cory decides to use Alex’s return to generate some buzz. Enter, Laura Peterson (Julianna Margulies.) Laura is a veteran anchor at the network (who we have never heard of until now, you really just gotta go with it), and she will be conducting one on one interviews with Alex and Bradley that will air in the weeks before Alex’s big return to TMS. Also? Holland Taylor is here, and all she does is piss.

Alright, I’m Going With It, Now Give Me The Morning Show’s Gay Shit.

In last week’s episode, we meet Laura when she comes to Alex’s penthouse for the interview. This gorgeous piece of exposition takes place:

Cory: Ms. Laura Peterson, I presume?
Laura: Lord Cory of Ellison. You put the CE in CEO.
Cory: Aw, well, you put the, uh, L in LGBTQ.

Laura is wearing a black turtleneck underneath a white dress shirt with a popped collar under a pinstriped blaze. Her ponytail is high, she has a slight bouffant going on, and there is an earring situation, all of it is simply very, very gay.

This was enough of a gift! Juliana Margulies, a canon lesbian! But did The Morning Show stop there? I am delighted to report it did not. Bradley’s interview takes place at the Iowa Caucuses, because what we really wanted to do was relive the 2020 presidential election AND the run up to the pandemic simultaneously. They get along well, laughing and talking about work and generally vibing.

After their long day of chatting and vibing, Laura and Bradley head back to their hotel, and whew Laura is laying the praise on thick! Bradley is eating it up, and frankly, flirting her tiny blonde head off! The next time we see the twosome, they are in a car on their way home and then they…make out??? If it sounds like it came out of nowhere, well, it did! I will transcribe the scene for you now.

Bradley: Do you think you got everything you needed for the interview?
Laura: Oh yeah, I got plenty. I could have left before we went inside yesterday, but I was having too much fun.
[A companionable silence falls, they smile at one another]
Laura: Hey. Now that the cameras are off and now that I see how truly awesome you really are, do you mind if I ask you a personal follow up question, just between us?
Bradley: Sure, you can ask me anything.
Laura: Did you actually get vetted for this job?
[Bradley looks at her in stunned silence, then kisses her.]
Bradley: I’m sorry, I just—I—
[Laura blinks, then leans forward. They kiss again.]

What Does This Mean??

Well, considering that Bradley was absolutely not vetted for this job, it was definitely an attempt to sidestep the question. Maybe she’s just a panic kisser?? Though, if that is true, then there are at least fifteen times throughout last season that she should have kissed Alex. Are we going to get a grand queer romance on The Morning Show? Will it matter that they don’t really have a ton of chemistry? We’ll just have to check back next week!

Until we get to the bottom (Bradley) of this, rest assured that I will be here to update you and guide you through any and all gay moments that happen this season! And if you like, you can read my old school, Television Without Pity style recaps via my (free) newsletter “Chaos, It’s The New Cocaine!” where I am bravely recaping every episode in painstaking detail, yes, even the straight stuff.

L Word Generation Q Episode 209 Recap: Last Dance For Buried Pain

Welcome to the ninth recap of the second season of The L Word: Generation Q, brought to you by the same network that brought you the original L Word, a show about an adorable Pomeranian named Sounder II who enjoyed wearing mauve bows, disappearing when convenient, taking inflatable rafts to Tulum and peeing on the table.

I wondered if anything could be worse than last week’s episode, and luckily Episode 209 “Last Dance” was not worse than last week’s episode. But it bears remembering precisely how low the bar was for that!

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We open outside of the California Arts Center, the world-renowned former host of “Provocations,” an art exhibit which inspired counter-protests from religious conservatives which inspired Bette and her progressive friends to create a human chain to protect the controversial artists attempting to enter the building against formidable odds — a situation that eventually landed Bette Porter in jail overnight where she got to have IRL phone sex with her secret lover, The Carpenter. Today the CAC is hosting a different kind of protest — it’s not conservatives protesting the artists, it’s artists protesting the museum.

Everybody’s raided the markers + posterboard section of the nice CVS and come out kicking against the Núñez family, who have bestowed a massive endowment upon this museum, thus upsetting our very own Bette Porter and her girlfriend, legendary artist of the canyon, Pippa Pascal.

The artists chant “Hey Hey, Ho Ho, Núñez has got to go!” Pippa embraces Bette and tells her “this will be your legacy.” I would like to suggest that perhaps it is also Pippa’s legacy because it was her idea?

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After a slip of B-Roll displaying the billboard for Alice’s book, cleverly entitled Don’t Ask Alice, we cut to the charming lounge of the Marriot, where a hot reporter from Out Magazine who is probably better at responding to emails than I am is interviewing Alice about her memoir.

This writer has got very hard-hitting questions such as, “were you hoping to inspire anyone with your book?” Her follow-up question is more of a statement: she notes that a big chunk of the book was about Nat, and then asks if Alice is seeing anybody now. Alice finds herself immediately flustered.

“Come on, who’s the lucky lady—” the interviewer prods.

“I think you’re gonna have to wait until the second book to find out,” Alice says.

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Cut to a lil ol hospital where Angie’s sitting with her Moms nervously awaiting the big face-to-face with her donor, Marcus Allenwood, and entertaining prom-related chit-chat with Mama B and Mama T, the latter of whom cannot believe Angie’s old enough to go to prom! Bette can’t wait to see Angie in her suit!

Angie relays that she’s borrowing cufflinks from Carrie, and Bette offers her own cufflinks, but listen, Angie is wearing Carrie’s cufflinks okay? Cufflink Chat is interrupted by the arrival of Kayla’s Mom, Sheila, who pulls Bette aside for a VERY brief one-on-one. Bette returns from their discussion with the news that Angie’s not gonna be able to meet Marcus today because his family has been “struggling with this kind of in the way that we were before and they’re still kinda going through it and she seemed really really sorry but today is just not a good day.”

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We then jet back to the Marriot where Sophie’s experiencing ambient anxiety and carrying a lot of binders and confirms to Alice that she doesn’t have anything in her teeth.

“I think I’m gonna have to come out as bisexual, again,” Alice laments.

“Well, at least you got a 12-week book tour to get it right,” Sophie says, presenting Alice with a list of hosts who could fill in for Alice during her hiatus, including Rachel Maddow!

Then Sophie asks if Alice has heard from Finley at all, but Alice has not — the last time she saw Finley was at the launch party the night before. Alice suggests that perhaps Finley took a wrong turn on a scooter, as drunk Birders are wont to do. Sophie tries to laugh it off but her devastation and genuine concern is all over her sad beautiful face.

Um, if I were Sophie I would be losing my absolute mind and I’d be having a level 10 meltdown about Finley’s disappearance and probably I would’ve called all of my friends to come meet me on a random street in Los Angeles to help me hunt her down. You know, like this:

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We cut to a resplendent morning in a mysterious ground floor location in which Dani and Gigi are having strawberries for breakfast and Dani’s losing it over Bette Porter’s protest making the cover of the LA Times. Gigi reminds her that Bette was almost mayor, so she probably knows people who know people. Remember that reporter Bette went on a date with at the end of Season One? I wonder what happened there.

Dani’s got a hot evening ahead of her, though: attending Eli’s recorder concert with her gorgeous girlfriend Gigi! Gigi, a woman after my own heart, promises Dani she’ll bring edibles for them both to enhance the sound of music. Gigi reassures Dani — who isn’t hurt re: Bette, simply angry re: Bette — that she’ll find a way to spin this little tiff because that’s what she does so well!

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At Bette’s Hollywood Dream House, Tina and Bette are prepping for a pre-prom party and Angie is actively mad at them because Marcus didn’t want to meet her. I do honestly enjoy the Bette and Tina Parenting Together scenes, even when they are inevitably riddled with tension.

“Do you think you fought hard enough for her back there?” Tina asks about Bette’s convo with Sheila, noting that Bette generally wins fights of that nature. Bette says it wasn’t a fight, just a woman being protective of her dying husband, and Tina and Bette have JUST started to fight about whether or not it was a fight when Alice shows up bursting with school spirit! She loves prom! She went all four years!

Tina: What did you bring?
Alice: Oh, booze! (pulls out a bottle of Absolut Vodka)
Bette: Alice! They’re teenagers.
Alice: Bette it’s PROM.

Anyhow, Alice is gonna make herself a martini!

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Meanwhile Dani’s knee deep in trial prep, answering questions about whether or not her Dad was a good Dad and if he ever lied to her about anything. In the dead center of a generous statement about his worthiness as a father, Rodolfo charges into the room yelling about The LA Times cover story.

Dani says her contacts at the CAC have assured her that if they lay low, it’ll blow over. Rodolfo says there are artists out there protesting their own art! “Make it go away,” he commands.

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Let us now return to Porter’s Pre-Prom Party of a Lifetime at Bette’s Hollywood Dream House! Jordi’s struggling to properly affix a boutonniere while Angie complains about Bette not fighting hard enough for her to meet Marcus. Jordi softly suggests Angie save her anger for tomorrow because you cannot be angry today, not on Prom Day! Angie smiles and says she’ll give it a whirl, but the look she gives her Mom shortly thereafter suggests she is not trying very hard.

Tina asks Alice to deliver Carrie’s cufflinks to Angie, and Alice tells Tina she had a super wonderful convo with Carrie at Poker Night 500, which took place somewhere between one day and ten years ago. Tina’s relieved to hear this, having been worried that Carrie would have a rough night, but Alice puts her legitimate fears to bed, insisting that Carrie had a blast hanging out with Shane.

Guess who’s here? It’s Shane and Tess and everybody’s stoked to see their fave ship sail through the doors exuding mutual shared affection.

Everybody’s so very happy for Tess and Shane. Bette is disappointed to learn that Shane’s contribution to the party, like Alice’s, is alcoholic — she’s brought an entire case of Heineken.

Shane: Bette, it’s prom!
Alice: Thank you.

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Sophie, who apparently loves the law and is not wallowing in consistent low-level internalized homophobia that would prevent me personally from asking the cops if they had my girlfriend, rather than my close personal friend, in custody; is sitting in her car calling the cops to see if they have her girlfriend!!! In custody!!

Finley famously does not have a car and it seems unlikely the LAPD would throw a white girl with an address into the clink for public intoxication so I’m not sure why Sophie’s first call is to the sheriff but okay! Anyhoo, the nice lady on the phone informs Sophie that they can’t file missing person reports on adults unless it’s been a full 48 and apparently it’s only been 36 hours since a totally wasted and heartbroken Sarah Finley stumbled out of her house out into the cold brutal endless night.

The lady suggests Sophie tries calling hospitals but before she can get right on that, Rose, it’s time for Nana’s birthday party!

Maribel and Micah are in the kitchen doing party prep and Micah asks if Sophie’s heard from Finley and Maribel helpfully notes that perhaps Finley is dead in a ditch somewhere. Sophie dips out to call her ditch guy and Virginia enters the kitchen to remark that there’s always drama with Finley and also that it’s great Maribel doesn’t have to deal with any of that dating crap!

Maribel: My Mom doesn’t think that anyone’s gonna wanna date me.
Virginia: I didn’t — no I don’t — I don’t think that. I didn’t say that. [looks at Micah] Did I say that?
Micah: Um—
Maribel: Don’t say that to him!
Virginia: I want you to find love. It’s just, I worry.
Micah: I don’t think you have to worry about that.
Virginia: You’re sweet. You’re gonna make some man so happy someday.
Micah: Thanks?

Okay so if that’s not what Virginia meant, then what did she mean? Because I think that’s what she meant. And I think parents thinking their disabled children will never find love is not a story this show needs to tell or actually intends to tell, so what if we scrapped that whole scene and replaced it with literally anything else!!!! What if they talked about their favorite brand of crayons instead??

Micah’s like, um, does your Mom not know that we’re dating? Honestly this seems like something they should’ve gone over in the car ride there, like Harper did with Kristen Stewart.

Boobs on Your Tube: 9 Queer TV Shows You Might Have Missed this Week

Boo! It’s October! This week, Riese published the monthly gay streaming guide for the month. Heather reminded you about how Serena Williams turned that DIRECTV woman gay. Valerie Anne recapped the most recent episode of Supergirl. Heather reviewed Amazon’s new gay ballet drama, Birds of Paradise. And Drew and Analyssa podcasted The L Word: Generation Q. 

Here’s what else!

Notes from the TV Team:

+ Two weeks of 9-1-1 and no solo storyline for Henrietta Wilson yet. That said, after this week’s episode, I’ll never look at an alpaca the same way again. — Natalie

+ On NCIS: Hawai’i, tension remains high between Lucy and Kate after last week’s encounter. Kate insists that they can’t do “this” again — whatever “this” is (give me a flashback episode, CBS!) — and need to forget about what happened. Lucy begrudingly agrees. Later, though, after solving a harrowing string of robberies, Kate tries to invite herself to the team’s celebration but Lucy nixes that idea: going to a bar together isn’t consistent with keeping their relationship strictly professional. Lucy confesses that she feels sorry for Kate because she’s amazing and Kate is truly missing out. Lucy turns and walks out, leaving a stunned Kate with her mouth agape. — Natalie

+ Okay we finally made some progress on finding Jess on In the Dark. I still don’t care about the goings-on of this show but I’m invested in this little lesbian’s fate now. The episode ended on Murphy finding Jess working at a pet store, seemingly unaware of the lengths Murphy has gone to find her. — Valerie Anne

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Station 19 501: “Phoenix from the Flame” and Grey’s Anatomy 1801: “Here Comes the Sun”

Written by Carmen

Station 19 is making a leap this season into a (we can pretend is not-so-distant) future where the Covid-19 pandemic is officially over and people are celebrating with actual fireworks in the sky. Maya and Carina hold each other as the rest of the crew of Station 19 watch the fireworks from the firehouse rooftop. Carina whispers in Maya’s ear about the the triumph of humanity and my friends… that is pretty much her only appearance in the episode.

There is also a flashback to 10 months prior, the night of Maya and Carina’s wedding in last season’s finale.. After finding out that she had been suspended as Station 19’s captain, Maya, Carina, and Andy all storm the head fire boss’ (please don’t ask me to learn firefighter rankings) office. Maya argues that her being let go was sexist, plenty of male fire chiefs have performed worse examples of insubordination without being reprimanded. The Chief accuses of pulling the “sexism card” and Maya (who looks so fucking hot in her wedding dress that really, ahem, shows off those canons she calls arms) retorts, “I am not ‘crying sexism’ sir, I am shining a light on it in the hopes of creating real and lasting change.” I definitely hollered from my couch.

Unfortunately, the head fire boss guy threatens that if Maya doesn’t step down, he will dismantle the entire team (he sends Andy to Station 23, just to prove his point. And speaking of arms… did y’all see what Andy is working with in the Station 23 workout room later in the episode? My GOD). So Maya ends up stepping down, and 10 months later everyone still, very rightly, blames Sullivan for lighting the metaphorical match (I couldn’t help myself) that began this mess to begin with. Now they are being led by some new guy whose name I didn’t pay attention to, but I feel like it might be Mr. Potato Head? Just saying.

Anyway, firehouse Grandpa Warren tells Maya that until she forgives Sullivan, no one else will. And by the end of the episode, Maya has done just that. It’s still going to be a long way back for our 19 family, but we’ll get there.

In the Grey’s Anatomy portion of the two-hour Shondaland return, there’s very little gay things to report. But I wanted to say that I am exceptionally excited for what might have been the first episode of Grey’s to genuinely make me smile in over a year. There’s some back-and-forth in the fandom last night if Meredith’s “big reveal from her past” was worth it, but Scott Speedman was my favorite Meredith love interest post-Derek, so while I have no goodwill for Ellen Pompeo at the moment, I for one cannot wait.

But the real reason I’m including Grey’s in this recap is that Noted Bisexual Dr. Teddy Altman got married to Noted Worst Human Dr. Owen Hunt, and two lesbians literally crashed into their wedding on bicycles which is what we call sweet, sweet justice. Also 4-year-old Leo is really into wearing dresses and tutu’s at the moment. We love to see it!

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Raising Kanan 110: “Paid in Full”

Written by Carmen

Jukebox ended the last episode talking with Detective Burke (hey I finally learned the lesbian cop’s name! And it’s the finale so just in time!) and warning her that the police were about to get caught in the street wars happening between Raq and Unique. Jukebox had promised her Aunt Raq that she’d never betray the family and this week we learn that, even in the midst of her own pain following the homophobic violent attack from her father, Juke kept her word. She pinned the entire thing on Unique.

Detective Howard was shot by Kanan (long story, not relevant) and Burke is on a rampage in Queens. She finds Jukebox walking alone, seemingly left on the street following her fight with Marvin, and pushes her up against a wall. She asks Jukebox how she had the information she gave them, especially since it turned out to be true, and even goes as far as to tell Jukebox she knows Raquel is a drug dealer so it’s time to cut the shit.

Hailey Kilgore’s comedic timing has never been sharper than when she stares that cop down, doesn’t blink, and responds, “Aunt Raq sells hair.”

The cop with Burke searches Jukebox’s book bag and finds men’s clothes. Her eyes go wide, pleading with Detective Burke. In a moment of 90s butch solidarity, Burke tells the cop to let it be — there’s nothing useful in the bag. When the cop next pulls out Nicole’s love letter to Jukebox, her given name Laverene decorated against a purple envelope with rhinestone hearts, Burke softens completely and lets Jukebox go.

The gag of course is that Jukebox’s clothes? The “men’s clothing” that prompted Burke to feel some need to protect the gay teen? They were Kanan’s. Jukebox wasn’t alone on the street because she had nowhere to go following her fight with her dad, she was on her way to Kanan’s hideout with instructions from her Aunt to bring him a change of clothes and cash. She played Burke completely, form top to bottom.

Juke has always been a real one.

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Burden of Truth 409: “Standing by Peaceful Waters”

Written by Natalie

Last we checked in with Luna Spence, her life was starting to come together — she was killing it in law school, she found work that fed her passion and a cute girlfriend, Stevie, to boot — but, sometimes, the moment when you think everything is finally coming together is exactly when it falls apart. Her passion project is challenged by an offer from a prestigious law firm…one that would secure her future and her mother’s. Luna’s best friend, Taylor, pulls her into an investigation of a sex trafficking ring…and Luna grows so obsessed with the case that she prioritizes it over everything, including her girlfriend. But, perhaps most importantly this season, Luna sees her sister — the most influential person in Luna’s life — for the imperfect person she is…and it changes the nature of their relationship.

Heartbroken over her break-up, Luna rededicates herself to ensuring that Dee — one of the sex trafficking victims — gets some measure of justice. When she’s stuck, she finally relents and seeks out her sister’s help. They’re able to secure a settlement for Dee and working together reminds Luna of what Joanna is capable of…the good that Joanna is capable of…and she stands by her sister as Joanna goes before the disciplinary board. Despite their breakup, Stevie shows up too to offer her support and the couple finally get a moment to talk about their relationship. Luna confesses that, like her sister, she’s committed to doing whatever it takes to win; she doesn’t know any other way. Stevie understands Luna commitment to her work but if they’re planning a life together, she can’t come in second all the time. Luna promises to make Stevie a priority moving forward and the couple embrace.

Her case resolved and her relationships with Stevie and Joanna repaired, all that’s left is for Luna to make a decision about her career path. She asks Owen Beckbie, Millwood’s police chief and her almost stepfather, about what she should do. He urges her to consult her ancestors and when he discovers Luna doesn’t yet have a spirit name, he arranges a naming ceremony for her. Her name — which signifies her someone who brings together the past, present and future — clarifies Luna’s purpose and she ultimately takes the job at the prestigious law firm.

A lot has been written about expanding Native representation lately — that is, lest Hollywood pat itself on the back too much, about how TV went from no Native represent to not enough — but much of it omits Burden of Truth from the narrative. That’s unfortuate because, over four seasons, the Canadian import showcased indigenous stories in a way that few other television shows have and managed to give a queer indigenous woman a happy ending on top of it all.

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New Amsterdam 402: “We’re In This Together”

Written by Natalie

Last week, after outing her relationship with Leyla to the other Emergency Department residents, Dr. Lauren Bloom tried to assuage concerns about favoritism by criticizing Leyla publicly. But Leyla’s reprieve from her colleagues’ scorn was short-lived, as she becomes the object of their disdain again this week. Leyla and Lauren arrive at the hospital together in a Lyft, happily boo’d up and oblivious to the world around them, including Leyla’s fellow residents who watch the couple’s arrival after stepping off the city bus.

Later, Leyla overhears her fellow residents — Roxana, Huxley and Pavan — mocking her as they get off the elevator. They swear their criticism isn’t personal but Leyla’s not sure how else to take it. Roxana warns Leyla to be careful of flaunting her privilege, an accusation that, rightly, stuns Leyla. She pushes back, informing her colleagues that just a few months ago, she was homeless and sleeping in her car. Roxana mockingly applauds her come up. Huxley notes that they’re forced to share one iPad between the three of them and have to study in shifts. Pavan admits that they share a studio in Morris Heights and have to wake up super early and take three buses to get to the hospital on time. Roxana clocks the fancy stethoscope around Leyla’s neck and contrasts it to the crappy one she’s wearing. Yes, Roxana notes, from where her fellow residents are sitting, she’s privileged.

Leyla tracks Lauren down in the ICU and tries to give her the iPad and the stethoscope back. She admits that Lauren’s given her access to wonderful things she’s never had before but it’s turned her into a different person. Lauren doesn’t understand Leyla’s objection: half the people in the hospital, including her, got to where they are because they had all the necessary tools. She rightly points out that, if the shoe was on the other foot, not a single one of the other residents would give up those resources. For most of her career, Leyla’s scraped by but now she has Lauren and all these fancy things and her success feels unearned. Before they can continue their conversation, Lauren’s called to her patient’s room…his heart rate’s slowing and she can’t figure out what’s wrong. She runs through his symptoms and — with no iPad and no stethoscope — Leyla diagnoses the patient with descending paralysis.

After work, Lauren pulls Leyla aside and tells her she won’t let allow Leyla to give up the things she needs to get ahead. Instead, Lauren volunteers to establish a level playing field between the residents: each will have the same access to the same resources. Hopefully then, Lauren hopes, Leyla will believe that she deserves all the wonderful things in her life. But with the secret of how Leyla got into the program still waiting to be uncovered…and Leyla clearly concerned about the role of money in their relationship…I think Lauren might be giving herself false hope.

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Work in Progress 208: “FTP”

Written by Drew

Throughout the past two seasons, we’ve seen Abby at her best and worst. At her best, Abby is a sardonic boundary-pushing dyke who connects with people easily and is a great person to have on your side. At her worst, Abby is self-destructive and selfish and can make everyone else’s crises all about her.

Abby works better as an underdog. And that’s why I was so interested to see how the show handled this episode where Abby reckons with her whiteness in June 2020. I didn’t expect Abby to approach this reckoning with any semblance of humility. And she doesn’t.

A lot of the episode consists of Abby grappling with run-of-the-mill liberal white guilt. Vincent D’Onofrio comes back as Robert Goren in one of the episode’s many dream sequences and I wish we spent more time with Abby investigating why her comfort show and sexual fantasy is connected to the police. This is one of the few moments where Abby is critiquing her present self rather than her past or others and it felt rushed.

The most complicated and interesting moment is toward the end when Abby’s neighbor tells her that their mom died. Abby has spent the whole episode fixating on other people’s racism and making empty gestures, but when a Black person in her life needs support — after their mom has died due to the ways doctors so often don’t listen to Black women — Abby runs away. Abby knows it’s wrong to let her mental illness take over as she prioritizes pandemic safety. But calling herself a “selfish cunt” as she furiously washes her hands isn’t helping anyone.

This is an ambitious episode directed by Yance Ford and written by Samantha Irby and Lilly Wachowski. Work in Progress is a show that’s always been defined by imperfection, so even though not every moment worked for me, I respect the choice not to skip over this period of 2020. It’s a lesson fictional Abby could learn herself.

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American Horror Story 1007: “Take Me to Your Leader”

Written by Drew

American Horror Story has an acting problem.

I’ve been trying to figure out why AHS: Red Tide worked so much better for me than the show’s spin-off. Was the writing really that much better despite being from most of the same writers? That seemed… doubtful. Especially when Red Tide was far from Shakespeare.

Well, we’re back with the second story in our double feature and Death Valley’s split first episode clarified for me when this show works — and when it doesn’t.

The first half takes place in the 50s and follows Dwight D. Eisenhower as his life of golf and being married to Sarah Paulson gets interrupted by some aliens and Amelia Earhart. It’s goofy but it’s also delightful. Probably because Paulson, Neal McDonagh as Ike, and Lily Rabe as Amelia are all talented actors.

But when we shift to the present day to a group of vapid twenty-somethings, the show falls flat. It’s not that the writers don’t know how twenty-somethings talk — it’s that they aren’t finding actors who can pull off the Ryan Murphy brand of camp.

Purposeful camp is actually really hard to perform. It’s not as easy as “just being bad.” And of our four new actors only Rachel Hilson is talented enough to sell the stylized lines. (Full disclosure: I went to college with her, but she’s clearly the most talented performer here.) Kaia Gerber is especially horrendous. Not every famous daughter is Billie Lourd. And not every boy Ryan Murphy wants to fuck is Evan Peters.

This kind of writing requires a Frances Conroy or an Angelica Ross. Murphy and his team need to stop casting young performers better suited for a third rate CW show.

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Roswell, New Mexico 310: “Angels of the Silences”

Written by Valerie Anne

I feel like perhaps I have been under-representing this show by only talking about the queer lady stuff on this show, since it’s fairly minimal, but this is a very good, funny show that manages to tackle both the metaphorical alienation of literal aliens, and the literal alienation of metaphorical aliens. But yes, also gay. This week, for no reason other than to delight me, Anatsa taught Isobel some archery skills. They flirt and it’s cute, and later they dance some more, and also Anatsa is applying to jobs in Roswell, so hopefully this means she’s sticking around and we get to learn more about her besides that she’s a brilliant badass.

October 2021: What’s New, Gay and Streaming on Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max, Amazon Prime, Peacock and Apple TV

Well it’s October, a spooky little month for us all to stare at our television and say “where are the gay things? If I turn on Netflix, what will I find there? Or Amazon?!?!?!! Or HULU!?!?! What about HBO Max?? I am here to tell you!

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Netflix Content for Gals, Gays and Theys in October 2021

The Baby-Sitters Club: Season 2 – October 11

Season Two of this sweet lil family series based on the YA novels that inspired lesbian entrepreneurship worldwide will be offering a lot more queer representation than the first but I cannot tell you exactly how yet. On a somehow unrelated note, Mallory and Jessie are finally joining the BSC. But with the new school year you can anticipate “booming business, new relationships, personal journeys and important lessons.”

Shameless: Season 11 (Showtime) –  October 11

The final season of this program, which managed to end its run with more LGBTQ+ female characters than any non-LGBTQ-focused television program ever, took place right in the gut of the pandemic and saw our lesbian lead Debbie make a series of absurd and frustrating choices! We also got a lot of gay Sandy Milkovich though, so.

In the Dark: Season 3 (The CW) – October 14

“In the Dark’s third season giveth – in the form of a new queer character, Leslie played by Marianne Rendón from Imposters – and it taketh away – by way of resident lesbian Jess being sidelined right off the bat. It’s a bonkers show with a band of problematic faves but it does technically have queer characters, so. Here we are.” – Valerie

Sex, Love and Goop: Limited Series – October 21

It appears that one of the six couples who have signed up to talk to Gwyneth Paltrow about their sex lives is a lesbian couple, and I wish them all the best.

Sex Unzipped – October 26

Saweetie is hosting a comedy special that focuses on “sex positivity” while featuring sex experts, horny puppets of “all sex and sexualities that exist in real life” and talking heads. Special guests include Dominique Jackson, Mae Martin, Sam Jay and Trixie Mattel.

Wentworth: Season 8B/Season 9 (Foxtel) – October 27

The final ten episodes of our beloved Wentworth, named Wentworth: The Final Sentence, will find Joan recovered her memory and assuming the identity of Kath Maxwell while attempting to control her desire to seek vengeance against Vera, Will and Jake. Allie returns to Wentworth and queer characters Marie Winter and Ruby Mitchell will also exist.

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Gay Content on Amazon Prime Video for October 2021

My Name is Pauli Murray (2021)  – October 1

Non-binary Black Lawyer, Episcopal priest, poet and American Civil Rights Activist Pauli Murray — whose most significant romantic relationships were with women — was instrumental in arguing the equal protection cause of the 14th amendment outlawed sex-based discrimination. Analyzed in retrospect, Murray was aided in this perspective by their gender “in-betweenness,” and this amazing human is the focus of this special documentary.

Hightown: Season One (Starz) – October 1

Monica Raymund’s Jackie Quiñones is a hard-drinking and womanizing Provincetown townie who gets pulled into a drug-related murder investigation when she finds a body on the beach — another victim of Cape Cod’s opioid epidemic. This “funny, exciting, sexy crime drama” also sees Jackie on her own journey towards sobriety.

Leverage: Redemption: Season 1B (IMDB TV) – October 8

Eight new episodes bring the crew back together in a world where it’s gotten easier and more legal than ever for the rich to get richer and the powerful to destroy dissent. Aleyse Shannon plays Breanna Casey, a lesbian with skills in the realm of computers, robotics and getting into trouble.

I Know What You Did Last Summer: Season One – October 15

This mystery thriller series is based on the same 1973 Lois Duncan novel that inspired the iconic 1997 film. A year after a fatal car accident that haunted their graduation night, a group of teens bound together by a dark secret reunite for the summer to find that somebody knows what they did and wants to kill some goats and people about it. I did spend the first three episodes wondering if the lesbian tongue kiss between the popular/doomed Lennon (Madison Iseman) and influencer Margot (Brianne Tju) in the trailer was just a party trick, but in Season Four we confirm that it was indeed more than that!

Fairfax: Season One – October 29

This animated series is centered on a pre-teen group of stylish pals who dream of becoming influencers. The series’ title refers to the street in Los Angeles where long lines of humans regularly assemble for the latest drop at Supreme. In Fairfax, Supreme is Latrine, Canter’s becomes Schwimmer’s, and one of the kids engaging in madcap adventures is aspiring model-slash-activist Derica, who sports a big gay rainbow sticker on her bike helmet and is determined to save the planet in style. She’s voiced by Kiersey Clemons!

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Hulu LGBTQ+ Content for October 2021

Grey’s Anatomy: Season 18 Premiere (ABC) – October 1

Season 18 will pick up in an alternate universe where COVID has been dealt with and is now gone and IDK that sounds pretty nice huh.

Station 19: Season 5 Premiere (ABC) – October 1

The premiere of Station 19 is gonna be a crossover with Grey’s Anatomy! I’ve never seen this show but I think it is about fire !!!!!!!!!!!!

Saturday Night Live: Season 47 Premiere (NBC) – October 3

Our favorite Kate McKinnon show returns in October! There’s also featured player Punkie Johnson, returning once again to the cast. The second episode features bisexual musical guest Halsey and the October 23 episode has got Brandi Carlile playing gay music for you.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show (2016) – October 3

Fox’s “hesitant mashup of the stage and film versions that somehow manages to extinguish the spark of both” stars Laverne Cox as Doctor Frank N. Furter, whose portrayal “isn’t near the queer revelation it oculd be.”

Dopesick: Limited Series – October 13

This eight-episode series based on the non-fiction book Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors and the Drug Company that Addicted America looks at the opioid crisis on a micro, macro and opulent level: its impact on a distressed Virginia mining community, the DEA investigation and the accumulated wealth of the Sacklers, the family behind Purdue Pharma. Cleopatra Coleman will play Grace Pell, described as “brash and funny” and “an out lesbian who isn’t afraid to be herself amongst the world of the coal miners.”

Queens: Season One Premiere (ABC) – October 20

Queens stars Eve, Naturi Naughton, Nadine Velasquez and Brandy as four former hip-hop legends in their 40s who come back together for a chance to recapture the fame they possessed in the 90s. Naughton plays Jill “Da Thrill,” who traded stardom and drugs for a quiet Catholic life in Montana but has now found herself embroiled in an affair with another woman!

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Queer Shows and Films Joining HBO Max in October 2021

Pariah (2011) – October 1

One of the best lesbian films of all time, Dee Rees’ first feature tells the story of Alike (Adepero Oduye), a 17-year-old Black lesbian coming into her identity and exploring her first love while struggling with an intolerant family.

The Hours (2002) – October 1

Three women of different generations played by Julienne Moore, Meryl Streep and Nicole Kidman are interconnected through their relationship to Virginia Woolf’s novel Mrs Dalloway in this film based on Micheal Cunningham’s 1998 Pulitzer Prize winning novel. Topics include getting the flowers yourself, suburban ennui, suicide, AIDS and art. Great soundtrack!

Tully (2018) – October 1

This comedy-drama from Diablo Cody follows the strange developing friendship between an exhausted (bisexual!) mother of three, Marlo (Charlize Theron), and her new night nanny, Tully (Mackenzie Davis).

The Republic of Sarah: Season One (The CW) – October 6

After an incredibly valuable mineral is found under the ground of a small town in New Hampshire, a mining company swoops in to make a buck and is blocked by “rebellious high school” teacher Sarah Cooper, who ends up turning the town into its own nation. Nia Holloway plays AJ Johnson, a lesbian having an affair with the mayor’s wife.

15 Minutes of Shame: Limited Series – October 7

Roxane Gay and Kara Swisher are amongst the talking heads in this Monica Lewinsky produced docuseries about what happens to the Cancelled, the bullied and the shamed — and how tech companies are ultimately the entity that benefits most from social media pile-ons.

The Truth of Dolores Vázquez: Limited Series – October 26

Dolores Vázquez spent 519 days in jail for the murder of her ex-partner’s child in 1999 — and was handily convicted mostly ’cause there was a media circius and she was easy to villainize as a “dominant” lesbian, not because there was anything actually tying her to the crime. This six-part docuseries tells her story, which many may recognize from Netflix’s Murder by the Coast.

In The Heights (2021) – October 28

The film adaptation of the musical returns to HBO Max in October, with a key adjustment from the original: “Carla is also re-developed as Daniela’s romantic partner with quiet, lived-in moments across the week of one block’s summer heatwave.”

Love Life: Season 2 – October 28

Season One followed a millennial New Yorker played by Anna Kendrick (but it did include some gay stuff too!) and Season 2 centers on Marcus Watkins, a freshly divorced single Black man in his 30s navigating the New York dating scene. The preview suggests a threesome but more importantly, Marcus’s sister is played by SNL’s first out Black lesbian cast member Punkie Johnson.

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Peacock’s New LGBTQ+ Stories for October 2021

Unidentified with Demi Lovato: Limited Series – September 30

This unscripted series follows Lovato, their BFF Matthew and their sister Dallas as they search for extraterrestrial life and UFO phenomena and investigate eyewitness encounters, secret government reports and UFO hotspot tests.

Home Sweet Home (NBC) – series premiere October 15
NBC shows premiere next-day on Peacock for Peacock premiere customers

Ava DuVernay’s unscripted series follows 18 families from diverse backgrounds who have signed up to swap lives with another to experience the world beyond their own upbringing. The premiere episode shows a Greek Orthodox family exchanging their home with a lesbian couple with kids who are “diblings” to their friends’ kids (siblings who are biologically related through the same donor) and LGBTQ+ representation is featured “across the series.”

The Girl in the Woods: Season One – October 21

Our heroine Carrie, a resident of Oregon, is attempting to escape the mysterious, cultish colony that guards the world from the monsters hidden behind a secret door in the woods. Non-binary actor Misha Osherovich plays Nolan, a charcter navigating their gender identity throughout the season and the trailer shows Carrie (Stefanie Scott) locking lips with Tasha, played by Sofia Bryant of I Am Not Okay With This.

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Apple TV+ Queer Offerings for October 2021

Invasion: Season One – October 22

One of the network’s most anticipated series follows five people across the globe as Earth is visited by an alien species that threatens the future of humankind. Shioli Kutsuna plays Mitsuki Yamato, an aerospace engineer hiding a same-sex relationship with an astronaut.

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The Maybe Gays of October:

I have invented this new section of the monthly streaming guide to inform you of shows that ping but unfortunately I could not confirm their queerness.

Maid: Season One – Netflix – October 1

There are two production stills that intrigued me: one includes a twentysomething girl with like a hot pink mohwak sitting in a support group, and the other (from episode 106) has two women, Vivian and Sasha, walking together in a position that suggests a history of lesbian romance. I do not intend to watch this program so if someone could just let us know. Furthermore there are a lot of social workers in this program and social work is a gay profession.

Guilty Party: Season One —  Paramount+ — October 14

Kate Beckinsale’s real-life friend Asia Kate is wearing latex and licking Kate’s feet in the teaser, but the reason I think somebody has to be gay in this dark comedy about a privileged journalist trying to get a woman out of prison for a murder she didn’t commit is because when this many women in a trailer are seen without men at their sides, one of them has to be gay! That’s math.

Night Teeth – Netflix – October 20

This is about female vampires and Megan Fox and Sydney Sweeney are involved. Are they vampire girlfriends? Will the “all vamps are pansexual” rule apply here? We’ll find out!

Roaring Twenties: Season One – Netflix – October 22

This is a reality show about eight twentysomethings “looking to live the best years of [their] lives in the biggest, boldest way possible” and it was casting in August in Austin, Texas; there’s no info anywhere about this program’s participants but are they really gonna shoot an entire show in Austin without any bisexuals, that feels unlikely!

“Supergirl” Episode 613 Recap: Shards of Courage

Hello and welcome to this recap of Supergirl Season 6, Episode 13, The Gauntlet aka The One where Kara and Lena Were Reunited.

Previously on Supergirl, Kelly called the Superfriends out and in and stepped into her power as Guardian, Lena found out she was descended from a witch and possessed the gift of magic but stepped decidedly AWAY from her power, Nyxly abused her power to trap Mxy and start to go after some totems, starting with the Totem of Courage.

Kara is in the tower when Lena comes back, and Kara is so happy her friend is back. She even goes in immediately for the hug.

Kara asks Lena about her trip Back East, but Lena is still processing it all so while she doesn’t dare lie to Kara, she dodges the question and asks to be caught up on work stuff instead. Brainy gives her the previously on recap and Kara invites Lena to go to the Fortress with her to see what they can learn about the totems. And I’m still not over Lena being so casually and warmly folded into the Superfriends’ plans. I will love this forever.

Lena happily agrees and they head to the Fortress together, where they access the living memory of Vita, a Kryptonian witch who has popped up here and there across the seasons. Kara understands why they might need a witch to deal with fifth dimensional magic but Lena’s face becomes that of a person confronted with the very thing they’ve been trying to avoid. Lena asks if “magic” is even the right word for it, since it’s technically ENERGY, and surely there’s a scientific explanation.

Kara brushes off this comment and asks Vita about the totems. Vita is even more eccentric than I remember as she lists what she calls rules about the totems.

Rule 1, don’t pick up the phone, there is an order to which you must collect the totems, and Courage is first. Rule 2, the totems are concealed as artifacts, hidden across time, important to the cultures raised around them. Which…is not a rule. But go off, I guess. Rule 3 is that you have to activate the totem before you wield it by saying the word “cursex” and the final rule is that to control the totem you must submit to a test of character, a gauntlet, and succeed.

Meanwhile, in the National City Museum of Ancient Technology and Anything Else Supergirl Happens to Need Right Now, a doctor gets a letter about her funding being terminated and she is frustrated because she wants to harness lightning for a laser. What kind of laser? Who knows. She just wants it.

Up in the glam rock spaceship, Mitch tells Nyxly how to get into the museum and steal the artifact, and she’s annoyed she can’t just snap her fingers and get her way like she could in the fifth dimension.

But, it will be worth it, because the Courage totem is the first step in her elaborate revenge plot.

Back at Alex’s apartment, Alex and Kelly are chatting over coffee. Kelly thanks Alex for giving her the space to process all that’s happened over the past few days, and of course for the coffee.

Alex gets a call from the Tower and invites Kelly along, but Kelly has more work to do with Orlando in the Heights, and Alex just beams proudly at her before asking if she needs any help. Kelly assures her she doesn’t so Alex kisses her on the cheek as they go their separate ways.

In the tower, Alex and Lena do some tag-team science to narrow down potential artifacts that could be the totem in disguise.

There are still so many options that it would take Supergirl a month to investigate them all, but just then they get a ping from the computer telling them that Nyxly is trying to steal the slingshot David supposedly used to kill Goliath that just got delivered from Warehouse 13.

Nyxly smash-and-grabs the slingshot and starts to run out as the alarm sounds when the Superfriends stop her. Kara says, “Hand it over,” and Nyxly just laughs in her face and says, “No,” which continues to be adorable. I love her streak of joy amidst her villainy.

Nyxly decides that her only way out is through so she utters the magic word to activate the totem and starts to see a blast from her past while a blast of energy fills the room, and when Supergirl makes a play for the totem, it splits in two.

The Superfriends take their half of the totem back to the tower, where Lena examines it, learning that it’s definitely radiating fifth dimensional energy.

They turn on the crystal to ask Vita, but she’s tired of being a hologram so she jumps into Brainy’s body instead. She tells them that they need to unite the halves of the totem to gain full control of it, and to get control of her half, Kara will have to pass her gauntlet before Nyxly does. And she has to face it alone.

Lena yeets Vita out of Brainy and rushes off to make sure it never happens again while Kara heads to the training polygon to enter her gauntlet. A voice tells her she must face her past, face herself, and face the moment she lacked true courage. So she’s surprised when she finds herself in a flashback of the day she became Supergirl, when Alex’s plane was going down and she had no choice but to try to save her.

After she goes through the motions, on her way back to her loft she hears a cry for help that she remembers ignoring the night of for fear she would be exposed. Kara is clearly not overthinking the riddle the way I was; I would have thought she had to just witness what ignoring the cry for help caused; have the courage to face the consequences of her decision. But Kara can’t help herself and decides to save the man this time, thinking that it was the most courageous choice. However, she soon finds herself back in reality with the voice telling her that she has failed the gauntlet. And so, everyone who had been in the museum when the totem broke gets a little jolt of courage.

Nyxly activates her half of the totem too and enters her own gauntlet with the same rules. She finds herself back in time, on the day of the coup she planned with her brother, which was stopped by her father, who praised his son for his bravery and scolded his daughter for her betrayal. Nyxly, filled with years of rage and resentment, decides to change this moment by killing her father this time, but that causes her to fail the gauntlet, too.

There’s another surge of courage, and this proves too much for the citizens of National City. The museum breaks out into mayhem and fighting and Spike the Iguana is there so he turns back into his dragon form.

The Superfriends show up and Alex’s practical tactical brilliance has been fully replaced by taurine and raw courage, and she runs off to face the dragon head-on. J’onn yells after her that he’s proud of her and Kara just looks at her team like they are all playing a practical joke on her.

The scientists fight over the plans for lightning harnessing, Brainy miscalculates some punches, J’onn tries to reason with the dragon, and Alex fights with gusto. Kara steps in and manages to get everyone to listen to her long enough to de-dragonify the iguana and head back to the Tower with her.

“To L and Back” Generation Q Podcast Episode 208: Launch Party

So is this is how season 2 implodes – not with a bang, but with a deeply confusing whimper? Welcome to this week’s episode of To L and Back where, honestly, we have some notes! We spend quite a bit of time talking about the writing of this episode of Gen Q, rather than the actual events that transpire, which as Riese says is….not always a great sign.

But among the needless conflicts (Dani thinking Bette would want to see the Nunez name on the CAC, and gambling Pippa’s show for leverage), the baffling conversations (Micah telling Claudia he has feeling for someone else to her FACE), and the upsetting events (Sophie and Finley’s whole deal), there were still some treats! Micah’s jawline, for one, and Gigi’s tongue, for two. Throw in a sex scene backlit by the soft neon lights of the Las Vegas strip and you still have a tough episode — but one that had a sex scene backlit by the soft neon lights of the Las Vegas strip.

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SHOW NOTES

• Riese’s recap of the episode, the comments of which are heartening to me
• Candace the Carpenter draws Bette the Project Management Triangle in The L Word 1×12 “Looking Back” aka the Dinah Shore episode
• Perhaps you, too, would have liked to spend more time with Isis King in this episode, and I would invite you to spend more time with her Instagram
• Britni de la Cretaz wrote this insightful essay about how Gen Q struggled with sobriety storylines LAST SEASON and here we are again
• A quick reminder that the Sackler family was not just “blacklisted,” they were actively bad!
• Roxane Gay recently wrote the Criterion essay for Love & Basketball!

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Drew: Hi, I’m Drew.

Analyssa: And I’m Annalyssa.

Riese: And I’m Riese.

All: And this is To L and Back, Generation Q edition.

Drew: Yay! We’re still together, but-

Analyssa: We are still together.

Drew: … the mood is-

Analyssa: The mood has shifted.

Drew: Yeah.

Analyssa: Dampened. Morale is low.

Riese: Morale is low. I’m not just saying that because I took two beta blockers today. My morale would’ve been low anyway.

Analyssa: Well, well, well, well, well, well. That’s how I feel.

Riese: Well.

Drew: I will say that sometimes the mood has been low in recording this podcast because of things going on in the world, and not that the world’s great. We are still in a pandemic.

Riese: Yeah, the world’s not great.

Drew: And there’s a lot of other things that are bad, but our mood is low today because of our topic of conversation.

Riese: Because we watched this episode today.

Drew: Yeah. So, this episode, that is episode 2.08, Launch Party, it’s directed by Haifaa al-Mansour who I actually really, really like. I’ve seen two of her movies: Wadjda and Mary Shelley. I really liked both of them. She’s directed a few other movies and she also directed an episode of The Wilds. I thought this episode was-

Analyssa: I like The Wilds.

Drew: Yeah. I thought this episode was very well-directed. That was not one of my problems with it.

Riese: I also liked The Wilds.

Drew: It was written by Melody Derloshon who wrote on Cougar Town and Future Man and wrote last season’s episode, LA Times.

Riese: Oh, I loved that one.

Analyssa: Which one was that one?

Riese: The threesome.

Drew: That’s the threesome.

Analyssa: Oh, great ep.

Drew: Yeah. But I think we might as well just get into it.

Transition Music…

Analyssa: Well, well, well.

Riese: We open at jail.

Analyssa: Well, so one thing I thought it just immediately was the color of Los Angeles in the open is so different than it has ever been in The L Word: Generation Q. It’s usually pinks and blues and this is gray and yellow: very Steven Soderbergh’s Los Angeles. and that’s how you know we’re going into a serious episode.

Drew: Yes.

Analyssa: Because as Riese said, yes, we’re in jail. Well, we’re not in jail. We’re at the steps of—

Riese: Yeah, we’re famously not in jail. Finley has emerged from her evening in jail. She did not have a nice time.

Drew: No. So we start with my first of many things that I have a problem with in this episode, which is that Finley makes a drop-the-soap joke, which I just thought culturally we’d understood that—

Riese: They made one in the original series!

Drew: In the original? Well yeah, of course they made-

Riese: They made like, two!

Drew: Of course they made one in the original series-

Riese: They love dropping the soap!

Drew: … 2004. But it’s just like, “Jesus.” I think prison rape jokes were just like we’ve all collectively decided that that’s not a thing we do anymore, but-

Riese: Surprise!

Drew: Nope. They’re still doing it.

Riese: It turns out that it is. Isn’t that the first line?

Drew: Yeah, but really, really-

Analyssa: Basically, yes.

Riese: I’m already in a bad mood.

Analyssa: Basically, Finley’s like, “Did you bring me pizza?” And then, “I didn’t drop the soap. Don’t worry.” And then, launches into all of the various details both of her night, which I found a little bit distasteful, her retelling of it, and then all the things that now she has to do. It sounds like she owes Sophie money. This whole thing was just a mess of details that I felt maybe this was not the time to share them or talk about them, but-

Riese: Okay. I would’ve liked to actually have rewritten the scene that led to this where they’re outside the car, and so I would love for that scene… Sophie realizes, “We’re both wasted,” like always because whenever they go out together they get wasted and it’s like, “We need to get a lift.” And Finley’s like, “No, no. I’m fine, I’m fine, I’m fine. I’m totally fine. Drive. I insist on driving. I’m definitely driving. I am the driver.” You know?

Analyssa: Right.

Riese: Just a little bit more of that. It would take two extra lines to make it hit a little harder I think.

Analyssa: Because as it is, sort of what we were talking about last episode, they both feel at fault quote unquote. Yes, Finley was the driver, but they both knew that they were both drinking. It just seems…

Riese: Yeah. They should have… First of all, when you go out, especially for them, they always get trashed, so always. And obviously, they’re both also… I mean, Finley’s always drinking a lot, but Sophie is going through a lot of shit right now, so she’s definitely going to be wasted. So why do they even drive there in the first place? But since they did, they would’ve talked about that at the beginning of the night like who’s going to drive, which they didn’t do either. Sophie was with Finley all night, so it’s not a surprise to her that Finley’s had several drinks. She actually saw her. I’m not saying that Sophie’s at fault for this, but they both made that decision about the driving. You know what I mean? So I think they should go halfsies on the impound.

Analyssa: Well it just-

Riese: But most of it’s on Finley.

Drew: Once again, I’m just constantly trying to figure out what these writers are doing. I’m just like, so if this is supposed to be Finley’s rock bottom, then I just am like, why are we muddling that unless it’s also…? I think as the episode goes on it’s also a wake-up call for Sophie, but I’m not sold on it. Just, Sophie’s journey does not feel clear to me.

Analyssa: And what I wish for Sophie’s journey is that you get the sense in this, that she is annoyed and peeved mostly at Finley’s just joking through it. It seems pretty evident that she wants Finley to take it seriously, which I think is totally fair. And I wish that, like you said, there’s two lines that could have been added where I’d be totally on Sophie’s side and I really wanted to be because I think I feel —

Riese: It doesn’t hit.

Analyssa: … it doesn’t land because I feel like we’ve seen her, especially to Finley, be so empathetic and so understanding. Drunk driving is bad, but this is a big deal for Finley too, and she’s clearly using humor to not talk about all the things that are actually going to happen. That is very annoying when you’re the person on the other side of it. But there was no line that said like, “Hey man, I’m trying to talk about a big night that you just had and you keep making jokes about your cellmate drooling on you. Can we like talk? Can we chat?” That never happened and I just felt bummed that Sophie didn’t get that chance, I think.

Drew: We’ll get into this later, but I think what’s hard is that I think they’re out this episode. What I think the issue is, and a lot of throughout this season, is trying to have a lot of fun moments and a lot of dramatic moments. Sometimes they are canceling each other out instead of living side by side in the sense that this season when we’ve seen Sophie and Finley out together, them getting drunk together has been framed as fun—

Riese: Funsies.

Drew: … and has been the basis of their relationship, which doesn’t feel unrealistic, but it’s just then all of a sudden Sophie being like, “You scare…” We’ll, save that for later, but it just… I don’t know. So, we can move on to the next scene, which is another winner.

Riese: Oh, my God.

Analyssa: Also baffling to me.

Drew: Speaking of scenes that make us want to claw our eyes out…

Riese: Do you think people are even going to listen to this podcast episode?

Drew: I don’t know. I think they watch the same episode, but people are maybe more of apologists than we are sometimes. I don’t know.

Analyssa: I honestly could talk about that first scene for half an hour.

Drew: I know.

Riese: Me too.

Analyssa: And let me tell you it returns. That scene comes back, so we can talk more later. Bette and Dani are at the CAC and first Bette says, “She doesn’t give about Gigi,” and I was like, “As we’ve all been saying.” Because she has seen that Dani has bought a wing of the CAC. I’m going to say front I’m famously stupid. I don’t really think I followed all the mechanics of what was at stake in this situation.

Riese: Good news. I re-watched all the relevant parts this morning.

Analyssa: Great. But I do understand that Bette is upset about this because Dani’s family money is basically dirty money. Right?

Riese: So her father’s company, they have investments. They have a portfolio of investments and one of their investments makes opioids.

Analyssa: Sorry. What I meant when I said dirty money, I don’t mean crime money. I mean it comes from immoral businesses.

Riese: Yeah. Some of it comes from… yeah … as opposed to every other company, which I think as we all know in this capitalist society, most companies…

Analyssa: Famously good.

Riese: Famously good, famously great portfolios.

Drew: I think what mainly confused me was just what have been the conversations between Bette and Dani about her relationship to her father, her involvement in this company. I think I’m more just was like, “Wait, well what’s their relationship?” Like if they’re close, have they covered this before? Wouldn’t Bette be more aware of Dani’s relationship with her father and her involvement in the company and be okay with that; and/or wouldn’t Dani be more like, “Oh, I know that this is a thing that Bette would not like.” Or, “This is something that I should maybe talk to Bette about it ahead of time to be like, ‘Hey, I want to use this money in this good way. Is this actually a good thing?” But she didn’t do that. She just was like, “Surprise! My last name is on.” They wanted to turn into this thing where it’s like, “That’s your father’s last name,” and it’s like, “It’s my last name too.” And it’s like, “But that’s not… But why didn’t you say anything?”

Riese: Also, it’s very common last name.

Drew: It’s a very common last name. I very much understand where Bette’s coming from. I also am just very confused how we got to this conflict. It feels so manufactured and so just like…

Riese: Right. The rules of surprises, I would say one of the main ones is if you’ve ever had a conflict about the thing you’re surprising someone with, you have to check in with them first. It is bananas that Dani did not check in with Bette about this. But it was also difficult for me because Bette this whole season’s been trying to get people to sign into her gallery owned by this racist, rich guy. And it’s like, “We’re all making compromises.” You know?

Drew: Yeah, excellent point.

Riese: And Dani’s trying to turn… I don’t know. Can Dani turn around? Can Dani move their money around? What’s happening? I don’t even really understand what their stake is in this, what their complicity is like if they actually are a company that was aware of all the things that the Sacklers were aware of and just kept pouring money in? You know what I mean? I have no idea. None.

Analyssa: I do understand, like you said Drew, where Bette is coming from and I wish that… I guess I don’t wish because I think it’s apparent, but that it also has so much to do with Kit. Like you can tell that that is the driving thing, which later comes up with Pippa I think although, again, very obliquely. I don’t know. Anyway.

Drew: It’s just not clear from either a detail standpoint or Dani and Bette’s relationship standpoint. It’s all just so muddled in a way and it’s so serious. This topic is so heavy and serious and also is about Kit, which is… It’s emotionally heavy and serious. It’s politically heavy and serious and they take the same care with it as they do a soapy cheating storyline that also doesn’t make any sense, but it’s like this isn’t fun. If it’s like a soapy cheating story line and it doesn’t really make any sense, I’m like, “I’m on board. Let’s watch hot people have sex.” But-

Riese: Don’t do issues. Stop it. If anyone’s listening, we don’t want you to do political issues.

Drew: You’re not good at it.

Riese: So just stop it. That’s my opinion.

Drew: I think this specific show has shown themselves to not particularly to be good when trying to get serious and get political. And then going into Dani, going to Gigi and being like…

Dani: Fuck Bette Porter.

Drew: … and them having sex and it’s like, “I’m not enjoying this. These very hot people are having a very good sex scene and I am not enjoying this because-”

Riese: You weren’t enjoying the sex scene? That’s bad. Wow!

Drew: I know and I was so excited to watch these two people have sex, and I was like, “I’m not going to-”

Riese: You were still like, “Wait, what?”

Drew: I was like, “No, I’m not excited to watch.” The passion of this scene is being motivated by Dani being like, “I want to defend my evil father against black artists.” I’m like, “I’m not going to be able to enjoy that sex scene.” And so I’m like, this is the thing where they’re undercutting what they do well by doing these other things poorly and I just… Also, why did her name have to be on the wing? Couldn’t they just…? I don’t know.

Analyssa: Because it’s a rehabilitation for her right dad’s name, which is… The other thing I think that actually might be interesting, but is totally lost, is how Dani, even in thinking that she’s doing good, is really still just doing PR for her dad’s company by this thing. And later we’ll talk about, she says like, “Well, we’ll just double the end dominant and they won’t be able to say no,” and I was like, “That’s also kind of stressful.” It doesn’t feel good either. There’s just… I’m not coming to The L Word for this type of plot line and I wish that it worked so integral to characters that I wish I were getting to know personally and not to their… I don’t know. I hate to be, “TV shouldn’t care about social issues,” because-

Riese: This TV show shouldn’t.

Analyssa: But this TV show maybe shouldn’t. And moreso I think maybe we should be thinking about how much we care about social issues when we write characters, so then we don’t do needlessly shitty and harmful things to our characters. But I don’t think we need our characters to be talking about social issues and how good they’re doing or how bad they’re doing at those.

Drew: Unless-

Riese: Yeah, exactly.

Drew: Unless you do it and you actually are thinking about it all the time. I think what bothers me about this show is that they’re like, “Oh, we’re going to have this conversation happen,” and you’re like, “Okay, but do you see how having this then impacts these other things?” and they don’t seem to…? I don’t know. It’s frustrating when it’s a thing where you’re like, “Oh, do they realize that this cute moment between Sophie and Finley is very negatively affecting Dani in this way that sort of ruins this moment.” That’s like, “Whatever.” I can get over that. When it’s like, “Oh, it’s that sort of problem of not thinking how things affect other things,” and it then turns Dani into like this really terrible person, it’s just… That can be her journey. Right? She can be imperfect, but the journey of the episode was not that she goes to Bette and goes like, “I realized that I was trying to do good, but I still was doing what my dad wanted me to do.” It’s her going to Gigi and being like, “Thanks for giving me the courage.” And so it’s like it could have been a really interesting thing where Dani’s like, “But I did good,” and then Bette’s like, “No, you didn’t.” That could have been a very interesting storyline, but they don’t want that because they want Dani and Gigi to be together; they want Ben and Pippa to be together. And so then, they’re not actually thinking about what they’re doing politically. They’re just saying politics.

Riese: Right, yeah. They’re just saying words.

Analyssa: One thing about the sex scene though that I did enjoy-

Drew: Yeah. We could talk about that. I don’t need… Yeah.

Analyssa: So Sepideh Moafi deserves an Emmy for her tongue work.

Riese: Yes, she does.

Analyssa: Her tongue is acting. Her tongue has more compelling storylines this season than many of the core characters, I will argue.

Riese: Absolutely.

Analyssa: I also — Justice for Gigi oen more time. I’m making a T-shirt that says it — because everyone uses having sex with Gigi as like-

Riese: I KNOW!

Analyssa: … as a release valve for all their other emotions, which is like…

Riese: Also like, is she free? They just come on… I mean that’s TV. That’s TV. That’s fine, but-

Analyssa: But it’s always… Gigi is always just-

Riese: A reaction.

Analyssa: … sitting on a sofa waiting for Bette or Dani, or Nat and Alice, or Nat to storm through the door ready to have sex because something else is going on. And I just want to say that’s not a nice way to treat people.

Drew: No, it isn’t. Now that I’ve watch this episode, we’re going to discuss it. I think I’m going to re-watch the sex scene later because these two actors didn’t do anything wrong. So, I’m just going to watch-

Riese: That’s art. That’s the kind of art that I want to see at the California Art Center sponsored by some…

Analyssa: Evil Corp Los Angeles.

Riese: The Peabodys.

Analyssa: When Bette said…

Bette Porter: It’s not over. I can call Peggy.

Analyssa: I was like, “Will you?”

Drew: I was like, “Wait, this could take a good turn?”

Riese: “Could you? Could you? Could you?

Analyssa: Is it going to happen?

Riese: “Could you, please?” But also, I can’t believe that this… It’s so… Sorry. It’s just dumb that it has gotten this far where their name is literally already up.

Drew: Yeah. What? How do things get [inaudible 00:17:30]? How does it get so good?

Riese: And why is it right at the front of the fucking museum?

Analyssa: It’s on the front door of the CAC, an institution that has been around for decades. There’s no way. And secondly, it happens so quickly.

Riese: I learned something from that carpenter, which is the triangle: time, money… You know?

Drew: Yeah.

Analyssa: Uh-huh (affirmative).

Riese: And what hap…?

Analyssa: Yeah. What did we sacrifice?

Riese: Exactly.

Analyssa: Well, we did sacrifice money because Dani has enough of it, I’ve learned.

Drew: It’s going to rub right off. Just going to be like when you get into a little car accident and you’re like, “Oh no, is this going to…?” And you rub it off and you go, “Oh, thank God.” That’s her last name. It could rub right out.

Analyssa: When Bette got mad, I wished Dani had been like, “Okay, hold on,” and just held out a little bit of Windex and scrubbed it—

Riese: “No-one will know!”

Analyssa: And we could have moved on from this storyline, but-

Riese: They should have just called it The Dani Wing.

Drew: Yeah. Well again, you’re right, Ana, that it is like they’re trying to… That’s the whole thing is that they want to rehabilitate the image and blah, blah, blah.

Analyssa: And Dani, I think, she’s doing it for good reasons, but the tangible reality of it is that she’s not — okay, we have to-

Drew: Wait. No, wait. Sorry. I have one more thing, which is that given the way that Dani thinks about Bette Porter, I do not believe that when Bette got mad at her that she wouldn’t immediately have stuck her tail between her legs and been like, “Oh my God, I’m so sorry. I was trying to…” You know what I mean?

Riese: That’s what I thought was going to happen.

Drew: I’m so confused by her reaction being like, “Fuck Bette Porter.”

Analyssa: Also, Bette is pretty firmly in the right, so to have Dani storm off and be like, “Fuck her,” is like…

Drew: What does the show want us to think?

Analyssa: Well, we’re still in this plot line for a while.

Riese: Yeah, we are.

Drew: Yeah, right. Because Bette goes to talk to… Yeah.

Analyssa: Bette is in her office talking to Pippa. And in another example of people-

Riese: Baffling.

Analyssa: … saying that they are doing the thing for the right reason, but ultimately harming people in the process, Bette is using Pippa’s work in the show as a bargaining chip with CAC to turn down the Núñez endowment. If you note that I’m talking slow because, again, famously stupid. Actually, I don’t think that’s true. I think that I would understand this if it were more sensical.

Riese: And Pippa’s like, “Well, art museums need money from somewhere,” whatever, which is I think a solid point. But also, what…? I remember the original series and it’s hard to get funding at the CAC. You know what I mean?

Analyssa: I’ve heard that. Yeah.

Riese: So it doesn’t seem like this is a very smart move for Bette at all.

Drew: No.

Riese: I don’t think this is going to work and it’s so shitty. Pippa almost cried in her office about all of her work and how much it means to her. And Bette cried about how it means so much to her and then she fucking went to the board and was like, “I’m going to withdraw this artist.” That’s so selfish and dumb.

Analyssa: Yeah. And again, I really think that Dani and Bette parallels here are so present. Because what I believe is that Bette does really believe in the move that she has made as a chess move and in the same way that Dani thinks of the move that she has made for putting the name on the gallery of a good move, it will work. It will do the things she wants it to do. But it feels very in character for Bette to be a champion of the art and the causes that she’s a champion of. It feels out of character after this season with her journey with Pippa and what they’ve talked about together that she would even put this at risk, which is what Pippa’s saying. Like, “Why would you do that?”

Riese: Obviously, I think, it’s motivated out of her feelings about Kit and driven by that, which was a shitty decision that the show made to be begin with. And so, that’s why she’s so passionate about it, but I also think it’s complicated because she just spent so long trying to convince Pippa to make compromises to sign with her gallery and now she’s like…

Drew: These two characters have been on the opposite side of this conversation, and also… Okay, I have a few things. One is the two of them are dating now. And while you shouldn’t date people who you work with, one thing that does happen if you date people who you work with is things that would be work conversations, become personal life conversations as well. So she’s not just her artist that she’s representing, she’s also her girlfriend or maybe no labels yet, but something. And so, then the question becomes, in what context would they not have talked about it? So then the other thing that that brings me to…They not have talked about it. So then the other thing that brings me to is why would it not have been a situation of like, if they wanted this storyline of like, Dani wants this wing and it’s complicated because of like, I just am confused why Pippa wouldn’t have been on the side of like, I don’t want to work with this person. That’s exactly why I didn’t want to make these sacrifices. Like that would be more in line with the character of Pippa.

Riese: Right.

Drew: Who’s been introduced that, like, she didn’t want to work with Zacharian and now she wouldn’t want to work with Dani’s dad or like take or be like represent, whatever connected with Dani’s dad. Again, like it’s… There are these deeper issues that bother me. And then there’s just the character motivation stuff where I’m like, some of these things in other characters voices would actually make more sense and would work more. And I’m just confused why the… Okay and again, it feels like, oh, we needed Bette and Pippa to be in a fight. We needed that to be the… A conflict as well. And it’s like—

Riese: And I mean, I do think that they kind of redeem it, one of the only things that happens in this episode, that kind of makes sense, it does seem like that is a “she fucked up”. Like she did do something out of carelesssness—

Analyssa: Yes. And there’s like a-

Riese: An acknowledgement of it

Analyssa: Yes.

Drew: Yes.

Analyssa: … And talking, communicating about it.

Drew: Absolutely.

Analyssa: But before that, we do find out that… That Bette has lost Pippa of the show. She takes a call outside of her office. Like clearly this did not go well. And then we get Jennifer Beals yelling “fuck” in her office –

Riese: Right.

Analyssa: … which is always to me, very pleasing.

Bette: Fuck! Fuck!

Riese: I think we should have followed Pippa at that point, you know?

Analyssa: Yes.

Riese: Honestly that’s…

Anaylssa: Yes. I wish we had seen Pippa’s reaction-

Riese: Yes.

Analyssa: … And what was going on there. But again, a moment most pleasing to me is when Jennifer Beals is yelling curse words in this show.

Drew: I also did enjoy that she brought up Provocations. Love that. And I think with her relationship with Pippa, I think there’s like some really interesting things that the show could be exploring.

Ries: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Drew: And is maybe trying to explore and maybe will explore or is exploring. I just don’t trust them. I think that’s something that I’ve been thinking about a lot is just like, oh, there are like really interesting things that could be happening. And usually when I’m watching a TV show, if I’m like in the middle of the season, I will feel a level of, let’s see where this is going. Because I think that sometimes viewers get mad at characters or get mad at where storylines are going. And it’s like, no, no, no, this is… It’s serialized storytelling, we’re getting there, this character’s on a journey. This character’s getting to a certain place and they could land the plane.

Riese: Yes.

Drew: And maybe I will be like I… We said that last time then we talked about flight, then… Now we’re going to have to do it again. But… Or we don’t, I can… I can use a different metaphor.

Riese: They definitely… They turned the plane upside down time, but it didn’t land.

Drew: But-

Riese: It still hasn’t landed.

Drew: … Also, it’s just a question of like, I’m realizing that for myself after, two seasons into the show, I just don’t really trust them. So when something feels complicated or bad, I’m not like, “oh, well let’s see where this goes.”

Riese: Right.

Drew: I’m like, “why are they having that character do that? Why is this what the storyline is?”

Riese: Mm-hmm (affirmative) .

Drew: And I’d love to be proven wrong, but…

Analyssa: It’s not going to happen in this episode.

Drew: No it isn’t.

Analyssa: One other thing though about bringing up provocations that I just remembered is famously it was hard to get Provocations at CAC.

Riese: Mm-hmm (affirmative) .

Analyssa: She’s like “CAC my beloved CAC!”

Drew: Wasn’t she fired from CAC?

Riese: Yes.

Analyssa: Where Provocations was— like this is the gallery that shows Provocations, they will obviously—

Drew: Yes.

Riese: But like, that was because you shoved it down their throats! No one wanted it but you—

Drew: Yes.

Riese: …They wanted impressionists in winter!

Drew: Yes.

Analyssa: They really wanted Impressionists in Winter and like again, good on Bette for getting Provocations through and continuing to talk about it. Great career when… But I was like… But do you remember that it was really tough to get Provocations there? –

Riese: Yes..

Analyssa: … Like this might…This gambit of gambling this gambit of gambling.

Riese: Exactly.

Anaylssa: Pippa’s chances-.. on the endowment. Okay.

Drew: Okay.

Analyssa: Let’s get into the last storyline that is… [crosstalk 00:26:03].

Drew: Moving on to the storyline, that there was a period of time where I was watching this episode and I went, “this episode is frustrating to me, but this is one of two storylines I’m really liking!” And then they ruined it. Anyways, not that yet. So it’s Isis King who I love, who’s such a talented actor and… Well first… Okay. So Micah basically burst in this persons office and is mad because a doctor at the center recommended that one of Micah’s clients go on puberty blockers, and Micah is mad because Micah is… His parents, aren’t going to sign off on this and you’re giving him false hope and he’s like very mad. And he just starts like bursts into the office.

Analyssa: Comes in very hot.

Drew: But the doctor is played by Isis King who is just phenomenal, was so good in When They See Us and is just-

Analyssa: Yes.

Drew: … A great actor.

Riese: She was the first trans model in America’s Next Top Model.

Analyssa: I didn’t know that. In my head cannon they cast her and then Micah and Isis got in the room together and they were fun and had… And they were like, oh, let’s do something with this, instead of just a fight about a client, which I think is probably what it all started as—

Drew: Well… Cause she like says…

Claudia: With as much professionalism as I can muster, which is considerably more than you manage to gather before baring into my office. I want to remind you that I am a doctor with a medical degree. I always have my patients best interest at heart.
Micah: I don’t disagree with you.
Claudia: I honestly wouldn’t care if you did.

Drew: I immediately loved her and was like, I want to watch a show all about you. But so that’s where that scene ends. Well we’ll return to that. But for now we’re going to Alice’s book launch.

Riese: Alrighty. Alice’s book is coming out in an underground bunker and everybody’s there in a land with no time. It is only Alice’s book. And we learned the following: nobody at the CAC will talk to Bette. Surprise, no one at the CAC wanted to talk to Bette when she worked there! Tess and Shane they’re dating, but Tess in Vegas.

Drew: And Alice says that Shane loves Tess-

Riese: Yes.

Drew: … From the moment she met her, which is a little bit of rewriting history, but I love it. I’m on board. That’s Shane… Shane and Tess, I love this.

Riese: Yes. That she apparently has loved Tess from the moment she saw her, which okay.

Analyssa: Alice hasn’t talked to Tom about Nat, she doesn’t want to…

Riese: What? Sorry I need to start complaining about this already. Why would you do it right now? It’s your fucking book launch party! It makes no sense. Makes no sense.

Analyssa: Makes no sense.

Riese: When she’s like, “should I tell him” — the obvious answer is, “yeah, LATER!”

Analyssa: Yes. When he has a hotel room to go have a conversation in… you could have just been like, yes, I will stay the night after this party, but we do have something to talk about. Nope. Okay. I do relate to Alice in many ways, as I’ve said, I think on the very podcast, but I do relate to being like, “‘I have something big to talk about” and it has to happen before a certain time. And so then you put it off and put it off and put it off. And you have about 30 seconds to say it—

Riese: That’s when I just don’t say it.

Analyssa: … I used to have conversations like this with my parents when we were in the car driving somewhere because they were trapped. But then I would only do it when we were about to pull up to the next thing. Like that’s what Alice feels like she’s doing. But it is nonsensical. I have mostly grown out of it cause I’m grown up now.

Riese: Finley and Sophie and show up, Finley and Tom have an incredible-

Analyssa: When did they come up with it?

Riese: … handshake. Well, probably in a scene that we didn’t see.

Analyssa: I love that for them.

Drew: Mm-hmm (affirmative) .

Riese: Yes. I love this for them

Analyssa: I thought you would like him because I remembered you saying you wanted them to spend time together.

Riese: Yes. And Finley is making jokes about jail.

Drew: Yeah. So Finley says, “I’ve met a lot of people in my life, but jail people are way different.” and is also like “bad night great story!” I hate it. I hate it so much. I just… I just like… What??!! I’m aware that the writers of The L Word have different politics than I do. I just am confused how some of these things… It just feel it’s just so callous and so… I don’t know, just like jokes that feel they’d be made 10 years ago and they wouldn’t have been good 10 years ago either. But I just thought that culturally we moved forward in our understanding of jails and prisons. And it’s not that Finley necessarily… I guess it makes sense for Finley but I also am like, “okay, I don’t like you.”

Analyssa: But a joke that would also make sense for Finley that reminds everyone that she was in jail is if she was talking about pooping into a metal can… Like that is also really on brand for her and doesn’t involve any of the other people that she was in jail with, any of the other people who might be going through something in their life who are imprisoned in an unjust system. We don’t need to get super deep into it, but I just… There are different ways to write that, to make it the same kind of thing, which is actually, like as a person of drinking experience — or as a person of now sober experience, I should say, the jokes about a really bad night actually feel very realistic to me.

Riese: Yes. For sure.

Analyssa: Sort of like Tess being like, she hasn’t broken a bone or broken a dish.

Riese: Yes.

Analyssa: Like, ha ha, that kind of thing is like when you’re in… At least in my experience, I should say, in like active alcoholism  — there is a desire to do that because it’s like “I have everything under control, that’s just a silly, goofy thing that happened. Ha ha!”

Drew: Mm-hmm (affirmative) .

Rise: Yes.

Analyssa: And so that all felt really real but then the other stuff felt really like mean at the expense of other people-

Drew: Mm-hmm (affirmative) .

Analyssa: … who don’t have anything to do with this and just happened to be in the jail the same night as Finley. And it just felt unnecessary. Again because it could be like, “I puked my guts out on the floor of a cell, isn’t that embarrassing? Or like, “I had to sleep in my clothes on a metal bench, that sucks.” You know, but there are just so many other on brand jokes.

Drew: Yes.

Riese: Yes.

Analyssa: Which Drew like… like you said…  Sometimes they put stuff right next to each other where I’m like, that actually is really enlightening about Finley’s character that she would say, ha ha a Dewey or “horrible night great story. Am I right?” That stuff, I was like great character building. And then she’s like, but jail people, blah, blah, blah.

Drew: And the L Word audience is going to like Finley. Like obviously some people don’t like Finley, but for the most part, your average L Word viewer, Finley is made in a laboratory for the lesbian community at large to love her. That is the person who just has the easiest time skating through. I mean there are things we know about Finley and Finley’s life. And obviously Finley has issues and has trauma, et cetera, et cetera, but like—

Analyssa: But people hold Finley, the way that Dani said last episode.

Drew: …Yes. So when Finley makes a joke, I think there are a lot of people out there who are on board and it doesn’t mean that she can’t be flawed, but again, you just illustrated how that could be done not at other people’s expense. Okay.

Riese: Then we go back to Gigi’s and Dani has a phone call because now everyone’s in crisis because of…

Analyssa: Because Bette didn’t like the surprise.

Riesee: Because Bette hated her surprise and Gigi is-

Analyssa: Which again, bad surprise. It’s Dani’s fault that Bette didn’t like the surprise!

Riese: … Yes. And Gigi is like, it’s not working for me—

Analyssa: Okay.

Riese: But like, Dani has to go to work!

Analyssa: I understand the thing that’s happening here. And they talk about it later and good. They’re all communicating — and again, as a person, I’m going to keep saying this-

Riese: As a person of human experience.

Analyssa: … A person of human experience, but also as a person of very demanding job experience sometimes, and this is a little bit of a character flaw as it is here in Dani too. I hate when people are like, “but what if you just set a boundary this time?”

Riese: Yes!

Drew: Right.

Analyssa: “But do you always jump for your boss?”

Riese: Yes.

Analyssa: Like? Yeah, I do! Because I work at my job and I know the level of demanding that my job and I’m really sorry that it’s impeding on what you think I should be doing.

Riese: Yes.

Analyssa: And I agree with Gigi later. Dani is not kind to Gigi-

Riese: Yes.

Analyssa: … And that is something to discuss. But what is not really something that’s fun to discuss, especially if you’re a person who, like Dani, and like me don’t tell anyone-

Riese: And like me.

Drew: Me too.

Analyssa: … doesn’t always love how demanding your job is? Nobody’s like, “Yeah, fuck yeah! I lose days of my life to this. I can’t have a real life.”

Riese: “If this phone call had come in the middle of sex, I still would’ve had to answer it. Yes, this is my terrible life.”

Analyssa: Dani has thought about this, and Dani is a grown up and has come to the conclusion —
“if this phone call came during sex, I would have to take it and I’m sorry, but that’s just the matter of it.” And when people do that—

Riese: It’s the middle of the day, also.

Drew: Yes.

Analyssa: … When people do that little cloying-

Riese: I hate it.

Analyssa: … And like touchy of like, what if you just like, oh, but isn’t it like. No, I have to work. I’m sorry. I also don’t love it.

Drew: What this episode eventually wants us to get is that in this moment, Gigi is suggesting boundaries with Dani’s father in a way that’s really positive. What this scene communicates is that Gigi is not respectful to Dani’s work and her desire to work. And she’s always… That’s a big part of her personality is that she like is that work is important to her regardless of what her work is. So this scene does not accomplish what it’s supposed to be accomplishing in the arc of this episode.

Analyssa: Right.

Drew: And it ultimately, yes. I’m like, oh God-

Analyssa: It’s always just like…

Drew: … The first time that I haven’t wanted to date Gigi.

Analyssa: I was just like, “yes babe, I would ignore this call from my boss if I could. That’s just simply right-”

Riese: That’s the thing, people will be like, “the internet can wait” And I’m like, actually it really can’t. Unfortunately it moves pretty fast!

Drew: And she just could have instead, had framed it, not from a place of “you shouldn’t work,” but from a place of “your dad is doing the thing that you’ve told me your dad does.”

Riese: But now it’s not the time for her to do that.

Drew: No. But I’m just saying that would’ve accomplished more of what going for then her just being like, what if you just didn’t work right now?

Analyssa: Right.

Drew: It’s like, what? No. Okay. So going back to Micah. Micah runs after Claudia to apologize to her and…

Riese: Ends up aking her on a date?

Drew: Yes. So…

Analyssa: He’s jawline asks her out on a date. I’m sorry. Let’s just take one second. There’s a lot of stuff going on in this episode. And I think we should acknowledge the little treats for us, the viewers that exist. And one of them is Micah’s jawline in this scene.

Drew: Yes. So he’s… He basically is like, look…

Micah: I need to apologize for lashing out at you.
Claudia: Yes. You really came in hot.
Micah: I know, I know. It’s just, you know, with Joaquin…
Claudia: You care. Me too.
Micah: But also I was Joaquin. I had a one meeting, pediatrician, who said I could start blockers and a mom who disagreed. I fell into a really deep depression after that.
Claudia: It took me 30 years to screw up the courage and go to a doctor and ask for HRT. I wish more than anything, I could have started sooner.

Drew: Yes. I don’t know how old she’s supposed to be. I guess I was like, is she 30? Like did she transition at 30? How old is she?

Analyssa: It felt like “I wasted 30 years of my life total,” which is just…

Drew: But still I would like to say that maybe… I mean, as I’ve said, I love Isis King. I’m so glad she’s in this. But also, it reminds me a little bit, of unposed whenever they’re talking about how like clocky MJ is. And I’m like, okay, that’s a bit of a stretch. What if any show ever cast someone who was trans and looked like a little bit gender nonconforming? What would happen? But yes… So I don’t know when she was supposed to have transitioned, but I don’t even know but I did enjoy the flirting. And so at this point in this moment, I was just really enjoying this. She asks if he can cook and then he’s like, yes, sort of. And she’s like, what’s your address? And then she’s like, “cute I’ll be over later.” I mean it’s crazy how quickly this happens with like a… They work together. Like it is a no. It’s a no, but it’s a kind of no that on The L Word I’m like, I can live with this no. This… These hot people are flirting. These hot trans people are flirting. I was like, I am so excited about this. Finally I was —

Riese: I’m so sorry.

Drew: … So excited.

Analyssa: Yes. As a person of dating in Los Angeles experience, I’m going to say — now I’ve done it so times that I have to make it a bit for this episode, I’m sorry —

Drew: Great. Keep going.

Analyssa: I’ve never in my experience scheduled a date day of…

Riese: I’ve never scheduled anything day of besides recording this podcast—

Anaylssa: —which happened today.

Drew: Well I’ve never scheduled a date. I guess I scheduled a hook-up.

Analyssa: I was going to say, I’ve definitely texted someone, been like, “what are you doing later tonight? Let’s roll around.” For sure. But like, we’re going to go on a first date and we talked today and now it’s tonight?

Drew: No, no.

Analyssa: It’s also friends time for us, for me to discuss—

Drew: The song?

Analyssa: … The music choices.  In this here series. I don’t think one single song queue has made sense since Driver’s License.

Drew: Have you considered?

Riese: I know that’s what they peaked. And then from there it’s been-

Drew: Have you considered?

Riese: … An in house band?

Drew: It is. Yes. It’s like a Greek chorus of sorts.

Analyssa: It literally is.

Drew: And that it’s a choice. It’s an artistic choice.

Analyssa: Okay. That’s fine. I disagree with it.

Drew: I would like to say that. Yes, I do not like the artistic choice.

Analyssa: There were some really big ones in this episode. So Micah is going to go on a date with this hot doctor and the song says “you the man” over and over. There’s one later that also, I was just like…

Riese: Yes, there’s one during a sex scene that I was like, I can’t believe this is happening.

Drew: I keep searching the songs and a lot of them don’t come up on Shazam so…

Analyssa: I genuinely think we’re in a situation like we were in the original L Word

Riese: I think they have in house-

Analyssa: With who? Who was it?

Drew: Fucking, fucking…

Riese: EZ Girl.

Analyssa: EZ Girl. Yes.

Riese: Shane Shane Shane Shane

Analyssa: Carmen Carmen Carmen

Riese: Okay. So then we go to the legal department, I guess, which is in a stately building. Dad’s out of jail. Okay.

Drew: Mm-hmm (affirmative) .

Riese: He’s mad at Dani for trying to do something good. He’s trying to blame on her. And she’s like, no, this is on you. Which is true. He’s the one who… She has to clean up his, whatever. And Bette is described as…

Legal: Formidable at best and destructive at worst.

Analyssa: I do like that Bette has all these fancy lawyers scared. That’s fun. I don’t like that all these fancy lawyers are worried that the thing that happened to the Sacklers is going to happen to them. That’s how you know.

Drew: What this has done. I mean, this is the Bette that I love. This is Bette….  what it’s doing is making me not care about Dani anymore and not care about Dani and Gigi, but the idea of Bette being up against Dani’s dad and these like evil lawyer people I’m like, yes, let’s see that. I like want to see her destroy them. So …

Analyssa: Again, we jump through a time loop.

Riese: And we’re back at the book party.

Analyssa: Back at the launch party.

Riese: And Alice has decided to pick the worst moment of all time for some god damn reason. Because Tom gives her a book and she signs a copy of his book and she… And he gives her a key to his hotel room.

Drew: Mm-hmm (affirmative) .

Riese: Because he likes his beds king sized, like his candy bars. And then she’s like, oh, “I have to tell you that I hooked up with Nat.” But here’s the thing: like how — their relationship is serious enough that her hooking up with Nat would be a problem, but not serious enough that they literally haven’t spoken in over a week?

Drew: Yes. It doesn’t make any sense.

Riese: They established nothing.

Drew: If the… What has been established on screen makes it, so this is like… Tom sucks, this sucks. And it’s like, I don’t understand how…

Riese: I didn’t feel like he sucked. I just felt like this didn’t make sense. Like I was just confused.

Drew: No, because it’s like masculine bullshit of being like controlling before you have any right to even be controlling.

Riese: I didn’t see it like that at all.

Analyssa: I didn’t think that. I thought Alice-

Drew: Really?

Analyssa: … I thought Alice thought she did something wrong.

Riese: Yes. I thought so too.

Analyssa: Very much.

Drew: But she didn’t.

Riese: But she thinks she did.

Drew: Right. To us.

Analyssa: No, we’ve seen them have sex one time, but I just… in the world of the show she seems …

Drew: Okay. So I took the side of: Alice knows that this guy might have an issue and he does have an issue. And so then she’s very apologetic, but that…

Analyssa: I thought that—

Riese: No.

Analyssa: … she was genuinely like, “I’ve done a bad thing.”

Drew: No. It reminded me of… There’s like a whole storyline in Ted Lasso where they just start hooking up and then the character hooks up with her ex and then the whole point of that episode is like, he has to get over his shit and realized that they had nothing established and like whatever… I was like… I was thinking about that and I was like, why does Ted Lasso have better gender politics than The L Word?

Analyssa: That might stand but I don’t think in this storyline, that’s what was happening. Like I think she felt…

Riese: Yes, she felt like she did something bad.

Analyssa: She did something wrong.

Drew: But she didn’t!

Riese: Right. But in the world of the show for… I mean, we don’t know why, but for some reason it is.

Analyssa: Like if I said to you, Drew, a girl I’ve been dating for two weeks, now I’ve hooked up with my ex, I feel really bad. You’d be like, “you didn’t do anything wrong-”

Drew: Right.

Analyssa: … But if that, if I feel like I did something bad and that girl feels like I did something bad, then something bad has happened.

Drew: You’re both wrong. I don’t agree.

Analyssa: Anyway, she does it right before he has to introduce her.

Drew: Yes.

Analyssa: And he’s like pretty upset. He is struggling to-

Riese: Yes.

Analyssa: … Adjust to his new reality.

Tom: I think we all know who Alice is or at least who she wants us to think she is. She’s honest. She’s caring. Wickedly funny. She’s caring, wickedly funny, but there’s another side to Alice. A side, that’s emotional and empathetic. I mean, she can’t watch an episode of Dr. Pimple Popper without crying and who can blame her?

Riese: I just thought this was stupid.

Drew: Yeah. So stupid

Riese: It didn’t make sense.

Analyssa: He gets really close to giving a not nice… Like every line they’re like, is he going to go off? And he doesn’t.

Riese: He doesn’t. I think he’s a standup guy.

Analyssa: I do too.

Drew: Yeah, I think so. It’s just very poorly written.

Riese: Yeah. And I really didn’t understand why they wrote it like that either. Like, why not have… It was sort of like the thing with like, make the Finley-Sophie thing a little bit more clear. It would have taken two lines!

Analyssa: Right.

Riese: To make it a genuine conflict. Or Alice to be like, yeah, we’ve been talking every night, but I’ve left this out of the story. Or like, we haven’t talked all week. So it shouldn’t be a big deal.

Analyssa: Or Alice saying to Tom, like I know we haven’t had this conversation, but I’ve been feeling really guilty. Can we discuss?

Riese: Yeah but instead she presents it like she cheated on him.

Analyssa: Yeah.

Riese: And then he rolls with it.

Analyssa: And he reacts in the way that she presents it, which I agree Drew, is out-sized but he reacts in the way that she presents it, which is again, not really how you would do that. You’d be like, it’s really early with this and I’m coming off this other thing. And she sort of says “it’s complicated,” but it falls sort of-

Drew: No, Alice definitely does not frame it correctly.

Analyssa: Right. But then she reads part of the Dana chapter. He gives her a brisk handshake.

Drew: The only thing is that like, in the middle of all this happening, like Finley gets cocktails for herself and Sophie.

Analyssa: Right. Oh, and Tess can’t come to the event because she’s in Vegas. That will be important later, I guess.

Drew: Yeah. So Alice reads from the Dana chapter.

Riese: After it, when they were like, “you painted Dana so perfectly!” — she didn’t say anything about Dana.

Drew: She didn’t say anything about Dana.

Analyssa: Not one thing about Dana’s personality in that reading!

Riese: She didn’t say anything about their story together. She went straight from engagement party, love confession, to deathbed. Literally to deathbed. I mean it’s a show but.

Drew: I did get emotional, but this is a terrible personal essay.

Riese: Yeah, I cried but I hated myself.

Analyssa: Against my will. Every tear I’ve shed in this show has been against my will.

Riese: Yeah.

Drew: “You really capture her spirit.”

Riese: No you didn’t! You said nothing about her! Besides that her favorite song was “You Are My Sunshine.” Cause also no, it wasn’t.

Analyssa: That’s not exactly true. But what this chapter serves to do, as many things in this show serve to do is get three people to realize they all need to go talk to the person they’re actually in love with. So Shane is like, I have to go talk to Tess don’t I? And everyone’s like, duh. And then Bette’s like, I have to go call Pippa for the 1000 time. And I was like, maybe don’t. And then Alice was like, I got to go find Tom.

Drew: Yes.

Riese: And in a confounding turn of events, Finley — who very recently brought two drinks for her and Sophie to drink that they sat next to each other, drinking — Sophie asks

Sophie: Are you drinking?

Riese: Yeah. Yeah. Like who wrote this? Like…. what?

Drew: Melody —

Analyssa: Yeah, it doesn’t… It confounds-

Riese: I was like, was that supposed to be water?

Analyssa: But also it’s just a thing of like, nobody’s actually talking about the thing that happened really. And again, Riese you’re right, that’s really hard. But like maybe they would have had a conversation in the car before they came of like, Hey, are you good? Maybe we should both not drink tonight. We had a rough time.

Riese: Yeah. Because it seems like Sophie’s decided not to drink for awhile. And it seems like Finley would really benefit from doing that as well.

Drew: Do you know what would’ve been so easy? Is that if Finley, I’d like to know, after Alice is done speaking, Finley says “that was sad.”

Riese: You know what else is sad?

Drew: Do you know what she could have said is “that was sad, I need a drink.” And then Sophie could have said, “Hey, what if we don’t drink tonight?” And then Finley could be like, no.

Analyssa: Or some conversation about that.

Riese: And then also that’s another way. Cause there’s obviously a distinction between Sophie’s drinking and Finley’s drinking. And like, Sophie’s like a binge drinker, which is its own thing. But I don’t know what to say. They’re not doing a good job. Like there’s ways that they could show it. And I think that kind of thing would be perfect. Like her being like, this is sad, I need a drink. That would be a good way to start a conversation. And also to find out how Sophie feels about her drinking. How Finley— like, Finley’s last relationship ended because of her drinking!

Analyssa: Right. And again, there’s stuff in here that I do think actually is realistic, but all of the entry points into the conversation are not. And so then the things they’re saying-

Riese: And it so easily could have been.

Analyssa: Yes, exactly. And so the things they’re saying don’t seem like they make sense. And honestly, if I were Finley, and Sophie said the things that Sophie says to me in this episode, I’d be like, what the fuck are you talking about dude? And vice versa. Like if I were Sophie and I was with someone like Finley, you’d be like, Hey, a lot of stuff is going on. Are we good? They both don’t talk in the way that you feel like a normal human person would talk. And again, that’s totally down to a script level and what the ideas are. It’s not about really even the characters anymore. It’s like, none of this makes sense to me, I feel lost.

Riese: Rosanny is trying her hardest to tell a story with just her face and no lines.

Analyssa: I was going to say, the eyeball acting? She’s crushing.

Drew: Yeah. I really like all the actors and I really like all the, I mean, this is how I felt about the original L Word where I’d be like, oh, I love these characters. And then sometimes people will be like, “yeah, but Alice did this thing that was really transphobic.” And I was like, oh, when I say I love these characters, I don’t take all of the episodes as canon. I love this character when I love them. But all of the characters on The L Word, in the original series, and now in this series, there’s constant stuff that’s just wildly out of character.

Riese: Yeah. Wait, how many lines do they even have with each other? Four?

Drew: It doesn’t make any sense. Okay. So Micah and Claudia are like, Micah is cooking dinner, and they’re flirting. And they bond over work stuff. We learned that Micah’s a Virgo, which is a fun little thing.

Analyssa: Surprising, but okay. We’ve learned It.

Drew: Yeah. And so then the fire alarm starts going off.

Riese: Why didn’t they just take it apart?!

Analyssa: Why didn’t they open the door or the window? There’s a massive door next to me.

Drew: Yes, it makes no sense. It makes zero sense. But one thing that I want to say is that I absolutely loved the tea for tea energy of the woman being the one who like, “I’m taller, I can reach it.” Like I loved that detail, but I was like open the door.

Analyssa: I thought that detail was fun. There’s a door right there.

Riese: I was like, as I did to my smoke alarm. Remove it from the wall.

Drew: That’s a felony, so.

Analyssa: It’s dangerous.

Riese: A felony?

Analyssa: You could burn to death!

Drew: I think it says on it it’s a felony. Or maybe it’s, I don’t know if it’s a felony, but I don’t know if you should say that publicly.

Analyssa: I don’t think it’s a felony. Isn’t smoking on an airplane a felony?

Drew: I don’t know. I don’t.

Analyssa: Okay.

Drew: So, but then they don’t kiss. That’s the part of this that I did not understand. I was like, kiss! Why aren’t you kissing yet? Your faces are so close to each other.

Analyssa: They did the Shane and Tess special, which is stand really close and breathe each other’s air, but not, kiss. Okay. So then back at the CAC, Bette is negotiating with the guy in charge. She’s come to be like, you guys called my bluff and I thought you were going to counter offer me.

Riese: And it does feel like maybe this is the culmination of a lot of the stuff that’s been happening with her this whole season. Where she’s like:

Bette: I made a mistake. That is something you will rarely hear me say, but Pippa Pascal. Her work means everything to me. Do you understand? Everything?
Speaker 2: What would you do if you were in my position?
Bette: I would throw me under the bus. I’m perfectly prepared to be publicly humiliated, but don’t punish her and don’t punish the people who need to see her work.

Analyssa: And Pippa is there.

Riese: Pippa is creeping.

Analyssa: And can hear her and hears Bette say like genuinely very nice and meaningful things about what she’ll do for Pippa. Like she says that Pippa’s work means everything and she’ll do anything if the CAC will forgive her for this.

Drew: Yeah. This definitely was the moment that was like, oh, okay. I think I see what they’re going for. And I’m excited hopefully for this to be where it’s going.

Analyssa: Right.

Drew: And again, my trust in writers isn’t super strong, but this scene was good.

Riese: Yeah. And this is also when she says she realizes that her legacy is one of revenge and stuff. That was good.

Drew: That was really good.

Riese: And then her and Pippa hugged and it’s nice. And she kind of like folds into Pippa, which is not her style. And I thought that was really nice too.

Analyssa: Yeah. It’s nice to see her finally get the opportunity to say that. And like that that’s what has been happening. To see that feels cathartic in a good way. And I like that it’s with Pippa. Again, we’ve talked about how Bette has not been able to date in a long-term way another Black woman. Or like the way she talks about what Pippa’s art means to her because she hasn’t done that in her own life. And that this might be like a good, solid step for both of them is very… I just thought it was really nice. But I do want to say all of their dialogue, very abstracted. I wish they were speaking in like real concrete details about feelings, but instead they’re sort of-

Riese: It’s very broad.

Analyssa: I mean, they’re artists, I guess. Speaking of reconciliations, you can tell that we didn’t adore this episode because that’s the first, speaking of, all episode.

Riese: Oh my God you’re right! Speaking of communication, two women are about to try it.

Analyssa: They’re going to try. Dani has come to Gigi’s with Chinese food to sort of make up for the morning. And they bond about their dads and how they got in the way of former relationships. And I had just one aside about this is “my dad always wanted what was best for me” is a weird way to say “Dani’s dad was really classist about Sophie.” Okay. But I did like the line, again as a person of demanding job experience, Dani’s line that was like, I was really embarrassed that you saw how he treats me, or something like that? Which is, I think often with my very long hours and stuff, I don’t mind doing the demanding work myself. I can keep it going. It’s when a loved one is like, wait, let’s go. And you have to see that I’m submissive to this thing. That is when it starts to become stressful. And that’s why then the reaction of but babe, what if you just put boundaries in place?, is more off putting to me. Cause it feels humiliating.

Drew: So we learned that Bette backed off, so Dani’s like I won. Which again, I thought the whole thing was that Dani had, her morals had changed and she’d left her dad behind. I’m just, I’m like what?

Riese: I mean, she’s has to run the company. Right?

Drew: I mean no. No, she actually doesn’t. Yes she is officially the CEO because she signed that document. No sense. But she does not have to run the company well. She does not have to do things that are morally objectionable.

Riese: You think Dani’s going to lead the class revolution?

Drew: No! But there’s a difference between leading the class revolution and being like, oh, I defeated Bette Porter and all these black artists.

Analyssa: Yeah. What I was going to say is that I didn’t love that it again, pinned in Bette as the adversary in this episode as though Bette’s point was not a good one.

Drew: I mean, who knows what the next episode will do and maybe Dani will like, they’ll have a… Cause she’s like, I’m going to give Bette a few days to cool off. And it’s like, I really hope that that is words coming out of Dani’s mouth. But the show knows that that’s not what’s going to happen. And in the future episode, actually what will happen is Dani realizes that she’s wrong.

Riese: They hint at it at the end. What’s going to happen. I think. Don’t they?

Drew: Yes they do. But I mean, they don’t hint at whether Dani is like… Is Dani going to be on team Bette and Pippa? Or with her dad? Okay. So, but then when Gigi was like, I sure do like you, I was like, oh my God, I love that so much. I wish that was in any other episode or any other, whatever. Speaking of, I’m just going to read my notes for the scene, but not the last one, because it’s actually a thing to get into. But my notes in the beginning are Micah and Claudia! Ugh, dude. No. Ugh. Why?! And so basically what happens is Micah and Claudia kiss and then Micah’s like, Oh my God, I can’t do this because I’m in love with someone else.

Riese: What is wrong with you?

Analyssa: Why would you say it to someone?

Riese: Did he have carbon monoxide poisoning? Why is he saying this?

Drew: Like, I didn’t, I just, yeah.

Analyssa: All the steak fumes have gone to his head.

Riese: Someone who he works with-

Analyssa: Who he has to see so soon.

Drew: I don’t even.

Riese: Tomorrow morning he has to see her.

Drew: Okay, this is the thing that really bothers me. So Micah wasn’t in the last episode and this could have been a two episode storyline. Actually this could have been a several episode storyline because if you needed drama at the night where like the drama was that Maribel was like, you’re talking to someone. If instead it was that Micah… There’s just could have been a whole-

Riese: He could’ve been talking to her.

Drew: Yeah! It could have been a whole three episode arc with Isis King and this lovely flirtation these two have. They could have had sex. And I just think it all could have been… Instead because they want Micah on the poster and want to be able to say that one of their leads is a trans guy, but they don’t actually want to put them in every episode. We get this very rushed, very confusing, I don’t know. They had so much chemistry. Why would this not go on for several episodes? And like we know where I stand as far as the Micah shipping goes. We know where I stand. But, why couldn’t this fling or whatever have been something that was actually substantial. And actually given these two actors more time to do this.

Riese: And Micah’s kind.

Analyssa: And like fine instead of… So many times on this podcast I’ve been like, this feels mean. It feels unnecessary to kiss someone and then to their face be like, I can’t kiss you because I have feelings for someone else. Like it’s just not.

Riese: Yeah. And I think what’s interesting also is, I noticed this a lot in when I’m writing and talking about TV and stuff, when we’re shifting from talking about, why would the character do this to, why did the writers do this? Which I feel like happens on the show. Cause it’s not like I’m like, why would Micah do this? Cause he wouldn’t.

Drew: Right, exactly.

Riese: So I’m just like, why was it written this way?

Drew: I feel about so many of the things in this episode.

Analyssa: So many storylines.

Riese: Right. And honestly this show, for all of its faults, has inspired that in me so much less than the original series. But this episode is just such a disaster and it has such good sex scenes in it.

Analyssa: It really has good sex scenes in it.

Riese: Like what the fuck!

Drew: So then we go back to Alice and Tom’s storyline, which is another one where I’m like, I think Tom’s a great guy. I’ve loved his character. None of this has felt realistic to his character because I feel like what would have been more accurate is he would have been like, okay, so you want to be with that? And Alice would have to be like, no, I really do want to be with you. And prove that instead of him getting upset and we’re like, oh no, is he going to say something bad in the speech? No, of course he wasn’t ever going to say anything. It’s not his character. Anyways. Alice walks in on him as he’s taking tiny shampoos and toiletries and stuff from a hotel, which is the move always.

Analyssa: One quick reminder that Tom is not a rich LA lesbian. Someone in the comments, I think of the last post or maybe your recap, were like, I wish that there was episodes where Carrie and Tom got to bond about not being LA. Like being the weirdos on the outside of this group. And I just feel like that would be very fun for both of them.

Riese: I agree. I think that’d be really nice. You need to have a buddy when you’re the outsider. You need to have a buddy.

Analyssa: Yeah, Tom is close to having Finley as a buddy. But now they’ve spun Finley off in a whole different direction.

Drew: So Alice apologizes and they work it out and it’s nice. I’m glad they’re back together because that’s what I wanted.

Riese: And now they’re official.

Drew: Yeah.

Riese: Speaking of people who are going to become official.

Analyssa: I mean the next handful of scenes is really just people getting official back-to-back-to-back.

Drew: So Maribel comes over and Micah’s like:

Micah: I’ve watched Love & Basketball six times since I last saw you. And I think we’re as good as them.
Maribel: No, we’re not. Nobody is.

Drew: And then-

Analyssa: This was wild.

Drew: He takes-

Riese: Are these quotes from Love & Basketball?

Drew: Okay. Eventually. But first he says:

Micah: Maribel, I love you. And I know you love me too.
Maribel: Would you bet on it?
Micah: I would bet my whole heart.

Analyssa: Wild.

Riese: I thought That was a quote from Love & Basketball.

Drew: I’m sure in Love & Basketball. They say, I love you. The part that is a quote is that when… There’s a scene in Love & Basketball, if you haven’t seen Love & Basketball you really should see Love & Basketball, they’re playing one-on-one and it’s like a bet for her heart.

Speaker 1: I’ll play you.
Speaker 2: What?
Speaker 1: One game, one-on-one.
Speaker 2: For what?
Speaker 1: Your heart.

Drew: That is a reference. But, the I love you? It’s just him saying, I love you. He’s like, I love you, I know you love me too? Okay.

Riese: That wasn’t a quote?

Drew: No.

Analyssa: That is Micah.

Riese: That’s bananas!

Drew: I don’t think it’s a quote. But it’d be bananas even if it was a quote! I really don’t think it’s a quote.

Riese: I feel like, what?! But you’re right, even if it is a quote, it’s still wild. It’s a pretty common phrase. I love you. How forward. Like Micah-

Analyssa: My notes say, I love you? Skipped some steps there, my guy.

Riese: My notes say, they love each other?

Analyssa: As a person of watching Grey’s Anatomy experienced, those bitches say, I’m in love with you because I love you because I’m in love with you, to people they’ve never even gone on a date with.

Riese: This show does that too.

Analyssa: They do that shit all the time. So I felt like I was primed for that. And I was just like, this is bananas.

Drew: I do it in the privacy of my own brain. But let’s keep it where it belongs.

Riese: Why do they have to always be doing like, are you in love with her? Like Tasha and Alice and Jamie when they were having their talk in the final episode. And she was like, are you in love with Tasha? Or like, are you in love with Jamie? And I was like, how could they be?

Analyssa: I mean, even-

Riese: They’re not dating yet!

Analyssa: Even Shane and Tess. This episode, Alice is like, Shane has loved Tess since the moment she laid eyes on her.

Riese: Yeah I was like, what?

Analyssa: Has she?

Drew: My issue is not that it’s about saying I love you too soon. My issue is that they hooked up. They were friends, they hooked up, then they got into a fight. They didn’t talk. I missed the week where they were not speaking. Then they got into a fight and they haven’t talked for another week or some period of time. So that’s more like where I’m confused. If it was, oh, they spent, whatever it was. It doesn’t matter. Whatever. I’m happy they’re together and that’s lovely. And now they’re together and whatever. Okay. So then going to people who are in love Tess is on the phone in Vegas.

Riese: She’s on the phone with her sponsor. And just really quickly, I want to say, that for all the not great alcoholic representation in this show. This reluctant-ass call to her sponsor? I was like, yes, thank you so much. She’s like kind of perfunctorily like, yes, I’m doing this. Yes, I went to a meeting. And then I called my sponsees. I was like, I know that phone call, I’ve been on that phone call, I will be on that phone call probably this week. Like baby. Thank you. That was great.

Analyssa: Yeah. Another great thing I think was we really saw Vegas.

Drew: We sure did through that window. We were like, we are in Vegas.

Riese: It’s Vegas.

Analyssa: And you know what? When they start smooching, there’s words about lights in the song, which are behind them in Vegas.

Drew: Shane arrives. Also, I want to note for people who are like, oh, Tess’ mom lives in Vegas? Because I think a lot of people are always like, oh wow, when they live in Vegas, they live on the strip. Most of the time, that is not true. Plenty of people live in Vegas and don’t live on the strip. But I guess Tess’ mom does live on the strip.

Riese: No Tess’ mom is in a home. So she was just saying in a hotel.

Drew: Why would she say on the strip?

Riese: Because it’s cheap.

Drew: So, Shane arrives at the hotel and she tells Tess that she wants to be her partner.

Riese: And she’s like, I want to be here with you. She’s like looking at her feet. I want to be your partner.

Analyssa: And that’s really scary for me to say.

Riese: She hates having feelings.

Drew: That’s really nice. What we’ve learned from this episode of television is that trans women can find love as long as you’re stealth. And that’s really nice. I mean, I do appreciate that we got two T4T storylines here with Micah and Claudia.

Analyssa: Yeah.

Drew: And now Tess and trans woman Shane.

Analyssa: Yeah. They have sex.

Drew: They do.

Riese: They do.

Drew: It’s extremely hot.

Analyssa: Yeah.

Drew: This is an untainted sex scene. This is really the only one. What other sex scenes happened in this episode?

Riese: Aren’t Pippa and Bette? They wake up together with their bras on.

Drew: That’s not a sex scene.

Riese: We will get to that.

Drew: We’ll get there.

Riese: Everyone takes their clothes off here.

Drew: Anyways, this is very good. Like when Shane was kissing down her back. I really thought that she was about to eat her ass! And then I was disappointed it stopped. I was lie, go for it Shane! Nope? Okay.

Riese: Yeah I did too. But wasn’t,

Analyssa: I watched twice and missed the turnaround to get Tess onto all fours. And I was like, what have I? And I, I still don’t know where I missed it, but anyway, I also thought we were going to get ass eating representation.

Drew: It was good.

Riese: Wasn’t Sophie eating Finley’s ass at the beginning of last week’s? In the rug?

Analyssa: Oh, I know we you’re talking about.

Riese: She could have been fucking her from behind though.

Anaylssa: Yeah.

Drew: Unclear,

Analyssa: Unclear.

Riese: Or sucking on her toes. There’s so many things she could have been. That was like the thing they’re really into. You know, Nat loves public sex, but Finley and Sophie are really into feet.

Drew: I want everyone’s sun sign then I want everyone’s kinks. Please.

Riese: Yeah.

Drew: Okay.

Analyssa: So the only other thing I want to say about the sex scene is it was very good. I wish that I’d seen their faces being excited more.

Riese: Mm-hmm yeah.

Analyssa: Like it seemed like a really fun pay off to some things.

Drew: That’s true.

Analyssa: And I just would’ve loved to see Jamie play it at being a little light the way that she is.

Riese: I would’ve liked that too, because what I try to make a screenshot for my recap. It’s incredibly difficult.

Analyssa: You’re just getting hair and limbs basically.

Riese: For a lot of the sex, it’s nearly impossible. Cause either they’re in motion.

Drew: Right.

Riese: Or you can’t see a face.

Drew: Right.

Riese: And so then I’m taking a screenshot of bodies. Then I feel like I’m disembodying women. You know?

Analyssa: And that’s what makes Sophie and Finley’s sex scenes so fun. It’s because they’re having fun and they feel, realistic in the way that sometimes sex is very hot, but also sometimes you bump heads and you laugh about it.

Drew: Yeah. Yes.

Analyssa: And then it’s back to being really hot. Yes. And then,

Drew: Yes.

Analyssa: And I feel like I missed some of that in these.

Drew: That’s true.

Analyssa: In the sex scenes, this episode.

Riese: Shane always has serious sex. I feel.

Drew: Yeah.

Analyssa: That’s true.

Drew: Yeah.

Analyssa: She takes it very seriously. That’s why she does it so frequently.

Riese: Okay, Finley comes home wasted.

Analyssa: And crawls into bed with Sophie and tries to do a drunk cuddling thing. And Sophie doesn’t want to do it.

Riese: She says that she feels like she’s been babysitting her all day.

Analyssa: Yeah.

Riese: There is a line here where she’s talking about when Finley is like completely trashed and she’s like,

Sophie: It’s like your light goes out and nobody’s home and it’s the scariest, loneliest feeling.

Riese: And I was like, that’s good. That’s a good line.

Drew: Yeah.

Analyssa: I agree that’s a good line. This felt like it came out of nowhere. I think, I think you said something earlier that I thought was I would bring up later. But which I’m bringing up now. It does feel like it’s a crystallization of some thoughts that maybe Sophie has had before.

Riese: Yeah.

Analyssa: But it feels really like zero to a hundred in the intensity of it. Which I was surprised by. Because I, again, I think Drew said this a lot of their relationship has been fun partying. We, that’s our vibe.

Riese: They were both were drinking a lot.

Drew: Which like, because Sophie’s gone through a lot recently.

Riese: Yeah.

Analyssa: For sure.

Drew: And so it could easily have been played in a way where it’s like. And by played, I mean written because Rosanny Zayas is doing whatever she can with this writing. It could have been written in a way that was clear about the fact that, yes, Sophie and Finley’s relationship has been largely based ongoing out and being drunk. This experience was a wakeup call for Sophie. And she’s confused by it. But not a wakeup call for Finley and that’s starting to scare her.

Riese: Right.

Drew: And that, isn’t how it’s written.

Riese: Yeah.

Drew: It just written as this like zero to 60. And, and then what it does is undercut Sophie’s stance in this.

Analyssa: Right.

Drew: Which shouldn’t be undercut.

Riese: Well, it’s also relying on us, I guess, to fill in a lot of the gaps. Cause all, I mean this whole fucking season. In Sophie’s karaoke episode, we were all having a fun time, so I wasn’t going to talk about it. But like when she walks into the back room to find Finley. Finley’s back there chugging a beer — like there’s all of these moments where she sees Finley has a certain relationship to alcohol that’s unhealthy and no one ever says anything.

Analyssa: That, and that’s what I mean is like, it doesn’t feel like a gentle: Hey, that was like a pretty rough night. Or what if we talk? It’s just. And again,Sophie, as a character has gone through a lot of stuff, so it’s like a pile on. But yeah, it just feels like there were so many other again entry points to this conversation.

Riese: Right.

Analyssa: Where I would be totally on Sophie’s side and be like, yes, this is the right way of handling it. And instead I was like, I just feel like this is going to put Finley off and she’s going to be like, you’re insane. What are you talking about? Which is sort of what happened?

Drew: She could have, she, this could have been the way that this scene happened. If throughout the season there were little things building up to this moment.

Riese: Finley came home and said I’ve been sober all summer and then started drinking and everyone was like, LaDeDaDeDa . No-one was like, do you want to talk about that?

Drew: And with the drunk driving moment. If and when they were getting into the car. Sophie had been like, are you sure you’re okay? Instead, Finley chugged from a flask before they got in the car. So instead of having to treat the audience like were stupid. And that we need to see Finley chugging from a flask to know that Finley, who we clearly have seen as an alcoholic, is gonna be drunk while getting into this car. If instead she was like yeah, I haven’t had a drink since the one, an hour ago. Or whatever. And then Sophie would be like, okay, and then when they get pulled over, like Sophie looks, doesn’t like giggling and Finley looks serious.

Riese: Yeah.

Drew: But swap that.

Riese: Right.

Analyssa: Right.

Drew: And then, or have them both look serious. Like what it is that it just there’s no buildup to it. So then it makes you feel like, oh, well this feels out of nowhere or this feels harsh. And it’s like, no, that’s not narratively and character wise. That’s not how this should feel.

Analyssa: Right. Exactly.

Riese: And it’s also they don’t even address what just happened. Which is Sophie wanted to go home and Finley didn’t go home with her because she needed to keep drinking.

Drew: Right.

Analyssa: Right.

Riese: They don’t even address that.

Drew: Right.

Analyssa: Right.

Riese: Like what,

Analyssa: Or even again, you just had this insane thing happen. You couldn’t take one night off.

Drew: Right.

Riese: Right.

Analyssa: Totally reasonable.

Riese: Like yeah.

Analyssa: Still a little bit harsh thing to hear, but like totally reasonable entry point to, this conversation.

Drew: It’s just, it’s just such a poorly written scene.

Riese: Yeah. And that line saying you know, we just had this happen. Like, do you think you could take the night off and then having Finley be like yeah, sure. And then coming home drunk? Like that would’ve been a very easy edit and it would’ve really crystallized this situation.

Analyssa: And then coming home drunk, sure.

Drew: Right.

Riese: It’s so frustrating. Cause It’s the worst writing of the series.

Drew: Yeah.

Riese: Because also there’s been all this buildup towards it and, there’s stills from the next episode where you see Sophie sitting with Tess looking serious.

Analyssa: So I think she’s probably going to talk to her about talking to Finley, which I just, I think watching what we’ve watched all season where it doesn’t seem like people have been super concerned with Finley’s drinking or behavior. And then to go from that. Skip the entire step of concern and have Sophie, who again has always been really supportive and loving and like jump to, I felt like I was babysitting you. You can’t like, it just felt very punitive in a way that was surprising to me because I think the Sophie that I know who sat next to her grandma’s bed, for two episodes is would’ve been like, I’m really worried about you. You just had this big thing happen and it doesn’t seem to have affected you at all. And it’s really scary to me. And the other thing that’s really scary is sometimes your light goes out behind your eyes when we’re out together. And I don’t even know when that’s going to happen and that’s really terrifying. That’s a conversation. Anyways, so, Finley leaves.

Riese: Yeah. Finley fucking leaves.

Analyssa: And is walking around wasted in Los Angeles.

Riese: The only authentic thing about this conversation was that Sophie said, I don’t want to talk about this right now. And then they immediately talked about it. That’s authentic lesbian processing. That’s exactly how that happens. But, and even that like Finley left. Where?

Analyssa: Walking.

Riese: Where she decided to go could have been an interesting detail. You know what I mean?

Drew: Yeah.

Analyssa: So she’s walking. And then.

Riese: She’s going to fall asleep on a bench for sure.

Analyssa: And then it’s the next day, right? Or everyone’s in bed basically. I don’t know if everyone’s waking up yet or falling asleep now, but.

Drew: Yeah.

Riese: Finley’s probably asleep on the bench.

Drew: Yeah, we go to Pippa and Bette naked in bed.

Analyssa: Bras, in bras please. Well, okay.

Drew: Yes.

Analyssa: As you do, yes, please. I wake up and I immediately put my brassiere on.

Drew: It’s interesting that they don’t just like have them in like some sort of you know, sheets. I mean, this is, I feel about TV in general. Not even sheets.

Analyssa: They might have them in sheets. They might not really be in bras. My memory might be wrong.

Riese: I thought it was bras.

Drew: No, there were, it was. Yeah.

Analyssa: You mean like a pajama top?

Drew: Yeah. Yeah. Of some sort.

Analyssa: Even just like a tank top or a little Teddy.

Riese: She’s like I got the bag.

Drew: Yeah. But Pippa asks Bette if she’s considered that, sometimes you can burn down and still leave standing. Right. And it’s, I mean, I’m excited to see where that goes.

Riese: Oh yeah. Because they’re going to burn down Wax.

Analyssa: They say that they’re going to do it together again. Yeah. I love this for them.

Riese: Yeah. I love it. When people over 50 burn shit down.

Analyssa: Very metaphorical conversation. But okay. Again, I guess I prefer that to some of the other conversations that have been had in this episode. Yeah.

Drew: I’m just, again, interested to see if this is framed as like Bette versus Dani or if it’s going to be framed with like the seriousness and heaviness that it deserves

Analyssa: Feels like it’s going towards like feud instead of actual.

Drew: Where it’s like, but I’m thrilled to see like Bette back into like burnt down politics mode, but with like maybe more tact and Pippa, like being on like there with her I’m on board for that storyline. If it means having to like go back to season one, hating Dani, I guess I’ll do that.

Analyssa: A storyline that I’m in on is Tess and Shane are in bed and they’re sweet. And these two are the only, what I wrote is these two are the only people I understand. These are my moms, this is my home.

Drew: So, it’s possible.

Analyssa: Pippa and Bette end up in a place where I understand them. Shane and Tess were my rock this whole episode.

Drew: Yeah. I’m going, I don’t know if I’ve just like, am in a bad mood because of the rest of this episode. But I do have one note on this scene mm-hmm which is that Shane asks if it’s going to be a problem at work and Tess is like yeah, we should tell HR. And Shane says that she is HR and they kiss and it’s all jokey you know, like I think it’s fine morally that Tess and Shane are hooking up, but like be L Word’s relationship towards people fucking their coworkers and how it, and I think it’s pro.

Analyssa: I think it’s pro. And also like, not just coworkers, but people who work under you technically it’s very, pro.

Riese: And then they work under you.

Drew: Yeah.

Analyssa: The like the like’s a little dicey.

Drew: I would just, I’m just wanting to like, it is a soap opera it’s going to happen. I’d rather they not address it than address it and be like, haha. And we don’t care about this. I just you know, don’t learn about life from the L word is a pretty good lesson, always, but I’m just going to reiterate that one more time with this in particular. But yes, they’re very hot and cute together. I love it. Happy to see it. ETC, ETC

Analyssa: Not happy to see Finley never came home last night and there’s an egregious music cue. That’s like did I step too far? Did I push us too hard? And Sophie’s walking around like looking for Finley it’s 10:30 in the morning. So she’s been gone for hours at this point.

Drew: Okay. So that’s how it ends with Finley missing.

Riese: I thought they were going to at least show us Finley somewhere like on maybe Tess’ porch or something. Yeah. You know?

Analyssa: Or Shane’s porch. She used to live there. She could find her way there.

Riese: Yeah. Well I think they lost that set because have you noticed we have not been in Shane’s apartment at all? I think they lost that set.

Drew: And that’s the episode.

[music transition]

Drew: Did we like it? I hated it. It’s like one of my least favorite episodes of The L word in both series. Yeah.

Analyssa: Yeah, that one was rough.

Riese: That was really rough. And could have so easily been so much better. I honestly feel like something happened that week that they were writing this. It’s like inexcusably bad. There’s all of these opportunities where very easily things could have been made just a little bit more sense and they just didn’t do it.

Drew: It’s honestly just like, it’s like pretty disrespectful to the cast and like, and to the characters and to like what’s been built, like I just like it’s, it’s just, there’s all the elements are there and it’s so frustrating. Yeah, maybe next week will be better. I mean it has to be right.

Riese: I feel like it’s not going to be.

Analyssa: I’m hopeful, but nervous.

Drew: I at least feel more optimistic that Bette and Pippa are going to actually be together and we’re going to get to like explore that in a way that’s exciting rather than Bette getting back with Tina. Cause Allen, when Carrie last episode was like, I don’t think I could be with Tina. I was like, no fucking way are they going to get Bette and Tina back together?

Riese: I feel like they’re going to do a last a cliffhanger.

Analyssa: I do think so too.

Drew: I know. I, I will be. So if that’s where like, I don’t know, I just, oh

Riese: God, I just hope Carrie doesn’t leave Tina at the altar. They love to do that on this show.

Analyssa: So many of that in each iteration of the um.

Drew: I’m so tired. I’m like a few episodes ago. Remember how happy I was. Yeah know I’m that was two episodes ago.

Riese: Remember how I like, wanted Finley and Sophie to get together. And it was like, no, we have to wait till the end. I wish that we had waited to the end because I feel like it’s going to fall apart.

Drew: I don’t even. I just, do I like any of the characters anymore?

Riese: I would love to see their relationship progress as Finley comes to grip with this, Sophie comes to grip with whatever she, she has going on, like all that stuff. And I feel like we’re not going to

Analyssa: Which doesn’t feel again fair to the characters or to the actors who like can carry that storyline. Like it would be different if it was a cast that I didn’t trust to pull off that sort of nuance or complicated story. I think they could all do it let them try.

Riese: But again, like Emmy for Rosanny, she spoke so many words with her face.

Analyssa: Really did it.

Riese: She really gave it her all and whatever happened in the writer’s room that week. I’m so sorry for everyone’s loss. Which was our loss. And that is my L word loss.

Analyssa: Mine was going to be lousy.

Drew: I don’t, doesn’t Lauren need us to pause in between us doing our L words

Riese: This week will be different.

Drew: I, oh you, you guys said L words lousy and mine is I’m going to get there. My L word is lead, because instead of watching this episode, I wish I had guzzled a gallon of lead paint.

Analyssa: I thought you were going to say like misled or you know, they led me astray.

Drew: Nope.

Riese: My follow up L word is lactose intolerant. Because that’s how this episode made me feel. And you guys realize I still have probably 12, 13 hours ahead of me recapping this motherfucking episode. So that’s really brutal.

Drew: That’s really brutal. It’s incredibly brutal. I’m very sorry.

Lauren: Thank you so much for listening to this episode of, To L and Back generation Q one of two podcasts brought to you by autostraddle.com. You can follow us on Instagram and twitter @tolandback and you can also email us at tolandbackcast@gmail.com. Don’t forget. We also have a hotline. Yes, it still exists. Give us a call, leave us a message. Or just give us a piece of your mind. You can reach us at 9 7 1 2 1 7 6 1 3 0. We also have merch! Head over to store at autostraddle.com. There are Bette Porter for president t-shirts. There are To L and Back stickers and lots of other simply iconic autostraddle.com merchandise. Our theme song is by the talented be said, well, our brand new to L and back generation Q logo is by the incredible Jackie Cho. Jackie is so, so talented and you should definitely go check out her work. I’ve linked her website in socials in the show notes. And definitely let us know if you want us to make stickers of the new logo because I think those would look pretty sick. This episode was produced, edited and mixed by me. Lauren Klein. You can find me on Instagram @LaurenTaylorKlein and on Twitter @LTKlein. You can follow drew everywhere @drawGregory that’s drew in the present tense. You can follow Annalisa on Instagram @Analokaa with two A’s and on Twitter @Analoka_ with one a in an underscore, you can follow our in-house L word savant and living legend Reise Bernard everywhere @autowin auto straddle is @autostraddle. And of course the reason why we are all here, autostraddle.com.

Exit Music: Laughing, moving fisting, fighting, crying, drinking, squirting, judging, ranting, camping, riding thinking. This is the way it’s the way, the way and okay.

L Word Generation Q Episode 208 Recap: Launch My Party and I’ll Scream If I Want To

Welcome to the eighth recap of the second season of The L Word: Generation Q, brought to you by the same network that brought you the original L Word, a show about a very tall and very snarky writing teacher who holds classes in a room with jaundiced lighting, lifts weights during one-on-ones with students, is sleeping with her star pupil, and eventually destroys and then elevates the ego of notoriously mediocre writer and “compulsive picker of her own navel lint,” Jennifer Schecter, leading her to explore both paper crafts and carnival metaphors and eventually get fired from a ghostwriting gig for a closeted Western Cinema star played by Fitz from Scandal.

Wow, Episode 208 of The L Word Generation Q really managed to excavate everything I hate about this fucking franchise! What happened in the writers room this week?!?! Everything had been going so well!!! This was like, Season Six quality bad. Here we go!

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We open this week’s lengthy journey into despair with Sophie picking Finley up from jail, where she’s spent the evening and emerged with some insights — e.g., jail sucks — and new tasks for her to-do list: taking DUI classes, getting a point on her license and owing a fuck-ton of money. Sophie’s glad that Finley is okay but also seems concerned that Finley is actually not okay at all. The Finley who clutched her steering wheel in fear as the cop approached has been replaced with an oblivious, casual who-cares Finley who just wants a hot shower?

Finley says she’ll go halfsies on the $1k Sophie paid the impound lot to retrieve her car, a proposal that clearly shocks Sophie, who emits in a daze of disappointment: “You got in the drivers seat and I thought that you were good, so—”

I’m sorry, what?!!

Listen I have picked up a person or two from jail the next morning and I cannot figure out why Sophie starts out compassionate but then immediately shifts into bewildered frustration — we’ve seen how ready she is to hold people she loves when they’re in trouble, but she seems profoundly disappointed that Finley hasn’t emerged from jail as an entirely different person while also entirely certain that she did not even play the smallest of roles in what happened. This approach isn’t a fault of Sophie’s character, but of the storytelling. And I think it would’ve been pretty easy to tell it better!

Don’t worry I’m not gonna do this for the entire recap (but we sure do do it on the podcast episode you can hear on Monday!), but for this story specifically (which features my fave character Sophie and my fave ship Sinley), I will be offering some light editorial suggestions. Feel free to skip my editorializing for you know, jokes.

Clearly the show has decided that “Misdemeanor DUI” is gonna be the turning point for Finley’s addiction issues, which is its own choice but whatever. There are two places to go from here:

Option A: Tell a story about two people with unhealthy relationships to alcohol figuring out what that means for each of them, respectively, in the wake of this DUI. Who got behind the wheel is incidental. Finley is physically and mentally addicted to alcohol. Sophie isn’t, but like so many of us (including me) she has some level of Alcohol Use Disorder, and she’s been going through a lot of emotional turmoil that has amped up her binge drinking habit. To tell this story, the show could keep last week’s driving scene, which implies a degree of shared responsibility for what happened, intact. Sophie could actually insist on going halfsies on the impound fee because Finley is struggling financially and they both made poor decisions that night. Then, from this position of shared accountability, they have to look forward at how what comes next might be different for each of them — like Sophie actually verbalizes that she’s taking a break from drinking to re-assess the role it plays in her life and relationships but Finley finds herself unable to do so. More on this later in the recap when we get to the relevant parts.

Option B: Tell a story about Finley’s alcoholism, with Sophie as the girlfriend who is trying to help Finley get help while also still struggling to take care of herself and not fall into codependence. Adjust last week’s driving scene — options include any or some of the following alone or in combination: Before the event, Finley says she’ll be DD, but gets wasted anyhow. After the event, Sophie suggests a Lyft and Finley insists, repeatedly, that she’s okay to drive, she’s not drunk at all, even though she clearly is. Establish at some point a dynamic in which Sophie might be scared to question a drunk Finley about her driving abilities, which’s why she doesn’t. (Finley’s not an angry drunk, but she could get so down on herself when challenged on her drinking that Sophie still hesitates to challenge her.) Throughout the evening, show Finley drinking more than Sophie, or doing so secretly, thus making it so Sophie genuinely wouldn’t be plainly aware that Finley couldn’t drive. Do not have Sophie initiate sex while they’re driving, or have Finley be the one to do it. Have Finley be chill about the approaching cop but Sophie is stressed because she knows it’s serious and, because she is Afro-Latinx, is a lot more scared of the cops than Finley is. I could go on.

But instead we get Option C, which is… a foggy situation in which mistakes were made on both sides leading to a DUI, nobody spending even three seconds to deliver Finley’s breathalyzer results (which are not inconsequential!), Finley joking around about jail and continuing to drink and Sophie reacting with vague distrust while Rosanny Zayas does her best to tell an entire story with her face, in the absence of, you know, actual lines. 

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Cut to the legendary California Arts Center, where Dani has brought her Very Good Friend Bette Porter to show her that Nuñez Inc, a company Bette Porter openly loathes due to its investments in pharmaceutical companies that produced the opioids that killed her sister, has purchased seemingly the frontmost wing of the CAC, where Pippa’s work will shortly be displayed in the context of a Black Lives Matter Art Show.

Dani: Well, first I just wanna say that you mean so much to me.
Bette: Dani—
Dani: No, you really do, I really value our friendship.
Bette: So do I.
Dani: I wanted to talk to you about Gigi —
[Bette sees the Nuñez wing sign up inside the CAC]
Bette: What the fuck?!
Dani: I-uh-uh-I thought the breakup was mutual —
Bette: I don’t give a shit about Gigi. What the hell am I looking at?

Lesbian Squabble #27: Provocation!

In the Ring: Bette vs. Dani

Content: Bette, who struggled mightily to secure funding for the CAC during her tenure, is enraged at Dani for funding the CAC, due to the specific nature of evil practiced by the companies her father invested in.

Dani’s shocked and hurt by Bette’s ire and insists Bette should know who she is and what she stands for, regardless of her father’s business choices. Perhaps also she is a bit shocked that Bette is going straight to the top instead of trying to reason with Dani first.

“If you think I’m gonna stand by and let you cleanse your father’s sins on the blood, sweat and tears of the Black community, you are sorely mistaken,” says Bette Porter, leaving Dani in the dust as she marches towards the CAC to give them a piece of her mind. 

Who Wins? Leo McGarry

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Were I to make a list of all the reasons Dani should knock on Gigi’s door, take her clothes off, and stick her face between Gigi’s thighs, “she’s mad at Bette Porter” would not be anywhere on that list! But here we are! It’s TIME FOR DINI SEX. And you better savor every moment of this scene like Gigi savors Dani’s bottom lip because it is one of a handful of opportunities for joy this week!

Lesbian Sexy Moment #12: Afternoon Delight

The Pick Up?

Gigi: How’d it go with Bette?
Dani: Fuck Bette Porter.

Hot or Not? They tear each other’s clothes off and crawl and bite and kiss (Gigi is a great kisser, A++ for all scenes involving Gigi’s mouth and tongue) and it’s hungry and there is laughing and switching and light from big expensive windows and it is indeed everything we want from an L Word sex scene.

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Meanwhile, Bette’s gotten herself into quite a pickle with Pippa, because despite being instructed to take the utmost care with Pippa’s work, Bette instead used Pippa’s work as a bargaining chip to get the CAC to refuse the Nuñez endowment, and Pippa is not happy!

Lesbian Squabble #28: This Business of Art

In the Ring: Bette vs. Pippa

Content: Bette argues that Nan Goldin did this with the National Portrait Gallery regarding their endowment from the Sacklers (who actually manufactured the opioids, so it’s not a perfect parallel to Dani’s company) and Pippa argues that in fact she does not give a fuck about Nan Goldin.

Bette insists that this strategy is obviously a bluff, the CAC would simply never prefer millions of dollars over showcasing the work of an important Black Queer female artist!

Pippa reminds Bette, who recently had to convince Pippa to set her ethics aside and sign with a gallery owned by a noted racist person, that museums need large endowments to show work like hers. Bette says the CAC is still the museum that showed Provocations, although as I recall, Bette was the sole member of the CAC board who thought that was a good idea, and she no longer works there.

“They know they’re supposed to take a stand, I just gave them permission,” Bette says. An assistant knocks on the door to deliver the news that the CAC has taken Bette’s permission to eliminate all of her artists from the show. Pippa is understandably furious. Bette says it’s not over! She could still call Peggy Peabody! (Narrator: she did not call Peggy Peabody.)

Pippa, on her way out: “You gave me your word, I told you that I could not go through this again!”

Bette, alone in her office: “FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK!!!!!!!”

Who Wins? Nan Goldin

But like…. who was right? Pippa

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Next up in the Fight Parade is Micah and our first out trans woman character on the entire show!

Squabble #29: Doctor’s Orders

In the Ring: Micah vs. Claudia

My friends, it is not every night that we have the chance to witness what we will be witnessing here this very evening: a newcomer to the ring, starting her brief tenure on this program with a celebratory battle! She’s a doctor, her name is Claudia, and she’s played by Isis King (Isis was the first trans model on America’s Next Top Model and she also appeared in When They See Us and Equal).

Micah storms into Claudia’s office furious that his client Joaquín was told by Claudia that he should start taking hormones — apparently his parents are not ‘anywhere close’ to signing off on that, and therefore the doc is giving him false hope. Claudia says that she is a doctor with a medical degree and she always has her patients best interests at heart.

Micah: I don’t disagree with you—
Claudia: I honestly wouldn’t care if you did. [gestures towards the door]

Who Wins? Claudia! A valiant debut!

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Elsewhere in the heart of this pulsing city in an underground lounge lit up like a Virgin Airlines express flight from JFK to LAX in 2007, we find a young blonde ingenue who has just released a book in record time and is now hosting a launch party for said book. All her pals are there!

Bette’s having trouble focusing on Alice because she’s compulsively re-dialing the CAC and Pippa, just like my toxic ex-boyfriend who also thought that maybe if I didn’t pick up the first 1-14 times, #15 would absolutely inspire a change of heart!

Shane says that Tess isn’t there ’cause she’s in Vegas, and they lightly tease Shane about finally sealing the deal with her crush. Alice adds, “She’s loved that girl since the moment she saw her. Unfortunately she fucked her ex-girlfriend, which sent the wrong message.”

Hark! What light through yonder window breaks? It is Tom, Alice’s book editor!

Somehow, his relationship with Alice is serious enough that Alice is worried he’ll care that she slept with Nat while he was in New York… yet unserious enough that they seemingly have not spoken the entire time he’s been in New York and they haven’t established the parameters of their relationship?

Despite the setting (her book launch party) and plans for the evening (speaking on stage, her editor speaking about her on stage), Alice is considering “ASAP” as the best time to tell Tom she slept with Nat.

Tom’s happy to see his lukewarm lover and presents her with a hotel key for the allegedly swanky room the publishers have granted him. Tom tells Alice that he likes his beds like he likes his candy bars: king size. I agree because I also have a king size bed, but furthermore, I disagree because I prefer to eat 100 mini-candy bars rather than one king-size candy bar, and between bars I like to say “this is the last one!” until they are all gone.

Alice is so lukewarm in response to this offer that I want to scream. Specifically I want to scream WHAT’S GOING ON?

Alice tells him that she has something to tell him but! They’re interrupted by the arrival of Sophie and Sarah “Misdemeanor” Finley. Finley and Tom share a delightful and extravagantly complicated handshake.

Sophie grows increasingly uncomfortable as Finley jokes about her DUI and the intensity of “jail people” to Alice and Tom, who are also vaguely uncomfortable.

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Back in Gigi’s spacious and tasteful loft, Dani and Gigi have concluded the sexual part of the afternoon and now Dani is on the “very stressful work phone call” part of the afternoon. Apparently, Bette Porter has thrust Nuñez Inc into “crisis mode.” Gigi wraps her legs around Dani and attempts to canoodle, but Dani’s gotta go meet with legal. Gigi continues to push for a canoodle.

Gigi coos “do you ever say no to [your Dad]?” and honestly, she needs to save that question for the couples therapy they will inevitably one day participate in. Dani insists that in fact, she simply has a job, and now must go to do that job immediately!

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EXTERIOR: LGBTQIA+ Center, where Micah’s trotting up to Claudia to apologize for their rocky introduction. Micah says he related to his client — he was once a kid with a well-meaning physician who said he could start taking blockers, and then his parents blocked him from the blockers — so the issue became overly emotional for him.

Claudia’s gotta bounce but would love to talk more — Micah invites her to dinner and she asks if he could cook said dinner at his actual home and wow this escalated, de-escalated, and then re-escalated in a different direction quickly!!! Good for them.

Boobs on Your Tube: 2021 Fall TV Is Here and Heckin Queer!

Oh my gosh, Fall Teevee Is Back, and this Boobs Tube is a BEAST! Our TV Team really does remain the best in the business and I’m not just saying that ’cause I’m the TV Editor! This week, Riese recapped episode 207 of The Word: Generation Q and Drew and Analyssa podcasted it. Drew interviewed Dua Saleh about Sex Education‘s newest season (it’s so good; you gotta read it). Heather recapped that super gay fan fic-y episode of Fantasy Island. Our whole team got together to talk about this season of The Circle. And Valerie recapped the Azie Tesfai-penned episode of Supergirl! Here’s what else!

Notes from the TV Team:

+ Reservation Dogs concluded its first season this week so just another reminder that you should watch it! And with Devery Jacobs joining the season two writers room, I feel like there’s a decent chance her character will be queer next season. — Drew

+ Nine Perfect Strangers and Scenes from a Marriage both had one lesbian kiss and then decided to just move along with heterosexuality. Scenes still has a few more episodes so I’ll keep ya’ll posted in case Nicole Beharie’s probably bi, definitely poly character returns. — Drew

+ Merry Christmas from Niecy Nash:

+ New Amsterdam returned this week and, as is this show’s wont, there was way too much going on. There was a bit of friction between Lauren and Leyla, though, as Lauren announces to her new class of Emergency Department residents that Leyla is her girlfriend. Leyla’s miffed because she wanted to build her own identity before she became the resident shtupping her boss and Lauren acknowledges her misstep. Later, she chastises Leyla in front of everyone, in an attempt to prove that she’ll get no special privileges as a resident. — Natalie

+ I was going to write a recap in this column for this week’s return of Home Economics, but (as you’re about to see!) we have a lot to cover today. Sarah and Denise are back though, and I really enjoyed the Season Two premiere! It’s a strong show of form for the sitcom that involves a family trip to the 49ers game. While at the game, Shamiah, Denise and Sarah’s daughter announces that she wants to try out for her Middle School cheerleading squad. Denise (who, ahem, follows a few 49ers cheerleaders on Instagram for gay reasons I am sure) handles it well but Sarah has some funny gay/feminist crisis around gender roles and expectations of their daughter. But she comes around before the episode’s over, because she’ll always be her daughter’s biggest fan. — Carmen

+ It will shock no one to know that JESS IS STILL MISSING ON IN THE DARK. At this point I’m only still watching to make sure we don’t have to add a new name to the list of buried gays. — Valerie Anne

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Work in Progress 207: “Oh Say Can You See”

Written by Drew

It’s still early days of the pandemic and Abby and her family are breaking quarantine while they wait for news about her dad. Their masks are half off, no one is hugging, and they’re scrubbing down boxes of donuts. The show really captures how illogical so many of our behaviors have been in the face of helplessness.

Abby’s dad does not have Covid — he attempted suicide. This seems to have come out of nowhere and Abby is heavy in the sort of way anyone with suicidal ideation is heavy when someone they care about reveals the same.

For an episode of television about a suicide attempt in a pandemic it’s surprisingly sweet. Abby’s family bonds and Campbell really comes through as a good friend. 2020 revealed the best and worst in people and here we see the best.

Throughout the episode Abby also has sexual fantasies about Vincent D’Onofrio’s Law and Order: Criminal Intent character. (Literally D’Onofrio is in this episode.) But next week’s episode is called “FTP” so it seems Abby is going to have to confront her relationship to the police — and maybe get a different Vincent D’Onofrio fantasy.

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American Horror Story 1006: “Winter Kills”

Written by Drew

Our harrowing look into the minds of Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, and friends has come to a conclusion. And its conclusion is agents and violin prodigies are even more ruthless than writers.

Ursula concocts a plan to take out Belle and Austin and just when Harry is celebrating Alma takes him out too. Her own father simply cannot match her ambitions. And so she moves to Hollywood along with Ursula and The Chemist to pursue her prodigy dreams while Ursula and The Chemist take over Hollywood with pills.

The conclusion doesn’t make a whole lot of sense considering the amount of carnage but it works as a metaphor. And, like this entire half a season, it’s all a lot of campy fun.

But as we head into the second “feature” I’m left wanting more for Angelica Ross. Look, I love seeing Ross as this stylish all powerful outsider scientist — and spending her retirement killing police officers was a nice touch — but this was similar to her character on season nine. I’d love to see her play a part that’s a bit more grounded OR outrageous in a new way. She’s set to appear in the next story so maybe my wish will come true!

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NCIS: Hawai’i 101: “Pilot”

Written by Natalie

Last season, when CBS cancelled NCIS: New Orleans and replaced it with a new edition of the show, this time from Hawai’i, I was, admittedly, disappointed. The network ranks last among broadcast networks in LGBTQ representation so the loss of NCIS’ lone lesbian character would reverberate. It never crossed my mind that a new edition of NCIS might bring someone to replace Tammy Gregorio and her enviable swagger…but it did…two some ones, in fact.

Early in the episode, the NCIS: Hawai’i team is called to the scene of a plane crash: the Navy’s convinced it’s accidental but NCIS isn’t so sure. The team disperses to learn about the pilot, with Lucy Tara (Yasmine Al-Bustami) dispatched to get the pilot’s autopsy results. But before Lucy can get her hands on the autopsy, Kate Whistler (Tori Anderson), a Defense Intelligence Agency agent, intercepts the report. When the direct approach doesn’t work — Kate refuses to pass along the report until she can clear it — Lucy tries to be more deferential but Kate remains firm. Luckily for NCIS, Lucy’s skilled at reading upside down and recounts details that she saw on the report as Kate was reading it.

While Lucy’s parlor trick pays dividends for NCIS, it gets Kate in trouble with her superiors, who think she violated the security protocol. Kate stomps into NCIS and threatens to file a complaint against Lucy. Thankfully Lucy’s boss — Jane Tennant, played by Vanessa Lachey — talks Kate off the ledge but later when Lucy shows up at Kate’s place, she offers her apologies. There’s a brief beat…long enough for the energy between them to shift…and, suddenly, they’re kissing.

As Kate pushes Lucy’s jacket off her shoulders, Lucy pulls away and says, “no, no, no, we can’t do this again.”

Kate snaps out of the revelry and concurs, “yeah, it’s a…horrible mistake.”

(Lucy laughs uncomfortably and corrects, “I wouldn’t say horrible.” I laughed.)

Kate pours herself a large glass of wine and asks Lucy why she’s really there. Lucy explains that she needs information to help her case and Kate’s first question is about how helping NCIS can help her, professionally. Lucy can’t offer anything besides a job well done and Kate responds by asking her to leave. Somehow, though, Lucy convinces Kate to pass along the information and the team’s able to find the pilot’s killer and take down a Chinese spy ring.

I’m trying not to get my hopes up about this pairing; after all, CBS procedurals, in particular, are notorious for avoiding the personal lives of their agents (aside from those “very special episodes”). But two queer characters, with a relationship history, who are part of the main cast of the show…how can NCIS: Hawai’i avoid telling that story? At the very least, they’ve already seen as much action in one episode than Tammy Gregorio did in four seasons.

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Queen Sugar 603: “You Would Come Back Different”

Written by Natalie

For most of 2020, shows that could avoid storylines about the pandemic did…content to allow audiences escape their realities for an hour or thirty minutes at time. Queen Sugar was the exception: the rare, non-medical, program that showcased our pandemic struggles — isolation, job loss, sickness and death — and its fleeting moments of joy. The show’s sixth season continues that thread: opening with Nova hosting a vaccine drive. Things get out of hand, forcing Nova to call the police who, inevitably, make it worse…injuring Prosper — the Bordelon’s surrogate father — in the process.

Prosper’s injury brings his daughter, Billie, back to town to oversee his care. Tension between Aunt Vi and Billie leads to Prosper’s daughter cutting off the Bordelon’s access to her father. Finally, Nova intercedes: “Look, we may not be Prosper’s blood…but we are family. Vi should be in that room. She’s earned that. And you owe me.” Whatever that means, it’s enough for Billie to change course.

The show, slowly, unwinds the history between the pair: Billie brings her father home to a surprise party hosted by the Bordelons. She stands by, taking it all in, a stranger in her own home. Later, Billie attends a farmers’ meeting in her father’s stead — volunteering to use her skills as a paralegal to help the other farmers — and the tension between her and Nova feels less like heartbreak and more like hatred. Nova warns Charley and Ralph Angel, “don’t let her fool you, she talks a good game but you can’t trust her.”

Later, a conversation between the Bordelon women reveals more: Nova and Billie had once been inseparable — so much so that Ralph Angel considered her the third Bordelon sister — and Charley wonders what happened. Nova’s scant on details but admits that Billie caused a lot of damage in her life and Aunt Vi confesses that Billie’s actions nearly broke her too. Back then, rumors circulated through town that Billie and Vi’s husband, Jimmy Dale, were messing around during their marriage.

All Vi’s blame is foisted on Billie, a teenage girl at the time, instead of the much older man who Vi knows is abusive. This is the adultification of black girls and, far too often, people use it to excuse the abuse directed at black girls. It’s disheartening to hear it from Aunt Vi, to see Nova co-sign it so readily and to watch Charley and Darla let Vi’s narrative go unchallenged, despite their histories with sexual assault. The show clearly wants to teach us a lesson — later, we learn what happened to Billie and Nova feels understandably chastened — but it’s harmful to allow that rhetoric to go unchallenged like that. I expected better from Queen Sugar.

Later Billie and Nova have the confrontation that’s been brewing since Billie arrived and we learn the source of Nova’s hatred: Billie outed Nova to her father before she left town. Nova’s relationship with her father was irreparably damaged in that moment and Nova still carries that scar. Billie acknowledges that she did it in a moment of weakness — where it felt like everyone would rather believe the rumors than believe her — that she lashed out, wanting to deprive Nova of the caring father she never had…waiting to make Nova hurt like she hurt.

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Roswell, New Mexico 309: “Tones of Home”

Written by Valerie Anne

Apparently the once-mentioned bartender girlfriend is a thing of the past because this week, Isobel gets her flirt on with the new journalist in town, Anatsa. Isobel awkwardly sort of flirts with her in the bar, and Maria is surprised to see the woman who is usually the most put together of all of them sputter. Maria’s boyfriend also says Anatsa has come into the bar looking for Isobel before, so she admits that there was definitely something there but Isobel chickened out of a date before it happened.

Maria and Isobel are trying to track down another potential alien when Isobel runs into Anatsa again, whose on trail leads her to the same church Isobel was about to snoop through. They hear someone coming and are about to skurry out the window, but Isobel decides to take this moment to ask Anatsa out on a proper date. Anatsa is amused and confused by her timing but happily agrees. It’s very cute and I’m glad they haven’t forgotten that Isobel is bisexual, during Bi Visibility Week no less.

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Raising Kanan 109: “Loyal to the End”

Written by Carmen!

I didn’t recap Raising Kanan last week, but Jukebox was mourning the death of her girlfriend Nicole. There are two important things to know about that: the first is that Nicole’s mother remains a racist monster, the second is that the Tony-nominated Hailey Kilgore is acting her whole entire ass off as Jukebox.

This week Jukebox, still in a depressive haze, is at Nicole’s gravesite when she gets visited by the lesbian cop (no, I still haven’t learned her name!). The lesbian cop is there because Nicole’s mother went down to the station in a continued racist tirade that Jukebox gave Nicole the drugs (not true) and therefore should be charged with murder (also, not true!). Instead the cop meets Jukebox in her grief, quietly officially comes out to her by sharing about her own high school girlfriend and takes the teen out for Italian Ices. They sincerely bond… that is until the cop starts asking one too many questions about Jukebox’s family business, and Juke hightails it out of there.

Juke goes directly to Raquel (have I mentioned yet that Raq is played by Tony WINNER Patina Miller? Just in case it hasn’t come up before!) and confesses that she has been spending time with cop, but she didn’t give up anything! She promises. Raquel knows Juke would never betray the family. But, in a real “shit is chess not checkers” move also says that a cop isn’t always a bad friend to have.

This is when it gets rough. Marvin, Jukebox’s father, discovers her old photos of Nicole — along with the tape of the teens singing at the mall — and realizes Jukebox is gay.  I was screaming at my TV for Juke to turn around and run away, but instead she squares up and holds her ground. Marvin’s never been a father to her, he doesn’t get to judge her now. She and Marvin gt into a horrific fight that if you can’t stomach violence, well you probably aren’t watching Power but also I’d deeply recommend you fast forward.

It ends with Jukebox, meeting up with the cop, finally ready to talk.

There’s never any excuse for homophobic violence on screen (and there’s still no excuse for Nicole’s death earlier this month). I am not saying that. But watching this episode I was struck by how much character development has been taken in Jukebox’s writing. There had to be an internal motivation strong enough for her to turn on her own family.

I was checking in on Twitter — it’s stunning that Jukebox has become the character everyone watching is rooting for. A Black show, watched by a majority Black audience, and unequivocally its heart is in the hands of a lesbian Black teenager.

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Our Kind of People 101: “Reparations”

Written by Natalie

The toughest episodes for a television writer to pen, I’d imagine, are the pilot and the finale. Far too often, shows don’t get to plan for the finale so, by default, the pilot becomes the TV writers’ greatest challenge. There’s so much to cram into that first episode… to explain the who, what, why and how about the story they want to tell… and, then, on top of that, the writer has make it compelling enough that the audience want to go on that journey (and to make a network pick up the show). It’s a tough needle to thread and even some of the best shows on television — The Wire, Schitt’s Creek, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Parks and Recreation — don’t do it well. But, as the aforementioned shows prove, you can rebound from a bad pilot.

I mention that to say, Our Kind of People‘s pilot, “Reparations,” is bad. The show is heavy on exposition and short on character development and, yet, the plot moves at such a frenetic pace that you can barely keep up. Two parties, two “secret” societies, a fashion show, a move, an investigation, business intrigue, an apparent suicide/murder attempt, unearned hostilities…it was all just too much. But a show can rebound from a bad pilot…and there’s enough to like about Our Kind of People that it’s worth giving the show — created by Karen Gist and produced by Lee Daniels (Star and Ms. Pat Show) — time to find its legs.

In Our Kind of People, Angela moves with her daughter, Nikki, and her aunt Patricia to the black bougie Martha’s Vineyard enclave known as Oak Bluffs. Angela wants to capitalize on the inheritance left by her mother — real estate in Oak Bluffs and the recipe to her conditioner — to build her hair care business. She hopes that she can leverage relationships with the Bluffs’ black elite to secure her daughter’s future. For her part, though, Nikki is completely uninterested.

Their first night in Oak Bluffs, Angela, Nikki and Patricia end up at a fancy party and Nikki earns an invite to another party the next night…this one, just for the younger set, aboard a lavish yacht. When she arrives, Taylor — the girl that invited her — slips her phone into Nikki’s purse. Later, mysteriously, Taylor falls overboard…or is pushed…or jumps…I’m not sure which and the show doesn’t tell us and doesn’t afford the storyline enough time to be a classic whodunit. But whatever happened on that yacht, Lauren Dupont is haunted by it and seeks to cast aspersions on Nikki to assuage her guilt. Nikki finds a hint to why Lauren’s so pressed on Taylor’s phone (which is mysteriously not locked in any way): a video of the pair in bed kissing.

“Supergirl” Episode 612: Look. Listen.

Hello and welcome to this recap of Supergirl season 6, episode 12, “Blind Spots,” aka the one co-written by Azie Tesfai herself!

At first it seems like we’re going to pick up where we left off, with Nyxly fondling her crystal ball and thinking about the totem, but before things can progress, we rewind instead. And in a rare turn of events, we actually get to see what Kelly was doing during the last episode while the Superfriends were up to their impish shenanigans.

Kelly starts her day by calling Joey to check in, and is happy to hear him talk about how excited he is for his new apartment with Orlando, and how he’s taking a friend to see it now, but her smile quickly fades when she hears him scream as the building collapses.

Kelly runs to help them, pulling rubble off Joey and his friend, and when Orlando tells her that ambulances don’t exactly rush to the Heights, Kelly decides to take the kids to the hospital herself since Joey is having trouble breathing.

But by the time she gets there, the hospital is already overwhelmed, they need more vents, there’s nothing they can do to speed up helping the victims of the building collapse.

I finally had to learn the evil Councilwoman’s name, and it’s Jean Rankin. She was close enough to the collapse to need to be in the hospital too but she demands to be taken to a private hospital instead; but when Kelly asks for her help, she assures her she’s “freeing up a bed” out of the goodness of her cold, black heart. But Kelly isn’t stupid.

Orlando suggests they ask Supergirl for help, but when Kelly calls Alex, she says they’re busy trying to stop Nyxly; in the meantime, at least, she’ll have some of her med school friends send respirators over.

Kelly looks a little hurt as her girlfriend hangs up on her and goes back to looking after Joey, who is starting to glow blue on the inside, along with the other survivors.

Once she’s in her fancy hospital, the doctor suggests resting will help her heal, but living by the mantra of no rest for the wicked, Rankin demands some trial medicine, and even though the doctor doesn’t want to, he eventually “leaves” a needle near Rankin’s bed and she injects herself, and her wounds heal up immediately, but her assistant passes out beside her.

Back at the hospital, Kelly sees the news reporting on the giant cat the Superfriends fought, but nothing about the building collapse. She calls her brother and leaves a message, venting about how she has even suited up as Guardian yet and fighting for the community is already so exhausting, especially since she feels like she’s fighting alone. She doesn’t know how to get people to care, and she feels so… powerless.

Having the opposite problem in Newfoundland, Lena is learning magic from her mom’s friend and is already way too good at it.

Florence wants her to try again but Lena gets a news alert about the Nyxly business so she decides to head back to National City to help them, instead. Florence tries to get her to take her mother’s Grimoire with her, but Lena just leaves without looking back.

At the Tower, the Superfriends decide to shift their efforts into finding Mxy instead of Nyxly, since they think his power will be easier to track, so Kara needs to take Alex to the DEO Desert Facility to get something for Brainy. Alex hesitates, worried about Kelly, but she decides Kelly will be okay without her help and decides to leave anyway.

Kelly sees the CATCO news channel finally reporting on the building collapse… but it’s talking about the traffic it’s causing, not the people struggling to get the help they need. Kelly calls Andrea about it, but Andrea says the Heights “isn’t newsworthy” for her demographic and brushes her off, frustrating Kelly even further. These are the people who are supposed to be her friends, and no one is listening.

Kelly hears a knock at the door and when she answers it, she’s surprised to find John Diggle, who apparently has been wandering around the Arrowverse since his show ended. He says that James sent him because he was worried about Kelly, that she’s leaning on her military training and not stopping to take care of herself while trying to take care of everyone else. She explains that she’s trying to help and just feel so… alone.

She tells him that Alex sent respirators to help but no one else has done anything else to help her. Diggle understands her struggle, and wishes it didn’t need to come to this, but that maybe she just needs to show them what’s going on. Really put it in front of their faces, make it impossible to ignore. So they head down to the site of the building collapse to see what’s really making these people so sick. And sure enough, as soon as they get there, they find a blue glowing light and follow it into the rubble in search of answers.

In a fancy car nearby, Rankin observes the rubble and is pleased that she got to look like a supportive community leader but will still end up getting her way. Speaking of getting her way, she says she really wants a sandwich, and one immediately shows up in her hands. And once again, her assistant passes out about it. And she thinks she can use this new power to transform the neighborhood.

When Alex and Kara come back with some fifth dimensional energy trackers, they follow the signal and are surprised that they lead them right to Kelly and Diggle. They catch each other up and Kara explains that she feels bad about accidentally powering up Nyxly’s device.

They realize that their cases are connected, and that they can remove the energy from the debris, which will help them find Nyxly AND help the citizens of the Heights. A win-win.

Meanwhile Rankin is really leaning into her new powers, conjuring money to bribe some constituents into voting for her, completely unaware that every time she wields her power, she’s taking it away from others. Not that I think she would mind knowing locals were paying the price for her magic.

Kelly tells Kara about the damage to the Heights, about the lack of resources and support, and she begs her to help. Not just Supergirl, but her girlfriend’s sister, her friend. But Kara assures her that when they stop Nyxly, Mxy will be able to snap his fingers and put everything back the way it was. She flies off as Kelly is trying to explain that making things “the way things were” wouldn’t actually be helping, but she’s already gone. Ignored once again.

Kelly gets a call from Orlando and Joey is getting worse even though the doctors don’t know why. Alex checks in on her and Kelly thanks her for the respirators; the only thing anyone has actually done for her today.

Kelly starts to explain that there’s something else going on, but Alex agrees with Kara that stopping Nyxly will “fix” everything and heads back to the Tower.

Nia, who Kelly wasn’t even talking to but was listening more than Alex apparently, gives Kelly one of the trackers to see if maybe they did miss something. Kelly quietly thanks her for this crumb of support.

Kelly uses the tracer and it leads her to Rankin, who is radiating fifth dimensional energy; Kelly thinks it’s a little odd that she looks good as new while Joey and the others are getting worse. Rankin is giving a press conference and when asked about the people who are still sick, Rankin gives a tone deaf answer, insisting she feels great and that everyone else should just… try harder to feel better?? Orlando runs out and asks his own questions, wondering what fancy treatment she got that the others in the community didn’t have access to. She rattles off some Fox News lines about how they should pull themselves up by their bootstraps, which isn’t even relevant here, but what IS relevant is what Orlando responds, which is that the problem isn’t that they aren’t pulling themselves up, it’s that the system is holding them down. A guard goes to get Orlando to stop asking questions by way of nightstick, but Guardian steps in and stops him with her shield before he can.

Guardian chases after a fleeing Rankin, but she has powers now. They fight and Rankin speaks her greatest insecurity out loud, “You’re not strong enough.”

But no matter how much she doubts her strength, no one can deny Kelly’s smarts, and she manages to grab some of Rankin’s hair before she disappears.

She takes the hair back to the Tower and demands to know where the Superfriends were when the fight broke out. She tells them Rankin is the source of the energy but that she couldn’t fight her alone. Kara starts to apologize but Kelly interrupts. She has something to say.

The L Word Generation Q Season 2: Everything We Know

The L Word: Generation Q Season 2 premiered on August 6th, and this is absolutely everything we know about what to expect! Information below is perpetually updated and is organized from newest piece of information to oldest. Be careful, there are spoilers inside some of the photo galleries!

Latest Update: 10/21/2021

Be warned that photos of future episodes might contain subtle spoilers!

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Recap and Podcast From Episode 210 “Last Call”

• “To L and Back” Podcast Episode 210: Last Call
• The L Word Episode 210 Recap, by Riese

New Photos from 210 “Last Call”

Recap and Podcast From Episode 209 “Last Dance”

• The L Word: Generation Q Podcast Episode for 209, by Drew, Ana and Riese
  The L Word: Generation Q Episode 209 Recap, by Riese

New Photos from 209 “Last Dance”

Recap and Podcast from 208, “Launch Party”

• L Word Generation Q Episode 208 Recap, by Riese
• The L Word: Generation Q – Autostraddle, co-hosted by Drew, Analyssa and Riese

New Photos from 208 “Launch Party”

Recap and Podcast from 207, “Light”

• The L Word Generation Q 207 Recap by Riese
  “To L and Back” Podcast Episode 207, co-hosted by Drew Gregory, Analyssa Lopez and Riese

New Photos from 207 “Light”

Recap and Podcast from 206, “Love Shack”

• The L Word Generation Q 206 Recap by Riese
• “To L and Back” Podcast Episode for 206, co-hosted by Drew Gregory, Analyssa Lopez and Riese

New Photos from 206 “Love Shack”

Recap and Podcast From 205, “Lobsters, Too”

• The L Word Generation Q 205 Recap by Riese
• “To L and Back” Podcast Episode for 205, co-hosted by Drew Gregory, Analyssa Lopez and Riese

New Photos From 205 “Lobsters, Too”

Recap and Podcast From 204, “Lake House”

• The L Word Generation Q 204 Recap by Riese
• “To L and Back” Podcast Episode for 204, co-hosted by Drew Gregory, Analyssa Lopez and Riese

New Photos From 204 “Lake House”

Recap and Podcast From 203 “Luck Be a Lady”

• The L Word Generation Q 203 Recap by Riese
• “To L and Back” Podcast Episode for 203, co-hosted by Drew Gregory, Analyssa Lopez and Riese

New Photos From 203 “Luck Be a Lady”

New Season 2 Trailer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-CW87pFGfQ

Recap and Podcast From 202 “Late To The Party”

• The L Word Generation Q 202 Recap by Riese
• “To L and Back” Podcast Episode for 202, co-hosted by Drew Gregory, Analyssa Lopez and Riese

Press Stills From 202:

Recap and Podcast From 201 “Late To The Party”

• The L Word Generation Q 201 Recap by Riese
• “To L and Back” Podcast Episode for 201, co-hosted by Drew Gregory, Analyssa Lopez and Riese

Press Stills From 201:

The L Word Generation Q Season 2 Episode Titles Are Here

The L Word: Generation Q posted a graphic sharing the season’s episode names, and they are:

201: Late to the Party
202: Lean On Me
203: Luck Be a Lady (also the title of Episode 406 of the original series)
204: Lake House (reminiscent of Episode 503, Lady of the Lake!)
205: Lobsters, Too (likely a throwback to Episode 303, Lobsters)
206: Love Shack
207: Light
208: Launch Party
209: Last Dance (which was the title of Episode 311, which was the one with Dana’s funeral and them spreading the ashes in the ghost waterfall? This is upsetting)
210: Last Call

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Trans Latina Actress Carolina Gutierrez Is Booked For Three Episodes of L Word Generation Q Season 2

Carolina will be playing “Marissa,” who meets Nat at an event in the first episode.

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The Full Length L Word Generation Q Season 2 Trailer Is Here

Our long drought is over and we FINALLY HAVE A FULL LENGTH TRAILER FOR SEASON TWO!! In it you will find everything ranging from the adorable (Bette, Alice, and Shane doing drunken karaoke? Yes please!) to the hotttt (confirmation of a Bette/Gigi hook up! We cannot wait until August!). There was so much to cover that our TV Team broke down the entire trailer, shot by shot, in a separate post which you can find right here.

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Showtime Will Release New L Word Generation Q Episodes To Subscribers Two Days Early

Showtime has announced that they will release new episodes of “The L Word: Generation Q” on its streaming services two days prior to their airing on linear TV — meaning streaming subscribers and those who subscribe through a pay-TV cable package will be able to watch on Friday nights. This apparently will “give it some breathing room” when other tentpole shows, like Billions, are added to Sunday’s linear schedule on September. I’m honestly not sure what that means!

According to Digiday, “Showtime picked “The L Word: Generation Q” as the show to give to streaming audiences early, in part, because it has a committed fanbase of viewers likely to seek it out on streaming.” Apparently over 30% of the show’s audience tuned in via streaming, which is on “the high end.”

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The L Word Generation Q’s Season 2 Premiere Date is August 6th and the L Word Generation Q Season 2 Teaser Is Here

Multiple sources, including an inside source of our own and cast member Jacqueline Toboni, had seemingly confirmed an August 8th premiere date, but Showtime has since confirmed an August 6th premiere date on their social channels, which are also sporting new show art! The L Word Generation Q Season 2 Trailer has also dropped.

The L Word: Generation Q will premiere on Friday night rather than a Sunday night but then will shift to its regular spot on Sunday nights.

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L Word Generation Q Filming Wrapped on May 25th

TV Line has heard rumors that “you can count on a summertime premiere” for the show, and then we heard that it was August 8th, and then Jacqueline Toboni said “see you August 8” on her instagram so this date feels pretty solid.

The L Word Generation Q Season 2 filming wrapped on May 25th, with additional wrap photos popping up on the instagrams of Kate Moennig, Leisha Hailey, Jamie Clayton and Jennifer Beals. The week prior, Jillian Mercado and Arienne Mandi wrapped their filming for Season 2.

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It Looks Like Alice is Becoming An Author in Season Two

A recent instagram post from Leisha Hailey shows Alice on the beach with Tom (Donald Fasion) who is described as “a successful book editor with an effortless sense of humor.” Another social media post features Alice at the red carpet premiere for “Don’t Ask Alice” and the logo on her step-and-repeat behind her looks very much like a publisher’s imprint!

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Tina’s Fiancée Carrie, Played by Rosie O’Donnell, Will Feel Weird Meeting Tina’s Friends

In an interview with (former Autostraddle writer!) Jess Rotschild on her podcast “Deep Dives and Hot Takes,” Rosie O’Donnell spoke about her upcoming role on Season Two The L Word Generation Q as Carrie, Tina’s Fiancée, a “down-to-earth lawyer with no frills.” Rosie said when she first saw the original series, she was confused: “where are all these high fashion lesbians who travel in packs?”

“It’s been really interesting to see… how do you make a Rosie O’Donnell fit into The L Word?” Rosie told Jess. She said her role as Tina’s Fiancée will entail “meeting all of her group and feeling like the outside and like I don’t have the right clothes and they’re never gonna accept me. And they’ve written that beautifully.” She feels intimidated by Bette Porter “shows up looking like a fashion magazine and I’m there trying to make sure my stomach isn’t showing.” She said the role has allowed her to look through all her self-esteem issues, “and when they find out I have some 12-step going on or some demons in my past or … not taking care of myself. They put it all in there.”

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Rachel Shelley aka Helena Peabody Will Appear in The L Word: Generation Q Season 2

Rachel Shelley, who has been editing/producing Kate and Leisha’s Pants Podcast and in Season One was shown texting Shane on her birthday, is returning for at least one episode, according to imdb, who has her on the roster for episode 203. I hope this is an in-person thing and not like, a voice mail? (Hat tip to the.ash.silver, who noticed the news first!) (UPDATE: They seem to have cut this cameo ’cause the whole season has completed and she did not show up)

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Vanessa Williams is Playing Pippa, an Artist Bette is Obsessed With

According to Variety, veteran actress Vanessa Williams has been cast in a recurring role in The L Word: Generation Q Season 2! Williams will be playing Pippa Pascal, described by Variety as “an incendiary artist who’s been out of the public eye for almost 20 years — until Bette becomes determined to track her down.” You might know Vanessa Williams from a million things from New Jack City to Candyman (she’s also starring in this year’s sequel to the cult classic, directed by Nia DeCosta, which we should’ve had by now but thanks Covid for ruining so much about my entertainment life!) to Soul Food: the TV Show. So… Pippa is an artist, she’s hot, it’s a reoccurring role, she’s roughly Bette’s age…. and anyone who remembers Jodi Lerner can see what might be cooking up here!

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Filming Is Happening Now

The L Word Generation Q Season 2 started filming in December and is set to wrap in May. Season One cast members Jennifer Beals, Kate Moennig, Leisha Hailey, Rosanny Zayas, Arienne Mandi, Leo Sheng, Jacqueline Toboni, Jamie Clayton, Sepideh Moafi, Jordan Hull, Stephanie Allyne and Jillian Mercado have all posted or appeared in pictures from the set.

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A post shared by Jennifer Beals (@thejenniferbeals)

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Rosie O’Donnell is playing Tina’s fiancée, Carrie

In December, it was announced that O’Donnell will be playing Carrie, “a kindhearted public defender who is thrust into Bette’s life and quickly gets under her skin” on Season 2 of The L Word Generation Q. O’Donnell has since taken pictures and posted TikToks from the set of the show. Eagle ears recognized that “Carrie” was the name of Tina Kennard’s fiancee. Rosie returned home in mid-February, so her run is probably just a few episodes. Jennifer Beals has tagged photos of herself and Rosie as #bettesworstnightmare.

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Angie Porter-Kennard Might Be Meeting Her ?!Half-Sister?!

According to IMDB, Brook’Lynn Sanders, a teenage actress, has acquired the recurring co-star role of “Kayla Allenwood” in The L Word Generation Q Season 2. People who know too much about The L Word will recognize “Allenwood” as the last name of Marcus Allenwood, the artist who gave his sperm to Bette and Tina so that they could make a baby. Also, Angie is a series regular now so there will be so much more of her in general!

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Donald Faison Will Play Tom, Alice’s Book Editor?

The Scrubs star will be appearing as a successful and funny book editor who is working with Alice on something. Perhaps that something… is a book?

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Alice Has a (New?) (Old?) Show Called “The Chart”

Leo Sheng recently did a “Season 2 Photodump” and one of the pictures featured what is described as “a poster from Alice’s talk show set” with “logos for where to stream Alice’s show (within the world of Gen Q).” “The Chart” was, of course, the name of Alice’s truly terrible KCRW radio show from Seasons 2 + 3 of the original series in which she basically told everybody in Los Angeles about the sexual liaisons of all of her closest friends, and then was sad about Dana for a long time. Anyhow! Will The Chart be a podcast or a TV show? Do people call podcasts “streaming”? But also, the headphones on the boob statue? Wow, so many possibilities here.

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Cops and Detectives Will Be Present in The L Word Generation Q Season 2

There seems to be a few characters described as cops or detectives and none of them are named Tasha Williams. If this is about Bette defending Angie from that guy trying to attack her on the stairs after the play then I swear to G-d I will scream into every throw pillow in the Los Angeles metro area. (With a mask on.)

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Tina is Back

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A post shared by Jennifer Beals (@thejenniferbeals)

Tina’s fiancee Carrie being part of the show is a pretty solid hint that Tina’s returning to our lives and so are the photos of her on set and in table reads!

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Bette’s Returning to the Art World

Griffin Dunne (I Love Dick, Girls) is set to guest star as Isaac, a big international art dealer who builds a relationship with Bette. There’s also the aforementioned Pippa. Furthermore there are a few other art-related characters already slated to exist, including a few artists, another recurring male international art dealer, an art assistant and an “art enthusiast.”

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Shane and Tess Will Have “Complicated Dynamic” in The L Word Generation Q Season 2

On the PANTS podcast, Kate Moennig was like, working with Jamie is “reminiscent of the original show” and also all of Jamie’s scenes are with Kate and also their characters have a “complicated dynamic” in which they “challenge each other.” “We’re definitely like an It’s Complicated,” said Jamie. “It’s Complicated, totally, Facebook Status 100%,” Kate said. “It’s complicated. Are we giving anything away? I don’t think so.”

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Dani and Gigi Look Great … Together?

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A post shared by Sepideh Moafi (@sepidehmoafi)

Watch this spot for more updates as we obtain them!

“The Circle” Season 3: If Your Quarantine Life Was Suddenly a Game Show

Spoilers below for The Circle Season 3! 

Hello, it is me, Heather Hogan the Autostraddle TV Team Editor, here to ask questions about Netflix’s reality game show social media experiment The Circle, which I have never seen, but which I have read a lot about because so many of our writers and readers love it so much. The debut season, which aired all the way back in January 2020, was referred to by our TV Team as “bisexual chaos” and “the best mess I have seen in a minute” and “intensely relatable.” Sadly, season two featured no queers. But now season three has arrived! And: queers! I’m going to be honest with you and say that I don’t actually have a handle on who is queer, and who is pretending to be a person who was pretending to be a different person when the show started, or who even on this show IS a person. I think that’s intentional? I saw someone on Twitter describe an interaction this season as “a gay man catfishing as a bisexual woman talking to a lesbian woman catfishing as a straight woman.” Which sounds also like a plot on Glee? ANYWAY, let us speak now to some experts.

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Hello, and welcome back, Circleheads! Everyone please describe The Circle in one sentence.

Shelli: A show where you are encouraged to live alone and lie to win 100,000 very taxable dollars.

Drew: Big Brother by way of Instagram.

Natalie: It’s basically if your quarantine life was suddenly a game show.

Riese: Working from home with co-workers you’ve never met in real life, but with prizes.

Meg: Attempting to balance authentic community building with effortless lying, in the hopes of winning a life-changing amount of money.

KaeLyn: A remote office virtual retreat teambuilder gone terribly wrong.

Okay, so, are there actually queer women/non-binary humans on this season of The Circle for real? If so, can you please tell me what you think of them?

Shelli: Yes! There is Sophia who is queer, who is pretending to be her sister who is straight but apparently one hell of an ally. I fuck with Sophia, she’s cute and gay and wears matching PJ’s to bed so I’m into it. I like how she’s playing the game so far, she could be smarter with her catfish radar but I’m for the lesbian agenda so I hope she makes it far.

Drew: I don’t mind Sophia except that she’s on the wrong side of the alliance as far as I’m concerned. I hate Nick and am rooting for Kai and I just think it’s interesting that Sophia looked at the players in this game and decided Nick was her guy. I get it might be a product of being her sister and wanting to flirt, but The Circle is social media so I’m going to project some personal feelings onto it. Let’s just say it’s very revealing this cis white lesbian decided a cis straight white guy was her go-to.

Natalie: As Shelli and Drew mentioned, we’ve got Sophia and we have Ashley, being played by her gay best friend, Matthew, who was a lesbian, until Nick flirted with her, and then she became bisexual to help her advance in the game. [Editor’s note: WHAT?!] I thought it was cute when Sophia said that she had to be careful not to flirt with Ashley while playing the game. But, honestly, I’m not a fan of Sophia’s for exactly the reason that Drew’s hit on… there’s something unsettling about schisms that form in a group with all the white people on one side and all the people of color on the other… and no one seems bothered by it?

It’s been interesting to watch The Circle as I read about this season of Big Brother, wherein the people of color all got together and formed this airtight alliance (affectionately known as “the Cookout”) to ensure a Black winner… and it spurned cries of “reverse racism.” Meanwhile all the whites on The Circle align and we’re like, “oh, must be a day that ends in Y.”

Meg: I was really excited when Daniel, Sophia, and Matthew all seemed eager to own their queerness in the game — but as Drew and Natalie have already mentioned, I’ve also been super uncomfortable with the white queer folks seeming to team up against anyone of color. We’re seeing the dynamics that so often play out in real life manifest within this weird, insulated little microcosm on-screen, and while it’s uncomfortable, it does really demonstrate how easy it is for this to happen. But the fact that none of them are aware of it, or troubled by it, or call it out in any way? The fact that they consistently align themselves with straight white people, like Nick? I absolutely hate it.

KaeLyn: Not much to add to what folks said above. I really wanted to like Sophia when she first appeared, but her choices in allies are too predictably disappointing. Ok, but I do crack up when she flirts with Nick as a straight woman and is so incredibly uncomfortable and cringey and Nick just eats it up.

In that first season, all of y’all were in love with Sammie and Natalie was afraid she was a Miranda. Who are we identifying with / crushing on / hoping not to be this season?

Drew: I’m not crushing on anyone like I was Sammie in season one or DeLeesa in season two. But I’m rooting for Kai because I identify with how she’s playing the game. She’s genuine and thoughtful but she’s also a game player. It’s not the insidiousness of Nick but it’s still strategic and I like that.

Natalie: Yeah, I don’t really feel the connection to the contestants this season that I had to those in the first or even the second. Like Drew, I’m cheering for Kai but I think that’s more because I’ve grown to dislike Nick so much and she feels like his greatest adversary. The enemy of my enemy is my friend, you know?

As for the contestant that I’m hoping not to be? Daniel. Definitely Daniel. I’m trying to give the kid some grace because he’s only 20 but GOOD LORD… why does he feel like he needs to tell everyone he’s a virgin every five minutes?

Riese: Agree, I don’t have a favorite like I’ve had in previous seasons, but if I had to choose it would be Kai, and as Drew mentioned earlier in this roundtable, Sophia is cool and I wanna root for the lesbian but she’s very much on the wrong side of the alliance! I’d be down with Ruksana or James winning. I am perpetually frustrated by the success of “Jackson,” like get that girl off the show already and replace her with someone I like better!!! But Kai’s days feel very numbered.

Meg: I’m absolutely team Kai/Ruksana, but the fact that all the white queers are against them has me feeling like neither of them are going to make it to the end.

KaeLyn: No surprise here, I’m rooting for Kai or Ruksana, but I think Kai is just too damn good at the game and has a target on her back because of it. Ruksana is the so, so cool and sweet and I would love for her to win, but she doesn’t seem to be connecting as much with the other players so I feel like she’s going to be in the middle for a while, but will go quickly after Kai is eliminated. I would love to be very wrong about Kai!

How does this season compare to that first one, in terms of the structure of the show and your enjoyment of it? Cause on other shows, people get better at the games the more the seasons go on, right? Like if you make it on The Amazing Race at this point and are too scared of heights to complete a challenge, buddy! What are you doing! Is that the case here?

Drew: The first season was great just for the novelty of it and the second season was great because I felt so invested in DeLeesa. But what this season offers — in addition to some new twists — is it’s the most strategy that’s ever been deployed. I’d say I’m probably enjoying this season the least but maybe that’s just because some of the strategizers are really bad at it.

Natalie: The longer The Circle goes on, the more people believe that you can strategize your way through it, instead of building genuine connections with others. Part of strategizing means that you don’t even really care who’s a catfish and who isn’t (when, in the past, authenticity was really your cache on The Circle). So you’ll have Rachel/Jackson do something that brightly shines a light on them being a catfish…or Matthew/Ashley switch from lesbian to bisexual…and no one really cares? That’s taken some of the fun out of the game.

Riese: They do keep adding new twists, I think to prevent people from getting too strategic, but also sometimes everybody is so stupid I just want to scream! The Real vs. Fake Michelle thing was handled so profoundly incorrectly by every party involved, including Real Michelle visiting her imposters after getting booted instead of a player who could spread news of their mistake to the group, thus actually getting her imposters out of the game. This season has been interesting in its way, but the racial breakdown of the alliances is … unsettling? Nobody is really forming genuine connections with each other in the way I loved in previous seasons — Calvin and Kai were an interesting story but he was Gone Too Soon.

Meg: I don’t mind people being more openly strategic — it does feel like part of the game at this point. But my favorite piece of the show has become watching people that are playing themselves form genuine connections, both romantic and platonic, and twists like the Michelle clone or the endless obsession with rooting out catfish that take away from those authentic relationships are grating on me more than they have in past seasons.

KaeLyn: The new twists in the gameplay are a lot of fun and force some shake-up moments among the cast that are interesting! Everyone on this season thinks they’re master strategists, but few of them are actually good at it. I definitely think there’s a season three vibe — the newness has worn off and the people on the show are very clearly looking for the fifteen minutes of fame above all else. So far there are many alliances, but not many real connections. That said, I’m still having a lot of fun watching along!

Would you go on this show? And if so, what would be your strategy?

Shelli: Yes. Yes the hell I would. I would def be myself and my only strategy would be to make it up and meet folks as I go along. On the first few days tho I would try to at least have a private chat with everyone where I say something wild crazy because what won’t happen to me is what happened to Orange Michelle — I REFUSE to go out like that!

Natalie: Poor Orange Michelle. I’m still so mad about the cloning thing and Michelle’s premature elimination? I’d seen that as part of the British edition of The Circle but I was completely unprepared to see it happen to this genteel 52-year-old Southern woman. It was brutal. I definitely found myself yelling at my screen: hoping that she’d remember that early chat she’d had with Kai, Matthew/Ashley and Calvin that could help prove her identity.

Drew: I would LOVE to be on the show. And like Shelli my strategy would just be being myself. BUT that doesn’t mean there wouldn’t be some tact. I’d definitely be aware of numbers and other alliances as well as not making too many waves. I think my downfall would be that I’m not very good at bullshit and if someone I virtually met two days ago started calling me her big sister I’d be a little like… okay I don’t know about THAT.

Natalie: I absolutely would not go on this show… because while I think I’d excel at the mental aspect of the game — basically, figuring out who the catfish are and assessing all the alliances — I know I’d suck at the social aspects of the game.

KaeLyn: I don’t want the minor league level of celebrity that comes with being on reality shows in my life. Assuming that I could control for that, would I enjoy being on this kind of competition? TOTALLY. I’d go as myself and I’d try to make personal connections with everyone as soon as possible, but avoid forming strong alliances. My strategy would be to try to stay on good terms with everyone and ride it out in the middle for the first half of the competition, then come out as the dark horse once some of the more aggressive players eliminate each other.

Here’s a question: do you think you could pull off a catfish? And, if so, who would you go in as? One of the most interesting facets of the show, for me at least, is seeing how people reconcile their choice of catfish profile. Last season, you had DeLeesa as Trevor… a single father… because she thought that the profile would appeal more to folks and because women are unfairly criticized on social media. This season you’ve got Matthew coming in as Ashley (first as a lesbian, then as a bisexual) and Sophia playing as her older sister… to capture the attention of the male contestants.

Drew: I think it would make for interesting television to play exactly as myself BUT be a cis woman. I hope my conclusion would be similar to Sean’s in season one though and I’d be like “Being yourself is better!” That said I would not reveal it midway like she did because I’m way too competitive to ruin my game like that. lol

Meg: No fucking way.

Riese: I would not because I hate being on camera and have a pretty thin skin for being analyzed by The Entire Internet. But if I HAD to I wouldn’t be myself because I’m not very likable. I would definitely catfish as Heather Hogan and I would win because I would be so nervous about living up to her image that I’d do a great job. Actually no I wouldn’t win, I’d amass enough goodwill to enable somebody else to win who deserves it more than me, just like HH would do!! [Editor’s note:😂]

KaeLyn: It would be more strategic to go as a catfish than as myself, as a fat queer Asian woman. I definitely would be cast as the funny fattie, but I don’t think I couldn’t handle a catfish. I’d rather try to win people over with my “genuine” self, but I also think that’s what would get me voted off sooner rather than later. I love the idea of being a catfish! I think I’d be like a stereotypical cute Korean girl with long hair and a strong selfie game, but I’d still be bisexual so I could flirt with anyone.

Where does this season of The Circle rank among other queer reality TV?

Shelli: Right now it’s basically at the top because there isn’t anything else that’s reality and featuring hella lesbians. I’m also invested because there is a chance that even more queer babes will make an appearance ‘cos of how the show works! It would be great if a Black queer babe comes on and is a horrible person because that is the type of chaos I would like to see.

Drew: Because Sophia isn’t playing herself and Ashley pivoted to strategic bisexuality, this season hasn’t really had any girl on girl flirting. There were straight girls in past seasons who flirted more with each other than anyone this year. Which is a real bummer! Are You the One S8 remains the very best and we deserve so much more like it.

Natalie: I stand firm in my belief that the Circle Brazil is still the best, most gayest, season… and I’m just going to keep saying that until everyone watches and begrudgingly admits that I was right all along.

Riese: Well it’s definitely better than The Real L Word.

KaeLyn: Drew, I was also thinking that I’d love a chaotic all-queer season like Are You the One Season 8! I really want some queer flirting, really. I don’t think this season feels particularly queer, even though there are three out queer people on it so far. I just want girls flirting with girls on my reality shows and there really isn’t enough of it on season three so far.

Anything else you want to talk about?

Shelli: Yeah — Fuck Nick and I Hope Kai and Calvin make a circle baby.

Drew: Shelli, you read my mind.

Natalie: So, yes, definitely… fuck Nick forever and always…but a Circle Baby from Kai and Calvin? Nope, nope, nope, nope, nope.

I mean, from where I’m sitting Calvin’s decision to give Nick the Secret Advantage just cost Kai a hundred thousand dollars. He was so enamored with her that he had to go see her after he was eliminated but he didn’t like her enough to give her an advantage in the game? He had to give it to his bro? What kind of fuckboy shit is that? Nick having that burner account gave him the opportunity to turn more of the other contestants against Kai and to get himself a spot as an influencer. Now, he’s in the hangout with Daniel — bless his heart, that boy ain’t even playing the game — and gets to eliminate one player on his own. Best case for Kai? She loses her BFF in the Circle, Ruksana. The worst case? She’s out because her Circle bae couldn’t be bothered to give her an assist in the game.

Nah, fuck that dude too. If I was Kai, I wouldn’t want Calvin anywhere around me until he ran me my check.

Meg: Natalie, I totally agree with you! I was shipping Calvin and Kai so damn hard, and was so bummed when he got blocked. Their meeting IRL was adorable, and I loved watching them realize that the bond they’d formed was real. And then he gave NICK the advantage and totally lost me. Why the hell would he do that? Was he seriously concerned that the attractive cis straight white guy needed help, after he KNEW that everyone was trying to come for his girl? I don’t get it, and Kai deserves better. I hope she wins in spite of that shit, starts hanging out with DeLeesa, and lives happily ever after.

Riese: Yeah as a rule if everybody just went into the game understanding that they should never help a white cis straight man, ever, I think we’d all be better for it. That probably goes for a lot of things.

KaeLyn: There are times that I’m rooting for people and I’m still feeling that way about Kai and Ruksana. But I have a hunch that by the end of this season, I’m going to rooting against people, as in, rooting for Anyone But Nick. Much like my vote in most major elections, I feel like this is going to come down to who sucks less.

https://youtu.be/DYhLO3uXYtY

“Fantasy Island” Is Here With That Lesbian “Pride and Prejudice” Fan Fic You Asked For

Fantasy Island knows it’s a primetime soap and that’s what makes it work. It’s ridiculous and overwrought and often problematic because people come to the island with a lifetime of baggage, hoping to satisfy their deepest desires and fulfill their secret dreams in 45 minutes, while also sharing every episode with another guest character trying to do the same thing. But also it’s fun and diverting and even if the only good thing happening in the episode is Roselyn Sanchez popping up out of nowhere in various white suits against idyllic island backdrops, well, it’s a nice break from reality. There’s also a queer main character, Ruby, whomst I wrote about already, and last week’s penultimate episode was also gay as all heck.

In “The Romance and the Bromance,” our protagonist, Isabel, arrives on the island with a Rory Gilmore-sized backpack full of books talking about how she doesn’t want to live in the real world because she prefers the world of Jane Austen and fictional author R.S. Coldwater. She wants to learn to say “yes!” to life. She hands over the R.S. Coldwater series to Ruby, who clocks the woman in full body armor on the cover and immediately discerns that Isabel, like herself, is a raging homosexual. Elena decides to send Isabel into the world of R.S. Colwater. Like into the actual past. Which is a little bit weird because Fantasy Island is about, you know, fantasies — and so it has seemed mostly like guests are getting in touch with the imaginary people trapped in their minds. Otherwise, Bellamy Young totally cannibalized her step-dad in the pilot!

Anyhoodle, Isabel arrives into R.S. Coldwater’s lil castle mansion and immediately falls in love with his wife, Rachel, who’s wearing trousers and a waistcoat and has ink all over her fingers. Isabel figures out immediately that she’s actually the author of the Agnes books! But her husband is publishing them because only men can publish things in this era unless they are Jo March! Isabel and Rachel take their turns about the garden, lie together in the grass, make very erotic small talk about the Agnes books using a rose as a prop, eat their meals together, drink their little sherries, dance, and caress each other’s faces and hair. And that’s when Rachel’s husband’s publisher shows up demanding to know if he actually is writing these books, or if the rumors are true and his filthy wife if the true genius behind the bestsellers.

Hope is not lost, however, because Isabel is from the future! Where she had access to Wikipedia! So she lays all this grimy publisher’s secrets bare and he agrees to keep publishing the books and also to clean up his act (at least financially)! Isabel and Rachel fall into bed to celebrate owning another stupid man, but when Isabel wakes up it’s Elena who’s there, reminding her she’s actually on a weekend getaway in 2021 and not in the 1800s wooing a famous fantasy author. But hey — she learned to say yes, right? That’s what she came on this vacation for!

Isabel is heartbroken when she returns to the real world, leaving Rachel behind. She wants to bring her back home, to her present day, but Ruby swoops in with her Blanche Deveraux accent and explains that if Rachel comes home with Isabel, she won’t write the Agnes books in the 1800s, and so all the women who were turned gay by them will stay straight, etc. Isabel agrees that it’s her responsibility to preserve generations of fictional lesbian angst, and says goodbye to R.S. Coldwater.

But then! At the last minute! Because she, too, is a hopeless romantic, Elena lets Isabel return to the past to live out her days with her favorite author. (I find it best not to ask any complicated questions about time travel ethics and just enjoy the fan fic.)

“The Romance and the Bromance” isn’t some artistic masterpiece, but it’s very lighthearted and lovely and gay and that’s exactly what I’m looking for in my stories right now.

“To L and Back” Generation Q Podcast Episode 207: Light

It’s another beautiful week in Los Angeles and you know what that means! Another big poker game, because that’s what lesbians do for fun here! This particular game is a fundraiser for MS that Tess and Shane seem to have organized in one calendar day, but logistics like that won’t stop this from being the new social event of the season. Until, of course, next week when it will be replaced by the launch party for Alice’s book.

But for now, we’ve got Alice and Nat hooking up (again) then breaking up (again), Sophie and Finley having sex on set (again), and Bette being mean to Carrie (again, but worse this time!). Honestly, a lot of events transpire in this episode that we didn’t love, including drunk driving! But in more wholesome news, Jordi asks Angie to prom while dancing in a fountain and SO MANY people kiss in the rain that we have to consider whether they WANT their hair to get frizzy.

• GO LISTEN
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SHOW NOTES

• Riese’s recap of the episode
• Riese, Drew and my Letterboxd accounts where we all embark upon wild movie-watching projects
• Riese is watching her way through all of Kristen Stewart’s filmography, which includes Into the Wild, Lizzie, and Safety of Objects
• Go Fish is of course on the 200 Best Lesbian Movies of All Time list, at #103
• The book with the line “you can’t get milk from the hardware store” was Milk Fed, which I found very exhausting to read but was reviewed on Autostraddle here!
• We didn’t talk about The Flight Attendant on AS, but we did a fun roundtable about The White Lotus and Drew reviewed the second season of Feel Good when it premiered this year!

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Drew: Hi, I’m Drew.

Analyssa: And I’m Analyssa.

Riese: And I am Riese.

Drew: And this is:

Drew, Analyssa, and Riese: To L and Back: Generation Q edition.

Drew: We’re still together.

Riese: Yeah. We’re in the same room, so that means we say the whole thing together. And then we also say a lot of other things at the same time. And we’re sorry.

Analyssa: We’re sorry about that.

Drew: Yeah. We’re very excited to be around each other. And so if there’s a little bit of what we call in the podcasting business cross-talk. Sorry, but—

Analyssa: We’re trying not to.

Riese: I just did it.

Drew: You just did. It’s okay. It’s okay. It’s okay. I think it’s okay that we are excited to be here with each other and to talk about this show where people are constantly talking over each other.

Analyssa: So true. What if we just sat here and all just took turns and waited, that would not be fun either. So we’ll figure it out. We’re just so excited to be in each other’s presence.

Riese: And Carol’s.

Analyssa: And Carol’s most of all.

Drew: Carol is touching my thigh right now. This is Gen Q 207, “Light,” directed by Rose Troche. If you don’t know who that is, worked on the original series, directed Go Fish, a lesbian classic that I think is underrated among contemporary audiences.

Riese: Safety of Objects.

Drew: Safety of Objects.

Riese: Oh, were you looking at me as a contemporary audience who underrates Go Fish?

Drew: Oh, that wasn’t pointed. I feel like a lot of people at Autostraddle are like, “Oh, Go Fish sucks.”

Riese: Including me.

Drew: Yeah, but I like it.

Riese: I might be the root.

Drew: But that’s okay. We can’t all love everything, but Rose Troche is a legend.

Riese: Yes. She is a legend.

Drew: And it’s exciting to see her directing an episode of this.

Riese: Also, if you haven’t seen The Safety of Objects, you should, I was going to say, go see it. And I’m like, I don’t know, find the DVD?

Analyssa: Watch it online somewhere.

Riese: It’s really good. Kristen Stewart’s in it.

Analyssa: Actually. I’m so glad that you brought that up, because Riese has watched recently — I follow Riese on Letterboxd.

Drew: I’ve been observing this as well.

Analyssa: Quick plug: Follow all three of us on Letterboxd because we’re fun.

Riese: Yeah, I’m trying, I’m doing it.

Analyssa: Riese is watching all of Kristen Stewart’s movies.

Riese: In order.

Analyssa: In order, which has led to me adding a lot of random movies that Kristen Stewart, I’m sure, is in for 15 minutes to my Letterboxd watch list. But weirdly I’ve been wanting to do this. I don’t know if you follow my Letterboxd as closely as I follow yours, but you know I’m doing this director project.

Riese: I actually literally just follow you guys and Shelly, so I can keep pretty close tabs on everyone.

Analyssa: So I’m doing this director project where I watch movies from iconic directors. And I’ve been thinking that if I do another iteration of this, actresses would be a very fun one. Kristen Stewart is one that I, for gay personal reasons, would do. And so then you were doing this and I’m inspired by you and your commitment.

Riese: That’s so wonderful. I mean, some of them I’ve watched out of order, like Gretchen I watched Lizzie the other night, which I hadn’t already seen. But when I’m alone, I’m doing it in order. And I will say that I’ve watched some unfortunate films. Have you seen Into the Wild?

Drew: Yes. I have.

Analyssa: Riese hated Into the Wild. Her eyeballs are about to pop out.

Riese: Kristen Stewart’s early films, she is somehow heterosexual and they always put her in skirts that go down to here and Converse.

Analyssa: They do costume — I feel that with Elliot Page too, like—

Riese: That was a similar, that was a similar costuming strategy.

Analyssa: There’s always something going on there where you look and you’re… I was obsessed with them. Me, Analyssa, was obsessed with them as a high schooler before I knew I was queer at all. And now that makes sense to me. You didn’t tell us who wrote this episode, did you?

Drew: Yes, this episode is written by Maisha Closson, who wrote this season’s “Luck be a Lady” and has written on a bunch of television. Should we get in?

Riese: I was just thinking how much I hated Into the Wild. We open in heaven.

Drew: Sex, sex, sex!

Analyssa: We open in Riese’s favorite way to open any episode. Sophie and Finley are fucking all over the house, engaging in the time honored tradition of new relationship, we won’t leave this home. In fact, they haven’t eaten or drank water.

Riese: Yeah, which I didn’t understand, really you haven’t drank water? I have to drink water every three minutes.

Drew: Yeah. Drink water. Also you can make it, if you need to make it sexy, involve water in your sex.

Riese: Last week we spoke about ice, and now, you know — and the sort of the — the beginning of a relationship having sex all the time is elevated by the fact that they live in the same house. So there’s nothing stopping them from just going bananas.

Drew: And Finley’s unemployed.

Riese: And Finley’s — just a soccer — no Finley has two jobs?

Drew: Oh right. Sorry. Finley acts like she’s unemployed. Correction.

Analyssa: They should just put one glass of water next to the bed and be reaching over.

Riese: Or a water bottle.

Drew: At least a Mason jar full of water for the two of them.

Riese: No notes.

Analyssa: Yeah. No notes. We did it. Great. They’re doing it. They love it.

Riese: They’re having a nice time. I’m so happy they’re together. I hope that nothing goes wrong.

Drew: I’m sure nothing will.

Riese: So speaking of horny people, we go to a little brunch date starring Alice and Bette. But it’s not just Alice and Bette at the restaurant.

Drew: It’s Nat and Gigi.

Bette: Fuck, they’re both here. That is so gay.

Drew: They are also there. So first Bette says to Alice that she seems happy. And again, we’re getting that Bette Porter soft bi-phobia, but she’s being a supportive friend, so whatever. And Bette says that the things are over with Gigi and is like, “It’s fine. She’s playing head games with someone else already.” When it’s like, what head games, what? This is the episode where I turned.

Riese: Bette Porter head games. Like, what? Pot, kettle.

Analyssa: Bette “head games” Porter over here is like “Gigi’s off playing head games?” What? Again, last week when we were like, everyone in this friend group thought Jodi was so weird for just wanting to know what is going on, Bette thinks that Gigi is playing head games by going, “Do you want to talk about your feelings?”

Riese: Right. Gigi liked Bette and wanted to continue to see her. That’s not a head game.

Drew: No, it’s the opposite.

Riese: That’s just life.

Analyssa: That’s how it goes sometimes.

Drew: I mean, it might be a different kind of head game if she had played her cards better, but that’s not what she means. This season is really — it’s fascinating to spend so many years obsessed with Bette Porter, and then to just, I don’t know if it’s the season or if it’s like something in me, but I’m like, “It’s ending.” My love of Bette Porter is sort of over, I’m really finding it hard to be… this episode’s rough.

Riese: In the comments on the recap last week, one of the commentaries noted that something feels different about this season. It feels like maybe she’s punching down. And I think that might be it, because even her and Jodi were equals, whether Bette fucked — was the one who messed with Jodi, but they were equals. But the way she goes after Carrie and the way she treats Gigi, and — I mean her and Gigi are equals, but not in this relationship.

Analyssa: That is interesting. I haven’t thought about that. You know what though? Alice looks great.

Drew: Alice does look great.

Analyssa: Anyway, Bette Porter would have me believe that’s because she’s fucking Tom, I guess.

Drew: Bette takes a call and Alice goes to say hi to Nat and Nat’s hair looks amazing, worth noting.

Riese: Luscious.

Drew: It’s just wonderful. My perception of this was, “Oh, this is awkward.” But that wasn’t their perception of it because before you know it they’re fucking in Nat’s car.

Analyssa: With Alice through the sunroof.

Riese: Yeah. It’s funny.

Analyssa: Bouncing vigorously. Do we think… not to get graphic.

Drew: Let’s get graphic.

Analyssa: On a hand? It just was so vigorous, the balancing.

Riese: Yeah. I think on a hand.

Drew: I don’t know. I mean, good for her.

Riese: Do you think Nat was packing?

Drew: Maybe.

Analyssa: At brunch to talk about logistics with Gigi?

Drew: She loves public sex. You never know when you’re going to need it.

Riese: That’s true. I mean, I don’t know if they — do you think that they really thought about it?

Analyssa: No.

Drew: I don’t know because if there’s one thing I trust Gen Q on, it’s that they think through their sex scenes. So, I don’t know. But whatever it is, it depends how much you are a Talice shipper, but I don’t know. It’s fun.

Analyssa: They seem to be having fun. The physical comedy, we’ve talked about how funny Leisha Hailey is, and her popping through the sunroof is very good. Honestly, Drew and I talked through the beginning of this next scene. So what is Shane talking to Tess about?

Riese: They’ve organized overnight, as you do on television, a giant function for the MS society.

Drew: That explains so much of the later stuff that we were a little bit confused about.

Riese: It is some sort of poker thing, obviously. And Tess is so excited she’s going to cry. And then she goes to see her anonymous friends in the community center because that’s where her AA meeting is. And then Shane spots Carrie walking in and thinks—

Drew: Yeah. Got all that.

Analyssa: We sort of were debriefing the Nat and Alice thing and missed what the event focus was. I sensed that there was an event and then we saw, I’m going inside and there’s Carrie.

Drew: Yeah. Now that Annalysa and I live together, it’s a little bit more the energy of an L Word watch party, as opposed to the like, we’re scholars, pausing the episode over and over again to get every little detail, which is fun for us. But if we mess anything up, you know where to find us. Speaking of writing things down, Angie’s writing questions to ask Marcus and Jordi is being really weird and it’s not her character. And I know they’re doing a thing and we’ll get—

Riese: I mean, what’s her character?

Drew: I don’t know, her character was a supportive high school girlfriend. That was all we knew about her, was that she liked Angie and was present and cool. And then, I don’t know. I just, I’m still annoyed about this. Even though she’s not even a canonically trans character. So I’m just wanting these cute teen lesbians to be cute, which I know we’ll get there. We’ve all watched the episode. But at this point I was like, why is Jordi being so… I get teenagers are teenagers.

Riese: It’s not like we ever find out the answer to that.

Drew: No, not really. It’s sort of—

Analyssa: They tried to explain it.

Drew: But I don’t know. I don’t enjoy this, but that’s what’s happening in this scene.

Analyssa: Yeah. She also is… we don’t need to get too deep into this, but she just kind of walks out also. She’s like, “Alright, see you later.”

Drew: It’s weird.

Riese: Speaking of Porters.

Analyssa:Nice.

Riese: We go and we finally find out — which I have now looked up on the internet — that a gallery is sort of like an agent. So being represented by a gallery, it means they sell your work and they take a cut and they have access to more artists. And they can show you at their gallery, but they can also book you a show at a museum.

Drew: I see. So she was like, “If you can get me a museum show, I will sign with the evil monster.”

Riese: Yeah. And so she did with her ye old CAC.

Drew: CAC.

Analyssa: Back to the CAC.

Riese: Back to the CAC.

Drew: She says that CAC is doing a show around work about Black Lives Matter and that Pippa could be the center of it. And I just was interested because the stance the show has taken on tokenization being the worst thing that can happen to someone with a marginalized identity this season, that’s sort of been their stance. It was interesting to me that this wasn’t the time that it came up, because Pippa feels like the character — of Micah, Pippa, Bette — Pippa feels like the character who would be like, “This is tokenizing me,” like, “Yes, this is what my work is about, but I don’t want it to be…”

Riese: Well, it’s more like pigeonholing than tokenizing.

Analyssa: Yeah. “I don’t want to just be this kind of artist” or they think that because — but it seems like—

Drew: She’s just excited to have this museum show now. And I don’t know. I know we have to move the story along, but it just was interesting to me because I was like, “Oh, I feel like this character would have…” I was expecting her to have something to say about that, but maybe she, unlike Micah and Bette, realizes that talking about and representing your identity isn’t actually the worst thing in the world.

Analyssa: Well, and also Bette says later that — which I think was really interesting to hear from Bette — that Pippa explores her queerness and Blackness in ways that Bette says she has only just started to do, which I was like, “That’s actually interesting.” So I also wonder if Pippa, because Pippa, per Bette, is doing that in her art that she’s like, “That’s an okay place to show my kind of thing.” Pippa is also saying that she is sort of nervous about doing a show because the art world chewed her up and spit her out when she was younger. And she’s afraid to get sort of lost in that validation need again, and what it means about her. All the things that I think are interesting about artists. What’s more interesting is that Pippa casually revealed she has a son, which for those of you following along at home means that she does, in fact—

Riese: Check all of Bette’s boxes.

Analyssa: All of Bette’s boxes. So true.

Drew: Yes. These are Bette’s boxes now.

Analyssa: Pippa is going to do the show. She’s excited. We’re signed on, this probably means good things for them.

Riese: Yeah. And then Bette calls someone to be excited about it. And then Carrie calls her and she takes the call. Yes. Speaking of talk show hosts.

Analyssa: Oh yeah, because of Carrie.

Riese: Yeah, because Carrie’s a talk show host. You guys know what I mean. Over at The Alice Show, it’s time to watch Sophie’s segment. It’s airing right now on the video screen of the show.

Analyssa: I don’t understand how this talk show works, but whatever. Okay.

Riese: I love the idea of all these heterosexuals sitting there wanting to see this cute elderly, lesbian love story.

Analyssa: It’s like families who are on vacation to LA and have booked tickets the way that you do for The Ellen Show.

Drew: This is viral content!

Riese: They’re like, “Oh my God! We love love!”

Analyssa: They wanted to see Alice in a hamster ball. And then they see these sweet, sweet lesbians. And they’re like, “Yeah, amazing!”

Riese: “More!”

Drew: But then Finley comes in from reffing kids’ soccer to support Sophie.

Riese: She’s very excited for her.

Drew: Can I say something that’s going to bother you, Riese?

Riese: Uh-huh (affirmative).

Drew: So the ways in which Finley is annoying, I’m aware that by the end of this episode, now I really feel bad saying this, but at this point in the episode, I was like, “Finley, when she’s getting what she wants, when she’s not a sad puppy, I find her obnoxious,” where I was like, look that’s maybe my own shit to work through as far as the type that Finley is, where I just feel she just sort of stumbles through life and everything just sort of works out for her. And when things weren’t working out for her, Jacqueline Toboni is a really good actor, and I felt a lot for the character and the character’s well-written. So but then at this point I just was a little bit like, I don’t know, she was annoying me in this scene and annoying me sort of throughout this episode a little bit. But then… you know.

Riese: I thought this scene was really sweet.

Drew: Okay. And that’s great.

Analyssa: I’m somewhere between the two of you, which is to say, I thought the scene was really sweet and I love that she showed up to support Sophie. We’re in a public space and she’s changing out of her referee outfit. Weird. And then of course, for old time’s sake, because they love to fuck in this room, they start kissing and I was like—

Riese: I don’t know if it’s Finley’s fault though.

Analyssa: No, it’s definitely not.

Riese: It’s a mutual…

Drew: Sure.

Analyssa: For sure. The having sex is actually I think more on Sophie to be like, “I’m at my place of work. I’m wearing a blazer. We’re not going to do this right now.” But as aforementioned, they’re in that early, we simply can’t… the only air we need to breathe is at the back of each other’s throats kind of moment. So they start hooking up and it turns out that there’s an exec from the network, that’s what I assume, there to watch the show today. And he loves the segment so much that he tells Alice, and Alice is like, famously as bosses on talk show hosts are want to do, gives credit to Sophie, good for her, takes them back to the green room of sex again. And luckily Alice is the only person who sees it. I was really nervous.

Riese: Me too, because I don’t care for that kind of little device. So I was like, “Really, guys? This is what you’re going to do?”

Analyssa: But also I thought, we know that something, and we’ll know even more later, that something that Sophie’s grappling with is that Finley is not mature or professional or whatever it is that she’s judging on. And I saw in my mind’s eye, a little telescope came out of my brain and I could see them in the next 30 minutes being like, it’s actually Finley’s fault that Sophie got caught by her boss fucking. And I was already mad about that. And luckily that’s not what happens. But anyway, you know who else saw someone fucking today? It’s Gigi, Gigi saw Nat and Alice having sex in the car, and Alice’s little blonde head popping in and out of the sunroof. And she’s telling that to Dani, while they’re hanging out midday, I don’t know what’s going on here, but that’s fine.

Riese: They love to put Dani at a food truck.

Analyssa: Dani does love a food truck. Gigi asked if they should talk about the other night and Dani is kind of hesitant and then confesses that she thinks it’s a little bit shitty that Gigi sprung her feelings on her during a low point.

Gigi: So we’re going to talk about the other night?
Dani: I was hoping to just skip over it, actually.
Gigi: Oh, okay. She’s a “lock it in the closet and throw away the key” type. My favorite.
Dani: No, I just—
Gigi: You don’t feel the same way, that’s okay. I’m a big girl. I can handle it.
Dani: No, I just thought it was kind of shitty actually.
Gigi: Me telling you I have feelings for you is shitty?
Dani: Well, I had a fucking horrible night, to see the two of them like that, and then you made me feel good, but then I needed a friend.

Riese: But who wouldn’t want, when they were at a low point, for Gigi to tell you that she has feelings about you?

Drew: Yes. But also, I really liked this because—

Riese: It does show that Dani speaks her mind.

Drew: Okay. This is a really hot take, coming this direction of this microphone.

Analyssa: Everyone get ready.

Drew: I think Dani, this season, is my favorite character? This season. Last season, she was maybe my least favorite character. I love her character this season. I relate to her a lot when I didn’t relate to her at all last season. And this season, there’s a lot of things that I really… I think, I don’t know. I really, really like her character and what they’re doing with their character. I mean, I loved the ending of the last episode, as you remember from my intense enthusiasm. But I do think that, yeah, it was a little bit… if Gigi’s for real and really wants a real relationship here with Dani, bringing up those feelings when the person is in crisis, isn’t the most—

Riese: They were talking about ice cream, competitive ice cream eating.

Analyssa: They were kind of on a date at that point.

Riese: Yeah. The past was in the past.

Drew: That was a pretty intense — I don’t know. I’m just saying, I don’t think it was bad. I don’t think Gigi’s abusive. I just think that Dani being like, “I feel complicated because of these circumstances” and then talking it out and then they talked. This is what happens when characters actually talk, when people talk, look, queer people talk. And Gigi’s like, “You should talk to Bette. If, what actually is, is that you feel like — talk to Bette.” It’s great. I love it.

Riese: Dani is — she’s just so wide-eyed and she doesn’t know what she is. She’s like—

Dani: I would never want someone to feel the way I did when Sophie—
Gigi: I don’t think that had very strong feelings for me.
Dani: I find that hard to believe.

Riese: It’s so awkward for Gigi because she obviously wants to be like, “No. I mean, she really didn’t like me.”

Analyssa: She really didn’t, and also it’s such a strong indicator that Dani has really strong feelings for Gigi, because—

Drew: I thought that was so cute.

Analyssa: I don’t know. I thought it was very sweet.

Drew: It’s such a thing where you’re like, when you fall in love with someone, and you hear all their stories and you’re like, “Yeah, that person broke your heart? Dumped you? What? You’re clearly the best person who’s ever walked on this planet.” It’s very sweet.

Riese: Speaking of people who have had sex, we go back to The Alice Show where Alice is like, “You motherfuckers, what the fuck.”

Analyssa: But do you like that Alice is one of the 35 Sinley shippers in the world?

Riese: I do! She said, “I love you guys together.” Yeah. She’s number 35! And Finley’s like, “Could it just be my fault because I don’t work here anymore?” But that’s not how it works. It doesn’t matter whose fault it is. You guys shouldn’t… and she’s like, “What is it about that room?” Anyway. It was funny and cute.

Alice: Febreze the shit out of that couch before you leave.
Sophie: Absolutely.
Finley: Copy. Febreezing.

Analyssa: I like this Alice-Sophie relationship, friendship. I think it’s fun.

Riese: I think so too.

Drew: I like it too. Speaking of emotional processing, Angie tells Kayla that Jordi’s preoccupied with prom and that their relationship isn’t going well. And then she’s like, “Have you ever broken up with anyone?”

Riese: I’m like, Angie, at least talk to her about it first?! What are you doing, you crazy girl? What is in those smoothies, man. They love to put people under 18 drinking a goddamn smoothie on this show. Why do they just want to get a straw and pop it into a plastic cup so hard?

Analyssa: Critically, Angie is 16. So she’s never had to talk through a problem in a relationship before. She has the thing that honestly, sometimes I still have, which is like, “Oh, this doesn’t work? Guess it’s done. Guess we don’t work.” The other thing I thought was really sweet in this scene was Angie going, “Jordi just only cares about Prom.” And Kayla goes, “That seems fun. Seems like she’s having a fun time.” And I thought that was really funny. And the thing is, all of the Jordi-is-normally-supportive stuff aside, Kayla kind of makes, without trying to, a good point, which is sometimes you have people who you talk with about fun stuff. And Kayla is happy to talk about the dad stuff. And I read this book last summer, Drew already has heard this, actually once today. And it had a line in it. It’s a girl who goes to therapy and the therapist is like, “You can’t keep trying to get milk at the hardware store,” about trying to connect emotionally with your mother who refuses to do that. And I think it’s useful. It felt like, I read that line and I was like, “Have I gone to therapy?” And that’s sort of what I felt here, there is something for Angie and Jordi to discuss clearly, but also you can’t get milk from the hardware store. Just ask Kayla. That’s fine. Yeah.

Riese: Yeah. But she should expect her girlfriend to be interested in her interests.

Analyssa: 100%. And also they should have a conversation about it.

Riese: Yeah. Kayla did a great job acting. She sucked on that straw. I completely believed she was drinking her smoothie. And I was like, “Wow, good job you guys.”

Analyssa: Teen actors get smoothie cups, which are always clear. And you can see through them, adult actors sometimes get coffee cups, which are just plainly empty and a weird tool.

Riese: Ageism.

Analyssa: Yeah. Speaking of people who should talk to each other… I really don’t know what the scene started as. I didn’t like it.

Riese: It seemed like Sophie for some reason is… Finley and Sophie are perfect together because Finley just takes it. You know what I mean? Dani would be like, “No,” or really anyone. But Finley’s own self-esteem is kind of wobbling. And also I think she’s used to no one taking her seriously.

Analyssa: She kind of jokes her way into Sophie calming down about some non-existent issue. Basically Sophie is sort of like, “Can you cook?” I don’t know it just starting to—

Drew: Well, what happens is what you were saying earlier that basically Sophie decides that even though she did this thing where she was one of the two people having sex in that room, that, because she feels embarrassed, it’s Finley’s fault. And so she’s like, “You’re so immature” and it’s like, “no, Sophie, maybe you have to, I mean, yes, but also maybe you have to confront the fact that you also made this mistake and you’re also immature and, but yeah, Finley just sort of takes it, but then Finley blames her immaturity on getting kicked out at 18 and having some stunted development.

Riese: She doesn’t blame her immaturity on it. She just says she’s not as grown up as Dani, but I mean, Dani’s father gave her a… She’s now CEO of her father’s company and that’s a much different place to be coming from than Finley getting kicked out of her home in Missouri.

Drew: Totally. I feel like, I don’t… I wasn’t saying that with judgment, I was just like her not being grown up, immaturity, I guess I was like using those interchangeably, but… Which I think is a… It is a fair point. I think it’s something that a lot of queer people have to realize, is that like, whatever, sort of lost youth stunted adulthood, that queer people often have, that honestly, trans people have even more than cis queer people. I think you have to sort of realize that it’s not an excuse. It is an explanation, but it’s not necessarily an excuse and you have to work on that. And I think her self-awareness is probably a positive, as far as that’s the, it’s the first step you know, of knowing that you have to fix something, is knowing the origin and knowing that it’s a problem, but Sophie’s being very mean.

Analyssa: But… Yeah, I was going to say. I don’t know that Finley actually has something to fix in this specific situation. It’s like, I think what she’s saying is like, “Yeah, I can’t cook fancy meals because I didn’t grow up in a fancy house. I got kicked out. So my go-to meal is an oven pizza. Sorry.” That’s kind of what it felt like to me. Anyway.

Drew: Yeah.

Analyssa: They recover this, sort of, by Finley being jokey.

Riese: Right.

Analyssa: And then Sophie is like, oh, I actually was just asking you questions because I want to get to know you more.

Drew: Which is bullshit.

Analyssa: In a different way, which is not true. You were just rude to me.

Drew: Yeah.

Riese: I’m just like, this is obviously going to be a conflict for them. That was… This is the main conflict we’ve all been anticipating, Sophie is very ambitious and has her career aspirations and Finley really doesn’t have any aspirations. And it’s hard to know if that’s something that she’s done because she didn’t have any options. And so she just has been trying to paddle around or whatever. But I mean, then she eventually is like, “Just so you know, I’m down to be a stay at home baby daddy.” And I’m like, oh yikes.

Analyssa: Right after Sophie visibly tries not to make a face when Finley is like, “I don’t know, the kid’s soccer coaching thing is going well.” Sophie, I could just see this whole mask kind of fall.

Riese: Yeah, she just said it and was like… But you knew… She knew this about Finley.

Drew: She knew this about Finley, so that it’s, I mean it’s… This is… I do think there are ways in which Finley is immature and needs to grow up. But I think that Sophie’s issues with her are more just issues with who Finley just genuinely is. And if she doesn’t want to date her, she doesn’t have to date her. But plenty of people would want Finley as their goofy stay at home dad.

Analyssa: The other thing though, and then we can move on, is Sophie, I don’t think actually cares about Finley’s lack of ambition. I think she cares about how Finley’s lack of ambition is perceived by other people in her orbit.

Drew: That’s a really good point.

Analyssa: I don’t actually think she gives a shit what Finley does, except for how it looks to the people… I mean, later we see this at the party or whatever, it just kind of, it rubs me the wrong way. It’s like a focus of, it feels mean-spirited almost, rather than oh, this is just something, this is a difference in core values. It’s actually, I wish that you were more show-offable in the way that Dani was.

Drew: Right.

Analyssa: That’s not exactly what she says, but that’s what it feels like to me and I’m speaking for Anna.

Drew: Yeah, I think that’s true though. I…

Riese: I projected onto this scene when someone told me that they were down to be a stay at home baby daddy. And I was like, this is terrifying to me.

Drew: Oh yeah. It’s my nightmare, but I wouldn’t date that person.

Riese: Because I was like, you know I’ll be solely working for Autostraddle, right? Because there’s, I’m never going to be making a two income salary. You know what I mean? Like, sorry. It was a lot. It was a lot.

Drew: Yeah. I mean, but that’s, that… It’s also my nightmare.

Riese: Also, Sophie wants to be a stay at home mom.

Drew: Yeah. But, no one… They don’t want a job. No working, 2021.

Analyssa: I mean, in The L Word, they already don’t go to work that often. Speaking of work though, now we’re at the event that Drew and I didn’t know about.

Riese: The event!

Drew: Yay.

Analyssa: Woo-hoo. I love that, again, The L Word posits that poker is the only thing to do on a Saturday night and the only way to make a large amount of money.

Riese: Right.

Analyssa: They didn’t just throw a…

Riese: Party.

Analyssa: Nope.

Riese: A karaoke party.

Analyssa: A karaoke party. I was just about to say that.

Drew: Everybody loves an auction, you know.

Riese: Do a date auction. My boyfriend’s fraternity did that and I bid on…

Drew: I don’t know if we should be following what your boyfriend’s fraternity did.

Analyssa: Did you win him?

Riese: Yeah, I think because everyone was scared of me. Probably. But I mean, he was not a prize, I’ll tell you what. So…

Analyssa: Okay. So…

Drew: Oh boy.

Analyssa: We’re at the event.

Drew: Yes.

Analyssa: Once again, everyone’s in the same room for most of this episode, as with the last episode.

Drew: Yeah it’s fun. First, I really think Alice looks good. I mean, we’ve been saying Alice looks good this whole episode, but—

Riese: I didn’t like her hair.

Drew: It worked for me.

Analyssa: Drew really liked her hair.

Drew: I was really surprised that it worked for me.

Analyssa: I like that look on people. Not to brag, but that’s how I did my hair when I went to the Golden Globes party, before the world shut down, January 2020.

Riese: Right.

Analyssa: So Alice is here, I agree with Drew, looking great. And she sees Sophie and Finley and she’s like…

Alice: It’s nice to see you two dressed up! Or wearing anything really.
Finley: Oh, good one. Yeah. We deserve that.
Sophie: Well, thanks for being so cool. I was just really horrified about the whole thing.
Alice: Oh my God. I’ve done worse, first of all. But there’s a lot of network people here, so you can make nice.
Finley: Okay. That’s awesome.
Sophie: That’s good. Yeah, we’ve got it.

Analyssa: And then also, Nat is here, which means that Alice is not going to be on her best behavior. So it’s…

Riese: I think this whole interaction was really cute.

Drew: Yeah, I really liked this.

Riese: Because, like Finley and Sophie are kind of teasing them and they’re not, they’re…. It’s just funny. It’s a cute little, it was cute.

Finley: Wow. Hi. Okay. Are you, are you two…?
Alice: We just… us? We just hang out and stuff.
Sophie: Oh.
Nat: Yep. Just hanging.
Sophie: Okay.
Finley: Sounds totally believable.
Shane: Hey.
Alice: Pretty much all we do.
Shane: So glad you guys made it. Hi.
Alice: Hi.
Shane: And you made it?
Nat: Yes. Hi, good to see you.
Shane: Been a while, yeah.
Nat: Yeah. It has. Happy to be here.

Analyssa: And I thought that continued into when Shane is talking to Alice about communicating with Nat and how was it going. And Alice is like, what are you Oprah? I thought that was very funny. And then, that ball of fun keeps rolling because Bette and Pippa are here too.

Riese: Yeah. And Bette is again, has made a choice and her choices of blazer that is two ideas, in one blazer. And that is art and that is power.

Drew: She likes to Frankenstein her blazers.

Analyssa: That is power, is a patchwork blazer. Yeah.

Riese: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Analyssa: Shane and Alice embarrass Bette in front of Pippa. And they do a—

Riese: That was cute.

Drew: Yeah.

Analyssa: They do a whole little routine about how long Bette has been chasing Pippa and how bad she wanted her. And it’s not super clear if it’s about professional stuff or sexual stuff, but it’s embarrassing nonetheless, and very fun.

Drew: And then Carrie shows up. Or Carrie’s there.

Riese: Well, first Shane asks Alice if she’s ever seen Dumb and Dumber.

Analyssa: Because Alice is wearing that blue suit.

Drew: Yes.

Riese: Yeah.

Analyssa: Carrie shows up.

Riese: Right Before we get to the, all of the cringe of it. They, her and Alice have a super, super cute interaction, that is obviously intentionally meta.

Carrie: Hey!
Alice: Oh, hey Carrie.
Carrie: How are you?
Alice: Good.
Carrie: Good. You look great.
Alice: Thank you.
Carrie: I just wanted you to know, I love the show this season. It’s fantastic.
Alice: Ah, that’s really sweet.
Carrie: I mean, a lesbian talk show host?
Alice: That’s me.
Carrie: It’s unprecedented.
Alice: I know. Well, there’s Ellen.
Carrie: Yeah.
Alice: Yeah.
Carrie: Yeah.
Alice: But yeah, after that, I can’t think of anyone. It was like, road wide open.
Carrie: No, you’re like paving the way for everybody. It’s… It means a lot to a lot of people, means a lot to me.
Alice: Thank you. Have you been to a talk show?
Carrie: Never.
Alice: I can get you tickets.
Carrie: Are you kidding?
Alice: No, I could do… I mean, I could call my producer and…
Carrie: Oh, I would love it. That’s something.

Riese: It’s really funny.

Drew: Yeah.

Riese: It’s cute, because you know…

Drew: I enjoyed that.

Riese: I enjoyed that. I imagined all of them on the set being like… Aren’t you so funny and self-referential?

Drew: And then, Alice offers Carrie tickets, which, going to see tapings is such a miserable experience. That is something that you learn when you go to see tapings. But I do feel like Carrie would be the kind of person who would want to go to see a taping and might actually enjoy it.

Riese: Rosie got me tickets to go to The View and I had a great time at 6:00 AM or whenever it was.

Drew: I’m so glad you did.

Analyssa: Yeah. Something weird about tapings is that you always have to go at an insane time. You always have to sit in a very cold stage for a long time. And they’re always plastic folding chairs. Not to get super LA about it, but I hope Carrie has a fun time.

Drew: Okay. So Finley asks Sophie if she thinks Alice is a top, which was a fun little interaction. And then Sophie brings up Tom, and Finley says she was going to ask how riding the D was. It’s just like… okay.

Analyssa: The show alternating between caring a lot about if Tom is a man, and not caring at all if Tom is a man is…

Riese: I mean, I think this is a realistic thing that someone like Finley would say.

Drew: Yeah. I guess so.

Analyssa: True.

Drew: It’s like, it’s not unrealistic. I just… I don’t know. It’s one of those things that’s like, it’s not transphobic. Obviously we know that Tom is a cis man. It’s just one of those things that feels, I don’t know. I mean, it’s not something that I would ever bring up if someone said out in the world, which people say stuff like this all the time. It’s just… I don’t know.

Analyssa: What else is not a surprise, is that Finley crushes with this old white man exec.

Riese: Yeah.

Drew: Yes.

Analyssa: Yeah. I think it is such a silly thing of Sophie to be nervous about this. Obviously this is going to go well. You know what? I’ve spent a lot of time with white male execs in my day, not a lie, and you know what they love?

Riese: Baby masc lesbians?

Analyssa: Yes. But, being flattered, being played to as… They love the like, “Hey big guy,” kind of humor, which is what Finley does because she’s a baby masc lesbian. She’s like elbowing him, bro-ing out. Obviously this man thinks that’s charming and he’s kind of like, Ooh, bonus points because I’m doing it with a woman instead of with a fratty Dartmouth dude, you know?

Riese: Yeah. Like a cool lesbian thinks that… Yeah. And also I think that with Finley’s backstory, she’s had to kind of charm her way into a lot of things because she hasn’t had money or resources. So it was totally predictable that she’s probably good with all different types of people.

Drew: Yeah.

Analyssa: Yeah.

Riese: And then… So Shane spots Carrie having a drink at the bar and goes over to talk to her because she had seen her walking into the AA meeting. And Carrie says that it wasn’t… She was going to the OA, like Overeaters Anonymous meeting. I don’t know if we’re supposed to believe her or not.

Analyssa: Oh, interesting.

Drew: I just did believe her, but then I, but then as the episode went on, I wondered if we weren’t supposed to believe her.

Riese: Right. Like in the moment when we were watching it, we were like, oh, oh okay. So yeah, she went… But then later in the episode I was like, were we not supposed to believe her? I couldn’t tell.

Analyssa: Interesting.

Drew: Yeah. I mean, what was interesting about this is that whether it is overeating or alcohol, she says that being around Bette and this group of people is really triggering for her. And that, if Bette just gave her a chance, she thinks that she might like her and it brings up all this stuff. And it is interesting to see. It is a little bit like the lobster episode of the original L Word, of seeing the unspoken fact that The L Word is populated by this very specific type of person who is, sort of a nightmare, or at least very much fitting into this, I don’t know, certain box. Like actually addressing that, and actually being like, this is a… It’s very hard to be around these kinds of people. And if you’re not up to their, whatever level, and I thought that was interesting to have her explicitly say that.

Riese: Yeah.

Analyssa: Yeah. Shane—

Riese: She also over shares and it’s so cringy.

Drew: Yes. Very much so.

Riese: Because you can tell like Shane, because she’s like, I’ve… And in a way it reminded me of me, but she starts talking about her antidepressants and that… who, it’s just…

Analyssa: And like, how bad she wants Bette to like her, and maybe she had, maybe she can try this thing. And Shane has been giving good advice this episode and continues to do so. But basically she is like, you have to take it slow with Bette. I wish that Shane had said no, trust me, I’m a Bette expert, but she’s basically doling out advice of, you can’t come on too strong with Bette and viewers of The L Word know because Bette will react poorly. Carrie doesn’t know that, so she’s for sure going to continue on with her plan. But yeah…

Drew: Do we… Riese, you would know this, how did Shane become friends with Bette and all of them?

Riese: Did they meet at that millennium party or whatever, or were they already friends with her at that point?

Analyssa: I don’t know.

Drew: I don’t know. It just seems like such a thing where I find it surprising that Bette would not be judgmental towards Shane, when Bette first had met Shane.

Riese: No, it was Dana who was judgmental towards Shane.

Drew: Yeah. It was Dana. Anyways, that was just something that I was thinking about. But yeah, it is very cringy, but also it’s not the cringiest thing that we’re… It’s going to get cringier.

Riese: Nope. We’re not even there yet.

Drew: But before that, we have a nice little break, which is a scene that I would have been freaking out about, if… I’m just going to give a slight thing and then we can get into the fun part of it. Which is just, it’s about Angie and Jordi. And I just… If the previous scenes with Jordi had been Angie being like, I really want to talk to Jordi about all of my dad stuff. And Jordi’s like, I’m so sorry, I’m just so busy right now, I can’t see you. And Angie’s like, I really needed to talk and Jordi hasn’t been there for me. And it wasn’t like, oh, when I sit with Jordi, she’s texting and being like, oh my god, prom this, prom that, she’s just not available. Then this scene would have hit so hard because it’s like, oh, she was preparing. Anyways, that’s my one little thing, let’s get into the fun, which is that Angie is getting ready to break up with Jordi. And then, Jordi’s like, put on a raincoat and put on these headphones. And then it’s like a promposal for the ages.

Analyssa: Literally, La La Land who? I don’t know her. This was so over the top, but so sweet to me. I thought it was so cute, but I was worried that Angie was going to… I told Drew this, I was nervous about the nature versus nurture situation for a second, because I thought that Angie having gone into this conversation wanting to break up with Jordi, and then Jordi doing this big grand gesture, that she would do a Bette Porter thing and immediately shut down.

Riese: Right.

Analyssa: And she didn’t, she was very excited.

Riese: Yeah.

Drew: Yeah.

Riese: Yeah, that was… She won her over lickety split. That turned around on a dime.

Drew: I… the way this was happening, I kept thinking about that meme with the sort of stick figures and ones in the corner of the party. And it’s like, they don’t know the blah, blah. I was thinking about that and I was like, they don’t know that I was about to break up with you.

Riese: Right.

Analyssa: Okay.

Riese: Yikes.

Analyssa: Yeah. Let’s get into the worst scene of this episode, I think. So Carrie, as I said, does not take Shane’s advice and she’s like, I’m going to force myself to be friends with Bette Porter, which is just famously not how Bette Porter works.

Riese: Right.

Analyssa: I’ve already said famously twice on the pod today. If I say it again…

Riese: Then you’re not going to be famous anymore, we’re going to cut you off the fame list.

Analyssa: Thank you.

Riese: We’re going to put you right down to the D list. Right now you’re on the A list.

Analyssa: Thank you.

Riese: You’re welcome.

Analyssa: She’s asking if she can sit at Bette’s table, if you know, she’s trying to make nice, Bette sort of blows her off and Carrie, as Riese said, overshares and says…

Carrie: So funny. I just had a total flashback from my high school in Staten Island, that when I would ask all the cool girls if I could sit with them at lunch, they would just like, you know, whisper, “She’s such a dyke.”
Bette: Oh god, I’m so sorry. That was obviously not my intention.
Carrie: Oh no, I didn’t mean that.
Bette: At all.
Carrie: No, no, no, no.
Bette: Right.

Analyssa: And then, because Carrie has said, “They used to call me a dyke.” So Bette says that — I genuinely am stunned. I don’t know what to say. So Bette says, “That happened to me too at soccer camp, there were these girls who called it me,” and then she uses the N-word, and then “a dyke.” And the thing about it is to me, I was like, when she started the story, I was like, oh, we’re doing a thing where we’re all bonding about how some of us have been called dykes in high school. And, some of us have been bullied, and it never seemed like she was trying to bond in good faith, but it seemed kind of like a Bette Porter, everyone’s been through that experience, so sure. But because of the escalation of what she shares, which in the universe of The L Word, if that is Bette’s experience, then sure.

Drew: I don’t know what they’re trying to accomplish with this scene, because then the scene continues and it’s not that one moment, like Bette continues to be—

Riese: It keeps getting worse.

Carrie: I guess that I just wanted your blessing maybe, or just acceptance would be nice.
Bette: You know what? If you think what you have with Tina is working and you feel really good about it, then I don’t see why you would care what I think about you.

Drew: I think it’s something we’ve talked about a lot with The L Word, past and present, is that sometimes they will pair these things that are actual issues to talk about with a character in the wrong. And so then you’re like, wait, what do you want us to think here? Because yeah, Bette experiences racism that Carrie does not understand. That’s not what this is about though, so why are you having Bette express that when, like in this… It just, it undermines like—

Riese: It undermines how terrible it is.

Drew: Yeah. And I just—

Riese: And how traumatic it is.

Drew: And I just don’t really know what they want our… Do they want our response to be that Bette and Carrie are equally at fault here or equally right? Is that what they want us to feel? Because it feels rough.

Riese: I mean, it’s so… Because first of all, Carrie is being, I mean, she’s being inappropriate also. I had secondhand embarrassment for her. Because I was like, first of all, why are you bringing that… Bringing up that you were bullied in high school, it was so… And also she’s already a little bit drunk. And so you’re a little bit nervous about where this could go.

Analyssa: This is the thing where I agree with Bette, that this is a person who I would not want to engage with a ton at this party in this moment. I would also try to blow off this type of person in my life.

Riese: But look, Shane just did it. A lot better.

Drew: Yes.

Analyssa: But again, it’s just like, so am I supposed to think that Bette handled this correctly? Or am I supposed to think Carrie is being awkward and so Bette should have done it like this? It doesn’t make sense. And the thing is, it’s fine to not want to be friends with your person’s new person, that is allowed. And Drew, to your point about Bette, you don’t need to tell people specifically about the thing, she could have just been like, look…

Riese: I’m on a date.

Analyssa: Yeah. “I have someone with me. I will be civil because of Tina, but we’re… I’m not going to do this friend thing.”

Riese: Yeah. And also, because Carrie can’t assume that Bette is going to want to spend the night with her. Like you can’t just show up and be like, I’ve decided this is what we’re doing.

Drew: Totally.

Riese: You know what I mean? So like, and then it’s like, I don’t know what the show wants us to think. Because they’re both wrong.

Drew: Sure they’re both… they’re, yeah.

Riese: Like when I write out the squabble, I don’t know who wins. No one.

Analyssa: No one won. And again, in Bette Porter sharing instances of racism, I would like to clear cuttedly be on her side. I would like to be like, that was fucked and we should talk about that. I don’t want to be like, why would you say that now?

Riese: Right.

Analyssa: That’s… I don’t want to have conflicted feelings about that. I want to be like, yes, you experienced racism and that’s bad. We should not… I don’t know.

Drew: There’s an interesting thing that the show could have done, which I don’t think — and maybe they were trying to do this and I don’t necessarily think it’s working, which is to say that Carrie has an energy of being nice, being friendly, being chatty. I mean, it reminds me of conversations around the show Ted Lasso and stuff that that shows exploring, I think quite well this season, of sometimes the person who is the most, “Well, I want to be friends with everybody!” That that’s not actually kind. That’s not actually nice. It’s not thoughtful. It’s not listening. And so I do think there’s something that’s interesting as far as, Carrie is Tina’s new partner and Bette is still clearly heartbroken over it and that Carrie’s intense energy… I don’t know, like there’s things to explore. There’s also things to explore as far as identities and the different ways the two of them move through the world, and the different things that they’ve experienced in their life. And there is a nuanced, interesting conversation to be had about the fact that when you look at the two of them, Bette is clearly being mean to Carrie. But that doesn’t inherently mean that she’s in the wrong and Carrie’s in the right for being, quote, unquote, nice. But I don’t feel like that was handled well because it’s so skewed and Bette’s so cruel and that if that is what they’re going for, I don’t necessarily… That’s such a complicated thing to unpack and I don’t necessarily feel like they lived in the complication enough. And so instead it was just like, wow!

Riese: I don’t think they thought through enough, why on earth Carrie would come to this event?

Drew: Right.

Analyssa: Or…

Drew: Why was she volunteering?

Riese: Why… She explains why she’s coming, but it doesn’t make sense.

Drew: When you’re in high school and people are bullying you, you have nowhere to go. You’re in a, whatever your class size is, like those are the people in your life. The great thing about being an adult is that when you, when I meet people now who remind me of assholes I went to high school with, I go, “Oh, you remind me of assholes I went to high school with. You are not going to be in my life”. Or because Bette has to be in Carrie’s life, it’d be like “I’m going to smile and kill you with kindness, but not interact with you whenever I don’t have to, and we don’t need to be friends.” Clearly Carrie has a lot of damage and has not confronted those old wounds, and is projecting a lot onto the admittedly very toxic, very scary environment that is The L Word’s lesbian universe. So that is really interesting to me, and it feels realistic to me. I just don’t know what we’re supposed to think about Bette’s reaction to it.

Analyssa: Okay. Let’s all continue to chew on that and just move on, but I’m sorry, Dani needs an advanced team for every event she gets invited to right now.

Drew: Oh my God!

Riese: Because every time she walks in and is stunned that the people who have broken her heart are there, and I just feel like someone should go do the groundwork, come back outside and say “Okay, I’m prepping you. They’re standing over there. They’re standing over there.”

Drew: They’re not standing, they’re kissing!

Riese: Another bold choice this evening, from Carrie and from Dani. And also no one in this fucking writer’s room said “You know what, all of our characters have names that end with I or IE”. All of them!

Analyssa: I said that, and I really didn’t feel like you guys latched onto it as much as I wanted to, and it’s crazy.

Riese: You’re correct. You’re correct. It is insane. All of the new characters, all of them. Literally every single one of them, except Micah.

Drew: Yeah, Micah and Mirabel. But, yeah.

Riese: Like Sophie, Dani, Jordi, Angie, Finley.

Drew: Wow. Oh I forgot about Jordi.

Analyssa: Gigi, Carrie.

Riese: Gigi, Carrie.

Drew: Wow. What’s happening?

Riese: All we have is Nat and Micah.

Drew: Wow.

Riese: Both of whom are in and out. You know what I mean?

Analyssa: Who we aren’t talking about enough. I’ve said the “I” sound so much on this podcast.

Riese: Yeah, someone needs to go in and fix this ASAP.

Drew: Fascinating.

Analyssa: Change all their names immediately.

Riese: Dani, also, why are you going to this event alone?

Drew: Yes.

Riese: You know who probably would go with you, and who’s not doing anything? Is Gigi.

Drew: Well, Dani’s going to the event to talk to Bette, right?

Analyssa: Oh, right, she’s—

Drew: Dani is going to be like, “Hey Bette, we’re having a good time at this event. So how would you feel if I hooked up with your ex-girlfriend?”

Riese: Oh right.

Drew: “Who you’re clearly still in love with, because who wouldn’t be in love with Gigi?”

Riese: Her little mission, yeah, I should talk—

Analyssa: Dani’s here to ask Bette—

Riese: She doesn’t want anyone to get hurt like she was hurt.

Drew: Really nice.

Analyssa: It’s very sweet, but it’s very silly to imagine Dani here to ask Bette for Gigi’s hand in relationship. It doesn’t make any sense, because Bette could not care less about Gigi, and I wish that Dani would just accept that. But we’re on our way to that, because she goes into the bathroom to avoid Sophie and Finley kissing…

Drew: Yeah. Nat and Alice are having stall sex.

Riese: Yeah.

Drew: What number sex would you rank bathroom stall sex?

Analyssa: It’s low for me.

Riese: I would say low. Yeah, I would say low.

Drew: Clean bathroom stall sex?

Riese: Right. I don’t know if I’ve done it in a clean bathroom.

Analyssa: My experience is all in bar bathrooms, or party bathrooms, which are not great. What did you put ex-sex at, 11?

Drew: Yeah.

Analyssa: And then I argued up to 7?

Drew: I would put bathroom stall sex at a 7.

Analyssa: Fascinating. I would say…

Drew: Yeah, I’ve had some good bathroom stall sex.

Analyssa: I would say highest is 13.

Riese: On a 1 to 10 scale?

Drew: No, no, no. Ranking the best sexes.

Riese: Oh yeah. It would be pretty far down there for me.

Drew: Like in the teens?

Riese: I think we’re supposed to believe that Nat has an incredibly high sex drive.

Drew: Yes.

Riese: Like, wildly high sex drive.

Drew: Yes.

Analyssa: Wildly high sex drive, and loves for it to be in public.

Drew: In public, yes.

Analyssa: The thing about this is that, it’s fine to fuck in bathroom stall. They’re at a fancy event.

Drew: No, it’s not the time.

Analyssa: So Dani says that she’s here to talk to Bette, and Nat and Alice are like, “No, there’s no need.”

Riese: They’re so mean.

Analyssa: You don’t need to do that. Bette doesn’t give a shit.

Riese: Yeah, Bette doesn’t care at all. Take Gigi off our hands. I’m like, you guys, stop.

Analyssa: Everyone is so mean about Gigi. It’s so weird.

Drew: Yeah, I don’t get it.

Analyssa: But they’re like take the Gigi off our hands. Also, Nat reveals…

Nat: And for what it’s worth, Gigi’s really into you.
Dani: Oh.
Nat: Yeah. I had lunch with her the other day and I haven’t seen her like this in a long time.

Riese: Oh yeah. That was cute.

Analyssa: Which I thought was sweet. I think Drew thought it was inappropriate.

Drew: Yeah. I think you should… Look, it’s nice, but I mean you don’t… I don’t know. I think you—

Riese: They have no respect for Gigi, they don’t care about her boundaries.

Drew: Yeah. They should have respected that privacy of—

Analyssa: Nat and Alice are meddlers at heart, and that’s why they like having sex in public places, for some reason.

Drew: The next thing that happens, is one of those things that makes me want to scream, which is that—

Analyssa: Speaking of inappropriate.

Drew: Yeah. Finley apologizes to Dani, but not to actually apologize to Dani. Finley apologizes to Dani with the purpose of saying to Dani, “You were a good partner to Sophie. How do I be a better partner to Sophie?” That’s wild!

Riese: She’s like, “You’re an adult”. Like, “I’m trying to be an adult and you’re so…” She’s like, “I don’t know, get a job?”

Drew: That’s so not Dani’s problem. Are you kidding?

Riese: Yeah. And also like, I mean, it’s funny because they’re throwing back to the earlier scene, where Dani’s like, “We’re the same age” and Dani’s like, “and the similarities end there,” which is like what Finley said earlier. But I think what Dani ends up getting to say about this is so real.

Drew: Yes. It’s my favorite line of the show.

Dani: I’m so sick of people thinking I have it together. Because all that means is that, unlike you, people aren’t inclined to hold me when I need it most. And if you ever use that against me, so help me, God. I will actually kill you.

Drew: Oh yeah. As an earth sign, I really related to that.

Riese: Right. I also like it when a Finley is like—

Finley: Can I hug you?
Dani: No.

Analyssa: Again, Finley, always trying to do the sort of, quote, “good to other people” thing, but very rarely is it the correct “good for other people.” She’s like, “Oh, Dani has admitted something personal. Maybe I should hug her.” It’s like, you’re the one millionth person that Dani would like to hug. There’s so many people ahead of you.

Drew: Yeah. It’s similar to what I was saying about Carrie, where you’re like, “Oh, it’s the nice thing to do.” And you’re like, “but it’s not the kind of thing to do.”

Riese: Right. I don’t think they know what Finley has been doing since between the ages of 18 and 25.

Analyssa: She got kicked out and then she popped back up fully formed, through a time hole into Los Angeles.

Riese: I feel like she would have gone to a state college or something. Just the sense that she’s had to charm her way into her life. Which is good, she’s built up a lot of charm, but she hasn’t really built a resume.

Drew: Right.

Analyssa: Okay. Now speaking of charm. Bette and Pippa are flirting, because Pippa is so bad at poker, and Bette is into Pippa being off kilter. And they’re chatting, they go to the bar and then their faces get real close to each other and they kiss. And then they decide to leave the party. This is the second event in a row that Bette has left early.

Riese: Yeah. For Pippa.

Analyssa: For Pippa.

Riese: It seems like it’s kind of ending though, right? Is it?

Drew: What?

Riese: The event?

Drew: Yeah, I think it’s winding down.

Analyssa: For sure.

Riese: Who won, do you think?

Drew: I don’t know.

Analyssa: Shane, probably. I have no idea.

Riese: Shane, yeah. You know what? This would have been a great time for a Papi cameo.

Drew: Again, I think I would have been way more excited about this if I wasn’t souring on Bette as much as I am.

Analyssa: I agree.

Drew: I was also like, okay, that’s nice. I hope your… Stay safe, Pippa, I don’t love that you’re tied professionally and personally with this person, who’s like, “I will protect you. I will take care of you.” I’m like, okay. I hope Bette’s not kidding. I hope you’re really the special one. Cause I’m a little bit scared for you.

Analyssa: Yeah, don’t say anything Bette might really dislike. Cause then you could be in the splash zone, not in a fun way. Also at the bar is Nat, who is flirting with someone who is not Alice, and Alice hates it. And Nat comes over and is like, “oh my God, that woman at the bar asked me if you’re Alice from TV.” Like, wants to bond over having just flirted with someone else at the bar, and Alice doesn’t like it. And so of course it’s time for a big, big talk, which is to say no talk at all, just basically nothing’s changed. We’re having sex and it’s fun, but it’s not going to work.

Drew: Yeah. And Alice is like, “Why do you have to make me be the one to say this?” And I think that’s true. I do think that at this point, it is, I think, on Nat to equally be like… Not to act clueless, I was a little annoyed with Nat for acting so clueless. No, you know that the feelings are still there and the problems are still there, and you know what you want from a relationship, and you know what Alice wants, and they’re not the same thing. And it’s sad, but that happens sometimes, and stop doing this.

Analyssa: Yeah. Especially in this moment, did Nat have to flirt with someone else at the bar? Like, we could have… Anyway.

Riese: Yeah. I feel like that’s Nat’s whole personality now.

Drew: Well, polyamorous people are monsters.

Riese: That is true. It is an accurate representation of the poly community. They can’t contain themselves.

Drew: They just cannot control themselves. Not once could they be like, “Oh, I’m here with one person. And that person doesn’t like when I flirt with other people. So I’m going to control myself tonight.” Never could anyone have those boundaries.

Analyssa: No. They’re flirting all the time.

Riese: Flirting all the time. Yeah.

Analyssa: Then, speaking of big talks, this is not a big talk. Jordi and Angie are sitting where the promposal happened, and they’re chatting and Angie’s like, “I’m so relieved.” And I thought she was going to say, “I thought that you were blowing me off for a couple of weeks.” And Jordi is like, “I know it’s been so crazy. I’ve been planning, but of course I didn’t want to blow the secret.” And I think what they’re trying to do is the thing, Drew, you were saying, I think they’re trying to… It’s not really a retcon, but they’re trying to quickly be like, Angie has been distant because she’s been planning—

Riese: She’s planning a dance?

Analyssa: Because she’s been planning this event, and she doesn’t want to blow the secret. But the thing that doesn’t make sense about that is, if you were trying to keep a secret about prom, you wouldn’t actually keep bringing up prom. You would maybe even say, “Tell me more about your dad, actually. Let’s talk about that.”

Riese: Also, honestly, Jordi’s part in the dance was pretty minimal. The girls did all the fucking legwork, and umbrellas, the umbrellas basically danced for them. She literally walked forward, walked back, waved an umbrella in the air. Come on.

Drew: So Carrie has responded to her interaction with Bette by getting absolutely shit-faced, and is not leaving, even though the event has ended, or is ending. Tess is trying to help and talk to her, and then Shane comes over to talk to Carrie. And then Shane’s like, “I’m going to take you home. It’s on the way.” Which it probably isn’t.

Analyssa: Because Tess is like, “Let’s drive her home because she shouldn’t Lyft”. And Shane’s is like, “You want me to drive her home?”

Riese: No, because she’s like, “I don’t want her to throw up in a Lyft,” and Shane’s like, “Well you want her to throw up in my car?” And Tess is like, “Yeah”. And it’s just like, alright.

Analyssa: I know that this is a rough time for Carrie, but I love her being wasted and being like—

Carrie: Yeah, I’m a lawyer.
Tess: That’s great.
Carrie: I passed the bar in two states actually.

Riese: I know, and she was like, “I have money.”

Analyssa: We talked about this with Bette and Gigi too, she’s just different, for reasons, some of which make sense, and some of which are just inherent to the characters in this show, that’s never going to work, that she’s different.

Riese: But then it was like, I didn’t know… This is when I was like, “are we supposed to think she actually was in AA?” Because at first I was like, “Well Tess might recognize her”, and after I was like, “but Tess Tess probably wouldn’t call that out,” because she wouldn’t call that out. Because are we supposed to see Carrie as somebody who drank too much tonight out of nerves and acted the way she did, or somebody who relapsed tonight, into something that she’s already decided she shouldn’t do in her life, but is still doing? And that’s a very different story, I think.

Analyssa: Yeah, and it has different feelings wrapped up in it. I watched this as, I almost said, “I read this as,” which I guess applies… But as she got drunk out of nerves and tried to feel better, which is still not great.

Riese: But I did love Tess and Shane as parents, that they both were willing to leave the event to make sure she got home safe. This was very different than the way Max was treated. I mean, Tess is an adult, and now I guess Shane is an adult too.

Drew: Love that for her.

Analyssa: Speaking of drunk adults. So Finley and Sophie are leaving the event too, they’re holding hands, they’re cute. Finley tells Sophie that she talked to Dani, Sophie thinks that this is kind of vaguely funny, which is not how I would’ve reacted. Finley says, “I thought I could get tips from Dani,” basically, “on how to love you better.” And Sophie does the thing you would do, which is like—

Sophie: You are so charming.
Finley: Yeah. But not in a good way.
Sophie: Oh, come on. You charmed the pants off of Barry.
Finley: I told him he was good looking. That’s not…
Sophie: Yes, yes. And he loved it. And you were just yourself. You know, that’s hard to do. I can’t do that shit.
Finley: Really?
Sophie: Yeah.
Finley: Okay.
Sophie: I lose myself all the time. Lose myself at work, I lost myself with Dani. Oh, you just… I can just be myself with you. I don’t have to think about it.

Riese: Which I thought was kind of cute.

Drew: Yeah, that’s nice.

Analyssa: I do think that’s sweet.

Riese: But it was also like once they got to the car and were standing outside of the car, and drinking out of a flask, and about to get into the car and drive home, I immediately lost my mind and was unable to concentrate for the rest of the episode.

Analyssa: While they were standing next to the van kissing, or the whatever, kissing, I was like, “Surely they’re not getting into this car? They’re waiting for a Lyft or they’re going to walk away.” And then they’re kissing up against the car, and I was like, “Well, this is a weird…” And then I thought maybe Dani might show up. I was expecting different drama. And then Finley takes a big pull out of a flask, and then 30 seconds later, fewer, five seconds later. Sophie goes, “You’re good to drive, right?” So they get in the car.

Riese: I mean, I am assuming, Finley is an alcoholic, so Finley is probably very used to driving drunk. And Sophie probably thinks it’s fine, but also, it’s obviously not fine. And we’ve seen them have, how many drinks? Three? And they’ve only been on camera for like, 15 seconds.

Drew: Yeah. It’s not…

Analyssa: Yeah. It’s stressful to me.

Riese: Because I mean, in a TV show when someone’s like, “Are you okay to drive?” and they’re drunk, you know something’s being set up.

Analyssa: Immediately, something bad is going to happen.

Riese: And I was like, “Fuck, you guys!” In all caps, I wrote, “ARE YOU OKAY TO DRIVE SHE SAYS AS FINLEY IS DRINKING FROM A FLASK”

Analyssa: Does a pull from a flask, then gets directly into a car. There’s no way.

Riese: No.

Analyssa: No!

Riese: Nope.

Analyssa: What you should have said is, “Did you just see me take the pull off the flask? Let’s get a Lyft. Let’s walk for a while, maybe.” Anything.

Riese: Right. Because even if she is okay to drive, even if Sophie honestly believes that she’s okay to drive, it’s also not legal for her to drive. And that’s a really bad situation. Finley barely has any money, she cannot afford any of this for many reasons. Anyway. Anyway!

Analyssa: Anyway.

Riese: Something more exciting happened, which I did watch on my second go round.

Analyssa: Which you were able to see when you watched it again.

Riese: Which I was able to see, cause I had already seen it.

Analyssa: Dani has gone over to Gigi’s and is ringing her doorbell in the middle of the night, and it’s lightly starting to rain, which we will see a lot more of, I’ll tell you what. And Gigi’s like—

Gigi: You’re a lot more dramatic than I thought.

Analyssa: I agree with Gigi that this is quite dramatic.

Drew: It is very dramatic. I really, really like this couple though. Dani says that she’s been hurt a lot, and basically does a little light slut shaming of Gigi.

Riese: Yeah, I didn’t care for that, cause I have had that exact same thing said to me, and I’m like, literally we were at an event… what… did you think was going to happen?

Drew: Right. It’s not good. But what I liked is that, by taking a beat, like they were able to take… Instead of Gigi just getting upset or whatever, they were able to get at the actual… What Dani was actually trying to get at was—

Riese: Do you really like me?

Drew: Do you really like me?

Riese: Or do you like everyone?

Analyssa: Do you just like hooking up with people?

Riese: Which, obviously, fair question.

Analyssa: Gigi does love flirting with people. So that’s fair.

Drew: Yeah. So I liked that they eventually got there, and it does go to show that, not that you should be okay with people being mean to you, but sometimes taking a second instead of immediately getting sensitive and upset, to actually ask a followup question, can lead to good things. And what it leads to this time is a kiss in the rain!

Analyssa: A pretty good kiss.

Drew: Yeah.

Analyssa: The L Word loves kissing, and I love kissing also. And I love when The L Word loves kissing. The amount of hair must be discussed.

Riese: Also, as a Jew, I’m just like, “it’s raining, and their hair is out.”

Drew: No, I would never.

Riese: And the frizz. I can already see it collecting.

Analyssa: You can see it start to build, but also as a person with I’m sure a similar hair texture to Dani, which is vaguely wavy, not super tight curls, that is going to explode. She’s going to get so puffy. And she had a nice blowout. She ruined the blowout. Gigi at least has some bedhead. Dani just wasted whatever work or money she put into her hair for this evening.

Drew: I’ve been very “I don’t want to get my hair wet, I don’t want to get my hair wet,” because I’m very precious about it. I would get my hair wet to kiss Gigi in the rain. I just want to go on the record to say that.

Analyssa: I would also kind of get my hair wet to kiss Dani in the rain. I’ll say. I think she’s very beautiful.

Drew: Do we want to break them up? And then just like, take…

Analyssa: No, I’m happy to just watch them kiss in the rain for now. But Gigi is like, “Come in,” and Dani is like, “No, no, no. Not yet. But let’s keep kissing outside.”

Riese: Yeah. She wants to take it slow. She’s such a proper lady in her proper lady dress.

Drew: I think it was more about emotional damage of the whole…

Riese: Yeah. I mean, it is true… People fuck on the first night on this program.

Analyssa: Frequently.

Riese: I would say. I mean like Tom and Alice, that was their first… He thought about being with her for how long? 15, 16 minutes? And then they were already romping around in the hay having sex that we thought was boring.

Analyssa: 30 minutes before they were fully inside each other, he was like, “I’m going to set you up with someone.” And Alice had to be like, “No, I’m hitting on you.”

Riese: Yeah. And then they’re bang, bang, bang. And that is the same for all of the couples. They really just go home and bang.

Drew: I appreciate this not hooking up on the first date representation.

Riese: Right, cause we’re about to get hooking up on the first date representation.

Analyssa: Soon.

Riese: This is a very sexy episode. Honestly, everyone in this episode was so horny.

Drew: Yeah. I love that.

Riese: It was bursting at the gills, which was very enjoyable. My note for the Dani/Gigi scene is, “I’m still really stressed out about Finley driving.”

Analyssa: Anyway, the image of these two women with thick, luscious, very long hair, both their hands are in the other person’s hair. If they moved in together… I recently lived with someone, my roommate, who had very long, very thick hair, and I have decently long hair. Disgusting. It’s everywhere. You’ll never not find it.

Riese: You guys are gonna do great.

Drew: Yeah, I was about to be like, “I hate to break it to you about your new roommate, but…”

Analyssa: No, but that’s the thing. They’ll never not find each other’s hairs in the bathroom, in the kitchen. Anyway, not the point.

Drew: Yeah.

Analyssa: So one last thing with Carrie, and then we can talk about more fun stuff. Carrie is drunk, Shane and Tess have gotten Carrie home, and they’re getting her into the house. They’re being very sweet, very kind.

Riese: And she’s so sad. She’s like, “You people are all so beautiful.”

Analyssa: It’s really sad.

Riese: Not to rag on Tina again. But Tina, have they texted tonight?

Analyssa: Right?

Drew: No.

Analyssa: I know that Tina is out of town or busy or whatever, but—

Riese: How busy?

Analyssa: I think that this calls for a phone call or something.

Drew: Yeah.

Riese: Also, why didn’t Shane call Tina? I guess, because for some reason they refused to put Tina in scenes with Shane and Alice?

Drew: Yeah.

Riese: Who they were also, for some reason, friends with Tina.

Drew: Yeah. My explanation is that in the Bette breakup, things got bad with Shane and Alice also, it’s the only explanation.

Analyssa: Yeah. But, now in 2021, Tina and Bette are cordial, she’s around because of Angie. So Shane, especially who’s deeply involved in Angie’s life could be…

Riese: They did have lunch or something in season one, I think altogether? Maybe or just Shane? Anyway, poor Carrie.

Analyssa: Yeah. And it made me really sad too, because it’s a direct callback to when Carrie and Tina have dinner at Bette and Gigi’s first date and Tina is like, “You’re beautiful.”

Riese: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Analyssa: And Carrie got emotional.

Riese: Yeah.

Analyssa: I did love the moment, I think it’s earlier when Carrie’s like, “I was supposed to have a great night. I have a little sharp suit on.”

Riese: “I got a new outfit.”

Analyssa: You do look cute. It’s fine.

Drew: Yeah.

Analyssa: These people are mean, don’t let them bully you.

Drew: They’re very mean.

Riese: Except for Shane and Tess who are little perfect angels walking her home.

Drew: Yeah.

Shane: We’re going to get you settled in warm and I promise you, it’s going to be okay.
Tess: Yeah. We’re going to get you water and a cozy bed.
Carrie: I don’t think you guys understand, I just can’t live like this, the rest of my life. I don’t think I can marry Tina.

Drew: I do think that Carrie is 60 years old and should not be this fragile, but I don’t think it’s unrealistic for this 60-year-old queer to be this fragile and I’m finding it to be very interesting. I found everything with her this episode, again, from the Bette perspective, I don’t really know what’s going on, but from a Carrie point of view, I find this whole thing with her to be very interesting.

Analyssa: I agree.

Riese: I think also, she’s a public defender?

Drew: Uh-huh (affirmative).

Riese: That’s really cool and great.

Drew: That’s so cool.

Analyssa: Again—

Riese: I mean Max had nothing going on.

Analyssa: Again—

Riese: Oh, wait, that’s not true he had many computers.

Drew: He invented computers.

Analyssa: He invented computers, please respect him.

Drew: And he had that beard.

Riese: Right. But not yet.

Analyssa: She’s passed the bar in two states.

Riese: Yeah.

Analyssa: That is hard. She’s smart and savvy and—

Riese: She gets in front of courtrooms every day. I know what I was going to say, actually, I was like, is this one of those things where when I’m 60, I’m going to look back at 39-year-old me saying, “Wow, that 60 year old should really get her mental health together,” and think that I was completely wrong because I, a 60-year-old woman will be like, “I’ve been on antidepressants,” to Shane at the bar. Probably.

Analyssa: Maybe I will be 60 and still very concerned about how hot people think I am.

Riese: I have learned, though, not to have a ton of drinks and I am only 39. So, there is that.

Drew: I feel like even just in the years that I’ve known you, you’ve changed.

Riese: I have.

Analyssa: That’s nice to say. Carrie says, “I don’t think I can marry Tina.” And you get the sense that this is like a crystallization of a bunch of stuff, but it does feel like there’s one conversation to be had before… It felt very much like Angie being like, “Have you ever broken up with someone?” Because she’s mad at Jordi. Tina was like, “Do it. Break up.” You guys, there are some conversations to be had about Tina and how much they want to be in Bette’s life. And what if they hang out with Carrie’s friends?

Drew: What if they went back… They don’t live in LA, they weren’t living in LA.

Riese: She lives in LA tonight.

Analyssa: Right, there’s a house here.

Drew: I know that. But they weren’t so, go back to what you were doing before.

Drew: Speaking of Bette.

Riese: Speaking of Bette.

Drew: Bette brings Pippa to an art thing, it’s the triangle of light.

Riese: Yeah. That’s a lot.

Analyssa: It’s art.

Riese: It’s art.

Drew: And, Bette loves to have sex on art and they sure do. And even though I’m feeling complicated about Bette, it is very hot.

Analyssa: It’s really hot and also very beautifully shot.

Drew: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Analyssa: It’s high-end sex scene for The L Word, I think.

Riese: Yeah.

Analyssa: It’s lovely to look at.

Riese: And we do at long last, see what? The hand on the back.

Drew: Yes.

Analyssa: We were watching and I pointed, you know that meme of Leonardo DiCaprio pointing at the screen?

Riese: Uh-huh (affirmative).

Analyssa: And I was like, promo shot.

Riese: Yeah.

Analyssa: We found it.

Riese: Bette’s nice lacy bra and Pippa’s hand in the light. They love lighting.

Analyssa: The light’s are genuinely very cool, as I’ve already said, but why is everyone having sex at their place of business?

Drew: I don’t know.

Analyssa: It’s so frequent in this show.

Riese: Because it’s fun to look at.

Drew: Yeah.

Riese: I’ve never seen Bette work on a computer as fast as she did in that room. She was like…

Riese: She knew how to— How’s Kismet going to feel about this?

Analyssa: I was going to say—

Riese: Probably good, I guess.

Drew: Yeah.

Analyssa: What is the installation? You get to pick your own lights? Is it that Bette — whatever, it’s fine.

Riese: It’s that you get to have sex with somebody, an artist that you admire under the lighting of your choice. And that has appeal. That’s experiential art.

Analyssa: On a cold, gallery floor.

Riese: On a cold gallery floor. Yes. It’s no overnight jail for protesting.

Drew: Sex in a museum or a gallery would be cool. I’d be into that. I don’t know how it would happen, but…

Riese: I’ve had sex in the parking lot of an art museum.

Analyssa: I was just about to say, we’re playing a quick round of, “I have, I would, I wouldn’t” and we hit all three. Riese says, “I have,” Drew says, “I would,” Ana, “I wouldn’t.” Okay. Good for us. Okay. Tess and Shane are leaving Carrie’s.

Drew: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Riese: Yeah. And she’s like, “Were you that kind of drunk?” And Tess is like, “Oh, I was much worse, but she didn’t break a bone or a dish,” and that was funny.

Analyssa: And then they’re getting—

Riese: Everyone wants their hair to get fucked up tonight, apparently.

Analyssa: And they had an umbrella. They didn’t have—

Riese: No one is thinking about the frizz, everyone’s just thinking about the mouth.

Analyssa: When you kiss in the rain, is it as much water in between your two faces as when you have sex in the shower? I had an ex who was really into shower sex.

Riese: I don’t like shower sex.

Analyssa: I didn’t either. I mean, it’s fun to have sex with someone who you like, you know, I enjoyed it. But when you hit a weird angle and the faucet means that there’s just a stream of water down both of your faces in between where your mouths are touching. That’s a pass for me, and is raining like that? I guess there’s not as much water.

Drew: It depends on the kind… I mean, I would say don’t make out during a tropical storm.

Analyssa: Sure.

Riese: I would say do.

Drew: What?

Riese: Make out during a tropical storm.

Drew: But I mean, do it inside with protective windows.

Riese: No. Do it outside.

Drew: But—

Riese: Make out in a hurricane.

Drew: Yeah. I think it depends on… Same with the water pressure of the shower, it depends on the water pressure or the rain.

Analyssa: Never loved it.

Riese: Speaking of people who are horny in an inappropriate location.

Analyssa: So true. Finley and Sophie are driving and they’re looking at each other in love a lot.

Riese: But Sophie’s reaching over and Finley is obviously like, “I’m driving drunk, so I’m doing it. I’m on this.”

Analyssa: 10 and 2, looking forward. Sophie is being pretty annoying. I get that this is a cute thing if nothing goes wrong.

Riese: Right.

Analyssa: As we know something goes wrong, so now it’s annoying. But, I don’t remember if I said this in the first season, but anytime two characters are in a car, I expect that there’s going to be a car accident. The reason I think about it in the first season is because Sophie and Dani were driving to their wedding venues. And it was a lot of, through the windows, we’re looking at them driving. And I was like, a car is going to come and T-bone them.

Riese: Yeah.

Analyssa: And that’s what I thought was going to happen here too.

Riese: Right.

Analyssa: This is the most car crash preparation scene of all time.

Drew: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Analyssa: You are just expecting it the whole time.

Riese: Because she sticks Finley’s hands down her pants.

Analyssa: They’re going to do some car sex.

Drew: Would everybody like to say if they would have—

Analyssa: While driving? I simply would not.

Drew: No.

Analyssa: I’m going to get vulnerable. I don’t know that I’m good enough with my hands in a stationary sort of situation where I don’t have to be focusing. I’m self-conscious about that when we’re just in a bed. Few variables.

Riese: Yeah.

Analyssa: That’s some personal stuff. That’s fine.

Riese: Yeah.

Analyssa: In a car? There’s no way I can do both.

Riese: Right. I mean if Finley has really long arms…

Analyssa: I wish that the listeners could see my enactment of one hand on the wheel and one arm out just, seems acrobatic in a way that’s not—

Drew: And it feels unsafe in a way that doesn’t… I don’t like it.

Riese: So, I was just like, as soon as she started doing that, I was like, oh my God, oh my God.

Analyssa: You watched this stressfully for a few minutes, not minutes, but it feels eternal. And then of course they don’t get hit by a car, which is—

Riese: Thank God.

Analyssa: … good.

Riese: Or hit someone else.

Analyssa: But there are sirens and a cop is coming. And again in a, this would be cute if we weren’t in a serious situation, but now it’s kind of annoying because it’s serious. Sophie’s like, “But you’re okay. You’re okay. Right?” Like, “You’re okay. Right?” The whole thing… Of course she’s not.

Riese: Giggling about it and putting—

Drew: Which also feels just weird race-wise?

Analyssa: Right.

Drew: I was just a little bit confused by that.

Riese: Mm-hmm (affirmative). Yeah.

Analyssa: Right. With all of the things that this show wants to talk about.

Riese: Yeah. It’s weird that Sophie wouldn’t be more aware of that. In fact, not just more aware, but incredibly hyper aware.

Drew: Yeah.

Riese: I feel like Finley’s aware of it because she probably drives drunk so often that it’s always on her mind. But I feel like Sophie would be very much more aware of it than she is in this scene as well.

Drew: Yeah.

Analyssa: Again, the sobriety storylines, it’s just not doing it for me.

Riese: Well get ready because Finley is about to be going to AA with Tess.

Analyssa: Right. Well, that’s the thing. This is what I wish. It feels like this is going to be a culmination — in combo with the rest of what happened in this episode — of Finley’s irresponsible and she needs to get her life together with regard to sobriety. They can go together, a person who is very goofy and doesn’t really have career aspirations can also need to get help for drinking.

Riese: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Analyssa: But those are so separate.

Riese: Yeah.

Analyssa: They’re not the same issue and it feels, intentionally or not, coming at the end of this episode is like, Finley just fucks around and doesn’t care. And now she’s going to have to get serious and admit that something is wrong.

Riese: Her and Sophie are equally at fault for what just happened.

Drew: Yes.

Riese: And Sophie is even drunk… who knows? But they’re both wasted, neither of them should be driving. And they both made the decision and Sophie instigated the sex.

Analyssa: Well, and Sophie asked Finley to drive. Everyone made bad choices, I’m not saying that. I just don’t love the conflation of, Finley’s irresponsible and that actually points to a bigger problem. Sometimes people are just irresponsible and also sometimes people have very serious problems with alcohol. It seems like Finley has both, but the show doesn’t seem to care that much about pulling those apart.

Riese: Right.

Analyssa: It’s all wrapped up into goofball Finley. And again, I realized that sometimes things ping for you in a personal way where you’re like, I’m mad about this actually, me. But it just feels kind of easy for them to make this, the thing.

Riese: Right. But I feel like what they’re setting up is for this to be a conflict now between Finley and Sophie. Because they both played a part in what happened, but Finley is the one who has to deal with the consequences of it. And then Finley is going to have a hard time getting her life on track with everything that she’s going to be required to do as a person with a DUI. And then Sophie is going to hold that against her. And I can already see all of the fucking—

Analyssa: Or, maybe more annoyingly, she’s somehow going to get out of it. It’s actually not going to be a big thing.

Riese: That’s the other thing, The L Word, especially the Gen Q, and that’s what I said after I watched it the first time I was like, the other thing is though we had an episode where Sophie was visiting Dani and at the end, Dani was like, “What if you stayed the night?” And then she was like, nothing. We had an episode where we don’t even know what happened after that.

Analyssa: Right. Or that one where Shane left the bar and told Finley to lock up and then Finley just left at some point. The bar could have gotten robbed, we have no idea. There’s all these little things that—

Riese: Cherie Jaffe, they constantly are doing that where they have a big thing at the end and then it just disappears.

Analyssa: In the unknowable amount of time between episodes.

Riese: Yeah.

Analyssa: Well…

Riese: And that’s the episode.

Analyssa: I hate to end on that note.

Drew: And that’s the episode.

Analyssa: I feel like I got most of my thoughts out about this episode in that last section. I think the Carrie and Finley stuff is really tough and especially the Bette stuff was really tough. And I don’t really know where they’re going to take it or why it feels necessary to them.

Drew: Yeah.

Analyssa: But it started off really strong, really good sex scene at the beginning and some good smooches, which I love.

Drew: Yeah. I would say that there are things that I’m like, “N-n-n,” and there’s also things that I don’t have issues with how they’re being handled as much as they’re just painful. And then there’s things I have issues with how they’re being handled. And then there’s stuff that’s fun. Did I like this episode? That’s a complicated question.

Riese: I don’t know. I don’t think I did.

Drew: Did I think it was a pretty good episode? Yeah.

Analyssa: I agree. I thought it was well done, well-made.

Riese: Mostly.

Drew: Mostly.

Analyssa: But it was a little bit like, not what I ordered.

Drew: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Analyssa: It felt like if a pretty good dish at a restaurant came out, but you were like, well, this isn’t really what I wanted though. That’s sort of how that felt to me.

Drew: Yeah. But I really like Gigi and Dani together. And I really like Dani talking about how some people don’t get to express their emotions the same way as other people do. And I really liked that.

Analyssa: And I liked Shane and Tess touching faces finally.

Riese: In the rain.

Analyssa: In the rain. Okay. One realistic thing about this is people in Los Angeles do make a big deal about it raining. And that’s what happened in The L Word too. But look, next week, we’re going to get a third event.

Drew: Oh right. Because the book launch.

Analyssa: It’s the book launch.

Riese: Oh yeah. We are. That’s going to be so thrilling, I’m so excited.

Analyssa: That’ll be fun.

Lauren: Thank you so much for listening to this episode of To L and Back Generation Q! One of two podcasts brought to you by Autostraddle.com. You can follow us on Instagram and Twitter @tolandback. You can also email us at tolandbackcast@gmail.com. Don’t forget, we also have a hotline! Yes, it still exists! Give us a call, leave us a message, or just give us a piece of your mind! You can reach us at 971-217-6130! We also have merch! Head over to store.autostraddle.com. There are “Bette Porter For President” t-shirts, there are To L and Back stickers, and lots of other simply iconic Autostraddle merchandise. Our theme song is by the talented Be Steadwell. Our brand new To L and Back: Generation Q logo is by the incredible Jacqi Ko! Jacqi is so, so talented and you should definitely go check out her work, I’ve linked her website and socials in the show notes! And definitely let us know if you want us to make stickers of the new logo, because I think those would look pretty sick! This episode was produced, edited and mixed by me, Lauren Klein, you can find me on Instagram @laurentaylorklein and on Twitter @ltklein. You can follow Drew everywhere @draw_gregory. That’s “Drew” in the present tense. You can follow Analyssa on Instragram @analocaa, with two As, and on Twitter @analoca_, with one A and an underscore. And you can follow our in-house L Word savant and living legend, Riese Bernard, everywhere @autowin. Autostraddle is @autostraddle. And of course, the reason why we are all here…. Autostraddle.com. Okay. So sticking with the trend of last week with our now full-of-intention L words, we are going to end this episode with an L word that describes what we thought of this episode. So Drew, Riese, Analyssa, what are your L words?

Analyssa: My word is lottery.

Drew: Uh-huh (affirmative).

Riese: Because you won it?

Analyssa: Because I feel like I won it with this episode. No, absolutely not. Because that could have been another fundraiser idea, lottery tickets, anything other than poker.

Riese: That’s illegal, but—

Analyssa: Will next week’s event be fun or not fun? We’ve had two and one of each. So, kind of a lottery situation. Will I win the lottery next week or not?

Drew: Yeah. Mine is lunch, because I think my feelings about this episode are similar to my feelings about lunch.

Riese: Lunch is my least favorite meal.

Analyssa: Lunch is my least favorite meal too.

Riese: I’m really annoyed by it.

Drew: It’s not my go-to meal, but usually, the snack aspect of lunch I really enjoy. If I’m having—

Riese: Yeah. Lunch is a series of snacks.

Drew: Right. But there’s usually the main snack, sometimes I’m iffy on, but then if I’m also like, oh but I also had chips or cookies, that’s the Gigi and Dani. And yes, I did also think of lunch and go, how am I going to justify it? Because I can’t have another episode where I can’t think of an L-word, that’s so embarrassing.

Analyssa: Yeah. Riese’s is—

Drew: And I can’t prepare ahead of time. I simply have too much else going on in my life.

Analyssa: Riese’s this week is lactose intolerant because she’s never said it before. No, go ahead. What is it?

Riese: Lactose intolerant.

Drew: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Analyssa: Has Riese ever done lactose intolerant?

Drew: No. But I’m curious to hear why from this episode?

Riese: Because of the light show, I think, at the museum. And also because of the scenes with driving and eyebrows.

Analyssa: You’re right.

Drew: Maybe I don’t know what the word lactose intolerant means.

Riese: There was all this stuff about poker and Carrie.

Drew: And all this makes you want to have almond milk.

Riese: Bathroom sex. And that always brings me back to lactose intolerant.

Drew: Ah, yes.

Analyssa: I didn’t think she was going to land the plane, but you know what? She did, she did it, she landed it.

Riese: It’s like that movie where the guy landed the plane upside down. Did you see that movie?

Analyssa: Sully?

Drew: Sully? Or Flight?

Riese: No. The one where Denzel Washington was—

Drew: Flight, yeah.

Riese: Yeah.

Drew: Yeah.

Riese: Well, you guys should see it.

Drew: No, you shouldn’t, it’s a really bad movie.

Riese: Better than Into the Wild.

Drew: There’s 40 better Denzel Washington movies you should watch before you watch Flight. Anyways…

Analyssa: Let’s call it.

Drew: Let’s call it.

Riese: That’s the end of it.

Dua Saleh on “Sex Education,” Cal’s Sexuality, and the Trans Language Barrier

Even as the industry begins to tell more authentic trans stories, there are still a lot of unique challenges presented to trans actors. And while it’s important we talk about those challenges and continue to push for more equity, a big part of that discussion is highlighting when a show does things (mostly) right.

That’s why I was so excited to talk to Dua Saleh: musician, poet, and the latest addition to Netflix’s Sex Education where they portray non-binary stoner Cal. Cal was my favorite part of the new season and I was surprised by the depth brought to them and their transness — especially from a show made by cis people.

I talked to Dua about the process of creating an authentic trans story, their personal sex education, and what they watch when they need a break from the world.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity. 

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Drew Gregory: We’re at a really interesting moment in trans storytelling where we’re finally starting to be included but often not with a lot of depth. But I didn’t feel that way about this season of Sex Education. So I just want to walk through what the experience was like for you to get a window into what it looks like when it’s done right. Can you start by talking about how you got cast?

Dua Saleh: It was really random because I wasn’t doing acting at the time. I was working on some music stuff and they reached out to my manager and asked me to audition. They liked my self-tape and then they actually got an acting coach to help guide me through the next two auditions. First I auditioned alone and then they had me with Kedar (Williams-Stirling) who plays Jackson and the producers and directors were there.

And then when I got cast they were like oh you’re trans can you help us with this. The writing team had a nonbinary consultant but they wanted me to be comfortable so they asked me questions. How do you feel about this? Do you have any issues? Any questions? That helped a lot with the script. And they also had a nonbinary consultant on set especially when me and Robyn (Holdaway) who plays Layla were there. They especially helped with the binding scenes. And there was an intimacy coordinator who was also very helpful. He was there for the whole cast but he was very attentive to my needs specifically because of all my trans shit and dysphoria and all the different things that I was feeling. Especially leaving a trans and queer-oriented city like Minneapolis to a place like Wales. You can definitely find trans people there — trans people were even reaching out to me from Wales thanking me for being on the show — but I didn’t really see them because I was on set and they were intense about the Covid protocol.

Drew: When you were on set did you feel the crew and the rest of the cast had an understanding of nonbinary identities and transness or did you have to do a lot of educating?

Dua: The producers were really good with informing people about my pronouns. Right before I got on set for each scene they would remind people of my pronouns. And they would have closed sets for me because I was kind of uncomfortable during some of the intimacy scenes and the intimacy coordinator would always check in with me. I had a pretty good experience as a trans actor which I know doesn’t happen very often. It feels really good and kind of dreamlike that this was my debut role. I didn’t have high expectations for it because I know how institutional transphobia occurs in different spaces. Especially having experienced it in the music realm, I wasn’t expecting people to get my pronouns correctly. And people were not that good when I’ve been in the UK for music stuff. But it was much better in Wales and much better with the cast members. Some people had interacted with nonbinary people before especially the queer cast members. And the people who hadn’t were active in trying to challenge themselves and challenge heteropatriarchy and how transphobia occurs within themselves and the world. They were thoughtful of me and very kind to me. I felt affirmed throughout the experience.

Drew: That’s great. When you were asked about the script did you give a lot of feedback?

Dua: Yeah there was definitely some. I feel like they did pretty well for a show that hadn’t touched upon transness before — especially with the nonbinary consultants and with the questions they asked me prior to going in. But when they invited me to talk with them I called them in and was like trans characters and especially nonbinary characters don’t often have much depth to their transness. And Cal is in the main cast — they’re a prominent character — so there was a real opportunity. I pushed discussions on queerness, specifically Cal’s queer identity. There are many different ways nonbinary people can identify and align themselves in terms of romantic and sexual orientation and I thought it would be cool — especially with the show having so many viewers — for them to touch upon that.

Drew: I’m really interested in this dynamic that I think is pretty much always the case for trans actors at this point — unless the directors or writers are trans — where trans actors are also working as consultants. And I don’t think it’s inherently negative — in fact it’s good to ask people who have an experience and are portraying an experience what they feel comfortable with — but it is also additional work that’s being put on trans actors that isn’t being put on cis actors. At least from a place of transness — I think all actors with marginalized identities who are working with people who don’t have those identities end up in that position.

I loved the dynamic between Cal and Jackson. The conversations around this being a queer relationship and Cal checking on Jackson’s comfort with that — that’s the kind of thing where I was like oh wow I haven’t seen that on-screen before. So whatever part you had to play in that thank you. I’m very grateful for it and I’m glad that they listened to you. Because that’s another thing — even though cis people ask trans actors to give feedback they don’t always listen.

Dua: No, I definitely felt held. And I don’t know if it was specifically me. I’m not going to take credit, because I don’t know what happened in the writers room or what the nonbinary consultants said. But it was something I cared a lot about. Cal’s sexuality was kind of nebulous before and it’s really cool to see how it developed.

Drew: Something else I love about Cal is they’re not sensitive — the people around them are sensitive. There’s this narrative that trans people are oversensitive and look some of us are — we’re people and some of us are more sensitive than others — but so often it’s the cis people around us who are being sensitive to us just asking for basic respect.

Dua: It’s absolutely necessary to portray. And these are conversations trans people have so often with their cis partners especially if they aren’t as familiar with queerness. There’s a language barrier — trans language, queer language. Having that disconnect be bridged, having authenticity and honesty set first — it’s an act of care for Cal and Jackson so they aren’t inauthentically living or inauthentically engaging with one another. And it adds more dimension to their romantic interest in one another.

Drew: Yeah for sure. Speaking of that trans and queer language, what sources of sex education did you have as a teenager? Where did you learn about queer sexuality and trans sexuality?

Dua: Honestly, Tumblr. And I was in high school policy debate and we were doing a lot of queer theory and reading from Black feminist theorists. The way they address gender caused me to reflect on my own gender. So I was doing a lot of work on my own because the sex education they provided in the American system, at least in the school I went to, was not cool for me. It was cissexist and ableist in how it engaged with bodies and it was obviously misogynistic. And there was transphobia just in being omitted and that erasure. I was in GSA so I was working with other LGBTQIA+ students and we actually did a lot of the education. That’s how I had to learn about sex and about consent and about different ways to understand sex and sex adjacent stuff. It’s really disappointing.

Drew: Yeah I also got to enjoy the American sex education system. That’s something about the show that’s so exciting to me. I think about teenagers watching it and it lives up to its title — it’s better sex education than anything I was being taught in school.

Dua: Facts. Big facts. There’s not a lie that was just told.

Drew: (laughs) So at the start of the season, Cal prefers to have fun than to confront the oppression they’re facing. I know you were outspoken from a young age and I’m wondering where that came from for you and how you find a balance between speaking up for yourself and your communities and finding those escapes.

Dua: I think a balance is necessary. As I’m thrust into the mainstream I’m more hesitant to even be online for stuff unless I’m promoting something. But also online spaces provide me access to learn what’s happening like Black Lives Matter protesters being arrested at the Met Gala. Those are things that are embedded into the essence of my community because of all the organizing stuff I did when I was younger. And I still frequent organizing spaces even though I’m not actively doing it anymore because I don’t have as much time. And sometimes those spaces are also toxic which I feel like people don’t talk about. But finding a balance is essential. Finding time for myself and checking out from the world. Watching stuff like She-Ra or Jujitsui Kaisen. Or trying to get myself to read even though my brain is not there right now — I have a small zimbo galaxy brain thing where I don’t want to read.

Drew: (laughs) As I said, I think this season has some of the best trans storytelling I’ve ever seen. Are there other shows or movies that you’ve connected with in that way? Or that you felt your story was being told in some way?

Dua: Honestly, I feel like animation has provided me access to space like that. She-Ra had a nonbinary person, Double Trouble — they were an alien and the show didn’t go in depth about their identity but that was still cool.

Drew: There is something to be said about an animation space or a fantasy space where — even if it’s not getting into the day to day realities of being trans — they can get at a deeper truth. Though obviously it’s exciting when there’s both.

How different is it expressing yourself through music where the narratives are coming from you versus when you’re acting in a project written by other people?

Dua: It’s just a matter of being able to dig into the mind of another person versus relaying the things that I’m experiencing. There’s a lot of internal work that I do with the music that I create. I have a song called “fitt” that’s coming out on September 24th that’s an Afrobeat song with hyperpop elements where I talk about queerness and transness and ballroom and mysticism. And that’s directly from my core. That’s who I am as a person and I’m reflecting that out.

Whereas the challenge with Cal is they’re very different from me. It made me reflect on the experiences that other trans people have in their relationships with cisness and with battling institutional violence. Cal is a skater and a stoner. They’re very woah I’m not really trying to fuck with all this, fuck y’all, fuck the establishment but I’m not engaging. Versus me when I was a youth I was quoting books and being directly at actions and talking Indigenous trans theory and gender and stuff like that.

We’re very different so it allowed me access to a different artistic space in my mind. I’m not Cal. I would not have made the choices Cal makes. For example, I would not have been with a cis boy.

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Sex Education season three is now streaming on Netflix. Dua’s new EP CROSSOVER is out on October 22.

The L Word Generation Q Episode 207 Recap: Light Me Up

Welcome to the seventh recap of the second season of The L Word: Generation Q, brought to you by the same network that brought you the original L Word, a show about a devious and vaguely Eastern European au pair named Hazel who seduces noted folk musician / “manny” Angus (despite his romantic commitment to our very own Kit Porter) by turning an innocent guitar lesson into a forum for sexual entendres and an eventual blow job, and subsequently is unceremoniously fired when their sexual activities are observed by a peeping Tina Kennard, thus leading to Kit Porter ending a musical performance at versatile venue “The Planet” by screaming “you lying lowdown nanny-fucking motherfucker, fuck you!” and throwing a mixed cocktail directly into Angus’s terrible and inadequate face.

Ah here we are, everybody is ready to let the light in for this recap of The L Word: Generation Q Episode 207, “Light.” The episode truly had its ups and its downs, with plenty of room in between for me to experience anxiety and second-hand embarrassment!!!

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We open with a deep dive into an ancient Lesbian Mating Ritual, best practiced by a newly partnered pair of human subjects with howevermuch free time the kiddos have these days.

Lesbian Sexy Moment #9: Do It Like They Do on the Discovery Channel

The Pick-Up: I think it was “All I wanna get is a little bit closer” because I’m p sure they’ve been boning ever since.

In this particular instance, it’s easy to observe how our lovers are enabled to hold a sex-a-thon not solely by geography, but also by shared high sex drive and a bounty of unreleased sexual tension built up over an extended period of time. Our mating partners are, in other words, in a near-constant state of fingerbanging, muff-diving, sexy kissing and heavy petting, in multiple locations throughout the home.

They cannot hydrate, they cannot eat, they cannot sleep. They must only fuck! And I am in full support of this adventure. Wonderful way to start the episode! My ship is sailing with its flags flapping in the wind! I watched it more than once! I love this for them!

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We then cut to a serene restaurant where everybody is wearing clothing but memories of sexual activities linger in the air as two dear friends, Bette and Alice, share lunch while noting that somehow, Gigi and Nat are having lunch in the same damn restaurant. Bette says Gigi is now “playing mind games with someone else,” to which I can only ask: qwhat???

We once again revisit the eternal question of: do Bette and Alice remember that they are also each other’s exes??? Anyhow, regarding Nat and Gigi:

Alice: You know what’s super weird? It’s like together they’re one big giant ex, but then one of them is my ex and one of them is your ex. Well, actually the other one is also my ex.
Bette: It’s really some of your finest work.

Alice creeps outside to share polite small talk with Nat about things that are of no immediate concern to them or me or you.

Most importantly, this little reunion turns promptly into another kind of reunion….  A SEXUAL REUNION. This will definitely end badly.

Lesbian Sexy Moment #10: Baby You Can Ride Me In My Car

The Pick-Up: Ummmmmm probs like, “wanna bang in my car”?”

Hot Or Not? I just want to share this screenshot with you if I may?

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In yet another car in another section of our fine city, Shane’s dropping Tess off at her AA meeting and discussing their upcoming Poker Event for The M.S. Society. Tess is thrilled about it!

Shane is surprised to spot the one and only Carrie also entering the building where Tess has gone to “meet with her anonymous friends.”

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Angie’s in her bedroom deciding which questions she will ask Marcus Allenwood if this show ever stops teasing us and truly grants them an actual in-person encounter, but Jordi just wants to talk about prom queen and her “look” and how they’re gonna hang in the park tomorrow.

Angie feels unsupported, because for some reason I cannot comprehend, Jordi is clearly not supporting her.

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Art lovers, join me as we venture to the offices of Bette Porter, where she’s got something pretty special up her consistently innovative sleeves for Pippa: a show at the legendary CAC on the topic of Black Lives Matter, built around the one and only Pippa Pascal.

We also hear a little background from Bette Porter regarding her connection to Pippa’s work, and it’s good stuff!

Bette: “Nothing has ever made me feel so seen as your work. And that includes the new work. I mean you are reckoning with your own queerness and your own blackness in ways that i have barely begun to unpack for myself.”

Pippa’s nervous to take the opportunity ’cause she was fucked over as a young artist, but Bette convinces her that her work will be safe and honored in Bette’s experienced hands. WINK WINK.

Bette calls someone — maybe Mr. Gallery, maybe James, maybe Tina, maybe Mr. Peanut, maybe me — to express her excitement regarding Pippa signing with the gallery, but her joy is interrupted by a phone call from her nemesis, Carrie Future-Kennard.

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It’s time for everybody’s favorite weekday snack, The Aloce Show!!!! More specifically, it’s time for Sophie’s Segment to premiere and the crowd is hungry for some elder lesbian love.

A very nervous Sophie is watching her segment premiere from the green room when her beloved Finley arrives, straight from soccer, ready to be there for her. “They’re gonna love it,” Finley insists. “You’re the bestest and the smartest… and the sexiest… and the best kisser”

The Boss Man adores the segment and wants to say so straight to Sophie’s face!

Unfortunately, Sophie’s face is occupied! It’s our first Cringe Moment of the episode!

Alice luckily spots the two horndogs before Barry does, and quickly covers for them, telling Barry that Sophie’s soul is too naked for a face-to-face right now. But maybe later? Maybe soon, even!

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Dani and Gigi are lunching at a food truck and Gigi, bless her communicative heart, would like to discuss emotional events that transpired in the past. She’s surprised by Dani’s response: after her horrible night and seeing Finley and Sophie together, she found Gigi’s revelation to have “shitty” timing. She needed a friend. Unfortunately I disagree, she needs to be Gigi’s girlfriend ASAP. However, props to Dani for speaking her mind!

Dani feels like things are moving too quickly because What About Bette!?!?!!?! Gigi’s confident Bette won’t care. Dani’s afraid to make Bette feel like she did with Sophie. Gigi insists Bette does not have strong feelings for her. Dani finds that hard to believe.

Gigi scooches on over to be right up close to Dani’s body and says if that’s what this is really about, then Dani should talk to Bette.

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Back on the scandalous set of The Aloce Show, Alice is scolding her young charges: ‘”Hey you guys,” says a very heated Alice. “What the fuck??!!” She relays that Barry wanted to meet Sophie but obviously could not because Finley’s hand was inside Sophie’s body at that time.

Finley: Can this just be my fault? I don’t even work here anymore.
Alice: What is it about that couch?
Finley: I think it’s less about the couch and more about the… location of the room?
[Alice glares, Finley glances at Sophie for help, Sophie grits her teeth]
Finley: I’ll stop talking.

Alice turns on her heels and then reveals that she is Sinley Shipper #36. “I like you two together, I do,” she admits. “Big fan. I just wanna see less of it.” She demands they Febreeze the couch, and Finley’s gonna get right on that instead of getting right on Sophie. Probably?

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Kayla and Angie are enjoying smoothie beverages together and discussing Angie’s relationship with Jordi, which as we know, is crumbling in our hands. Jordi’s too obsessed with prom to run over sample questions for Angie’s Very Chill Meet-Up with Marcus Allenwood. Kayla says Angie can talk to her about those things if she wants.

Unfortunately, Angie has determined, without even talking to Jordi about the problem they’re currently having, that it’s time to call it off altogether!!!! She’s taking a page right out of a book that would not be shelved anywhere near the Porter Playbook, because Chapter One of that book is entitled “How To Remain In a Relationship Long Past Its Expiration Date.”

Angie asks Kayla, “Have you ever broken up with somebody before?” Kayla has not. Because she is like, 15 years old.

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We arrive home at FiSoMi’s after a long day of segment premieres and sexual scoldings to find Sophie in a special mood, and that mood is “let’s address Finley’s myriad faults that she’s been aware of for their entire friendship but now suddenly has a more vested interest in.” She’s curious if Finley knows how to cook. Finley says she absolutely can and will, what would Sophie like to eat?

“I just wanted to know if you can feed yourself,” sighs Sophie, as if she has not witnessed Finley feeding herself other people’s cereal on multiple occasions.

Finley: You think I’m a big kid, dontcha?
Sophie: Well… you kinda sorta are.
Finley: Look, I know I’m not as grown up as Dani or whatever, but my parents kicked me out when I was 18, so it’s sorta different circumstances.

It is a stark contrast — Dani’s Stanford and USC degrees, Dani’s paid-for apartment, Dani’s high-paying job at her Dad’s company — but also, we have no idea what Finley has done between the ages of 18 and 25. Or Sophie! We know Sophie made some documentaries?

Sophie insists she wasn’t comparing Finley to Dani, but Finley wants to know the doubts Sophie is harboring. Sophie retreats, claiming, “we know each other in one way and I’m trying to get to know you in a different way.” A great save! Finley gamely accepts this re-orientation of her interrogation and opens herself up for questioning. First of all, children: For or against? Finley wants many!

Second of all, career ambitions? Finley’s dreams of being a soccer coach from two weeks ago have evolved into low-key dreams of becoming a full-time soccer referee, but she’s also “down to be a stay-at-home baby daddy” with Sophie, who has previously expressed desires to be a stay-at-home baby mommi. Finley says she’s happy for Sophie to be her “Sugar Momma.” Yikes!

While expressing a willingness to get an online degree and become a nurse if that’s what Sophie would prefer, Finley’s hands travel down Sophie’s pants and well, we’ve been here before!

Boobs on Your Tube: Abby’s Taking Lockdown as Hard as You on “Work In Progress”

This was a huge week for our Autostraddle TV Team! We unleashed our 4th Annual Gay Emmys into the world, and, as always, have been blown away by the responses from TV writers, directors, actors and other critics working for other publications. Thank you for your thanks — and thank you for reading! Also this week, Riese recapped The L Word: Generation Q; and Drew and Analyssa podcasted it! Valerie Anne recapped Supergirl. Drew reviewed the third season of Sex Education. And all of us were like WAIT WHAT! when we found out Lili Reinhart and Wallis Day are smooching each other. Here’s what else!

Notes from the TV Team:

+ Yes I did watch that unbelievably gay episode of Fantasy Island and yes I’ll be writing a standalone piece about it for Monday. — Heather

+ Tonight on the CW, Burden of Truth takes its final bow after four seasons. I’ll be back next week to recap how Luna Spence’s storyline ended but for now, I just want to be grateful that, for four seasons, queer Indigenous were represented so thoroughly. — Natalie

+ Are you watching the bisexual gay chaos that is this season of The Circle? If you have, look forward to next week when my teammates and I get together and talk all about the Netflix reality show (sufficed to say, we’ve got some feelings). If not, well…you’ve got a weekend and eight episodes to binge to get ready! — Natalie

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Work in Progress 206: “Eleanor Roosevelt”

Written by Drew

Covid is here and like many of us Abby is longing for queer community. She’s doing what she can to stay connected — driving alcohol around to all her friends with Campbell — but she’s still longing for the past.

The majority of this episode lives in these flashbacks. We see Abby’s first trip to a lesbian bar, Abby’s first trip to Michfest, and Abby’s brother-in-law’s first pride parade. While present-day Abby is filled with longing, the flashbacks reveal the pleasures and pains of queer community — and how sometimes there’s a little of both. Michfest especially is complicated for Abby who feels herself drawn to Camp Trans next door.

Abby identifies as cis, but as we saw last year in her relationship to Chris, her gender nonconformity often aligns her with trans people. Trans and cis are not a binary and one can imagine an Abby of a younger generation experimenting with labels as well as presentation. That’s not to take anything away from her identity, but I appreciate how the show is willing to explore the complexities there.

So far the pandemic hasn’t been too hard on Abby, but with Campbell moving out and the news that her dad is in the ICU, the future might be a lot more challenging.

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American Horror Story 1005: “Gaslight”

Written by Drew

As someone who was devouring Stephen King books while still in elementary school, it takes a lot for horror media to really get under my skin. I love a jump scare and the familiarity — or subversion — of the genre conventions, but I don’t really watch horror to get scared. Especially with a show like American Horror Story, I expect camp more than real terror. Well, this episode was actually pretty scary!!

Living up to its title, the episode follows Harry, his daughter, and his agent as they try to convince Doris that she has gone insane post-birth. While less sociopathic than his compatriots, Harry is the most unsettling of the trio because he still sees himself as a family man. American Horror Story is all about its references and this is a properly unsettling riff on Rosemary’s Baby.

Meanwhile, Mickey is trying to get Karen to join him on the dark side. She’s adamant about not taking the pill, but eventually gives in when the pill people are about to kill her. She has bigger plans though as she proves herself to be the only person on the show with any morals. She kills Mickey, paints one masterpiece, and then walks into the sea with bleeding wrists.

I think the arc with Karen would’ve hit a bit harder if Karen wasn’t such an over the top stereotype of an addict. It’s silly watching Sarah Paulson playact this cliché vision of poverty — and feels kind of gross especially in the context of what she’s doing over on ACS. But she’s still a phenomenal performer and she really sells her finale.

There’s only one episode left in Red Tide and I’m so excited to see how it ends.

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“Sex Education” Continues to Grow In a Masterful Third Season

Mild spoilers below in this Sex Education season 3 review. 

Two and a half years ago I wrote an essay about the first season of Laurie Nunn’s groundbreaking Netflix series Sex Education. It was one of the first pieces I ever published. It got me staffed at Autostraddle. A lot of writers I admired sent me praise — including Laurie herself. It was called “Sex Education” Taught Me How to Masturbate and it had a literal happy ending.

It felt like a lie.

Don’t get me wrong — everything in it is true. All the anecdotes about helping others and not myself, focusing on other people’s pleasure and not my own, were all very true. And the ending where I fuck myself with a prostate massager and have an incredible orgasm was also true.

But essays are narratives and the narrative of that essay was that I’d figured out my problems — even though that night was a rare occurrence rather than a new normal. I still didn’t really know how to pleasure myself and definitely didn’t know how to accept pleasure from others. I spent the rest of 2019 having a plethora of experiences, a few good ones and a lot of bad ones. Turns out growth takes more than one orgasm.

This is what Sex Education is about. Growth and orgasms and how growth and orgasms are not always linear. It can take time to be our best selves and new best selves can always replace old best selves. It’s fitting a show that believes people can grow has done the same. It’s fitting that after a stellar first season and an even better second season, Sex Education is back with its best season yet.

Change is afoot in Moordale. Otis has spent the summer growing a mustache and hooking up with Ruby. Eric and Adam are sort of dating. Jean is pregnant. Maeve’s sister is in foster care. And Moordale Secondary has a new headmistress.

Hope Haddon (Jemima Kirke) has been brought in to rid the school of its reputation as a place of sexual debauchery and her cool teacher energy quickly gives way to more sinister goals. She institutes new uniforms. She replaces Jackson as head student with the more obedient Viv. And she begins antagonizing Cal (Dua Saleh), a non-binary student who wants to wear the uniform in a way that makes them comfortable.

Last season I bristled at some of the transphobic language on this show that otherwise is so smart about sex and gender. Well, this season is a masterclass in improvement. It’s not simply that the show includes a trans character — it’s the care and specificity given to Cal, Cal’s treatment from love interest Jackson, another very different non-binary student Layla (Robyn Holdaway), and their nemesis, Hope. This is not the blunt work of well-meaning cis people viewing us as mere curiosities. This is sharp storytelling from a group of pre-dominantly queer creators who listened to the non-binary people in the room including the actors and non-binary comedian Jodie Mitchell who acted as a consultant.

Throughout this season, the show explores changing rooms, fashion, proper binder use, respectability politics, romantic partners not seeing trans people’s true genders, and the most common kind of subtle transphobe. And it does all of this by centering the characters as people first and identities second. Saleh, Holdaway, Kirke, and Kedar Williams-Stirling as Jackson all do such lovely work as they elevate the already elevated writing. Given the transphobic climate in the UK right now, there are so many ways these storylines could’ve gone wrong — instead they’re some of the best trans storytelling I’ve ever seen on screen.

This is the sort of nuance Nunn and her team have always brought to these characters. It’s just even better when there are two seasons to build upon. Whether it’s Eric embracing the depths (and cultural specificity) of his queerness, Lily grappling with her unconventional kinks, Aimee working past her trauma, Maeve and Isaac exploring their connection, or Otis trying to find the balance between kindness and cruelty, the show continues to approach sex — and life — in all its beautiful complications. There are so many stories happening in Moordale and in just eight episodes the season honors them all.

In the two and a half years since the show’s first season, I’ve learned so much about my body, my pleasure, and my relationship to sex. I’m much closer to the (metaphorical) happy ending suggested by my essay. But, most importantly, I’ve let go of endings altogether. I’m not trying to Figure Out Sex. Like life and television, it is not something to solve.

Sex Education keeps getting better because it approaches storytelling the way it teaches us to approach sex — with curiosity, excitement, and a willingness to learn. By letting go of perfection, it’s become just about the closest thing we have to a perfect show.

In our creative lives — and our sex lives — let that be a lesson to us all.

Presenting the Winners of the Fourth Annual Autostraddle Queer TV Awards!

Last night, when the Autostraddle TV Team was scrambling to finish all of our various writing for this year’s awards before the deadline, Drew Gregory said, “I love the Gay Emmys and am so glad we’re still doing them!!”

And the fact that we’re still able to pull off this titanic ship four years in, two years into a pandemic, is no small feat. Carmen organized the voting and these posts, Heather Hogan made the graphics, Natalie helped with formatting, if you follow us on Twitter than you’ve seen what Valerie’s done to promote our annual virtual awards show this week (and if you know social media, then you know it’s art). When we had a tie in one of the categories — an actual tie, even after THREE rounds of voting — Kayla and Drew both stepped up to write extra on top of their duties. And then there was all of you, 14 thousand of you who voted in under 48 hours! We love queer television because television brings us together, and nothing better defines that spirit than this little homegrown awards contest.

The Autostraddle Gay Emmys began with a relatively simple goal: To honor the very best in lesbian, bisexual, queer, and trans television. To celebrate the stories and talents and creators that the mainstream Television Academy still misses year after year. We wanted to help change the conversation, and highlight who’s pushing the boundary and what’s moved us most. So we spent weeks together pouring over what mattered to us, reliving this past year, and voting for what we believed in. Then, when we were down to our top six nominees in each category, we opened up the field to you. We believe that television only works if it’s connecting to its audience, and so we wanted to make sure that our audience had their say. For regular categories, the individual TV Team votes were weighted heavily alongside our reader votes. For fan favorite categories, the winner was 100% determined by reader votes.

And without any further ado, here are the winners of Autostraddle’s Fourth Annual Gay Emmys!

PS: Goodbye Pose! We’re going to miss you. Thank you.

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Outstanding Comedy Series

A Black Lady Sketch Show

Runner-Up: Dickinson

Other Nominees: Teenage Bounty Hunters (Netflix) // Girls5Eva (Peacock) // Master of None Presents: Moments in Love (Netflix) // Hacks (HBO Max)

Back in 2010, Edie Falco stepped onto the Emmy stage, exasperated. She collected her trophy — her first for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, her fourth overall — and confessed, “Oh, this is just the most ridiculous thing that has ever happened… I’m not funny!” It was the culmination of a changing comedy landscape: one where writers weaved dramatic elements into comedic narratives and, later, where the Emmys mandated that all 30 minute shows were comedies, irrespective of content. But over the last few years — and, particularly, throughout this pandemic — it feels like audiences are looking for content that skews towards the more traditional role of a comedy. Simply put, we want to laugh…and few shows make us laugh more than A Black Lady Sketch Show.

In its second season, ABLSS revisited some of its classic characters — Dr. Haddassah (pre-PhD), Trinity, the Invisible Spy and the Coral Reefs Gang — while also crafting an expansive playground for its main cast. My personal favorites? The Post-Date Presser and The Last Supp-her. Just try to keep yourself from laughing. — Natalie

Outstanding Drama Series

Veneno

Runner-Up: The Wilds (Amazon Prime)

Other Nominees: Killing Eve (BBC America) // P-Valley (Starz) // The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu) // Pose (F/X)

The Gay Emmys exist to celebrate shows that the Straight Emmys have wrongly ignored. But with Veneno, it’s not the Emmys — international shows aren’t eligible — but Hollywood we’re correcting. Yes, the last half a decade has brought a wave of progress within the mainstream. It’s exciting and should be celebrated. But there’s still nothing like Veneno. Hollywood is, once again, behind.

What makes Veneno so special isn’t just its representation — more on that later — it’s the show’s quality. This is arthouse television. The technical achievements of Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi and their team are remarkable. The writing is naturalistic and fantastic all at once. And the actors within don’t just do this work justice — they elevate it. The three women who play Veneno, Paca la Piranha as herself, and Lola Rodríguez who plays Valeria are the heart of a show with so much of it.

Veneno is a masterful work of art. It means as much to me as an artist and a viewer as it means to me as a trans woman. And it means a lot to me as a trans woman. It’s the best drama of last year — according to the team and all of you — and one of the best shows of all time — according to me. — Drew

Outstanding Sci-Fi/Fantasy Series

Batwoman

Runners-Up, Tied: Wynonna Earp (SyFy) // Star Trek: Discovery (Paramount+)

Other Nominees: The Haunting of Bly Manor (Netflix) // Legends of Tomorrow (CW) // Supergirl (CW)

There’s no way season two of Batwoman should have worked. It definitely shouldn’t have been significantly better than the first season. Batwoman’s origin story is more well known than any woman superhero at this point, in large part because it has been so groundbreaking and therefore widely publicized (or derided, depending on where you hang out on the internet). The loss of Ruby Rose, the show’s biggest name, was also the loss of Kate Kane, the only Batwoman we’ve known since she burst out of the closet in 2006. But Batwoman‘s writers took an enormous chance that paid off in shockingly delightful ways. They created a new Batwoman, a Black Batwoman, and they cast a Black bisexual actress to pay her. Season two didn’t get everything right — it’s never going to stop being traumatizing to see violence against Black bodies, Kate Kane being alive does undermine the character of Ryan Wilder — but the writers room brought in queer Black writers and they worked dang hard to tell a variety of queer Black stories. Even Sophie had to reckon with her place in the police state!

In addition to retelling an origin story, Batwoman found a way to organically, effortlessly introduce Ryan into everyone else’s lives in ways that made the show so much more compelling. And then, of course, there’s Javicia Leslie, whose charm and on-screen chemistry with basically everyone made Ryan’s relationships with every single character more fun, more fraught, with more potential for different pairings to find there way to each other and just see what happened. (Sophie and Alice? That shouldn’t work! But it does!) Plus Batwoman introduced even more LGBTQs into the mix, with recurring love interests and even villains. Javicia Leslie IS Ryan Wilder and Ryan Wilder IS Batwoman, and it has been a revolution and a joy to watch her own the cape and cowl. — Heather

Outstanding Lead Actor Playing an LGBTQ+ Character in a Drama Series

Mj Rodriguez as Blanca Evangelista, Pose

Runner-Up: Zendaya as Rue Bennett, Euphoria (HBO)

Other Nominees: Hunter Schafer as Jules Vaughn, Euphoria (HBO) // Danielle Savre as Maya Bishop, Station 19 (ABC) // Sarah Paulson as Nurse Ratched, Ratched (Netflix) // Nicco Annan as Uncle Clifford, P-Valley (Netflix)

In every season of Pose, Mj Rodriguez has given a stellar, layered performance, harnessing humor, drama, pathos, and spectacle all at once—sometimes just in one scene alone. The final season of Pose leans all the way into her strengths, honoring Blanca as the emotional core of the series. She shines on her own, obviously, but she’s so fun to watch in scenes with Billy Porter; the two are impeccable scene partners. Rodriguez knows how to deliver a damn good monologue, and she knows how to make us cry. But she also brings a warmth and coziness to the show. I can’t wait to see what she does next. — Kayla

Outstanding Supporting or Guest Actor Playing an LGBTQ+ Character in a Drama Series

Dominique Jackson as Elektra Abundance Evangelista Wintour, Pose

Runner-Up: Daniela Santiago as Veneno, Veneno (HBO Max)

Other Nominees: Cynthia Nixon as Gwendolyn Briggs, Ratched (Netflix) // Angourie Rice as Siobhan, Mare of Easttown (HBO) // Stefania Spampinato as Carina DeLuca, Station 19 (ABC) // Samira Wiley as Moira, The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu)

There’s a scene, in the third season of Pose, where Elektra Abundance Evangelista is forced to confront the bigotry of the manager of a bridal boutique who refuses to serve them. She tries to reason with him, at first — appealing to him, from one businessperson to another — but when he refuses to relent, she unleashes a torrent of abuse on his head. Elektra’s always been quick and cutting with a quip but this is pure savagery. She reads him for absolute filth. And while there’s joy in watching Elektra verbally dismantle someone, it shouldn’t eclipse her character: Elektra has always been about more than a rhetorical jab and in Pose’s final season we get the full breadth of her character.

It’s “The Trunk,” the third episode, that gives us the greatest insight into how Elektra Abundance Evangelista came to be. The episode shows us Elektra at her highest and lowest… and requires a tour de force performance by Dominique Jackson to bring it all to life. — Natalie

Outstanding Lead Actor Playing an LGBTQ+ Character in a Comedy Series

Hailee Steinfeld as Emily Dickinson, Dickinson

Runner-Up: Chase Sui Wonders as Riley Luo, Genera+ion (HBO Max)

Other Nominees: Naomi Ackie as Alicia, Master of None Presents: Moments in Love (Netflix) // Hannah Einbinder as Ava Daniels, Hacks (HBO Max) // Paula Pell as Gloria, Girls 5Eva (Peacock) // Haley Sanchez as Greta Moreno, Genera+ion (HBO Max)

As silly as it may sound, this wacky, comedic retelling of Emily Dickinson’s life is one of the places I’ve felt most represented in all my years of watching queer TV. Emily’s internal monologue being dramatic and her external energy being chaotic feels so familiar to me, and Hailee Steinfeld brings every layer of this wild-hearted teenager to life with exquisite talent. The first season was a whirlwind of getting to know Emily but the second was a slow journey of Emily getting to know Emily, and it was beautiful to behold. Hailee is able to dig deep and express Emily’s wells of sadness as easily as she opens up to show off her flights of fancy or locks in to display her passion and love for her muse, her Sue. For a long time I thought of Hailee Steinfeld as “that girl from Pitch Perfect 3” but she was handed the reins to this show and has been deftly steering it since day one and has proven that she is so much more than anyone bargained for, in the best way possible. — Valerie

Outstanding Supporting or Guest Actor Playing an LGBTQ+ Character in a Comedy Series

Ella Hunt as Susan Gilbert, Dickinson

Runner-Up: Sasheer Zamata as Denise, Home Economics (ABC)

Other Nominees: Lolly Adefope as Fran, Shrill (Hulu) // Cole Escola as Chip Wreck, Search Party (HBO Max) // Patti Harrison as Ruthie, Shrill (Hulu) // Nava Mau as Ana, Genera+ion (HBO Max)

Dickinson suffered no sophomore slump; in fact, season two arguably bests the first season of the funny, strange, gorgeously shot show. And one of the highlights of that great second season is easily the new layers we get of Sue. Ella Hunt brings depth to the character, playing the comedic and dramatic sides of the show with equal heft. In season two, we get the Sue Emily loves but also a complicated, flaw-stricken Sue. That final steamy scene has stayed with me. Equal parts messy and intimate, it’s one of my favorite sex scenes to air in recent years, and a big part of that is the performances from both leads, who fittingly have won in tandem in their respective categories. Hunt and Steinfeld’s chemistry oozes in every frame. — Kayla

Outstanding Lead Actor Playing an LGBTQ+ Character in a Sci-Fi Series

Javicia Leslie as Ryan Wilder, Batwoman

Runner-Up: Victoria Pedretti as Dani Clayton, The Haunting of Bly Manor (Netflix)

Other Nominees: Kat Barrell as Nicole Haught, Wynonna Earp (SyFy) // Chyler Leigh as Alex Danvers, Supergirl (CW) // Dom Provost-Chalkley as Waverly Earp, Wynonna Earp (SyFy) // Nafessa Williams as Anissa Pierce, Black Lightning (CW)

It’s hard to imagine an actor this year who had more stacked in front of her than Javicia Leslie. Batwoman is already an iconic lesbian character in comics lore. Her original iteration, Kate Kane, was brought to television by a queer actor who is already iconic their own right — Ruby Rose. When Ruby left the role, Javicia stepped into an entirely new caped crusader, Ryan Wilder, and a fandom that was already on edge. She was going to become the first Black Batwoman, at a time of historic racial protest and an ongoing fight for humanity of Black lives. Oh, and she had to do it all during a once-in-a-century pandemic. HA! No big deal.

I list out all these challenges because you deserve to know what Javicia was up against — but also because Javicia has made it all look so good, that it’s easy to forget. With every charming, cocky smile. With every snark. With every twinkle in her eye, it’s impossible not to fall in love with Ryan Wilder. Javicia not only has stepped into the responsibility of the moment, but she hasn’t forgotten that comic book stories should be fun. They can be dark (and both metaphorically and literally, Gotham is dark), but never without joy. A superhero should have chemistry. They should be a star.

And you can’t possibly find a bigger star than what Javicia Leslie has already lifted on her mighty shoulders. — Carmen

Outstanding Supporting or Guest Actor Playing an LGBTQ+ Character in a Sci-Fi Series

Meagan Tandy as Sophie Moore, Batwoman

Runner-Up: Chantal Thuy as Grace Choi, Black Lightning (CW)

Other Nominees: Blu del Barrio as Adira Tal, Star Trek: Discovery (Paramount+) // Nicole Maines as Nia Nal, Supergirl (CW) // Azie Tesfai as Kelly Olsen, Supergirl (CW) // Lachlan Watson as Theo Putnam, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (Netflix)

When we were deciding who got to write about which show, I saw that Outstanding Sci-Fi/Fantasy Series and Outstanding Lead Actor in a Sci-Fi/Fantasy series were taken and for a second I was bummed I wouldn’t get to write about Batwoman… then I kept scrolling and saw the well-deserved SWEEP and so I’m thrilled to be here to talk to you about Meagan Tandy. Over these first two seasons of Batwoman, we’ve watched Sophie Moore grow, but in this second season especially, I feel like I’ve watched both Sophie and Meagan absolutely BLOOM. From the way her acting feels brighter to the way she is talking about the show on Twitter, I think having Javicia at the helm has suited her as well as it has suited the show as a whole (which is very well, as you know.) Sophie went from being a closeted crow to being a vigilante with two ex-girlfriends who may or may not be evil now, plus a flirtationship with Batwoman herself. She got tougher and softer all at once, and also her outfits and overall looks set the Autostraddle TV Team slack channel on fire week after week.— Valerie

Outstanding Performance by a Straight Actress in a Straight Role

Michaela Coel as Arabella, I May Destroy You

Runner-Up: Renee Elise Goldsberry as Wickie Roy in Girls 5Eva (Peacock)

Other Nominees:Brandee Evans as Mercedes, P-Valley (Starz) // Kathryn Hahn, WandaVision (Disney+) // Punam Patel as Kim Laghari in Special (Netflix) // Hannah Waddingham as Rebecca, Ted Lasso (Apple TV+)

For so much of the last year, the urge has been to escape… for television to give its audience some refuge from the storm that ravages outside… but I May Destroy You is not that. Rather than offering a port in the storm, it takes us inside it. Not literally, of course — I May Destroy You grapples with sexual assault, boundaries and consent, not the pandemic — but the show captures the last year on a micro level: social media, the fleeting nature of memory, trauma and our capacity to find joy and laughter in the midst of it all. The show is a call for introspection, no matter what we’ve been through.

It is hard to say which of Michaela Coel’s roles in I May Destroy You contribute most to its success — she is, after all, the show’s star, writer, director and producer (and has earned Emmy nominations for each) — but it is her turn as Arabella that cuts most deeply. It’s hard to explain what it feels like to be a survivor… to go on living in the aftermath of an assault… but as Arabella, Coel makes survivors feel seen in a profound way. — Natalie

Outstanding Cis Male Character

Jason Sudeikis as Ted Lasso, Ted Lasso

Runner-Up: Billy Porter as Pray Tell, Pose (F/X)

Other Nominees: Angel Bismark Curiel as Esteban “Lil Papi” Evangelista, Pose (F/X) // Brett Goldstein as Roy Kent, Ted Lasso (Apple TV+) // Toheeb Jimoh as Sam Obisanya, Ted Lasso (Apple TV+) // Justice Smith as Chester Morris, Genera+ion (HBO Max)

Everyone I know — including me — watched Ted Lasso begrudgingly. I can’t think of a harder sell in 2021 than: a cis white guy gets a job he’s unqualified for and becomes celebrated against all odds. Yet, somehow, Jason Sudeikis makes a small-time football coach from Kansas who moves to London to coach European football not just palatable, not just likable, but actually lovable. Ted Lasso is the guy who brings cookies to work every morning, who makes endless dad jokes, who curses like “heck” and “shoot,” and says bonkers motivational quotes like “I believe in ghosts, but more importantly, I believe they need to believe in themselves.” He’s a walking, talking human embodiment of a JUST HANG IN THERE poster with a cat on a tree limb. And it works. His earnestness, his genuine kindness, his willingness to admit what he doesn’t know and when he messes up, his genuine belief in the ability of the people around him — it all starts to rub off on his team, his team’s fans, and even the owner who hired him to fail. Ted Lasso — the character and the show — is good and wholesome and nurturing and kind. And in a world that feels less and less like those things every day, he is a welcome relief. — Heather

Santana Lopez Legacy Award For Outstanding Queer Teen Character

Hunter Schafer as Jules Vaughn, Euphoria

Runner-Up: Eris Baker as Tess Pearson, This Is Us (NBC)

Other Nominees: Bre-z as Tamia “Coop” Cooper, All American (CW) // Haley Sanchez as Greta Moreno, Genera+ion (HBO Max) // Chase Sui Wonders as Riley Luo, Genera+ion (HBO Max) // Zendaya as Rue Bennett, Euphoria (HBO)

Euphoria is less a TV show than it is a cultural moment. Its cast of hot, stylish, and largely queer Gen Z-ers are taking over magazines and red carpets and the thoughts of so many. (Me.) And while Zendaya may be the show’s most famous star and Sydney Sweeney next behind, it’s Hunter Schafer and her character Jules who embody the Euphoria spirit.

During its first season, I joked that Jules was a Manic Pixie Trans Girl. But that’s not inherently negative. There’s a magic to a character placed on our protagonist’s pedestal. Jules is magic. She’s charming and chaotic and impossible to contain. Schafer shows her to be tender and harsh, grounded and ethereal. The tension between who she is and how she’s perceived crackles in every moment.

This year’s special episodes showed these two sides of Jules. In the Rue episode, she is literally a fantasy. But in her own episode, we get to see more of who she really is. Schafer herself got a writing credit on this episode and the more she becomes Schafer’s creation, the more she becomes her own. She’s a face of a generation. She’s a trans teen just trying to survive. — Drew

Best Episode with LGBTQ+ Themes

“CLICK WHIRR,” Genera+ion

“Chapter 4” , Master of None Presents: Moments in Love

Other Nominees: Euphoria: “Fuck Anyone Who’s Not a Sea Blob” (HBO) // Girls5Eva: “Cease and Desist” (Peacock) // Harley Quinn: “Something Borrowed, Something Green” (DC/HBO Max) // Pose, “The Trunk” (F/X)

This is a bittersweet win after this week’s cancellation. Genera+ion really found its voice in its backhalf of episodes and it could have done so much more. The show thrived when it showcased its entire ensemble, but it also thrived when honoring one character’s minute experiences. This episode, focused entirely on Chase Sui Wonders’ Riley, was the show at its riskiest and most transcendent. “CLICK WHIRR” is marked by hours Riley has been awake since failing to sleep the night before. As the day continues, Riley’s descent continues. Her behavior becomes more erratic and the show mirrors this disorientation in its sound design and visual landscape.

I know I’m prone to hyperbole, but this episode is the closest I’ve ever seen to my teen years on screen. Not in the specific circumstances — that honor goes to Sex Education or Perks of Being a Wallflower — but in the emotion. That feeling of being trapped, that lack of awareness of the world beyond, that confused anger, that depth of loneliness.

We may not be getting any more Genera+ion, but follow Chase Sui Wonders and director Anu Valia wherever they go next. It’s sure to be special. — Drew

Master of None: Moments In Love had an uneven run, but its finest episode is hands down “Chapter 4,” which tells the story of Alicia’s rollercoaster of a pregnancy journey. Heartfelt and heartbreaking, it’s a tremendous, self-contained narrative that shows how difficult a queer path to pregnancy can be (on systemic and personal levels). Naomi Ackie deserves all the accolades for her performance, which is nuanced and potent throughout, the full weight of Alicia’s frustration, despair, and determination effectively portrayed. I hope we start to see more queer pregnancy/parenting stories on television. This one is unforgettable. — Kayla

Outstanding Performance by an Out LGBTQ+ Actor in a Comedy

Paula Pell as Gloria, Girls 5Eva

Runners-Up, Tied: Cole Escola as Chip Wreck, Search Party (HBO Max) // Humberly González as Sophie Sanchez, Ginny & Georgia (Netflix)

Other Nominees: Hannah Einbinder as Ava Daniels, Hacks (HBO) // Kate McKinnon, Saturday Night Live (NBC) // Wanda Sykes as Lucretia Turner, The Upshaws (Netflix)

Paula Pell is the least famous member of Girls5eva, the show and the seemingly cursed girl group. Maybe you saw her act in Amy Poehler’s lukewarmly liked Wine Country, but probably if you know her at all you know her from her work as a longtime writer on Saturday Night Live during the Pohler/Tina Fey era. But oh she shines as divorced, dejected lesbian Gloria McManus in Peacock’s freshman comedy. Pell plays Gloria with just the right mix of ridiculousness (“I power walk to ‘WAP!'”) and vulnerability. She’s thrilled in a super-charged way to be back on stage with her bandmates, especially since she can now be out, which wasn’t the case 20 years ago. But dang, she’s also just really sad! She’s also self-aware enough to be at least slightly embarrassed about working with the parasites in the music industry as Girls5eva make their way back into the spotlight. It’s not easy to hold your own on camera with Renée Elise Goldsberry, but Pell’s Gloria is as memorable as she is lovable.

It looks like she really is gonna be famous 5eva, cuz 4ever’s too short. — Heather

Outstanding Performance by an LGBTQ+ Actor in a Drama

Mj Rodriguez as Blanca Evangelista, Pose

Runner-Up: Lola Rodriguez as Valeria Vegas, Veneno (HBO Max)

Other Nominees: Gillian Anderson as Margaret Thatcher, The Crown (Netflix) // Emma Corrin as Princess Diana, The Crown (Netflix) // Dominique Jackson as Elektra Abundance Evangelista Wintour, Pose (F/X) // Samira Wiley as Moira Strand, The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu)

What an honor it is to give Mj her things.

For years we’ve been saying it. Not only is Mj Rodriguez an impeccable talent behind the mic, on stage, and on screen — but Blanca Evangelista is the beating heartbeat around which Pose revolves. If it’s a show that’s defined this cultural moment (and it is!), then absolutely zero of that has been possible without her. Finally this year, even the “straight” Emmys paid attention, landing Mj with a historic nomination. But no matter what happens on Sunday, I’m glad that we get to honor Mj Rodriguez here, first. Family to family. At its core, Pose has never been about the glamorous mirrorballs and ballroom runways. It’s about making a home for others out of seemingly nothing except your belief in each other, family dinners of $5 pizzas and take out on a card table in a warm, worn down apartment in The Bronx. I won’t lie to you, our little Gay Emmys comes out of a similar home grown spirit, so it feels fitting to celebrate Mj this way, full of queer heart and spirit. Thank you Mj Rodriguez for reflecting back the very best of us. Thank you for being our heart. — Carmen

Outstanding LGBTQ+ Actor in a Sci-Fi/Fantasy Show

Javicia Leslie as Ryan Wilder, Batwoman

Runner-Up: T’Nia Miller as Hannah Grose, The Haunting of Bly Manor (Netflix)

Other Nominees: Blu del Barrio as Adira Tal, Star Trek: Discovery (Paramount+) // Dom Provost-Chalkley as Waverly Earp, Wynonna Earp (SyFy) // Chyler Leigh as Alex Danvers, Supergirl (CW) // Chantal Thuy as Grace Choi, Black Lightning (CW)

It’s all been already said perfectly, the obstacle course of a job Javicia walked into this season and how well she exceeded every challenge thrown at her. As Carmen said, and as Nic has said, and as we’ve all been singing from the hillside every week since Ryan Wilder came to Gotham, Javicia is exactly what the show needed; she IS Batwoman. When the role was being recast, it was announced that the new Batwoman wouldn’t be Kate Kane at all, so there were concerns that the network would use it as an excuse to de-gay the show. We were all thrilled when Javicia was cast, a Black bisexual babe with a contagious smile. Her whole vibe is just so good, on and off screen, and she has an approachability about her that is magnetic, like you can’t help but think Javicia would fit in seamlessly in your queer friend group. Her queerness is important to the role, and it’s part of the reason the role is so important to her, which is just one of the many reasons (most of which have been mentioned at various points in this post) that she’s the perfect person for the job. — Valerie

Outstanding LGBTQ+ Director / Writer  / Showrunner

Ashley Nicole Black and Lauren Ashley Smith, writers, A Black Lady Sketch Show

Runner-Up: Emily Andras, showrunner, Wynonna Earp (SyFy)

Other Nominees: Tina Mabry, director, Pose (“The Trunk”) (F/X) // Janet Mock, director, Pose (“Take Me to Church”) (F/X) // Hunter Schafer, writer, Euphoria (“Fuck Anyone Who’s Not a Sea Blob”) (HBO) // Lena Waithe, writer, Master of None Presents: Moments in Love (Netflix)

LET’S GOOOOO 🎵 Black Lady Emmys * clap clap 🎵 Black Lady Emmys *clap clap 🎵

I am DELIGHTED to be able to deliver this award to two of the strongest, funniest, paradigm breaking writers around. There is no one else working right now like Lauren Ashley Smith and Ashley Nicole Black. To try and quantify their talent actually leaves me dumbfounded. Which I hate! Because they deserve all their flowers. And unlike these two powerhouses, I’m failing to rise to the occasion.

Just this week Robin Thede, who has received so many of the (well deserved) accolades of creating ABLSS, shone light on the true unsung hero of the show : “Lauren Ashley Smith has been an invaluable part of the ‘A Black Lady Sketch Show’ team since its inception, creating a dynamic comedic landscape in the writing and tapestry of the show on all levels. Her contributions to the series are immeasurable and we’re all made better by knowing her!”

Ashley Nicole Black? In front and behind the camera? SHEEESH. Unmatched. Unparalleled. And once I again I know, I know that I am not saying nearly enough. And again I am sorry. I hope they can feel the love and admiration behind these stumbling words. I want to just run around laughing and squealing because it’s so rare when you get to really celebrate the right person for their jobs — and when it comes to these two, working in the shadows and taking over center stage, I just… again. Just. Wow.. Black Lady Emmys *clap clap 🎵 — Carmen

Most Groundbreaking Representation (Show)

Veneno

Runner-Up: Genera+ion (HBO Max)

Other Nominees: Master of None Presents: Moments in Love (Netflix) // P-Valley (Starz), Pose (F/X) // Special (Netflix)

Veneno is not a show with good representation — it is a show about representation.

Yes, it does quantifiable things that I’ve never seen before such as casting trans women as their characters pre-transition, portraying certain intercommunity dynamics, and prominently featuring older trans women. These are groundbreaking qualities. But what stands out most to me is its intelligence around representation itself. It doesn’t just want to tell the life story of Veneno. It wants to tell the story of how her story was told and how all of our stories are told.

Not only does it have a cast of trans actresses rivaled only by Pose — it understands the responsibility of putting these individuals on screen. I’ve started saying trans storytelling instead of trans representation, because the word representation has lost its depth. This is a show that understands that depth. This is trans storytelling at its finest. — Drew

Outstanding Animated Series

Harley Quinn

Runners-Up, Tied: One Day at a Time (“The Politics Episode”) (Pop TV) // The Owl House (Disney)

Other Nominees: Adventure Time: Distant Lands — Obsidian (HBO Max) // Blues Clues (Nick Jr.) // Magical Girl Friendship Squad (SyFy)

DC Animated Universe’s Harley Quinn finally did the thing comic book writers have been dancing around for decades: They gave Harley and her best friend Poison Ivy the on-screen romance they deserved. The second season basically plays out like an extended rom-com with Harley and Ivy dodging their feelings for each other as Harley deals with murdering her psycho ex-boyfriend and Ivy plans a wedding with her white bread current boyfriend. They’re best friends, okay? THEY’RE BEST FRIENDS. Ultimately, though, their feelings get the best of them and they hook up on Ivy’s bachelorette party weekend away — repeatedly. Ivy loves Harley but she doesn’t trust Harley with her heart, so she pushes her away and plans to go through with her wedding to Kite Man. But then! In an episode that throws it back visually to their very first meeting in Batman: The Animated Series, Harley shows how much she’s grown and what she’s willing to sacrifice for her friendship with Ivy, which makes Ivy realize she can trust Harley with her heart. And so they blow up Ivy’s wedding venue and ride off into the flames together. Picture perfect chaotic bisexual best friend to lovers love! — Heather

Outstanding Hairstyling for an LGBTQ+ Character

Angel Evangelista, Pose

Runner-Up: Sophie Moore, Batwoman (CW)

Other Nominees: Alex Danvers, Supergirl (CW) // Denise, Master of None Presents: Moments in Love (Netflix) // Nurse Ratched, Ratched (Netflix) // Veneno, Veneno (HBO Max)

This is almost too obvious. I mean Pose literally just won an official Emmy last weekend for “Outstanding Contemporary Hairstyling”! So of course this was always their race to lose. The third, and final, season alone had to transverse between the two distinctly different periods of the 90s, from the late ‘80s influenced momentous, big hair to their almost-nearly Y2K counterparts. And through it all, those curls.

Throughout two decades, Angel’s curls are about as iconic as you can get. They’ll be remembered long after the last of the glitter dust settles. But part of what I’ll remember most is Indya Moore without them — that they willingly cut their hair to tell the story of a young Angel before she found her family. That they’ve been in our lives all year without them, that hair can be home, and it is almost always political, but it also doesn’t define us. Strength does. — Carmen

Outstanding Costume Design for a Show With LGBTQ+ Characters

Pose

Runner-Up: Dickinson (Apple TV+)

Other Nominees: Batwoman (CW) // Genera+ion (HBO Max) // Master of None Presents: Moments in Love (Netflix) // Ratched (Netflix)

I mean props to the other nominees in this category, which are all undoubtedly visual feasts, but between its iconic, over-the-top ballroom sequences and the group wedding dress scenes at the end of its final season, Pose is the obvious winner for outstanding costume design. But it’s not just those most spectacle-driven sequences that make this show’s style stand out. The costumes are so specific to and revealing of each character, Elektra’s personal wardrobe (while obviously always luxurious) growing increasingly more lavish as her phone sex empire expands, Blanca serving cool mom chic, Pray punctuating his looks with hats and accessories. Their personal styles perfectly reflect who they are. — Kayla

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Fan Favorite Categories

Fan Favorite Out LGBTQ+ Actor: Dom Provost-Chalkley

Fan Favorite LGBTQ+ Character: Maya Bishop, Station 19

Runner-Up: Carina Deluca, Station 19 (ABC)

Fan Favorite Couple: Maya and Carina, Station 19

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The Straight Emmys are this Sunday, September 19th on CBS, pandemic and all.

“Supergirl” Episode 611 Recap: Wicked Witch of Back East

Hello and welcome to this Supergirl 611 recap, “Mxy in the Middle” aka “The One I Thought Was a Musical Episode But Definitely Wasn’t”

Previously on Supergirl, Lena had a Phantom vision about her mother and decided to back “to where she was born” which was also “Back East” and we all assumed it was going to be Ireland because we’ve heard her speak…plus Nia released Nyxly from the dream realm to spend a day with her mom and Supergirl fell into Nyxly’s trap and summoned Mr. Mxyzptlk.

We open at the close (of last week’s episode) and Mxy is surprised to see Princess Nyxly and Supergirl going toe to toe. They both summoned him; Supergirl for help and Nyxly to get revenge for the time he testified that she was crazy after trying to destroy a few measly enemies.

Mxy snaps Supergirl out of the ice and she flies them to safety so Nyxly can’t track his magic. Kara tells the team about the imp she thought she left in the Phantom Zone and Mxy fills them in on her backstory and her father and how now she needs a crystal to control something called an allstone.

Also? He does it all in song. Which is how I wish all lore dumps were done. (That said, the description for this episode mentioned this song, so I thought Mxy was going to make everyone sing, and it seems like a crime to have a Broadway singer and professional rock star just sitting there watching this happen, but okay.)

Mxy says that the allstone was broken into totems, which gave me flashbacks to the Legends of Tomorrow season that was so convoluted my friends and I started using the term “totems shmotems” to explain the feeling of “let’s not think too hard about lore and get back to talking about characters and feelings.” The totems each represent different things, like love and dreams, and they can be disguised as anything. But also, Nyxly needs a descendent of the evil imp who made the allstone in a crystal to activate them, which just so happens to be Mxy.

Nia is stressed about how much all this is snowballing and Kara is blaming herself. Nia has an idea to depower her, and Kara promises her impish pal that nobody puts Mxy in a crystal.

Nia has a dream of the ice cage again, but this time she sees Mxy dead at the bottom of the cage. Brainy interrupts her and can tell she’s hiding something from him, so he prods her and she confesses to him about bringing Nyxly here from the dream realm. She feels so, so bad. She really thought this was just going to be another trash monster they could defeat with teamwork.

But Brainy understands. He spent practically a whole season working with L*x because he was manipulated into thinking it was the right thing to do. Brainy encourages her to tell Kara, but Nia is afraid Kara will lose respect for her as a hero if she does, so she says they can fix it without Kara ever having to find out.

In her fancy car with the invisible driver, Lena finally approaches her destination: Newfoundland. And while I did confirm (via Google) that some areas of Newfoundland have people with Irish-esque accents, it still boggles the mind why they didn’t just say she was going to Ireland.

Lena gets a call from Andrea, who compliments her on how happy she sounds.

Lena asks for Andrea’s help finding someone in a picture she found of her mom and her two best friends. She found one woman, Margaret, but she can’t seem to find out what became of Florence. Andrea agrees to use her worldwide media outlet to good use and help her out.

When Lena arrives at her B&B, at first the innkeeper Deedee is so delighted and welcoming, until Lena mentions her mother’s name, then suddenly there’s no room at the inn. Deedee not-so-subtly mumbles something about a “dirty witch” and fully turns Lena away. As if this poor lamb hasn’t already suffered enough at the hands of a family name.

Back at the Tower, the Superfriends make a plan. They have a re-engineered siphoning device and an extra sized power-dampening cuff and they’re ready to rumble. Mxy just wants to use the Phantom Zone projector, but Alex and Kara super do not.

And at first I thought it was very cute how tiny human Alex Danvers threw her body in front of her sister of steel, but then I realized that this is actually one thing she could really have protected her from. She was ready to take the nightmares from her sister.

Kara thinks Nyxly has just been wrongly prosecuted and that all she really needs is a friend, so she doesn’t want to do anything too drastic just yet. They need an amulet that is in Corto Maltese, so Kara flies off to fetch it, determined to save everyone. And to not have to send anyone – ANYONE – into the Phantom Zone.

Nyxly is sitting pretty in the glam rock spaceship when Mitch shows up, fresh off a prison escape, furious she didn’t help him. She says she is helping him, by teaching him that trust is a fool’s game and everyone will hurt you in the end.

She shoos him away; he thought he was the one using her to get his magical menagerie up and running, but it’s clear she’s the daddy in this situation now.

Up in the Tower, Alex is doing some science on the Amulet and does her regularly scheduled explanation of why Kelly isn’t here that isn’t just “we can’t afford Katie McGrath and Azie Tesfai in the same episode because of some CGI you’ll be seeing in a bit.” She says Kelly is dealing with the aftermath of the building collapse In the Heights, and Alex wants Mxy to keep an eye on the phone in case she calls, but Mxy wants to help. Sadly, without his magic, he’s pretty useless, and he overhears J’onn saying as much.

Back East, Lena goes to a local restaurant to find her mother’s friend Margaret. She orders a whiskey neat and some information from Margaret’s daughter Peggy, who is the one, the only, the Morrigan.

Similar to the innkeeper, at first Peggy is a twinkly picture of hospitality, and Lena is so thrilled to have found the woman she was looking for.

But as soon as Lena mentions her mother’s name, her smile turns to a glower and she accuses her mother of causing Margaret pain and being the reason she’s dead.

Lena is confused and Peggy says that Elizabeth caused trouble and then disappeared with a rich man, leaving Margaret to wither away, which sounds like a bit of a stretch as far as chain of responsibilities goes, but either way, she’s upset.

Lena promises she doesn’t want to cause more trouble, she just wants more information about her mom and friends. Then she’ll leave, go Out West and back to her found family since both her biological and step families provide her with nothing but pain. Peggy says the three women were a coven, and when Lena scoffs, she is like, “There’s a news clip of you being flown through the air in the arms of your bulletproof girlfriend but witches is where you draw the line?” And before Lena can remember that one of her friends uses something called DREAM ENERGY to create glowing whips, Peggy goes on to say that she watched Lena’s mother light a shed on fire with her mind while her father was inside.

Peggy tells her to let the dead lie and Lena is so sad. She really thought going off on a side quest was going to be more fun than this.

Next page: ANGRY LESBIAN EYELINER ALERT. 

Vote Now In Autostraddle’s 4th Annual TV Awards

The Primetime Emmy Awards are headed our way this very Sunday on September 19th, which — in the beforetimes — was usually an exciting time of year for Hollywood “insiders,” television critics, and fans everywhere of popcorn popping and yelling at celebrities while sitting on your couch in your pajamas.

Of course, the last 18 months have been anything but normal — not for any of us, and as it relates to this specific contest, not for the television industry. There’s been prematurely truncated seasons, retroactive cancellations and strange pivots and long production delays. While network and cable tv kept trying to adjust to the sky falling, streaming networks responded by erratically churned out new content seemingly without rhyme or reason. And arguably none of us have ever spent more time at home in front of a television! There’s been weekend mini-binges of new shows we’ve never never heard and multi-season comfort re-watches, and finally, in the last six months, long anticipated returns of our favorites.

And while the Emmys may not be delivered from home this year (Do you remember last year when they literally chucked Emmys at the winners from behind hazmat suits? #NeverForget), it’s certainly not “back to normal.” Though some things do remain the same! We began the Gay Emmys to celebrate the sheer breadth and quality of queer television that’s available to us now, in larger quantities than ever before. We know the talent is out there, even if the Television Academy still overwhelming follows the whims of mostly straight white cis men. And so our annual queer tradition — now in its fourth year! A marvel! — was born.

How it Works: Over the last few weeks our TV Team of queer critics nominated and voted on shows and actors and characters and creatives in the 21 categories you see below. These official nominees are the top six vote-getters in every category. Now you get to weigh in! Every Autostraddle reader is eligible to vote once in each category. Your votes will be combined with the TV Team’s votes to choose the winner! We’ve also chosen three fan-favorite categories over which you have total control. Your winners are the winners!

To choose our nominees, we abided by official Emmys rules for timing.That means shows must have occurred between June 1, 2020 and May 31, 2021. The majority of the show’s episodes must have aired within that time period.

Here is your official ballot!

Voting ends on Wednesday September 15, 2021 at 5:30 EST and winners will be announced on Thursday September 16!

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And the Nominees Are…

Outstanding Comedy Series

Girls5Eva
Dickinson
A Black Lady Sketch Show
Teenage Bounty Hunters
Master of None Presents: Moments in Love
Hacks

Outstanding Drama Series

P-Valley
Killing Eve
The Handmaid’s Tale
The Wilds
Veneno
Pose

Outstanding Sci-Fi/Fantasy Series

Legends of Tomorrow
The Haunting of Bly Manor
Batwoman
Wynonna Earp
Supergirl
Star Trek: Discovery

Outstanding Lead Actor Playing an LGBTQ+ Character in a Drama Series

Mj Rodriguez as Blanca Evangelista, Pose
Hunter Schafer as Jules Vaughn, Euphoria
Danielle Savre as Maya Bishop, Station 19
Zendaya as Rue Bennett, Euphoria
Sarah Paulson as Nurse Ratched, Ratched
Nicco Annan as Uncle Clifford, P-Valley

Outstanding Supporting or Guest Actor Playing an LGBTQ+ Character in a Drama Series

Daniela Santiago as Veneno, Veneno
Cynthia Nixon as Gwendolyn Briggs, Ratched
Angourie Rice as Siobhan Sheehan, Mare of Easttown
Stefania Spampinato as Carina DeLuca, Station 19
Samira Wiley as Moira Strand, The Handmaid’s Tale
Dominique Jackson as Elektra Abundance Evangelista Wintour, Pose

Outstanding Lead Actor Playing an LGBTQ+ Character in a Comedy Series

Haley Sanchez as Greta Moreno, Genera+ion
Hailee Steinfeld as Emily Dickinson, Dickinson
Chase Sui Wonders as Riley Luo, Genera+ion
Paula Pell as Gloria, Girls 5Eva
Naomi Ackie as Alicia, Master of None Presents: Moments in Love
Hannah Einbinder as Ava Daniels, Hacks

Outstanding Supporting or Guest Actor Playing an LGBTQ+ Character in a Comedy Series

Lolly Adefope as Fran, Shrill
Ella Hunt as Susan Gilbert, Dickinson
Cole Escola as Chip Wreck, Search Party
Sasheer Zamata as Denise, Home Economics
Patti Harrison as Ruthie, Shrill
Nava Mau as Ana, Genera+ion

Outstanding Lead Actor Playing an LGBTQ+ Character in a Sci-Fi Series

Javicia Leslie as Ryan Wilder, Batwoman
Dom Provost-Chalkley as Waverly Earp, Wynonna Earp
Chyler Leigh as Alex Danvers, Supergirl
Victoria Pedretti as Dani Clayton, The Haunting of Bly Manor
Nafessa Williams as Anissa Pierce, Black Lightning
Kat Barrell as Nicole Haught, Wynonna Earp

Outstanding Supporting or Guest Actor Playing an LGBTQ+ Character in a Sci-Fi Series

Chantal Thuy as Grace Choi, Black Lightning
Blu del Barrio as Adira Tal, Star Trek: Discovery
Azie Tesfai as Kelly Olsen, Supergirl
Nicole Maines as Nia Nal, Supergirl
Meagan Tandy as Sophie Moore, Batwoman
Lachlan Watson as Theo Putnam, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina

Outstanding Performance by a Straight Actress in a Straight Role

Kathryn Hahn as Agatha Harkness, WandaVision
Hannah Waddingham as Rebecca Welton, Ted Lasso
Brandee Evans as Mercedes, P-Valley
Punam Patel as Kim Laghari, Special
Renee Elise Goldsberry as Wickie Roy, Girls5Eva
Michaela Coel as Arabella, I May Destroy You

Outstanding Cis Male Character

Brett Goldstein as Roy Kent, Ted Lasso
Billy Porter as Pray Tell, Pose
Angel Bismark Curiel as Esteban “Lil Papi” Evangelista, Pose
Toheeb Jimoh as Sam Obisanya, Ted Lasso
Justice Smith as Chester Morris, Genera+ion
Jason Sudeikis as Ted Lasso, Ted Lasso

Santana Lopez Legacy Award For Outstanding Queer Teen Character

Eris Baker as Tess Pearson, This Is Us
Chase Sui Wonders as Riley Luo, Genera+ion
Bre-z as Tamia “Coop” Cooper, All American
Zendaya as Rue Bennett, Euphoria
Hunter Schafer as Jules Vaughn, Euphoria
Haley Sanchez as Greta Moreno, Genera+ion

Best Episode with LGBTQ+ Themes

“Cease and Desist,” Girls5Eva
“CLICK WHIRR,” Genera+ion
“Fuck Anyone Who’s Not a Sea Blob,” Euphoria
“The Trunk,” Pose
“Chapter 4” (the pregnancy episode), Master of None Presents: Moments in Love
“Something Borrowed,” Harley Quinn

Outstanding Performance by an Out LGBTQ+ Actor in a Comedy

Hannah Einbinder as Ava Daniels, Hacks
Kate McKinnon, Saturday Night Live
Cole Escola as Chip Wreck, Search Party
Wanda Sykes as Lucretia Turner, The Upshaws
Paula Pell as Gloria, Girls 5Eva
Humberly González as Sophie Sanchez, Ginny & Georgia

Outstanding Performance by an LGBTQ+ Actor in a Drama

Gillian Anderson as Margaret Thatcher, The Crown
Emma Corrin as Princess Diana, The Crown
Dominique Jackson as Elektra Abundance Evangelista Wintour, Pose
Samira Wiley as Moira Strand, The Handmaid’s Tale
Mj Rodriguez as Blanca Evangelista, Pose
Lola Rodriguez as Valeria Vegas, Veneno

Outstanding LGBTQ+ Actor in a Sci-Fi/Fantasy Show

Chyler Leigh as Alex Danvers, Supergirl
Chantal Thuy as Grace Choi, Black Lightning
Blu del Barrio as Adira Tal, Star Trek: Discovery
T’Nia Miller as Hannah Grose, The Haunting of Bly Manor
Javicia Leslie as Ryan Wilder, Batwoman
Dom Provost-Chalkley as Waverly Earp, Wynonna Earp

Outstanding LGBTQ+ Director / Writer  / Showrunner

Hunter Schafer, writer, Euphoria (“Fuck Anyone Who’s Not a Sea Blob”)
Ashley Nicole Black and Lauren Ashley Smith, writers, A Black Lady Sketch Show
Emily Andras, showrunner, Wynonna Earp
Janet Mock, director, Pose (“Take Me to Church”)
Lena Waithe, writer, Master of None Presents: Moments in Love
Tina Mabry, director, Pose (“The Trunk”)

Most Groundbreaking Representation (Show)

P-Valley
Master of None Presents: Moments in Love
Genera+ion
Veneno
Special
Pose

Outstanding Animated Series

Harley Quinn
Blues Clues
Adventure Time: Distant Lands — Obsidian
The Owl House
One Day at a Time (“The Politics Episode”)
Magical Girl Friendship Squad

Outstanding Hairstyling for an LGBTQ+ Character

Veneno, Veneno
Angel Evangelista, Pose
Sophie Moore, Batwoman
Denise, Master of None Presents: Moments in Love
Nurse Ratched, Ratched
Alex Danvers, Supergirl

Outstanding Costume Design for a Show With LGBTQ+ Characters

Genera+ion
Dickinson
Batwoman
Ratched
Pose
Master of None Presents: Moments in Love

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