Hello and welcome to the third recap of the first season of “The L Word: Generation Q,” brought to you by the same network that brought you The L Word, a show about a little boy named Shay who loved to drink milkshakes all day but then broke his arm. :-(
Some business:
1. Have you seen this INCREDIBLE post about our live L Word: Generation Q event? Wow check it out. We’re also getting the podcast episode transcribed so it will be accessible to all!
2. On a scale of “1′ to “10,” 10 being a recap that will make you laugh until you urinate in your trousers and “1” being a recap that makes you wonder if the internet was a good idea or not, I would give this one a 6. Just setting expectations here!
3. I received a very kind email from a very kind and smart person about how in the olden days, podcasts were also video. I admit that…. this is true, and I haven’t mentioned that while ranting about Alice’s “podcast” not being a podcast, and that my confidence in doing so has been partially informed by what I perceived to be popular consensus about Alice’s “podcast” not being a podcast. But! I do indeed remember the video podcast era ’cause at one point in ’05-’06, back when NPR and Slate had a solid monopoly on the podcast game, it sometimes felt like mostĀ of the podcasts available on iTunes were video, which confused and frustrated me ’cause you can’t watch videos on your phone and the whole point of podcasts were that they were an audio medium! Sometimes I’d accidentally download a video podcast and be sad because what was my little hot pink nano gonna do with that? That being said, I also feel like we called them “video podcasts” or “vodcasts” and that regular video shows posted on websites, like Alice’s, would’ve been called “vlogs.” I too had a vlog. But I also feel like there is a case to be made for my case being thrown out.
4. Are y’all watching Work in Progress? It’s so weird and good and you should!
5. Let’s get this lez-show on the road!
We open NOT with sexual intercourse but with a generous sequence of Los Angeles City of Dream Angels Baby b-roll, before finally zooming in on DaSoMi’s (I just made that up) chateau, where Sophie, Dani and Jose are dancing and Micah is NOT dancing. I am Micah in this scene, wishing I was Sophie in this scene. This scene is really fucking cute!!!!
Yeah just pull right there… yes… mhm…. stretch it out… yes…. ughhhh yeah un-pinch that nerve baby
Micah and Jose are going to a Dale Lewis art show tonight which Sophie would kill to attend. Jose just LOVES the way Dale Lewis mixes art with politics, which describes like 90% of modern artists but okay! Everybody is doing their best to pay tribute to Bette Porter by talking about art on this show and I see their effort and I respect it.
RED ROVER RED ROVER LET JOSE COME OVER
Upstairs in the respite of their shared boudoir, Dani’s Dad calls but Dani ignores it, instead turning her focus to the pressing issue of what Sophie’s gonna wear to the wedding. Everybody’s obsessed with what these two are gonna wear to the wedding even though they got engaged last week. My personal dream is tankinis or riding crops. Sophie, already settling into a vision of celebrity or Real Houswife-dom, suggests a white velour sweatsuit. On a WAY more serious note ā Dani’s considering donning her Mother’s wedding dress.
Dani: I didn’t think about how hard this would be without her.
Sophie: Baby, she’s gonna be there. She’s here right now.
Dani: Do you really believe that?
Sophie: Of course I do.
Reader: I cried! Dead parent stuff gets me every time.
Baby, your mom’s ghost has been haunting the foyer ever since we moved in to this house, and we have no reason to believe that haunting will not carry over to our wedding.
Dani listens to Pop’s voice mail: he apologizes for overreacting, congratulates her on her engagement and says he’d love to meet up for lunch.
“Make your first plunge a gentle one. Initially the bell is full of air. A hard thrust will force the air back around the seal and blow water all over the bathroom and you!”
Meanwhile, Rebecca and Finley are still in bed, being sweet and naked and chatting about humping dolls. Specifically, Rebecca used to sit atop her big-headed doll Sylvia’s face and just go to town. I ship it. Speaking of going to town, Rebecca’s gotta go.
Stay still I just wanna see real quick if your spine is glowing or not
Finley wants her to stay in bed all day and fudge. Like so many early-stage lovers before and after her, Finley even offers to call in sick to facilitate this fuckathon, leaving poor Alice to build her own display case of very cool glasses. Unfortunately, Rebecca’s commitment is far more pressing than whatever Finley’s not getting paid enough to do and she’s really, truly, really truly gotta go. Finley rolls around in bed with her boobs out and her armpit hair exposed and Rebecca says, “Don’t do that.”
C’mon, don’t you wanna see what’s underneath this emoji Riese had to photoshop onto my nipple so that we can still run ads on this page
“Do what?” Finley asks, knowing exactly what she’s doing.
“Making it so hard to leave.”
“Good, then just stay.”
Finley, our local Siberian husky, offers to come along to wherever Rebecca’s going but recoils immediately when Rebecca reveals her ultimate destination ā CHURCH. Specifically, MCC. (MCC stands for “Metropolitan Community Church,” which was founded in 1968 as an explicitly LGBTQ-inclusive congregation.) Finley doesn’t know anything about MCC, but the very idea of church sends her spinning.
Just lemme nibble off a tiny bit of your earlobe before you go so I can remember how you taste later
Cut to Atlas Bar and Grill (fun fact: the “Atlas” Bar and Grill scenes were filmed at The Semi-Tropic in Echo Park), where Tess and Lena arrive for a long day of selling brewskis to brosties, only to find the door is already unlocked. Tess accuses Lena of forgetting to lock up. Then Tess offers to go in first, to which Lena replies, “Oh, ’cause you’re so tough?” before decidedly going in first. What is happening with these two??!!
Okay, if I remember correctly, the only way to get into Wonderland through the magic doorknob is to drink from a special bottle of multi-flavored liquid, get the key from the same table where the liquid is located, shrink to a smaller size, and then use the key to unlock the door. Also: the doorknob is the nose. Don’t forget that.
Who’s inside? It’s Shane! Shane is talking to a man about how she’d like the room to be designed in such a way that when people walk in, they will feel beautiful. I think what she means is “low lighting” and I think what she did is… she bought the bar.
Does this scroll contain the secrets of the universe or is it just a rolled up piece of blank paper that I used to draw little sketches of beautiful people having fun at the neighborhood bar, like Cheers? I’m afraid I can’t tell you that ā not yet.
The unhappy couple are confused… and then, gradually, delighted.
Tess: Do I still have a job?
Shane: Uh well, I was hoping that you’d like to run this place.
Tess: Are you kidding? I get to run the floor of a lesbian bar??
Tess is so excited it’s so cute!!! After giving Shane an enthusiastic hug, Tess can barely contain the litany of good ideas she’s been storing up all these years! For example: a VIP area with bottle service and DJs and also, she’s sober, but she can design the FUCK out of a drinks menu. This bar’s gonna be lit, y’all! I’ve never heard of a bar having a drinks menu, let alone a drinks menu and DJs, let alone both of those things and a VIP area with bottle service. Also; stoked to see how they explore Tess’s sobriety. There’s a very very active queer sober community in Los Angeles and it’d be great to see that represented.
Enchanted by her interior dreamscape and likely continuing to dream of additional features, like perhaps chairs and tables, or a dance floor; Tess leaves her girlfriend alone with Shane. Lena immediately saddles up to Shane like you would to somebody you’ve already had sex with. Out of the side of her mouth, she tells Shane how incredible she is and that she can’t believe she did this! I can’t believe that Lena is doingĀ this so I guess it’s a confusing day for all of us.
Over the highway and through the woods to Natalice’s apartment we go! Alice is wearing an unfortunate shirt, seemingly inspired by my kindergarten teacher’s wall decor, and is leaving Nat alone to deal with a potential crisis involving a puzzle piece inside Eli’s nose and a bunch of plastic toys on the kitchen island ’cause Alice is meeting up with her besties, Bette and Shane.
You’re sure? There’s definitely not a severed head in the refrigerator?
Alice pauses, realizing something that’s apparently evaded her for the past two years ā doesn’t Nat have friends she’d like to go out with sometimes? ‘Cause if so, Alice would happily watch the half-humans. Nat’s pleased by the offer but reminds Alice that she’s completely friendless. Apparently, all her friends sided with Gigi post-breakup even though Gigi was the cheating one, because Gigi’s also “the cool one.”
“She was my best friend too,” Nat says, sadly.
Alice delivers an amusing bit about how Nat could take some of her third-tier friends, by which I hope she means Helena because what is Rachel Shelley even doing that means she can’t be on this show?
Cut to Alice with her friends talking about how Nat doesn’t have any friends.
Wait so you’re saying Adult Friend Finder is NOT an app to find adult friends?
Shane shows up with Lena, inspiring suspicious glances from her friends. Lena’s gone ahead and almost taken off her entire shirt just in case Shane wants to remove the rest wink wink?? Luckily for my sanity, she’s not sticking around ā she’s gonna wait for a take-out order / stare longingly in Shane’s direction.
I mean my dream has been to star in a ’90s-era Gap ad, so I just kinda dress like I’m already in one and wait to get discovered?
Alice is STOKED to hear Shane’s bought Atlas to flip it into a lesbian bar but Bette’s skeptical of Shane making impulsive decisions while heartbroken, like when Bette cancelled her fine meats and fish delivery boxes after Tina moved in with Joyce Wyshnia even though the delivery girl offered to come over and cook them all for her.
Yeah I don’t know I won a radio show contest and now I get a different pair of cute glasses every day for the rest of my life? Not complaining!
Alice suggests Shane resist the urge to “shit where she eats.” Bette affirms this advice with the weary knowledge of somebody who’s currently in an excruciating situation involving her former employee Felicity Adams. And you know, has a history with… Jodi… and Nadia…. and Candace…
Cut to the Private School for Asshat Children. A girl who looks like she just crawled out of the sewer calls Angie “Angemunch” and then says that she heard Angie’s Mom slept with everyone on the school board, which I think is the plot of a gang bang porn film but definitely not an accurate anecdote from the Life of Bette Porter. The girl concludes that her previous assumption of Angie being an “affirmative action kid” was wrong, it’s just that her “Mom is a slut and everyone knows it”! What I wanna know is how did this SLUT-SHAMING idiot get into this school?
Is it true that when you were born, the doctor turned around and slapped your mother?
No, when I was born, seven beautiful queer women took turns cradling me in their arms and then Kit Porter told me I was going to have a very interesting life. And guess what? I am! And you do NOT deserve to be part of it!
Angie does the only thing a person could reasonably do in this situation: punches that zombie bitch in the face!
Pages: 1 2 3See entire article on one page
Aaaah that scene w Shane and Lena was so uncomfortable!
My fav line by far is the “I love how he mixes art with politics”. As you say, this could be about anyone and is the most generic statement ever and I love it.
I don’t get the big deal about Bette meeting up with Felicity. Is Felicity still married? If not I would have thought it fine, or am I naive about the scandal?
Love your work Riese!
OOH and who else is following Mia Kirshner’s disapproval of the Jenny storyline on Twitter?
Yes! I am closely following Mia Kirshner’s disapproval on twitter, here’s hoping for a christmas miracle where she comes on To Landback and does a tell all !!
I know!!! remember the part where carly asked her to be on our podcast and she thought carly was asking her to be on generation q. hopefully we will get this cleared up and get mia dialed in.
fwiw i agree with her. i think her death was an irresponsible choice ā suicide as where a survivor of sexual violence + self-harm ends up OR murder as where any of her not-homicidal friends end up. i think season 6 should’ve just been wiped from the record.
Well I’ll keep praying to the gay/lesbian/queer christmas gods for Mia to come To LandBack and tell us what REALLY happened to Jenny.
I agree, I also hated that they made her death suicide ( or exist at all), I feel it’s such a betrayal to her story as a survivor of sexual violence and everything else she went through.
Rereading the interview Heather Hogan did, I think Jenny was probably struggling with even more mental health issues, which contributed to some of her questionable choices.
The ultimate would be a long deep dive interview with Mia on all things Jenny for a couple of hours. Maybe I’m the only person that wants this?
I think Mia deserves a lot of credit for always acting whatever storyline and writing that was thrown her way ( lol not just the carnival storyline).
Mia’s consistency and acting I think is fucking incredible, deserves more credit.
I was hoping gen Q would just pretend season 6 never happened, like most of us do, along with Max’s Willy Wonka baby shower.
I would fully listen to this interview. Jenny the character drove me bananas, but entirely based on the mostly shitty writing for her. Mia did a fantastic job with what she was given, and in the end, even with my disdain for the character, I thought the show did her extremely dirty with the death/suicide plot.
my theory is that Bette cannot win the election cause if she does it would change the whole series vibes into something like Good Wife/Fight.
ergo there has to be scandal, ergo yes, Felicity’s married for sure
I am 100% here for Spin City but with Bette as mayor
These damn photo captions. I swear, the best things about this show rising from the grave are a) the photo captions and b) the āWelcome to episode X of season Y of The L Word, a show about a wayward band of explorers on the road to El Doradoā thing. It feels like being right back in 2009, and I love you for that.
A tiny part I can’t stop thinking about: do people really want bars with VIP sections and bottle service? Aren’t both tacky and a complete rip-off? Or is this an North American/ LA thing? Would love to know people’s thoughts?
Hot take: Only lesbians in LA (and maybe just the LA of the L Word) can afford VIP/bottle service situations, let alone work up the energy to go out to bars enough to keep them open.
Rieseā¦another hilarious recap!!! Iām so loving this format.
There were 2 moments in this episode that hit very close to home for me:
The first was Bette talking to Angie about how the rules are different for her. My parents gave me that same speech from the moment I was born. They also added that people (other kids, their parents, etc.) also knew the rules were different and would provoke me knowing the consequences Iād face should I retaliate physically or verbally would be more punitive.
The second was Finley and the church. My dad is a minister and the vast majority of my family including my siblings are very heavily involved in the church. Growing up, I was mostly happy about being in the church and my family seemed to be open to everyone and everything though I donāt recall there ever being conversations about homosexuality or the āsinsā of it. My commitment to the church remained unchanged until I realized I was gay (I was an adult and on my own), which sparked a lot of conversations, all of it negative. Years later, 60% of me wants nothing to do with the church after feeling abandoned by it and my family after I came out. There is also a very powerful 40% of me that longs to go back. So far, Iāve actively chosen to avoid the subject, at least until I can get a better understanding of my emotions on the subject.
that’s so interesting! those are two elements of the story that i can’t relate to personally, and it’s really insightful to hear from someone who can. <3
Excellent and hilarious recap. I feel like it was at least an 8 out of 10 in terms of hilarity. I did not pee myself (like our friend Nat) but I did laugh so loudly that my neighbors probably heard me through the concrete walls.
Big question for The L Word Generation Q: Will they ever have literally any fat character as a main, central character? Ever?? Especially considering that the average size of American women is now 16 to 18?? I know Fortune Feimster is there in the background for 10-30 seconds per episode, so the showrunners probably think they did their job, but that is absolutely not enough.
Very much agree about including a fat character!!
it truly feels like the answer to this is definitively not, which sucks. i remember when the original came out it was a very different world w/r/t that, and it was shocking to see a woman on TV who was not just skin and bones ā like all they ever had on TV were size 0s and 2s and there were a lot of stories out about how actresses who were any bigger than that were asked to diet down to keep their jobs. The L Word was maybe showing some 6s and 8s, which was, sadly, something. but i think we’ve evolved past that a LITTLE bit now, and it’s unfortunate to see that TLWGQ is not taking this opportunity to push that representation further forward.
I agree, Riese. I think the only thing that could get them to add a fat character for season 2 would be a lot of loud pushback and activism. And I do not have energy for that! I encourage thin folks to take the baton and work on this.
Any other Mennonites out there who were briefly shocked/excited/confused by a reference to MCC?!
Anyway, I’m really interested to see where they go with the religious baggage stuff with Finley. I was kind of annoyed with how Rebecca just upfront assumes that Finley wants to “reclaim her faith.” That’s a super insensitive thing to say, at best, to someone who hasn’t given you any indication that’s actually the case.
Also, agree with others that this is an awesome recap and reading them all is a big motivation for me to keep up with the show in the first place. Also also want to second the recommendation for Work in Progress – really loving that so far! :)
yeah you’re right! it seems like anything that feels slightly evangelical to finley might send her running/biking in the opposite direction so it was weird for her to go there and make those assumptions so quickly
I’m loving the series so far.
When Finley connected the dots, I laughed so hard!!!
I can’t believe we only get 8 episodes. I hope they renew it for another season!
Loooved Finley just standing there. Also love that though in retrospect it maybe should have been obvious that she would be the minister, they got me too!
Finley should braid that armpit hair!
Thanks again Riese you had me at denim and Ballroom’s. Does The Biltmore have a wine cave? I think thats the real question
I’m majorly crushing on Rebecca and I’m sure I’m not alone. Also crushing on Tess !!!! she is such a dream boat, which is why I’m not really invested in Shane and Lena. That whole storyline I’m hoping we can move past ASAP. I mean unless Lena and Tess were open, I may of seen it all differently.
I feel like maybe with Alice, Nat and Gigi that may be where their storyline is going. I weirdly felt that Alice and Gigi had some major chemistry going on, although as Drew has said maybe that’s because Alice has chemistry with everyone.
It would be interesting to see a poly relationship shown positively as a central storyline. I don’t think I’ve seen that before, or maybe I just was looking in the wrong places ha.
I’m loving Work in Progress and seeing different circles of the queer and gender communities embraced. The dark humour and some of the storylines are too relatable right now.
I’m enjoying my Sunday’s with Gen Q and Work in Progress and of course the recaps !!!!
oh there is definitely chemistry between gigi and alice. moreso than there is between alice and nat, tbh. i wish they were gonna transition into a threesome or a poly relationship, although i imagine nat is probably not ready to extend her trust to gigi again!
They should have made Alice and Nat’s relationship more like six months instead of two years, they really don’t seem like they’ve been together that long. Alice hasn’t noticed in two years that Nat doesn’t really have friends?! This hasn’t concerned her at all? They haven’t hung out with Alice’s friends enough for Nat to be at least vaguely friendly with them??
I call Bette’s Felicity American Girl Doll in texts etc. so thrilled to see that here as well – I assume the writers named her, like I named my Autostraddle username, after the doll because she is the best one!
i am actually SO OLD that felicity wasn’t released until i’d already had my samantha doll for two years! but i cannot hear that name without thinking of felicity american girl doll??
Yay! Alice and Nat actually had a couple cute moments and not just conflict (though still conflict)!
I am soooo not a Tina fan so I initially had a hard time believing Tina would leave Bette for someone else as Bette is Bette. But Bette as a person vs Bette as a partner is completely different and one is kindof the worst and so yay for Tina!
Yes, I think Sophie ultimately wins as she should be comfortable at her own wedding and there’s definitely a wealth/class disparity between the two that the super fancy venue does not respect. But she also seems oblivious to her position of familial privilege (it’s big and loving) and not very considerate of the fact that Dani’s father has recently (potentially) come back from the edge of rejecting her for being gay and generally not doing what he wants) and they are working on rebuilding their relationship after his devastating first reaction to the engagement. I’m not saying Dani needs to give him everything he wants just because he’s not being a complete douche, but sometimes even the best parents need some time to adjust to a new life script for their children and it is so so scary to see a glimpse of parental rejection (especially when you only have one parent and maybe no siblings?). I’m just saying maybe Dani could give Sophie a bit of breathing room.
Booooo Shane and Lena! We all knew it was going to happen but I still yelled at the tv “c’mon Shane, don’t be Shane!” And then she did.
I loooove Rebecca and what they’re doing to deepen Finley’s character.
Ok, I’m not clear, is Felicity still married or is Bette still being Bette?
I get that Bette and Shane have not (and should not have) completely changed over the past 10(?) years, but also wish they would have sooome personal growth. Shane’s still sexually (and otherwise) people pleasing and Bette’s still making bad relationship choices. You know what, let’s just call a spade a spade: they’re both sex addicts and are still active in their addictions.
Actually loving the reboot so far! Sure it still has its problems – it’s still The L Word after all! But even in the changed tv landscape of 2019 it’s still a show we need.
See this is why I love the comments. I had not considered the āfamilial privilegeā angle. Thank you for bringing this to my attention
same! that’s a really good point!
i was more frustrated at this episode than the previous two!
i think sophie and dani are fighting about valid things, but it also feels like they’re just picking fights for no reason. like, there’s a way sophie could say, ‘i’m uncomfortable with x, can we talk about it more?’ without starting a huge fight every time. it feels like a really toxic dynamic to me, and i wish we could just see a healthy relationship founded on good communication. because other than that i really like their relationship, and it would be actually great to see a couple work through all these challenges in a healthy way. also, it’s always sophie picking the fights, and it makes me frustrated with her even though i agree with her points if i take a step back, and i honestly blame the writers for that. i feel like they’re writing her as such a reactive partner unnecessarily and it’s not fair to her. dani and sophie are my favorites of the new characters!!! treat them better!!!!!
i also *don’t* like micah’s storyline. please god can we have a scene with him that’s not an infomercial for how badly trans folks are treated by partners?? it feels like it’s all intended to be educational for cis viewers, and a lot of his scenes are very hard for me to watch as a trans person. i can see that they’re trying to do better than they did with max by pointing out how all these things are bad things to do. but it’s honestly starting to feel like the same dynamic where the writers just throw shitty stuff at micah and he has to deal with it. i’m hoping this improves, but talking to other trans folks it’s been hard to watch his scenes. (and a side note, why doesn’t micah have any trans friends??? that feels so unrealistic!!) (also why tf aren’t there any nonbinary people? i get that it would be a Big Deal for TV but not having nonbinary folks feels so unrealistic in this world)
and i’m not happy with having shane hook up with *an employee.*
things i DID like:
– sophie telling micah “it’s ok to be angry, and it’s ok to fuck.” so so good! these characters have so much potential, treat them better!!!
– angie punching the racist girl, and bette’s reaction. bette is a good parent, y’all. i wish all the other storylines were being written with as much nuance and good communication as how bette talked to angie in that moment.
– megan motherfucking rapinoe!! the cameo felt kind of weird and threw me but then i remembered they did have melissa etheridge cameo as herself in the original. lots of cameos this time around. but that was just a super fun and cute cameo and i’m really happy for megan that she got to do it
– and finally, the public education storyline!! hell yes to an anti-voucher storyline!! hell yes to an endorsement from the motherfucking LA TEACHERS UNION!!! more of this politics!!!! more cameos of unions!! lol
I think whatās happening between Sophie and Dani is very realistic. There are very clear indications that the differences in their āclassesā, Daniās overbearing dad and Dani making decisions without Sophie have always been issues that have largely been ignored or glossed over. Those issues are now being amplified x10 because I think Sophie expected (and rightfully so) that the engagement and pending marriage meant Dani sees her truly as an equal.
As for Micah, Iāve talked to my trans friends about his storyline and they are mixed. Some say itās realistic in that he is trying so very hard to prove his worth as a man and to find connection through honesty and truth and people within the queer community can and will exploit and/or fetishize that. If thatās the angle the writers are taking, then Iām all for it. The queer community in many circles arenāt as progressive as weād like those outside of it to believe. Other Trans friends have said itās a stereotype that needs to be quashed. I can also see this POV and completely understand how that can be damaging to how people see trans persons and how trans people see themselves. Iām going to wait it out and see how it unfolds.
sophie and dani keep confronting really real issues that i understand might bring up conflicts in their relationship but the things about those issues they are choosing to fight about are… bananas. like “i thought we were slowing down” when dani takes the new job instead of like, “i’m sad that you were going through this whole debate about leaving your job and went to bette and offered to work for her after seeing her on my show and you didn’t say anything to me about it or want to talk to me about it?” or “how are we going to survive now that you’re gonna make 1/8th of what you made before?”
also do they have a backstory? i need to know more!
Riese…isn’t that how it usually goes though? Couples tend to fight over the stupid shit on the periphery instead of confronting the core of their issue(s). It’s early still but to me, Dani and Sophie read a lot like Bette and Tina where the power in the relationship is heavily skewed toward Dani. Dani is the know-it-all who needs control and Sophie kind of goes along for the ride partly because she’s just an easy-going chick but also because it makes Dani happy/comfortable even though she’s not getting what she needs. When Sophie said that it took her giving Dani the death stare for her to even see how wrong the entire situation was and when she told Dani with that defeated look/tone that she was hurting her by siding with her dad, to me that read like someone whose feelings/wants/needs are often not given much thought without provocation.
I like Sophie and Daniās individual storylines, but their couple scenes are turning into cringe for me fast. Sophie has valid points but the way she comes out of the gate hot every time with accusations and the silent treatment and refusal to try to discuss or empathize is becoming exhausting. How am I supposed to be invested in the wedding of these two? Iām not sure if they should even be dating.
Speaking of weird couple moments, how have Alice and her girlfriend been dating for two years and Alice is just now noticing she doesnāt have friends? And how is her girlfriend completely unintegrated with Aliceās social circle? Or be that unacquainted with her ex who is clearly around a lot? This relationship feels odd and stilted.
Maybe it will come with time, but Micah is substantially underdeveloped. I still have no idea who this character is besides trans (and depressed?) but Iām willing to give the writers some time because the character has such potential. And isnāt remotely Max.
As far as messes that I love, Iām here for the Finley storyline and I find how Bette and Shane are still fucking up in the same ways…I donāt know if itās the right word, but Iām going to go with endearing. I love these two women so much, flaws and all. I need more characters like that.
yeah, I totally agree that Sophie and Dani are fighting about reasonable and important issues. it just feels to me that after x years of being together they should have some healthier framework to deal with this stuff. like, it seems like Dani should know to be sensitive around money etc, and also that by now Sophie would have a way to bring those issues up. it feels unrealistic/very toxic that they don’t have a better way to deal with these issues, which presumably have always been a big part of their relationship.
and yeah I agree that Micah is underdeveloped. the experiences he’s having are realistic, but really uncomfortable. and I just wish we could get more moments for him that weren’t his partners saying all these cringey things.
Yeah, it seems like a lot of these issues would have come up when they moved in together, so I’m surprised they don’t seem to have a framework to deal with them
i know this is the l word, so not really realistic to the shows roots, but i wish there was, like… one romantic relationship that was healthy. lol. alas, i hope sophie and dani figure out their stuff bc so far they seem the ones to most likely figure their shit out.
So Finley is still riding around on a stolen bicycle and her car is still abandoned in that girlās driveway?
And Shane why not cater to a quieter crowd, with a bar that allows you to have a conversation, some books and an extensive vegan menu? Just a suggestion…
please open this bar carms
Seriously! I donāt think bottle service & DJs is something most lesbians would list as something they want in a bar
I think that was an 8/10 recap of a 5/10 episode.
“Personally Iām unsurprised to hear that Tina causes menopause.” Favourite line! Best on ground!
And thanks for sitting on that Tina spoiler, Riese.
I also just want to say that as a South African who watched the whole original series on DVD long after it aired (secretly, in my room, with headphones), and who didn’t know anyone else who watched the show, and didn’t know of Autostraddle then, I am really grateful to be able to watch the new episodes almost immediately, and not secretly, and to feel that sense now of sharing the show through these recaps and all the comments.
Right? Itās so nice to watch the show āliveā and openly out and reading the recaps as it happens! So nice
I watched the original in secret in the dead of night on YouTube and spoke to no one about it. Posting on Instagram about watching it with my girlfriend and dissecting it with you all and the queer community Iāve acquired since is pretty incredible.
Iām still mad about Tibetteās storyline but I was relieved to know their breakup was not Betteās fault.
Please interview Mia! I need to know her thoughts on gen q. They should have brought Jenny and Dana back, with no explanation needed. Also, I hope they bring Helena in season 2.
oh, Aloce. where are we heading?
ok listen WHO just buys a bar and it happens IMMEDIATELY and then you don’t tell any of the staff who just show up for work that day for their scheduled shift, you know, looking for… the tips they pay their rent with and then when you tell them SURPRISE, YOUR JOB IS GAY NOW BUT ALSO CLOSED FOR AN UNDETERMINED LENGTH OF TIME WHILE WE TRY TO FIND A MARINA’S-OFFICE-ESQUE PLACE FOR SHANE TO FUCK HER LIFE UP IN HERE they’re…thrilled?
justice for tess and lena’s bank accounts
although by she-bar logic i guess bar sales happen really quickly in LA
SURPRISE
YOUR
JOB
IS
GAY
NOW
i mean literally nothing about it makes sense, the process of buying a bar that was, seemingly, very busy and popular, would take a lot longer than two days? buying property in general takes a long-ass time. also they could not have been the bar’s only employees?
i do remember when classic family restaurant bill knapps shut down in michigan servers did arrive at their shifts to just see a note on the door, but
i was waiting for all of the bar’s regular patrons to show up and start banging on the door asking where they can watch the football game
Not to mention the qualifying and transferring of the liquor license…
but There are a lot os restaurants/bars that close without telling their employees first. They arrive for their shifts to find the place closed…
Yeahhhhh but also when Dani switched jobs overnight I think they firmly established we live in an alternate universe where these things just happen š¤·š»āāļø
Anyone know where to find list of songs used in it each ep? I need a new playlist!
http://www.tunefind.com and then stick whatever show you’re after in search box :)
I felt like this episode had more meat in it (as in plot, don’t go there haha). Your captions were hilarious Riese!
It felt like a great twist that Finley’s hookup turned out to be a female pastor at an inclusive church! I also love that Shane bought a bar, and is bringing it back to gay fame! I wish more people would do this in real life, we really need more queer wlw spaces.
I think Lena’s really hot, but I’m not a fan of her cheating on Tess (despite saying they’re “over”, we know that’s not true). I think Alice is making a mistake letting Nat be friendly with Gigi again. Honestly, Alice isn’t really maternal so I don’t think her relationship is that great anyway.
I love that they got Megan Rapinoe to guest star on Alice’s show! I hope they continue to do that throughout the season, getting queer women celebs to join in :D TBH, I’ll always watch more interviews with her! This was her year, and I’m so glad that the win happened for the USWNT in 2019.
Can’t wait to see what’s going on with them all next week! I think this show is already better than the original, and I’m really excited to be watching it in real time & getting to read content like this as it’s happening <3
I canāt be the only one who thought that Joseās personal business and the mysterious dude by the pool might be connected….
i definitely thought so! i wasn’t sure what the point of the guy by the pool was otherwise?
Yeah the show writers arenāt exactly subtle so he must be. Tho I would laugh if we never saw or heard from him again!
I feel like nothing on this show makes any sense, but Iām still weirdly addicted to it??
Like guys, do you realize Finleyās the only character of a relatable economic bracket?? Like yes, Sophie clearly has less money than Dani, but theyāre still living in a villa with a pool….we have no idea about Micah, but he lives there too, right?? Iām not really sure because he fucked that dude on a couch and weāve yet to see any evidence of additional rooms in this place, but I think weāre supposed to assume he lives there too. (Also do we even know if/what his job is? Or do jobs just stop existing once theyāre more than one degree separated from one of the original cast members?) And yet Finley just moved into a fucking mansion with Shane. So like…literally none of the main characters are economically relatable to 99% of the queer population. Shouldnāt we find that strange? Literally an entire plot from this weekās episode was about whether the main couple should have like $30,000 wedding or an $100k+ wedding. Who is this storyline even aiming towards? Most queers I know dress in secondhand clothes and get married in the woods, but ok.
And the Lena/Shane storyline was awful. I feel all kinds of weird about how drunk Shane was & the fact that Lena is her employer…I hate that tv writers always do this with drunk sex, like if the drunk person takes charge than somehow itās ok?? But ethically I still think this is all kinds of fucked up.
“Also; stoked to see how they explore Tessās sobriety. Thereās a very very active queer sober community in Los Angeles and itād be great to see that represented.”
š