The L Word Episode 607 RECAP [607] – “Last Couple Standing”

March 3, 2009

When in doubt, dance. Dance, I say! Dance! Dance all over the stage, change your clothes, tear up the floor, waltz and tango and skip and mambo your smokin’ hot bod down to the village square, hook up with the Pied Piper of WeHo and dance your way out of regularly scheduled programming into the idea well of death. Welcome to the recap of Episode 607 of “The L Word,” entitled “Last Couple Standing.”

When dialogue is lacking and characters are whacking, the best bet for L Word characters is:
1. Get naked, have sex.
2. Put on costumes, start dancing.
3. Push it … push it good.

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4. Push it real good.
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A little warning — this recap is … mediocre, and … I don’t know why. But it took forever! Like four days nonstop!

This recap would not even be possible were it not for the amazing assistance of Intern Vashti, who did all the screencaps for me (I didn’t get the disc in time), and I think you’ll agree that these are probably the best screencaps I’ve ever had. She did well with my detailed list of what shots I wanted, for example:

– Any shots of Kit’s amazing outfit that show the full amazingness of it
- As many shots you can get of Push It as long as there’s a good one of Tasha’s butt and of their butts in the air, solid gold
- Dylena with that tramp in the background w/belly hanging out talking bla bla
- Shot of the bus ’cause apparently we’re supposed to look at the bus for 10 minutes

I also must re-thank the ladies at Tibette.com, who hooked me up with a first cut of the ep, enabling me to get a head start on the recap before it aired ’cause I didn’t get the 607 DVD from Showtime ’til today. And I also must thank Jeeeesus and Green, who per my request made me the most amazing animated gif of all time [above]. Shoop.

If any of you reading this are seeking temporary “internship” opportunities this week/weekend and you live in the NYC metro area, I’m panicking slightly that next week’s recap will also take forever and therefore I need someone to come over and make screencaps with my DVD on their computer while I do work on my computer. I will pay you in: blow jobs, pickles, buttons baby, and the golden opportunity to see 608 before all the other kids do. Comment. This is limited only to people who can physically be here. If you turn out to be psycho, I will give you rabies and throw you in the Hudson River.

Today’s viewing party: Robin, Carly, Riese, A;ex, Esmerelda Fitzmonster (with occasional appearances by Natalie).
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Also. Sorry the intro is so long. On Sunday we’ll be live-blogging/tweeting/chatting [TBA] the Finale Event from New Autostraddle 1.0 — a venture which you’ll hear more about next week. The URL is www.autostraddle.com and although right now that just redirects here, pretty soon it won’t, and … um … it’s kinda awesome, like … yeah. Just be excited, add it to your bookmarks toolbar RIGHTNOW, and be prepared for change. You know, change? That thing Ilene doesn’t want Shane to ever do?

I thought Jenny was gonna die in Episode 607. When I first saw her hair & makeup I thought: “A-HA! That is Ghost Jenny if I ever saw her…” (wtf hair&makeup?)

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Ghost Dana is clearly on her way, and everyone will dance! Like this:

Unfortunately that’s not the case. That’s fine, now I’ve got seven more days to exist within my personal fantasy world where Jenny doesn’t actually die but rather wakes up and declares “it was all just a dream!” Jenny is immortal, as I’ve said.



You Wanna See My Spirit Stick or What?

Hello and welcome to the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center Children, Youth & Family Services 2009 “Dancing Through the Decades” Dance Marathon, sponsored by OurChart. Aw. I bet that was a fun do-over in the editing room. Alice warns Bette that she’s going down like Charlie Brown tonight ’cause The Three Dykeateers are gonna three-peat this whole enchilada — best dance, last couple standing, money raised. Bette won’t say a word about what she and Tina have up their designer sleeves. As this scene happened I started remembering how Bette left Alice for Tina. And then Dana left Alice for Lara and now. Sigh.

Bette and Alice are cutely overly competitive. I think it’s awesome that TLW is giving some extra visibility to the L.A. GLC, hopefully this’ll encourage a lot of lesbos to give those people all their money. Any way you roll the dice or feel about this episode or this show, that’s really cool, eternal A+ for social responsibility.

Who’s gonna kill Jenny this episode? Talice & Jamie’s dance routine!

Dirty Dancing
Alice: “Our Dance Routine kills! KILLS!”
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I Know There’s Like a Billion Flowers on My Shirt! It’s Like the Garden of Eden!

As Alice returns to her playpalace, Bette calls out — “Alice, look at what you’ve done” and gestures elegantly around the room. It’s a sweet supportive moment between friends which is quickly ruined by the angel of death, who’s ready to tattle.


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Hey-o! What happened to THIS Jenny?


Episode 203 – Loneliest Number
Bette: “How were you when your life fell apart?”
Jenny: “A mess.”
Bette:“That’s it. That’s me.”
Jenny: “You know what? It does get better.”
Bette: “You know, I keep…replaying it, over and over again in my head. Just trying to figure out…the exact moment when I could’ve stopped myself.”
Jenny: “No, no, no you can’t do that. Because we all make mistakes.”
Bette:“But not like me. Not like this.”
[Bette looks at Jenny, Jenny smiles.]
Bette: “I don’t even know why you’re talking to me about this. I mean, it wasn’t like I was very nice to you when you went through all of this with Tim.”
Jenny: “I don’t know. I guess….I know how that feels.”
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A’ight, let’s go see Ret-Conned Jenny. Shall we begin?

Lesbian Squabble #25: I Listen In & I Draw My Own Conclusions & Take Photos of Them & I’m Guilty Of This, You Should Know This

In the Ring: Jenny vs. Bette
Content: Jenny wants to know if Bette told Tina about what happened while Tina was in the big apple. You know, how Bette really liked Kelly’s peaches, therefore wanted to shake her tree. Bette rogers that and reports no, she did not tell Tina about having sex with Kelly because she did not have sex with Kelly.
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Jenny: “It’s not funny, I saw you through the window! You weren’t even trying to hide it, Bette!”

[I'd argue that things one does in the privacy of one's home count as "hidden."]

Bette: “I don’t know what you think you saw, but I can tell you however it appeared, nothing happened.”
Jenny: “Then what did I see Bette?”
Bette: “I don’t know, you tell me. What did you see, Jenny?”
Jenny: [patronizing]I know this is hard, and I know that you’re trying to be better –”
Bette: “Look. NOTHING HAPPENED. Kelly came over, she was drunk, she spilled her drink, I cleaned it up. That’s the end of the story let it go.”
Jenny: “Tina’s my friend. You know how it works, people find out about these things.”

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Who Wins? Jenny.

Why? C’mon, for an innocent woman Bette couldn’t possibly have sounded guiltier. Wouldn’t one naturally assume Jenny had somehow seen Kelly trying to lay a smooch on Bette, rather than that she’d seen the drink spill? AND w/o knowing about the iphone photo, why would Bette give this argument the time of day? Clearly Dick Wolf wasn’t consulted on this scene. Ilene why hast thou forsaken us. Tina’s Jenny’s only friend now, so maybe she is just lookin’ out.

I feel really bad for Bette, and being punished for something you didn’t do — especially when it’s something people might expect you to do but you don’t do anymore — blows harder than Ted Haggard in a truck stop bathroom. Sidenote ; if I’d been freeze-dried since 1985 without sexual activity and Kelly tried to stick her hand down my pants — Hell to the N-O. I’d rather make out with a REPUBLICAN. Because Republicans can be sexy. Actually. Kelly’s probs a Republican, she seems like that kind of asshole. Anyhow is anyone still reading? I used to be funny, now I’m not. I’m like Full House .


Anyhoo, no matter, here comes Tina to save the day!

Guess who doesn’t say that she’s gonna kill Jenny? That’s right. Bette. Why not? I have One Big Idea why. Anyhow as aforementioned, it’s Jamie & Alice’s dance routine that does the killing today, allegedly.


Tina’s been offered a job at Focus Features! Bette says Tina you are a ROCKSTAR! See, they’re so happy together, like two turtles on a peapod in an ocean of lovely-love. There’s only one catch — this new job is in New York, New York!


Same Sex, Different City
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Bette — her entire body seized by fear that Jenny’s gonna rat out her innocent & lovely ass — eagerly suggests they skip town. It’s such a great opportunity for her to get away from Jennifer for Tina! But Tina says they can’t leave their life & friends! There’s so much friend love here! OR IS THERE?

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We got plenty of love for y’all right here.
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And My Face Is Just a Trace of Where I’m Coming From

Time for exposition! Alice disapproves of Marcie moving in, Tina shares their travel itinerary: 1. They’re not attending the entire marathon because 2. They’re picking up Marcie from the bus station at 7 A.M. because 3. Classy! I’ve done that route on the Greyhound, I almost got raped and pillaged by a one-toothed man who smelled like Sausage McMuffins & dead people. Just saying, don’t be surprised if Marcie arrives with placenta running down her bare thighs and knee-socked calves.

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Shortalls, Alice. She was wearing Shortalls.

Alice thinks they should see Baby Mama (I haven’t, never will, I got one leg whatever), ’cause apparently this situation is a one-way road to trouble and … probs a three-way crush.

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Alice:
“And she’s a teenager, so she’s gonna hate you guys out of principle.”
Bette:
“You know what she’s 22 years old.”
Alice:
“Okay so she’s gonna wanna down like 50 beers after dinner.”

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HEY-O! You know who else likes 50 beers after dinner? I mean — before dinner, after lunch, etc.? With afternoon tea? That’s right, Helena!


HELENA!! Let’s get it ONNNN! Marcie and Helena, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!!
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Alice: “You could get all lost in those mushy mama feelings and sock it to ‘er one night.”


Bette’s Big Bettism: “Okay, that’s enough. I am not some fucking lose cannon that just fucks everything that walks okay I can be trusted.”

[BRILLIANT!]

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I Learn Every Room Long Enough to Make it to the Door and Hear it Click Shut Behind Me

Alice:
“Is Marcie hot?”
Bettina
: “ALICE!”
Alice:
“You guys, you’re bringing me down okay?”

Carly: “I wish she’d said ‘you guys are harshing my mellow, okay?”


Don’t Think I’ll Deny Why Would I Deny This

Tina apologizes to Helena for “pushing” her into the Dylan Test, but Helena says it’s okay — she was “complicit,” she wanted to know. [Sidenote: and Dylan obvs overreacted, as she totes deserved to be tested.] Remember when Tina and Helena had S-E-X in a P-O-O-L? They love PoolSex on The L Word. And in less than a week, there’ll be no more lesbian pool sex EVER. I hear there’ll be a dead body in the pool, maybe a few floaties, some of those rings at the bottom. Shamu. Shamwow.

“She’s in love with you,” Tina tells Helena. Helena asks “then where is she?” Excellent point. Where the fuck is she. One does not sacrifice one’s chance to make love to Helena Peabody. Enough of this character development, let’s get on with the dance!


You Better Work.
If you haven’t already seen the episode, I’d suggest a drinking game that requires one drink for every time they cut away to the audience applauding. You will be wasted within fifteen minutes tops.

Carly: “Is this the only drag queen in the world?”
Riese:
“This is a one-avenue town. One lawyer, one therapist, one drag queen. And he’s actually a really bad drag queen.”
Carly:
“Uh yeah! Like he hits on women!”
Riese: “I don’t even know if he could get a job at Lucky Cheng’s .”
Alex: “Um absolutely not.”


The Colors of My Wind

Jamie/Pocahontas [BTW, I'm related to Pocahontas, as I've mentioned 500 times, therefore Jamie is my sister] takes the stage to discuss the cause — the LA Gay & Lesbian Center’s Jeff Griffith Youth Center (In NYC we have the Ali Forney Center) for homeless gay youth, and then calls Alice up. Alice is jazzed & adorable & pumped, she’s a whole new lady!

Alice tells the crowd how her life has turned around after getting fired from The Look [I'm having Rosie Cruise '07 opening night performance post-Hassleback showdown flashbacks!], she’s made a good friend & loves her girlfriend more than ever and she owes this to someone very special. MARIE! Marie taught Alice something very important: “It’s not a one way street, we can really influence these kids and if you give them one second of your time they can really turn your life around.” APPLAUSE!


Coincidentally, my name is also Marie I am just saying.

Carly: “She looks kindaaaa like Ellen Page.”
Riese:
“She’s like a poor man’s Ellen Page.”
Carly:
“Oh my god, she totally IS, we can’t write that down.”

Meanwhile! While Jamie’s asking who’d like to make a donation and “set the tone” for the donation drive,
Bette looks over her shoulder …


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and what does she see …
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“That girl from Medieval Times, she’s coming for me!”
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What will Bette do to flee the scene?
Ah! Time to get on stage and unpack some green.
It’s for a good cause, so no one gets hurt
Besides the peasant who died to make Alice’s shirt.
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Look my Friends are LOADED! Power UP!

Alice is thrilled to be ahead of the three-peat game already. See, look how good Jenny is for charity. $1,500! Tina’s facial expression is priceless, it says: “There goes Angelica’s clarinet lessons, big spender.” The trio exits and Sunset calls Kit Porter to the stage. Kit’s wearing one of the costumes Showtime asked me to identify for their auction and I said I was certain I’d never seen it on the show. ‘Cause if I had, I would’ve remembered, because this little jumpsuit thing is probs the best moment of all six seasons, I want one in every color. I’m bidding on it. Sidenote; it’s much smaller than you’d expect, we guessed it was Helena’s.

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My Thrumpin’ Piano Comes Through
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Kit: “I have a little question for you … will you be my dance partner for this evening?”
Sunset [makes weird noises]: “Oohhhh yeeeessss!”
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In other news, Kit’s talking like she just took a bubble bath in liquid codeine.

Robin: “Did they just go to Claire’s and pick random accessories for everyone?”
Carly:
“Totally, that’s where they met Sunset Boulevard.”
Riese: “He’s like the guy that will pierce your ears even if you’re only 15.”


Or Does Each Apology Sound More Like a Shrug

Jenny apologizes to Helena. Helena blows her off and walks away. Alice wants Helena to dance but Helena can’t stay up for 12 hours and dance, and Kit hasn’t blown any horn players lately so there’s no coke to go around, but Tasha & Alice tell her she must dance — she can dance with Jamie, who’s a weirdly awesome dancer. If Helena doesn’t dance, none of us will dance, it’ll be anarchy! Sidenote; what’s the point if Helena has no sponsors? Ok.

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I’m Not an Addict, It’s COOL, I feel ALIVE

Apparently Alice&Tasha have been awake all week building endurance. All work and no play makes Alice apparently a very perceptive girl. She takes Helena to get a number, leaving Tasha & Jamie alone to check each other out.

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“What?” Tasha asks.

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“If you don’t know, I’m not gonna tell you,” Jamie responds. My heart hurts.

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Robin: “Wasn’t Tasha the one that says thinking was cheating?”
Riese:
“That was like a few episodes ago.”
Carly:
“They’re completely different characters now.”



So Then I Wake Up, and it’s the Morning, and My Legs Are Wrapped Around Her … Wha?

Let the dance marathon begin! If anyone stops dancing they’ll be eliminated and then one gay child will die. The first dance will be a line dance. Kit, who’s upped the Studio 54 ante by snorting lines of horse tranquilizer in the backroom, does an intro dance with Sunset that closely resembles my imitation of Janet from Intervention dancing with her imagination.

Doesn’t Kit’s butt look kinda cute in this?:

This outfit inspires the crowd of cheap hookers to DANCE DANCE DANCE!

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The Tango Kit Porter is a Dark Dizzy Merry-Go-Round

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Sunset: “If there is no spring in your step–”

Kit: “and no funk in your trunk —

Sunset: “You will be eliminated –”

Kit: “The question is … do you have the staying power …?”

[Kit makes 4-5 strange/amazing facial expressions]
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It’s BABYLON!


Confessions on the Dance Floor

Let’s dance! Bette & Tina are such cute dancers. Then, because this is in fact The Way That We Live — Bette spots her ex. Jodi’s taken a break from constructing a giant shrine honoring the wire hanger she used to abort Bette’s dignity to shake her little ass for charity. Tina tells Bette to not let Jodi ruin her night. “She’s probably just here to do some good,” Tina suggests. Tina’s one of those naturally happy people, I suspect. Jodi is one of those naturally Shake What Your Mama Gave You people.

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Jodi’s gonna give that girl her O Face

Bette begins to tell Tina about her earlier conversation with Jenny but is busted in on by Alice, who disregards the “private convo” vibe to ask if they sense any weird Jamie-Tasha-vibes. Tina & Bette draw on their long history as Jamie’s BFF and the very illustrative example of her dancing on the other side of the room to declare that there is no vibe. None at all.

This is the Dawning of the Age of Aquarius

Alice’s wild hand dances are reminiscent of 90′s girl movies featuring hippies who summon dead people around fires. After interrupting Bette’s confession twice, Alice goes back to her hidie -hole and Bette returns to attempting to tell Tina … but it’s hard, isn’t it? You’ve got the weight of what you’ve done on your back, the explanation that’s sure to sound sketchy. What does she think Jenny saw? Does she think Jenny’s just making shit up to be “manipulative and evil”? What the Eff is going on? “Never mind,” Bette says. “We’ll talk about it later.” And they dance on.


Bette and Jodi are washing their dirty hands of each other in the bathroom at the same time. IMHO, Bette could’ve escaped this catastrophe w/Jodi by just moving very quietly and refusing eye contact. Instead, Bette does the mature thing and asks Jodi if “they’re really gonna do this — not say Hi to each other.” Why is Bette always so perfect? Apparently Jodi and Jenny have spoken and Jodi now knows about Bette & Kelly — or maybe Jenny just said “I THOUGHT YOU COULDN’T HEAR THE MUSIC” and Jodi heard “BETTE AND KELLY DID THE DIRTY DIRTY.” You know? These things happen. Rumors flying on the dance floor, etc. I can’t hear shit in those places.


Lesbian Squabble #26: You Can Fuck Whoever You Like
In the Ring: Jodi vs. Bette
Content: Jodi’s glad she dodged a bullet with Bette. Bette had a gun? This story keeps getting shadier and shadier. I can barely keep up with these Sapphic Scenesters.

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Jodi: “Jenny told me about you and Kelly.”

Bette: “And you believed her? She thinks that she saw something, nothing happened.”

Jodi: “Then why did Kelly tell me it did?”

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Fuck You Kelly.
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That’s a really good question. Did Kelly tell Jodi before Jenny told Jodi? She must’ve, ’cause Jodi can’t talk on the phone, I doubt her & Kelly are at text-friends level, and Jodi just talked to Jenny. That means: 1. I bet Jodi brought it up, not the other way around, which I imagine cemented Jenny’s suspicion, if she had any doubt before. 2. This is now 50% Jenny’s fault, 50% Kelly’s fault, and 0% Bette’s fault. Bette needs to call Kelly STAT! This shit’s BANANAS!

Bette breaks my heart here. “It’s Tina I feel sorry for,” Jodi says like a patronizing fuck. Personally I feel sorry for Jodi because she has a totem pole up her ass, Jamie brought it over from her wigwam. Where’sTashsa to beat a bitch down when you need her.



3-2-1 CONTACT!

Back on the dance floor, the gay youths are fabulous! And the ladies are line-dancing/gossiping. What’s the story, morning glory? What’s the word, mockingbird. There’s something about this line dance that makes everyone look ridiculously sexy. Shane looks sexy, Jenny looks sexy, Alice looks sexy even though she’s wearing Bette’s S3 maternity meditation outfit …


Jenny to Bette: “Did you tell her?”
[Bette rolls her eyes, keeps dancing.]

Riese: “Don’t you feel like Jenny looks cute right now?”
Alex:
“Oh totally.”
Carly:
“Oh I don’t know I’m too annoyed with her to have an opinion.”


I’m So … SCARED!

Shane’s dressed like there’s no time, only Shane-time. It’s like Miller Time. Dance through what decades, dance in your pants. Shane tells TiBette not to move to NYC, they can’t leave her here all alone with Jenny — though I suspect they’ll be all too happy to leave this kind of silly drama and bizarre personality transplants behind.

Alice continues to conduct the “is something up with Jamie and Tasha?” survey … and Helena gives Alice her first positive response — “Yeah, you should be worried.” Cheers to Honest Helena. Boo to … Alice’s heart hurting. Good news though!


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I See Red

Heart = Hurts. Can we just give Alice a pretty girl, a rock band, a hot job and a baby? Or just send her to jail? Oh. Okay.

Do I Push it Down Or Let it Run Me Right to the Ground
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Yeah I’ll Volunteer in Your Pants

Jamie’s all like, ooo Tasha are you gonna volunteer at the center, and Tasha’s all like yeah I will, and Jamie’s all like yah you will, ’cause this is probs her game, she woos people into charity with her hot bod. Tasha’s restrained though, not overstepping. She’s hard to read — as a lady who thinks thinking is cheating, perhaps she’s just doing her best to control her own thoughts. Meanwhile,Esmerelda has feelings for Tasha’s glasses.


Even the Muppet has his 80′s glasses on.

Hard Core Superstar By Far You’re the Ultimate Star

Look! Who’s that girl?! Who is it? Is it Nikki Stevens, the star of direct-to-video limited release Criterion edition super special The Girls: Because Men and Women Belong Together, starring Nikki Stevens as Jessie? Nikki beelines straight for Sexy Shane, who’s all-too-happy to see her and conveniently located right in front of Nikki’s face.

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Clever In What She Does Competing for the Attention

“I’m waiting for Jenny,” Shane says, shifting her pelvis into Nikki’s grill. “She’s my partner.” They throw the word “partner” around like Silly Putty on this show. Nikki acutely notes that Jenny didn’t seem like Jenny’s partner last week, when Shane took her to the photo studio Jenny bought her to secretly have sex and then barfed. When Nikki apologizes for skipping out on the barf-party, Shane says, “it’s okay, some people just aren’t very good at taking care of others.” Clearly, these two are shining examples, they’re both doing quite well with Jenny’s heart. Again we have another scene where it’s clear even Kate doesn’t know why the hell these lines are her’s.

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See Shane, This is Why You Got Forbidden

Shane doesn’t actually like Nikki, does she? Does she just want Jenny to dump her? Seriously THIS IS THE MOST ASSHOLE THING EVER. I don’t care if Jenny is in fact the devil herself, you break up with her before you fuck her ex-girlfriend. This is so inappropriate it’s gone all the way past inappropriate into unacceptable and all the way back to WTF TFS. Where’s Alice?



“WHAZUUUPPPP!???”

Alice, aka Salt, busts in on Shane with her ghetto-girl voice and Shane laughs which is nice ’cause Shane rarely laughs these days. Shane says they’re competing because Jenny wants to, it’s “not her thing” [mmm, I don't hear Tasha whining like this, suck it up and be a woMAN!] and Alice is like “What is your thing these days?” and rather than delve into the deep secrets of Nikki’s inner thighs, Shane just says “not now, Alice.”

Alice says it’s how Shane wants it to be. This is an interesting conversation — oh! Nevermind. Back to the dancing. If it kept going, there’d be a lot of awkward silences where Shane’s personality is supposed to be.



The fabric from Alice’s Season Four gold lame dress called and said it looked so much better the first time around

Sunset’s costumes are devolving as the night goes on. He’s moved from outfits to common household materials, such as sofa slipcovers and blankets.

It’s time for Jenny & Shane to dance. I think they thought it was the 1870′s. Jenny’s selling it, Shane’s melling it. That’s a new word, just made it up — it means “mellow.” Shane smiles, almost, from time to time, but the weight of the piece is on Jenny’s shoulders and in the ruffles at the bottom of her dress. There’s something sad & itchy about this scene.

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we thought we left possession behind , but truth is i was yours and you weren’t mine.”

“and now i’ve replayed a thousand times exactly what was said.”
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“’cause nothing is as it appears in the funhouse mirrors of your fears.”

“on the rollercoaster of all these years”
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“with your hands above your head …”
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They earn moderate ratings. They will not win. In more ways than one. But they look kinda gorgeous together. In the VIP lounge, Nikki cheers. Nikki don’t mind. It’s her two favorite sexual partners, all up in one another’s junk.

Back in the dressing room, Alice is ready to go, there she goes, there she goes again Girls what’s her weakness? (Women!) Alice’s just chillin’, chillin’ minding her business (word) when yo Tash, she looked around and she couldn’t believe this. I swear, she stared, with Tina her witness. Bette had it goin’ on with somethin’ kinda … uhhhh …

Shoop Shoop Ba -doop
Alice: “I didn’t know Dance Fever was back in the air.”
Bette: “Oh I’m sorry I didn’t realize Kriss Kross was looking for a new member.”

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[Alice walks away, all like "Whatevs bitch, my pants are on frontwards."]

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Bette: “Hey Al, nice cameltoe.”

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[Hey Bette, nice raunchy comeback. Love it!]

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Wicked, wicked. Alice had to kick it.
Alice: “Fuck, they’re not fucking around! They’re serious they have costumes!”
Tasha: “I see that. Wasn’t this supposed to be fun?”
Alice: “FUN?! NO!”
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Don’t know how she makes you do the voodoo that you do.

So well, it’s a spell, hell, makes me wanna shoop shoop …


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Bette:
“Do you think you need to go over it again?”
Tina: “Go over it again? No I think I’m good.
Bette:
“Are you sure because they have wigs and spandex it’s not a fucking joke. We have no idea what they’re capable of.”
[QUOTE OF THE WEEK #1 RIGHT THERE]
Tina: “I’ll do my best.”

I love it when I don’t really even have to say anything, ’cause it’s already good.


Alice, worried that TiBette are packed and stacked ‘specially in the back, starts having second thoughts. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all, the dance routine. I mean the three of these ladies weren’t put in the same storyline to dance together, clearly they are here to have A FUCKING THREESOME. Shotgun-bang! What’s up with that thang?
Carly: “You know which one is Spinderella.”
Alex: “Totally.”
Carly: Alice is the me of this team.”


Chocolate Chip, Honey Dip, Can I Get a Scoop?

Tasha: “Alice, what’s wrong?”
Alice: “No, no I can’t … I don’t have rhythym.”
Tasha: “What?!”
Alice: “No, I don’t, it’s a — it’s a joke. I don’t know what I was thinking.”
Tasha: “What are you talking about? You were the lead in West Side Story!”
Jamie: “You said we’re number one, we can’t be number two?”

[and we're gonna beat the whoopie outta you!]

Alice: “Uh uh you guys everyone went traditional, we look like freaks.”


No you look AWESOME.
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Tasha’s like uh-uh, I wore this outfit in my senior yearbook picture, fool. [I wore chapstick on a rope around my neck, I'm not judging.]

Tasha: “We don’t we look good — alright, alright, we look a little crazy but come on. [LOLZ!] That is not the point. Listen alright we can do this, you know the routine, you choreographed everything, okay?”
Alice: “Another problem, why did you let me do that. I don’t know how to choreograph shit.”
Tasha: “Put your wig on, Alice, put your wig on, okay? You’re gonna do this.”
Alice: “I was a terrible Maria, by the way.”

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Clearly Alice went to a white girl school, how the F did she get cast as Maria? She is a kickass singer, though. Say so, you want to …

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And If You Wants to Dance and If She Wants To Lead …

Look I’ve been in this situation before and I think Alice needs two girlfriends. Not ’cause she needs to have sex with both of them at once (though I’m sensing that’s never gonna happen, therefore if I were Jenny I would want to die too) but ’cause she just has a lot of feelings and needs.

Tasha: “You’re gonna do this. Just think of one thing, okay? Think — think — everybody out there, they’re here for you, okay?

Jamie and I are gonna do this crazy ass dance for you. I’m in a turquoise onesie for you, okay, so pull it together.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK #2 HANDS-DOWN.

++


Dignified in What She Does when She Sings

Alex: “It’s gonna be like – [sings] – All the single ladies, all the single ladies ...”
Carly:
“That’s what we woulda done, obvs — for the Dance whatever this thing is they made up.”
Riese:
“No, those are real, they’re a big deal. They had a huge Dance Marathon at U of M [University of Michigan, my alma matter] with breaks and guest speakers and stuff, it’s like a big fundraising thing.”
[Everyone is stunned speechless by the truthiness. But enough about us. ZOMG!]

And then we begin — Salt-n-Peppa’s PUSH IT.

+

You gotta push it …

Push it good …

Push it …

++
I don’t know about you, but clearly we have declared a hands-down-totes winner. I always wished the L Word could be more like Roundhouse.
++

Esmerelda can’t hold a sign without assistance but if she could it would be a ten. Also Robin’s ten is slightly higher than our tens because she looks super crazy in this photo.
+
I could watch this dance scene ten more times. One hundred more times. And still love every minute.



I Want One Thing I Wanted To Come True

Jenny, probs still feeling sad & weird that her girlfriend did not even attempt to push it real good, seems well aware that Shane’s looking the other way. If Haviland was here she’d be like, “Shane! You need to communicate! Don’t cheat on her, promise me you’re not gonna do that. Just break up with her first before you have an affair, that is so lame not to. Be honest with her, tell her how you feel, don’t just run off to the bathroom, that is so lame, Shane, for REAL. La-h-me.”


To Destroy The Things I’ve Got For the Things I Need
To Destroy The Things I Love For the Things I See [Nikki]


“If this is that same fucking girl that’s been fucking random girls in the bathroom since 2004, I am going to be fucking livid don’t you try me.

And then we go to the bathroom, where Shane is apparently surpassing the “five minutes to pee” limit. Really? Five minutes? It takes five minutes to pee? I feel like I could pee, do a line of coke, switch up a tampon, text Haviland and be outta that stall in three or less.


Lesbian Sexy Moment #10: We Never Change, Do We? We Never Learn, Do We?

The Players: Shane and Nikki.
The Pick-Up: Probs “Hey, are you an asshole? I’m also an asshole. Let’s go be assholes together. Maybe at some point, I can touch your asshole. Do you like that? Probs not. That’s why you don’t have sex with boys anymore, isn’t it. Boys always think you’ve got a secret up there and anyway aren’t you saving your ass virginity for Brian Kinney , yes you are.”
Hot or Not?:
Tina & Bette’s dance sequence is much sexier than Shane’s delayed emotional growth
and wish they didn’t keep cutting away. Out of context = hot. In context= not hot.
+
I can’t believe I’m saying this about Shane, the former love of my life, the reason I watched this show to begin with. Oh, the tangled web we’ve woven.

Alex: “Ugh.”
Riese:
“Fuckin’ A.”
Carly: “Ugh, Shane, you asshole.”

++

Big Boo for Shane.
++

And back to the good stuff. What we wouldn’t give to see this shit uncut. What we wouldn’t give to see the rehearsal for this. Angie was sitting on her special chair clapping and squealing “Mommy is shiny!” Tina & Bette dance to Soul II Soul’s “Back To Life”. I hope all ye Tibetters are sitting on a towel ’cause you’re probs about to cream through your pants.

++


With these hungry eyes
+

I look at you and I can’t disguise
+

I’ve got hungry eyes
+

I feel the magic between you and I …
+
And look who shows up mid-dance …


It’s Dylan. She tells Helena that she’s sorry. Not about her haircut, but about her personality. Yay! Let’s dance, lovebirds!
+


++

The judges give TiBette 10, 9.0, and 8.5. Maybe the 8.5 had a crush on Bette in college and got rejected, I think that dance was one of the hottest moments of the season (besides Push It)– these women who’ve been through ups & downs for years & years are stronger, sexier, and more in sync than ever, andthat’s fucking beautiful. I’d rather by a DVD of just that dance [uncut] than the entire season.

+

I Like What You Do When You Do What You Do

Riese: “They just did the Obama fist bump.”
Carly: “According to Fox News, they just fisted.”


We’re 75% sure that Team TiBette has this shit in the bag when that bitch from Dancing with the Stars takes the stage in her Dancing with the Stars prom dress, pulling an unexpected underdog effort a là Screech & Lisa on crutches. Sidenote; love shows where the only people in the dance contest are main cast members — [sidenote #2, after Jodi's big moment on DWTS last year, A;ex and I made our own video of A;ex dancing to "I Want You Back" with earplugs in to see if it was possible for her to dance without hearing the music,inter-spliced with Jodi's best DWTS moments. Watch that here.]

++
Tina:
“Any regrets?”
Bette:
“Not – a -one.”
+

The girls are stunned. Obviously Jodi is not deaf after all. The first clue was the video installation. Just kidding, I’m running out of jokes. The judges cream all over it. Jodi’s an amazing dancer for sure, but I think this show is maxed out (ha! “maxed”!) on presenting members of various marginalized social groups as assholes, and there’s nothing about Jodi’s behavior this episode that makes anyone like her more. The dance is smoking hot — but again, in context? Not so much. Out of context? Like on the reality show where it belongs? Ah, well, an interesting twist.


On the upside, your girlfriends = way hotter than Jodi’s girlfriend.

Time for the monkeys to go to the picnic and have their foods! What’s for lunch? Corn on the cob? Alice says Jodi & her bitch must’ve been practicing for months. “You had us practicing for months,” says Tasha. Teeny exaggeration there — apparently 606 happened last week, so … [how fun would a rehearsal montage have been? That's J-Beals specialty, MANIAC!] … Alice shoots back “your sense of fair play is annoying.” Agreed.

Tasha is just one of those girls that won’t get excited about anything unless it’s officially, genuinely, seriously important. And maybe still even now she doesn’t see what Alice sees as mattering … but can we bear to see Alice’s little heart be sad with only one episode to go? Can’t they break up in the off-season?


And I Hate To Say It, But You’re Perfect Together …

Alice sits down next to Bette & Tina. They don’t even have to say anything. Bette puts her hand on Alice’s shoulder, and Tina gives her a little smile, and little muppet hearts all over the world break right open.


Up in the world-famous VIP lounge, Nikki’s dishing to her No.1 Groupie about how hot her BathroomSex was with Shane. “Nikki,” Lily Allen says, “Twelve o’clock — no the other 12. Behind you.” Oh! Hello there.

And Darling
++

Nikki gives Jenny a guilty/I’m still in love with you/I eat doorknobs for dinner look. But instead of calling Nikki out for fucking Shane again … and again … she gives Nikki a little bit of “advice.” In Season Six advice from Jenny is not always a fantastic thing to take. Well, Alice hasn’t looked into the cartoon voiceover thing yet, so.


I’m Sure You Don’t Mean To Be Mean When You Creep Up and Tell Me

Carly: “I cleared out my special lounge for you Jenny. Nikki’s sitting like she’s the fucking Queen of Sheeba.”
Riese: “And Jenny is the Princess of Darkness.”

“The public is very harsh with you,” Jenny says. “You have a reputation for being shallow and vain.” Nikki’s like, “No I don’t.” Come on, Nikki can’t read, how would she know she has a bad reputation. She has a bad reputation in my living room, but that’s another story. Jenny suggests Nikki fixes her public image by auctioning herself off for charity. You know. Selling her body for money. Nikki’s so nervous around Jenny, she’s like a whole different person. Jenny should maybe date someone who’s super intelligent, more on her level — maybe that would help with the powergame problem. Anyhow speaking of selling oneself, let’s go out into the alley …



Baby this is the last honest love I’ll ever give

Helena and Dylan are outside kissing like schoolgirls. Helena has a memory! Backstory! Back in the day, little miss Peabody, who I deduce looked smashing in knickers, liked to dash outside from boarding school to kiss Bridget Somethingsomething who eventually left dear Helena for a “Maths superstar.” You know those Maths guys. Veiny cocks like salamanders. The ladies in the background are mildly distracting.

Natalie: “Oh my G-d I thought that was –”
Riese: “A prostitute?”
Natalie:
“Oh no, i thought it was Jenny and Shane, but it’s Dylan and Helena.”
Riese: “Is that the set back there?”
Carly: “That’s Ilene Chaiken in the hat.”


I’m Gonna Hold You Anyway and I’m Gonna Do It Without Shaking

Helena: “Not much has changed, has it? I’m still just gambling with my heart … Dylan, I’m sorry okay?”

Dylan: “Listen, no more apologies. I think we just need to start new, okay? Can we do that?”

+

Helena says they can. Brian Kinney says never explain, never apologize. Let’s get this show on the road! Bada-bing bada-ching, ring a ding a ling shoop shoop da doop!


Sunset has killed a bird. Bird-killer = Jenny killer? You know how Ilene feels about dudes. Sunset, in all honesty, has never looked better. He should wear Zebra ever day. Nikki gets up to say she’d like to make a donation and auction off a date with herself.

Roxanne You Don’t Have to Sell Your Body To Make Right

The bids start low and Nikki angles high: “Let’s make it 2,000, I make really good pancakes.” No honey, Rosa makes the pancakes, you just pour on the Aunt Jemima, that doesn’t count as making pancakes. Someone wants breakfast — Jenny bids $25,000. She shields her eyes when the spotlight turns to her. She looks dark and sad. Shane looks dead in the eyes. Alice is livid to lose the donation game. Again we see how Jenny is good for charity.

Jenny Moment: “Shane, you don’t have to fuck her in a bathroom anymore, you don’t have to sneak around,

I don’t want you to do that, so I bought her for you. So you can have her whenever you want.”

+

[We applaud]
Riese: “AMAZING!”
Alex: “AND that’s why we love Jenny.”
Carly: “–and that is AWESOME.”

If it wasn’t sort of degrading to the cause (bringing personal drama into a charity event is a little tacky), I’d give this particular Jenny Moment a 10 out of 10. But because of that I give it an 8.5. Well, Lacey made a banner. Shane, where have you gone.

Jenny then approaches Shane, who looks like she’s thinking about chapstick and cucumbers and suicide, and tells her: “Listen, I don’t care. You can fuck whoever you want, whenever you want. Fuck Nikki, fuck whoever. I know that you need it, it doesn’t scare me, because I know you. Okay?” But … that’s not okay. It’s never okay to fuck your best friend’s ex-girlfriend, or your girlfriend’s ex-girlfriend. Is Jenny just trying to keep her? Is she a flip-flopper from hell? Or is she just being manipulative? Well, let’s move on and never find out.


Dammit my plan to get dumped was foiled.
+
Nikki’s probs in back whipping up the Bisquik.


So If You Still Know How, Talk to Me Now .

Bette tentatively approaches Jodi; “I don’t know why I care about what you think of me but I do, and I promise you I haven’t cheated on Tina.”

Jodi still doesn’t believe her but says it doesn’t matter. Yes it does, it just does, if it didn’t matter, Jodi wouldn’t have brought it up or said she’s glad to have dodged a bullet. Nevertheless Bette’s fed a hearty portion of Jodi’s Maxims for Life. “Every day we wake up and promise ourselves we’re going to be better. The problem is in the execution.” She wishes Bette & Tina happiness. I bet after Bette left Jodi signed to herself “just kidding I hope you kill somebody.”

++


‘Cause I’m Good Enough, and Smart Enough, and G-ddammit People Like Me

+


Fuck you Jodi.

Jamie says she was silly to think a 15-minute power nap would be okay. Well, there’s item number one Tasha and Jamie do NOT have in common because Tasha would be just fine because she was in the army and took power naps all the time so there, they’re too much alike, it would never work.

Be Careful What You Ask
+
Alice:
“Do you have feelings for Tasha?”
Jamie:
“Alice, I would never do anything –”
Alice:
“I know.”
+

Be Cautious How You Act
+
:-(
+
Don’t mind it’s a common reaction ..

Tina & Bette look like they’ve just slept for 10 hours, it is the buttcrack of dawn and they are fully accessorized. I’m lucky to be wearing pants with pockets after an all-nighter, let alone a watch with matching earrings & scarf. These women are on top of their shit, should probs take custody of the octuplets. Or move to New York City.

+
Bette: “At a certain point I have to trust that they’re like our family, and just because we leave L.A., it doesn’t mean that we’re leaving them.”
Tina: “It’ll be a fresh start. It’ll be a new city. It’s gonna be so exciting.”
+

Riese: [as Bette] “You call those teenagers our friends? Who needs enemies.”
Carly: [as Bette]“Our friends are lame. We need new ones.”
Riese:
[as Bette] “Our friends are our family, like my Dad. He was mean to me and now he’s dead.”
A;ex: “Riese! I swear to G-d.”


I Don’t Really Care For Your City Anymore

They cutely remember that they have to apply for schools starting now. Good luck ladies, the NYC school situation for upwardly mobile beautiful power lesbians like yourself is brutal, you are gonna be really happy you went for a mixed-race baby. Although there’s a spin-off I’d like to see. Welcome Back Porter, like Welcome Back Kotter, which I’ve never seen, but it rhymes with Porter sort of. In the pilot I want Bette to unleash a can of whoopass upon a Duane Reade cashier.


There’s a man on the stage and Kit is on the alert. What the hell, it’s Soy Bomb, he’s gonna hijack the show. Guess who it is okay I’ll tell you it’s that drag queen but not wearing drag.

++
No, that’s Kit, she’s a woman, she just dresses like that.
+
it’s THIS GUY:

Sunset: “You know me as Sunset Boulevard. But my real name is Sonny Benson–”

Carly: “… and I’m here to recruit you.”
Riese: “Oh my god they have no idea what straight people do, do they?”
Carly: “Oh my god, no idea.”

Sonny: “But my real name is Sonny Benson, and I’m a straight man who loves his gay and lesbian family. And I hope you can still accept me.”

Tonight You Can’t Put Him Up on Any Shelf

Though there are no people visible who are actually applauding, the sound editor has added massive rousing applause. HURRAH! Drink! You know the Little Red Riding Hood stripper back there is gonna have a little Citron.

Kit’s pissed that she told him things she’d never tell a man who was wearing men’s clothing. I think Kit needs glasses. Sonny tells Kit that she’s the most beautiful woman he’s ever seen and he’d like nothing more than to take her to dinner and get to know her better. Kit don’t need no dinner. She already ATE, bitch. This is the fourth person who’s doggedly pursued Kit and actively ached to explore her nether regions; declaring love in public places, writing songs and sending 50 bouquets of flowers. Yet this has never — not once — happened to Alice. That makes me sad. This also happens to Tinkerbell all the time:

Kit leaves, probs to take a nap and then come back and face this situation head on, directly to the forehead.



Welcome Home

The bus pulls up and Tina and Bette wait anxiously and cutely, like something good is about to happen. Maybe Marcie missed the bus. Speaking of Kriss-Kross.


Marcie’s Baby is in that bag, don’t let the wig fool you ladies!
+

Sperm Donor, anyone? I’d like to touch his arms, steal his sunglasses, etc.
+


Bette checks her messages. No dice. Look’s like it’s Max’s baby or no baby, baby.

Carly: “They’re like America, wearing blue and red.”
Riese: “Maybe she had her baby on the bus.”
Carly:
“Bette looks like she works for the bus.”

I can’t even show you a screenshot of their faces waiting for Marci because the hope in their eyes is so full that it makes me want to cry, and one must save one’s tears for the last couple standing. Tina should pretend the flowers are for Bette, then they can go home and make love. We’re a bit relieved Marci’s not coming — that was another unnecessary loose end for next week.


Back at the dance, Tasha and Alice are hugging each other and swaying. Alice looks sad. You know who else looks sad? Us. Why. Alice. Come on. Her best friend already died of Chaiken Cancer. OurChart died. She’s been left by four women that we know of. She won’t even be able to bury herself in volunteer work, ’cause Jamie runs the center, or write her treatment, ’cause Jenny already did, or go to work, ’cause she got fired, or hang out with her friends, ’cause they’re moving to New York and Shane is being a weirdo.

Alice:
“I want you to know I’ve never loved you more … and I want you to be happy. Do you wanna be with Jamie?
+

Tasha:
“I don’t — I don’t know her … “
[The right answer is: "We enjoy playing raquetball together."]
+

Alice:
[interrupts] “It’s okay.”
Tasha:
“… very well.”
[pause]
Tasha: “I’m not ready to let you go.”
++
[Good, 'cause Alice needs to auto-win SOMETHING tonight. Hold on, baby, hold on.]

Sunny Hoo-ha announces “we have our last couple standing.”
My heart hurts.
I hope The Farm doesn’t get picked up. Alice in jail = major heartbreak.

The Round-Up:
Lesbian Sexy Moments: 1 this ep, 10 total

Lesbian Squabbles: 2 this ep, 27 total

Quote of the Week: Tasha & Bette

On a scale of 1 to 10: Shoop shoop a-doobie like Scoobie Doobie Doo – 7.5.

Muppet Face #1

+


Muppet Face #2.
+
And once more for good measure?

LOVE IT. love it, can’t get enough of it.

607 Precap – Tell Me Your Favorite L’Sex Scene Please!

March 2, 2009

Hi lesbians and people who can tolerate hanging out with lesbians. This is Tinkerbell. While Riese is working very hard at writing the recap for episode 607 I would like to survey you for a Top Ten that Riese is putting together of The L Word‘s very best sex scenes. So please comment — what’s your favorite? You can only say one! Two if you MUST but if you list a whole bunch Riese will get very overwhelmed.

Tibette Angry Sex? Sharmen No-Touch Game? Jenny-Nikki Strap on Sex? There’s so many! I’m not sure because I am Tinkerbell, I am a stuffed dog and I love Littlefoot. But look what happeend last night at our 607 viewing party with the lesbian muppet Esmerelda Fitzmonster!

[Also big love goes out to Tibette.com, who gifted Riese with a super-secret first cut of the episode, therefore enabling her to begin writing the recap on Saturday, instead of today, therefore making the recap likely to drop today or tomorrow, rather than next week. Big up to Vashti who made screencaps for Riese therefore enabling her to write the recap faster. She will also give big ups to these people when she finishes the g*dforsaken recap.]

In the meantime, tell us your favorite sex scene or go yell at Jamie in the 606 comments.








[These are just some sex scene photos we've got handy on this here computer for entertaining graphical enhancement. They are not intended to suggest preference or superiority, just photos to "jazz up" the post. My fifth grade teacher Joyce said you should always "jazz up" your projects with glitter, colorful markers and paper, and probs also with naked ladies, though she didn't say that part.]

Comment! What’s your favorite L Word sex scene of all time?

Sunshine, Rainbows and Unicorns

March 1, 2009

I’ve decided to remove the content of this post [in which I told everyone who bitches at me here, on TLWO, on forums and via email that they can Suck It, which I still believe, btw] because I feel it is ungrateful to the thousands of people who have offered me positive support and encouragement, and to all the friends I’ve made through this show and the incredible online communities I’ve become a part of. I don’t ever want to seem that I take you all for granted. Quite the opposite — you’ve become my life. You have become the way that I live. To us — and particularly to Carly & I because the media is our field, so nothing is just a show to us, it really isn’t — we keep it fun even though it is bad right now by critiquing it in a way that we hope is funny. If you don’t think it’s funny, then as I said I suggest you try Two and a Half Men, it might be more up your alley of twat.

My little rant about how this show being bad isn’t just about this show but is about the possibility of future shows can still be found on the TWOP forum and my rant about GLBTQ visibility can be found in the comments of the 606 Recap.

In closing, I would like to share with you my favorite parts of the last few seasons of recapping this show.

I’m putting almost all of my hours & energy & resources right now into making that stuff — the good stuff I’ve gotten out of this show, which is my new friends and connections online and in real life — into a project that I hope will reflect everything positive about our community and encourage intelligent, responsible, entertaining and progressive discourse & art. So you’ll hear more about that next week, and I hope you’ll be as excited about it as I am.

In the meantime, don’t you dare fucking bitch at me, I will cut your fucking tits off.

There’s Something About Jenny[s] – Why Killing Jenny is Killing All of Us

February 28, 2009

“Bad news,” I say when Emma picks up. “I’m making Sara watch Season One of The L Word, and she loves Jenny. Like earnestly.” Sara was one of those straight-girl things, those things so many of us have done even though we know they’re destined to end badly and with spectacularly rotten feelings all around [and usually with the straight-girl's boyfriend flipping out and/or wanting to join in].

Emma sighs. “Like with no self consciousness at all?”

I return her sigh and add: “As in; I like pepperoni! I like the color red, Jenny’s my favorite.”

“She loves Jenny.” Emma’s disgust is practically palpable, it’s like my phone just spat at me. “Oh God. You’re in trouble, Riese.” When a girl you’re hooking up with relates to Jenny [and has a boyfriend], you better be prepared for what Jenny herself describes as “fucking labyrinth-like drama.”

This was back in the day when you had a choice one way or the other on Jenny — something I honestly believe Ilene Chaiken did very well — and your choice meant something. It had implications. But this season they’ve upped the [apparently untreated mental illness and] devil-wears-Jenny antè — now Jenny’s hurting universally loved characters sociopathically, she’s barely human, there’s no choice anymore, we must all hate her now, let the murder and pillaging begin!

But I don’t hate Jenny, I hate this! I hate Season Six’s “Ding dong Jenny is dead!” ethos. I mean, wtf.

Furthermore, I blame its flawed execution for my Season-Six-Makes-Me-Want-to-Stick-Sporks-in-my-Eyes Feeling. You know, the attitude that has inspired Anonymous-es to share their lame-o opinions in my comments, like “stop recapping if you hate it.” Y’know, so next time someone chains them to their chair and wires them up Clockwork Orange style to my recaps there will be no recaps to read. Thank God she stopped! Doesn’t she know it’s just entertainment? What’s that you say about entertainment being entertaining? Blimey! Ding Dong!

I think killing Jenny is lazy, and the show’s hurting because it’s making “Kill Jenny” its epicenter. Everyone else’s storyline is consciously contrived to give Jenny an opp to piss them off (Except Kit’s. And Max’s, ’cause Jenny’s anger-inducing words are just words, she doesn’t change anything and besides — OF COURSE the one storyline we need explained away by Jenny cannot be. Sticks and stones and stolen negatives/ideas and relationship-dismantling can break a girls’ bones but words’ll never hurt Him).
Ironically enough, one of Seasons 1 & 2′s best attributes — the united & intertwined story-lines of the core cast and lack of gratuitous short-lived guest characters [Season Four was inexorably weighed down by this cast sprawl nonsense] — has finally returned to the show! So, that’s a good thing … and they’re wasting it on THIS? Why not all come together and put on a production of Our Town or go on vacation together or have a g-dforsaken HOLIDAY SPECIAL LIKE I HAVE WANTED FOR SIX YEARS. I want a tree, I want good will for all mankind, I want Kit in a Santa outfit, I want Jenny to buy Shane a new car and someone to buy Max his top surgery. I want everyone to sing together to an inspiring carol, hug each other, and Bette can get James to carve the turkey. Then my eyes will water and melt Scrooge away.

The pit poisons the whole, you know? Not Kit, PIT! Like the Peach Pit, the inspiration for The Planet After Dark.

++

When Emma & I spoke that day, we blatantly ignored that in 2004 when Emma & I had watched Season One together, I also liked Jenny. I’m bisexual, and in ’04 I’d never had a girlfriend and I was dating a burly ex-model aspiring-police-officer who supported my quaint artistic inclinations vaguely and disliked hearing me talk about liking girls. I’m also a mediocre writer who is currently right this minute writing about my friends under different names. So … we had a lot in common, me and Jenny. The bad parts. But I related often — earnestly, at the time — to her struggle, and I continued to through Season Three. I wasn’t inherently annoyed by her.

Anyhow, my boyf & I split before Season Two’s premiere, and my life has changed a lot since. Now, when I’ve re-watched Season One from this lesbionic vantage point, Jenny’s S1 actions feel painfully predictable, selfish, and infuriating. The confused bisexual clichè. Rawr! I want to hit her with a saucepan. At the same time, I understand. I don’t judge her, I get it. I don’t condone her behavior, but I’d be hypocritical to condemn it.

Emma and our co-Season-Two-watcher Astrid, who are both in LTRs with men, have hated Jenny from the get-go for reasons totally unrelated to sexuality but equally close-to-home. As artists, they hate her for being a bad writer, stuck up, pretentious and skin-crawlingly precious. They also prefer Pacey over Dawson, hands down [I was always torn], and CJ Cregg and Jeb Barlett to any real human beings.

Many lesbians I know started hating Jenny for some combination of her wishy-washy sexual behavior and nasal-lint-mining self-importance. Jenny’s path, at first, was unnervingly familiar to many lesbians and bisexuals which’s a good thing … and a very bad thing. My opinions on Jenny changed as I changed, and that’s interesting.

Most weathered queers have known some Jennies. Jennies clumsily and melodramatically juggle their boyfriends with their Completely! Unexpected! lesbian affair. They make last-ditch efforts to prove strai-hood by doing something crazy like eloping. Jennies torture anyone in proximity with detailed, aggressive conversations about their inner turmoil and hypo-manic state of creativity. Jennies then briefly go bi until a gentleman caller calls them out for being gay.

Here our Jenny emerges specifically into the kind of girl who pledges allegiance to the lesbian nation with unwavering feminist extremism and man-hating venom. She gradually transforms psychologically from meek future-housewife to a self-obsessed but legitimately traumatized and self-destructive abuse victim to an exposure-hungry professional navel-gazer. We react genuinely. We react to a multi-dimensional character, and we react from our guts, and for real reasons, not superficial ones.

Here we arrive at heightened television reality … but it works. Jenny’s self-centrism entices her to shamelessly peddle her life as a short story, memoir and eventually a feature film. She violates her friends’ privacy and often seems to make choices based on what would be best to write about. This prompts mixed feelings about writers and artists right to “exploit” truth for art or commercial success — another very compelling and debatable topic.

Jenny stayed controversial ’cause her behavior didn’t demand universal like or dislike, and the dislike it prompted was real. Bette & Tina’s relationship does that too — there’s been interesting cases on both sides throughout the show’s run, often influenced by how much you personally relate and your feelings on monogamy, CORE values, etc.. Like Jenny, we consider Bette & Tina with nuance and personal subjectivity.

Even when her character became completely fucking reedonkulous — late Season 4, most of Season 5 — some people liked the campy hilarious psychosis, some hated that kind of humor. Jenny wasn’t EVIL yet, just misguided. The Jenny debate was lively and compelling. We didn’t just dislike her clothing or haircut, we disagreed in ways real enough to divide fans nearly 50-50.
In fact, many sympathize with Jenny and have a special spot for her because they relate to Jenny’s behavior shamefully — the manic highs & lows, the insecurity emoted aggressively, the slow sexual self-awareness, the self-entitled monologues. I am one of those people. I get it. I get Jenny. She says things I want to say, and she’s hilarious.

Audience complaints/debates on most other characters aren’t really that complicated/nuanced. Shane’s hair — bad or good? Alice — annoying or charming? Dana – everyone loves Dana, period, anyhow she’s dead now. That means she’s never gonna wake up, Junior.

Besides, we often disregard our favorite characters’ failures ’cause they were sooo off-the-wall. No one holds outing the b-ball player on OurChart against Alice ’cause we just don’t really believe in it, it doesn’t make sense. I’m genuinely fascinated by how easily we’ve forgotten Tina’s Henry. But we’ve mostly bought Jenny. The L Word likes ending characters with a bang, telling you precisely how to remember them via instant transformation – Nikki leaves vapid & stupid, Jodi leaves petty & immature, Ivan ends dishonest & hypocritical. I think that’s a cop-out, I prefer open-ended exits like Molly’s or Grace’s [and by that I mean -- come back!!]. Now Jenny’s gonna leave batshit crazy. And one place Ilene has fucked up royally is handling Jenny’s obvious mental illness and sexual abuse. But I could bitch about that forevs and piss everyone off. So.

So, I was happy that Five ended with Jenny becoming human again. And now … what the hell is going on? The Jenny I love [I've now been scolded for speaking in the "we," so I'm just speaking for myself here] is the only girl in the world Shane felt comfortable being herself around. They’re both damaged and lovely and complicated. The Jenny we see now isn’t that Jenny. And, by default, Shane isn’t that Shane.

In Season Six, she’s a clear-cut villain. TFS has even started doing Mia’s makeup oddly, like they’re trying to tone down her smokin’ hotness.

Our earliest Jenny-inspired responses place Jenny in a select group within a larger pool of controversial TV characters. Jenny, like Samantha Jones, Brenda Chenowith , Toby Ziegler, Brian Kinney, Kerry Weaver [any other suggestions for the list?] … and almost everyone on Star Trek The Next Generation; provoked conversations/reactions relating to larger social, national, cultural, political and emotional issues as well as deeply subjective personal responses. That’s great television.

Now Jenny’s gone the other way, into cardboard territory, sans nuance. Taking that nuance away & making the whole ensemble part of the nuance-removal process is sucking hard. Jenny was never boring or predictable. But suddenly … she is. Because now she’s been squeezed into an archetype, and we know her story already, it’s been told 100 times before. Oooo! A murder mystery! What crap. I wanna hear OUR stories.

Longtime Jenny-haters had real reasons. Now your reasons for hating her are as obvious and as irrelevant as disliking Max ’cause you don’t like Daniella Sea’s voice. I am literally BAFFLED as to why this has become the Season’s axis. It’s kinda fucking up a lot of shit.

As I said, when the writing is good, we yell at the characters, not the writers. With Jenny, moreso than with other bad things done by more popular characters, we yelled at the character. That’s a good thing. That’s the controversy television ought to ignite, the kind Ilene is right to want, but is wrong this season in how she’s chosen to encourage it.

++

Even at her funniest or most vulnerable, there’s nothing left for Sara to like.

If Season Six had been Season One, and I’d made that same phone call to Emma, her advice would’ve been far more straightforward: “Don’t ever tell her what you’re writing, don’t include her in any private scenarios relating to your own relationships, hide your valuables, close your shades, and don’t ever dump her as a friend or a lover.” Sigh sigh sigh.

“Or you know what?” She’d continue. And then — although Emma couldn’t even bear to kill the mouse in our Sparlem apartment and doesn’t ever throw things when she’s angry — according to the way that we live, Emma’d then suggest, and apparently under the circumstances I’d consent — “Why don’t you just kill her.”

In an early interview, IFC said both Bette and Jenny were based on her own past. Jenny was young Ilene, and Bette was older Ilene, and maybe that’s why those two characters have been so well-designed — their family history is pages deeper than any other character’s. Ilene’s just a lot better at writing what she knows. Her imagination blows and so when she has to make something up, she resorts to clichè and banality.

And so it’s odd that she’s chosen to end it this way. I STRESS THIS IS JUST A THEORY but if you don’t even want to know my who-killed-jenny theory, stop reading now. It’s an effective television trick — the slight alterations in the pre-credits sequence indicating a crucial twist, like S3′s un-ended chart connection suggesting Dana’s death.

There’s one person left to say they’re gonna kill Jenny — Bette. One chance left to employ a pre-credits trick that’ll give everything away to people paying attention. There’s still Shane, I guess, but that’s a serious stretch — her being wet and wrapped up when the Detective enters the rom suggests she tried to save or retreave Jenny, not that she tried to kill her.

Bette’s the only one who stands to lose everything because of what Jenny’s done, and she’s got a temper. Of course the Bette-we-know-and-love would never actually kill someone. [I mean that's my point.]

So, if I’m right, that means for some reason … Ilene has chosen to transform her complicated younger self and confident older self into a murderess and a corpse. She’s choosing to condense and execute her past, suicide-style, quickly shifting controversial characters into unfamiliar costumes — one becomes capable of killing and the other gets herself killed.

So I guess when all is said and done … at least someone’s getting closure.

FLIRT! with Haviland Stillwell on Broadway World TV

August 6, 2008

Wanna see a teevee show that was edited by MeMeMe and stars Haviland Stillwell? Yeah you do!

The latest episode comes straight from the latest R Family Vacations cruise (the cruise line started by actress Rosie O’Donnell along with Kelli O’Donnell) featuring exclusive interviews, performance footage and more from the cruise ship including Rosie O’Donnell, Christine Ebersole, Andrea McArdle, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Seth Rudetsky, Christine Pedi, Lillias White and many more!”

Haviland & Riese Vlog #27: Advice Column LIVE

July 11, 2008

Uh Huh … Her? VIDEO Wins the Uh Huh Her SXSW Film Challenge

April 20, 2008

Go Here to check out our video which we are hoping will win has won! the Grand Prize in this year’s SXSW Uh Huh Her contest. Or see it here:

I first saw Uh Huh Her at the Mercury Lounge in August of ’07, with Carly, Heather and Haviland. Cait was also at this concert, but I didn’t see her there, ’cause we didn’t know each other yet. Now we’re friends, which just goes to show: Uh Huh Her is the fabric of our lives (and OurChart.) Following the Merc Lounge show, Carly and I ducked into an alley: Carly fed me vodka right out of the bottle, then we proceeded to valiantly talk gibberish to Leisha. Actually, I talked gibberish, Carly mostly came off as very “cool.” I said “I’m a guestbian!” like a douchetard.

In December of ’07, Alex/Semicolon and I caught the legendary band at the GO NYC Magazine Anniversary party. Also at said party: a girl I knew through my blog who coincidentally was friends with Alex’s friends who she met through her other lesbian friend which goes to show AGAIN … Uh Huh Her is the fabric of our lives.

Now we’re entering this contest. I’d like to thank everyone who made this video possible:
Cait and myself, for doing it. And Cait for pushing me to succeed when I wanted to give up ’cause Final Cut is hard. In fact, if Cait hadn’t independently plugged on and learned Final Cut kinda … and then forced me to learn it kinda … I never would’ve made it kinda.
B.: For filming almost the whole thing & carrying the camera.
Crystal: For filming, appearing in the video, and actually going to Uh Huh Her shows with us.
Stef: For throwing up in the bar and getting kicked out, ’cause that was really funny.
Carly: For teaching Cait how to use Final Cut and polishing the rough hodgepodge of nonsense I’d put together into a shimmering final project. Following her meeting w/Carly, Cait texted me that Carly had “saved the empire!”
Tinkerbell: For good cheer.
Hey, Girl-With-The-Friend-Whose-Mom’s-Couch-is-on-Layaway: I hope everything works out.
Uh Huh Her: for rocking.

Please go here to read all our intelligent discussions about why we should win, obvs we were right because we did win, and here’s Leisha and Cam’s video for us:

Auto-Straddle Vlog #3: Haviland & Riese Do The L Word

December 14, 2007

Check out the latest Haviland & Riese Vlog, chock full of dramatic readings from The L Word!

The L Word Season Five Recap TEASER #2(Vlog #3): L is for LOL

December 7, 2007

OMG have you seen the new teaser? I hope so, because it’ll really enhance not only your overall life, but your experience watching the latest and greatest Autostraddle Vlog. OMG are you going to see Uh Huh Her tonight? We sure are! I think I’ve seen Uh Huh Her more times in 2007 than I’ve seen my mother, that’s kinda lame. That’s an “L” word, p.s. Lame.

You guys, it is over for me and i-Movie. I hate it, its got more bugs than the Dana Waterfall forest, and thus, I apologise in advance for all this vlog’s small failures, including a sort of embarrassing grammatical error that I couldn’t fix because it would’ve meant re-doing all the audio for the rest of the vlog, and I couldn’t be bothered.

There’s a few sections here that Cait, Carly and Haviland suggested I leave out in the interest of being P.C. But here’s the thing: I’m a professional, obvs. I mean, look how good I did at Jenny’s voice, I couldn’t possibly give Jodi the shaft when I’d spent so much time perfecting my Tina. I love deaf people, obvs, most girls who date me end up wishing eventually they were deaf, because I talk a lot. I loved “The Miracle Worker.”

So, we parody some of the trailer and do other fun things: Jodi, Bette, Shane, Tina, Helena, etc. Also, of course, there’s discussion of Season 5′s greatest asset, Lesbian Oil Wrestling.

“The L Word” Season Five Autostraddle RECAP Trailer/Teaser & “Luck be a Lady” Parody

November 29, 2007

You know how some people, like musician/actress Leisha Hailey and photographer/actress Jennifer Beals, have many talents? I’m one of those people. In addition to my superior writing skills, I’m handy with a vodka bottle, handy w/my own two hands and handy being handsy. Furthermore, I’ve got a knack for guetsbianisim, lesbianism and celesbianism. But most importantly, I’ve got the mistaken impression that I know how to edit videos and use iMovie. iMovie, p.s., is bunk, I hate it, it breaks every ten seconds, just like Alice’s heart, Jenny’s psychosis and Shane’s hymen.

No, but seriously. JK, I’m never serious. We’re so excited about trashing the inevitably unbearable fifth season of “The L Word,” we’ve already filmed about four years worth of footage for our upcoming VLOGS, which we’ll be creating to accompany my wildly popular written recaps. By “wildly popular” I mean slightly more popular than Haviland was in middle school. Let this be a lesson to you: the meek shall inherit the earth.

So, today I’ve thrown together a little “trailer” for y’all to enjoy AND Carly’s put together our parody of the best scene of Season Four, the phone convo, AND seriously the best thing to ever happen to web-television is Carly’s blooper reel of that scene, which is also below. I will be turning all our footage — there’s tons more– into butterflies/vlogs over the next five weeks as we all wait for the new season to start. We did a few scenes, like the Mark/Jenny/Shane bobbing-for-apples scene and the Helena/Bette/Tina S2-finale scene, but there’s so much more than you see here, just like how there’s more to my personality than you see here. Carly and I also subjected Haviland to all three of the L Word Trailers we’ve already seen several times and possibly memorized (and totally recapped). Like; I’m smart, I swear. I have another blog, I quote poetry.

Speaking of multiple talents, I’ve got a big meeting on Friday to discuss the hot boyshorts we’re designing for your purchasing pleasure, and boy, am I excited, I can’t hardly wait. Seriously, I can’t, it’s ridiculous/adorable. Enough about boys, let’s watch a movie.

So, why’d I talk about multiple talents? ‘Cause Carlytron‘s also multitalented but her main talent is film specifically editing & directing, and so she was able to put her go-go-gadget skills to work for our parody of the “Luck be a Lady” scene, where they all talk on the phone about drama. I’m like, Alice, get it? Like: bla bla bla. I LOL’ed until I cried, mostly at Samantha Acosta, who’s really at her finest in the bloopers reel, as you can see. See how Carly did that thing with the three boxes? That’s what friends are for. I just had a revelation about how if you think about it like, resume-wise, the three of us really are a perfect team. I mean, skill-wise. All we need is someone to carry our things, someone with big arms.

So, here we have it, Carlytron for AutoStraddle presents our parody of the ridiculous way that The L Word thinks we live:

AND NOW THE BLOOPERS REEL!


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