Is this the proper forum to start a thread about "The L Word"?

[complain jane]

It's Sunday and it will be on tonight and I live for this friggen show and wanted to chat about it but it appears that this might be more for GLBT political issues and not something like this...?

[Misunderestimator]

1. Sure, why not? I love the show too.

Just saw the latest episode yesterday. I usually catch one of the repeats during the week.

[faithnotgreed]

2. definitely love the show too and would like to ask everyone a question

esp this season i have been disappointed even a little disheartened i will admit that they (ic) did not really depict the inner journey of bette and tina/ there was very little from the characters themselves and no greek chorus approach at all! to get inside their minds. i felt emotionally cut off from them and their struggles which i didnt want from a show/couple i was immediately so invested in.

as we are later in this season i cant say i am completely connected to this style but i have started to see it that it is an approach that were just not used to as a typical narrative. i had for some time seen it as either some form of disconnect or lack of continuity or the rotating use of writers or even perhaps some laziness

this beautiful and beautifully flawed monogamous couple had seemingly never been based on strong communication so my question is

how does everyone feel about the shows approach to fill in our own backstory etc

[Misunderestimator]

6. I agree.. They had set themselves up with Bette as the provider

and Tina as dependent on her. Now Tina is growing as a person, and it is intimidating to Bette, who loves her and regrets what she did, but is now intimidated by Tina's new independence and strength.

I was very disappointed by last season's infidelity, but I love the way they are developing Tina's character now and breaking down Bette's.

[faithnotgreed]

8. absolutely. they were definitely different people with

what they brought to the relationship. 7 years or not it often takes a long time to develop real communication. and when youre such a different personality than your partner then all the more time it will take or the relationship is bound to suffer or end

and i agree that they are building/rebuilding tina to finally become an equal to the love of her life and conversely with bette. though i see bette as gaining more emotional ground than i do tina (since bette had farther to fall)

its great that everyone was so disappointed with bettes behavior. even ms beals didnt want anything to do with it - to the point that she avoided seeing the actress who played candace the first day she was on the set

love it

[Lisaben2619]

3. I think it got a lot better this year.

The story lines seems a little more interesting. I enjoy the show, too. It is what it is; a little fun on a Sunday night.

[complain jane]

4. Yeah I agree with you, I wasn't so keen on it last season

but this year it seems like it doesn't take itself to seriously anymore and I like that. It has a sense of humor and it's far more interesting.

I like the way the Bette & Tina story's playing out so far; I also hate it because I've been in both their places and can relate to both of their situations.

Shane's become annoying and I'm not so sure I like Carmen, hot as she is. Jenny's coming into her own finally too I think.

And Dana and Alice? I don't see a single spark there. No chemistry if you ask me.

Just my two cents. Thanks for the support of the thread, I wasn't sure if this was the right place to start it.

[complain jane]

5. Well that was a whole lotta 'nuthin.

Tina's not in an "exclusive" relationship with Helena only Helena doesn't seem to know that? And does anyone else suspect (and I hope I'm wrong) that Tina's sudden attraction to Bette might be hormones? Sometimes I think they are better apart and that Bette's just a big selfish dawg but the sometimes I feel bad for Bette and want to see them back together.

Why is Jenny still with Carmen?

[faithnotgreed]

9. hi dogfish heres my best amateur dan foxworthy

i dont think for a moment that tina is moving towards bette out of shifting hormones. she absolutely adores and loves this woman but her world was crushed with bettes infidelity. that is just not what they had set up in their life of 7 yrs but no doubt tina subsequently is on very unfamiliar territory with all that has happened. and because she was destroyed and loathed what bette did (to them and to her) it is definitely going to take her time to sort through all of it. but she is seeing bette change and actually becoming the person that she would have wanted bette to be all along

jenny and carmen - hm
i think were seeing that jenny is dichotomy like most people. and not only does she have this unfortunate crush on carmen but its beyond clear there has always been the dark and damaged and confused aspect of jenny (what you cant have and you feel worse about yourself and all that). this drives everything weve seen esp when she lets herself go in her journals which im sooo glad were not subjected to of late. i can see the aspects of her personality but that doesnt mean i enjoy watching it esp when its driven home every single episode

since you correctly point out: whaaa? tinas not exclusive with helena and does helena know this? etc
so ill ask this again if i may

do you think the writing esp in season 2 is just different than were used to in other shows where everything is explained even if its outlandish? or does it seem disjointed with the various writers or what do you think is the reason that so many viewers are wondering whats going in from one episode to the next (since they arent exactly handing it to us in dialogue with each other or through someone else)

it feels like most people are wondering where the storyline momentum went from the previous episode. esp since there are only 3 episodes left this season

[complain jane]

11. I'm hoping Tina's feelings for Bette aren't just hormones

As for the style of the writing, storyline momentum, I dunno- it seems like lately they're just barely touching on different things and not really getting anywhere, where this wasn't the case earlier.

Helena gives me the creeps. She made my skin crawl in this last episode when Tina was trying on the dress and Helena asked if the straps could be shortened and then sort of pushed up Tina's chest and said "Now THAT's what I want to see" or something like that. Is it just me or was that incredibly demeaning?

[Misunderestimator]

12. Yep... it was demeaning...

in a way I have personally seen women like that be. She gives me the creeps too... which is what makes the character so great.

[complain jane]

13. I've seen women behave that way too.

And if I wanted that I'd be with a guy.

But yeah her character is great... she's such a psycho.

[faithnotgreed]

15. for multiple reasons most of us love to root against helena!

[foreigncorrespondent]

7. Awwww!

I would love to jump in and chat about The L Word, but alas, being in Australia, the second season hasn't aired yet. But I also promised Sapph I wouldn't watch the second season until we were back together again. So I gotta stay out and not read anything. LOL

Nevertheless, I love the show. And was deeply disappointed in Bette cheating on Tina. Totally broke my heart!

[faithnotgreed]

10. hi foreign

good for you for remaining so faithful!

hope you enjoy watching the show with your loved one when it comes out and maybe then you can let us know what you think

best wishes

[complain jane]

14. Yeah, I couldn't believe she did that.

I had absolutely no sympathy for Bette afterwards.

It's funny but I've read spoilers throughout the season online. Some pretty big plot twists that were originally written never saw the light of day. Some were small, some were big but there was one big one that got nixed that I'm glad didn't happen. I don't want to ruin the season for you (any more than we already did, sorry 'bout that...)

[faithnotgreed]

17. cant help but ask what that was....

when you have the time i wouldnt mind a pm if you prefer to reveal the nixed plot line

thanks dogfish that sounds too intriguing to pass up!

[complain jane]

19. pm sent.

[soleft]

16. I wish Carrie Bradshaw would write Jenny's writing monologues

As a writer - I find the segments that are supposed to be depicting Jenny's writing pretentious, humorless and I don't get the sense that I'm experiencing someone's written word. In Sex and the City, the voiceovers of Carrie's columns made me feel like, yeah, Carrie Bradshaw is a great writer.

The stuff that's suppose to reveal Jenny's work makes me feel like she needs to up the Thorazene levels.

I'm also really annoyed by the story line about the voyeur roommate, because I feel he's just there to give the male audience someone to relate to.

[faithnotgreed]

18. i would love it if kit wrote jennys monologues

i love kit and since they underutilize her anyway she could really drop some crazy jenny insight

and no one seems to like the mark story (though we have to be very patient as with all the other storylines) but i think ic said that showtime wanted a guy on the show. dim was leaving at this point so they needed a replacement. showtime suggested this new guy hook up with one of the women (that leaves either kit or alice since she is the only one who is bisexual) and ic said no way so mark was the offspring of the conversations. and so was toe guy but at least they gave kit something

with patience i dont think mark is the worst idea (that would be gomey) because everyone related to the show agrees that naturally there will be some men in the womens lives. and this way we can perhaps get to see a character who was clearly ignorant and despicable become a good guy or at least a more enlightened one
but i definitely agree that many times its been needlessly painful to watch.

give bette and tina some of that screen time. if i have to see painful i would much rather watch them!

[MsUnderstood]

20. Julie!

I love this show! Loved it last season, love it this season, Can't believe only 3 episodes remain.

Favorite characters defintely Alice and Dana. Their spots steal the show!

I also hate the Mark story. I flash back to some Cheesy CBS movie about some family victimized by their neighbor who put spy cameras in and I'm just disturbed.

[complain jane]

23. I like it much better this season than last!

I think it doesn't take itself as seriously as last season, and has lightened up a little. I love it now.

Mark sucks. Shane's weird. Her character's changed.

And now I'm starting to like Jenny - now that the woman's grown a set finally and doesn't hesitate to tell Mark exactly what she thinks, I'm starting to finally like her. And especially after last episode's scene with her flashback in the S/M dungeon. That was disturbing. The flashback, I mean, not the dungeon necessarily...

:evilgrin:

[flamingyouth]

25. I can't stand her writing

It's just abysmal. Yeah, and Mark is annoying too. But I do love this show, although I haven't watched this week's ep yet. It's on my DVR, though. :)

[Maven]

21. This has probably been said ad nauseum but

I hate hate HATE the new intro music/credits. Blech. The old one was MUCH better...ambient and cool. Set a very unique mood. This one is crap, and why does Betty have to make an appearance on EVERY EPISODE now?
</rant>

:evilgrin:

[complain jane]

22. I started hating it but now I don't mind so much.

But who's the blonde at the start of the intro on the motorcycle? Can't figure it out. SO says Ivan. It's not Ivan.

[Maven]

24. I think it's Alice.

They just made her look a little more butch.

[soleft]

26. It's Alice and the song unfortunately grows on you and get stuck

in your head, usually on Sundays starting around 5pm and getting worse as the evening goes on.

[Maven]

27. Ha!

So true.

:hi:

[complain jane]

29. I watched carefully this past Sunday.

It is Alice, and that's Dana on the back. Alice's hair's crazy different. Weird.

[MsUnderstood]

28. The music is definitely suffering this year

Last season they had an excellent song at the end of every episode--I even made a CD (I called it the Last Word) of those songs.

This season, it is eather silence or instrumental, or something not so great. I think this last episode did a bit better, but IMHO they have messed up the music this season.

[complain jane]

30. Ok so the finale was bland, no? Spoiler Alert for those who haven't seen

Whole lotta nuthin except the baby... from the previews it looked like Tina was going to be in big trouble. Glad she wasn't or didn't seem to be at show's end.

What dawned on me this morning was the bizarre exchange between Bette, Helena and Helena's mother at that party where the lunatic was trying to tell her new gf to get pregnant. At first I didn't understand what the hell they were talking about until this morning when it dawned on me, Helena's mother was telling Bette to write her a letter or at least document what Helena had done to Bette in getting her fired. Sweeeeet.

I went from hating Jenny early in the season to flat-out crying last night watching what she did to herself. Granted, I'm PMSing so I'd cry at a tire commercial right now but still. Watching Shane care about her the way she does was pretty cool (after Shane had spent the night banging Carmen in the next room, of course). It was just so sad especially when she found the little girl on the bus, I'm guessing it was supposed to be her finding herself and all the damage done to her.

Boss coming. Gotta run.