Written by Kace

As I sit here and ponder the rights and wrongs and oddities of Season 3, I feel that something needs to be addressed about this show. It's something that's been mentioned here and there online, but now I'm gonna go as indepth as possible and try to figure out just how the Hell we got here.

Before we begin, I just want everyone to know that above and beyond all things, I consider the Entertainment Factor and in spite of the odd quirks of this show at times, I'm still entertained. I usually maintain the positives of the show when doing my own weekly show, What The L! online, but I guess the need to go on a rant supercedes things a bit. So consider this verbally tough love from a loyal fan.

I can't help but realize that the most stable relationship of this show in 2006 has been between Kit and Angus. Yep...straight couple. Now, as a straight guy myself, I'm fine with the fact that at least one heterosexual couple can actually have stability in a show that's about lesbians and so on. That's actually one more than stable lesbian relationships. And therein lies the problem. Despite being adopted online by some as a "Lisa" or Lesbian Identified Male or honorary male lesbian, depending on who I'm talking with I still consider myself to simply be a guy. So I can only imagine what it must be like for lesbians (and arguably just gay people in general) to watch The L Word nowadays, only to see that there's no stability whatsoever. Sure, there was Shane & Carmen, but that went out the window when Shane had that fling with Cherie. It stayed out the window when Carmen was left hangin' at the altar. With Season 3 over, let's break down the couplings, shall we?

Lesbian Couples!

Bette & Tina...on the splits as Tina finds herself interested in men for the first time in a while.

Jenny & Moira...becomes rather invalid with Moira going Pinnochio and wanting to be a real boy. Also consider Moira's fling with Billie and I don't know how to categorize that.

Shane & Carmen...hot to bland to cheating to grieving to engaged to split up.

Alice & Dana...broke up before Season 3 ever gets off and running.

Dana & Lara...the only real hope, but that became nullifed once Lara was chased off/left/whatever. And let's not forget Dana dying didn't do any favors for either of her relationships.

Helena & Dylan...turns out Dylan was lookin' to leech in a bad way. Sure she feels bad about it NOW!!! The damage however is done and unless Season 4 dictates otherwise, all feelings are moot now.

So far, not so good...now then!

Straight Couples!

Kit & Angus...starts off rocky, but damn they stick together. Right away, the "breeders" are schooling the lesbians on relationships....on The L Word. Does anybody sense the problem here???

Tina & Hammerin' Henry...so far, so good and these two have really taken to each other. It's as if they're both looking for a normal family utopia or something. I'm sure Henry's a nice guy and all, but normal ain't why we watch this show.

Sure, only 2 notable couples, let's also consider some of the guest straight couples. Henry's friends, Tim & his new significant other. For a show allegedly about gay people, in particularly gay women, there sure was a lot of heterosexuality going on.

Now you're probably asking yourself, "Self? Why would Kace be critical of the idea of straight people hooking up? Isn't that there so people like Kace can have something to identify with, 'cause you know...mainstream audience and all that? Why the complaining?" It's not so much a complaint as it is a concern and here's why. The end of Season 3 doesn't exactly paint a pretty picture. Consider this as coming from someone who is arguably on the outside looking in. This show, whether anybody likes it or not, has become the fictionalized window into the world of gay women for straight people, in particularly, straight guys who haven't quite figured out women can be attracted to each other, but still not wanna get down with a guy when in need of a certain type of penetration (which I won't go into detail here...kids might be reading...yeah, that's it). What we guys are seeing isn't something I would consider all that flattering. To break it down a little further, we have...

Bette: Evil genius who will stop at nothing to get what's hers.

Tina: Lesbian who suddenly wants to be with men, which let's face  it, is gonna give a lot of male viewers a false sense of hope that's totally unfair.

Shane, (maybe) Carmen, Jenny, Dana and Alice: Short attention span theater when it comes to relationships, leading to cheating around and such.

Lara: Runs away in the face of danger.

Helena: Buys happiness only to lose it. Also comes up short in the good relationship area.

Moira: So embraced by being a gay woman that she would prefer to be a straight man, instead.

Kit: Long term relationship...oh yeah, it's with a guy. Nevermind.

So what's a male viewer who might not be all that exposed to the Lesbian Community (or whatever one calls it) to think when seeing Season 3 all the way through? If nothing else, the unfortunate misguided lesson that's been taught here is that lesbians really suck at relationships. Considering that this is The L Word, that's not a good thing. As much as I love this show and yes it is my favorite on TV, there's something incredibly wrong when our lone longterm happy couple is a heterosexual one. It doesn't paint a nice picture at all for lesbians. I'm sure it's one thing for lesbians or even women in general to point that out. I'd like to think it's a little more damning however when a know-nothing, "breeder" boy like myself notices it without anyone having to point it out to me beforehand.

Season 4 is Make Or Break for this fine program. If the lesbian relationships continue to fail while the heterosexuals of the show continue to flourish a bit more in theirs, be it for irony or for better ratings, I don't see Season 5 being around for anyone to watch. Let's be honest with ourselves, here. If we want heterosexuality to run rampant on our screens, we have a boatload of shows to choose from already. At the risk of sounding perverted, it is my sincerest hope that Season 4 brings us something a little better in the Lesbian Sex Department. More Bette & Tina, less Tina & Henry. Kit & Angus are fine, since Kit's supposedly the token straight lady anyway. For the rest of the group however, they need something good, quicklike. FanFic Writers can only do so much to remedy the situation, but it's up to the writers of the real thing to make it happen. It needs to happen. Because right now, this show's giving little to no reason for people to embrace homosexuality in a positive light. In fairness though, I guess it does teach that gay people can be just as screwed up as us straight ones. The only problem is that the only ones on the show with any stability are the straight people.

Season 4 needs to rediscover and embrace its "L" in The L Word again. Or else a few straight people'll be the only ones left watching it...and we have more than enough options and short attention spans as is. It's the only hope for there to be a Season 5.

Just my opinion. Other opinions may vary.

Later.

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