Here’s another L-Word …
Letdown.
Yep. That’s the way I felt last night after the L Word premier on Showtime.
Let down.
There has been so much hype about this season and while I feel as though the writing for the show has been far less than impressive, I thought this season might serve as redemption. After the first episode, I think I was wrong. Here’s why.
I love character development - the ups and down and twist and turns that brings the characters from point A. to point B. Sure, the L Word definitely has its shares of twists and turns. 
But here’s the key. You have to be able to do all of that without compromising the characters’ integrity. When I am writing a story, I always ask myself - is this plausible? Would this character really rob a bank? Is it in his nature?
Take Helena for instance. She was introduced to us as a head strong, intelligent, power hungry, uncompromising individual. Two seasons later and she’s a bumbling, weak pushover. I understand that characters can change, but you have to admit that her character’s change was pretty dramatic.
Then there’s Jenny. Lord I can’t stand her. How does someone who writes about manatees suddenly make it into the New Yorker only to have the story be picked up as a movie in which she is slated to direct. Does the L Word stand for La La Land now too?
Thirdly, why does every season end on such a dramatic note only to have what happened be completely ignored in the following season. When Dana died in season three, it was hardly even discussed last season. Papi vanished into thin air it seems. Remember Mark? The perv who taped Shane doing it with all those girls? What happened to him? Suddenly, he was just gone. And at the end of last season, Jenny drifted off on a raft and we aren’t told where the heck she went. But somehow she was able to get off the raft and go on a cruise to some remote tropical island where she happened to meet an incredibly rich and bored little twit who was astounded and intrigued by her manatee writing and thus, decided to financially back her movie about a group of over privileged lesbians living in L.A. Um. Yeah. That happens every day.
I know the L Word can be a little outrageous at times, but at least make some things plausible. It’s fiction, sure … but it doesn’t have to be so fictitious that it’s ridiculous.
Nevertheless, I know that I’ll tune in every Sunday at 9 p.m. to watch this season unfold. I can’t help it really. It’s like a car accident, I don’t want to watch but really, I want to watch and find out what happens.
Plus, I love the Alice and Tasha storyline. And I hope it’s one the powers that be don’t mess with. Let it carry itself and see what happens. Don’t tweak it the way you’ve tweaked with Jenny. Pretty soon the name of the show will be Jenny’s Word if things keep going the way they are.
the l word, l word, alice, tasha, jenny, showtime
January 8th, 2008 at 11:24 am
[...] over at Lez Keep It Real had a lot to say about the newest season of The L Word, and while I might be biased because I love [...]
January 10th, 2008 at 4:53 pm
I don’t know what has gotten your panties in a bunch Lyndsey! The show is not all that different from what happens in everyday life. These women just happen to be successful. I happen to think that’s refreshing since people tend to not depict us in that light. I think the characters are very believable and the show develops nicely. I do agree with you on how some of the characters are key players in conflict and no explanation or anything is given as to where they stand now, but maybe thats because Ilene isn’t done yet. We might have a mouth dropper come from somewhere other than the reuniting of Bette and Tina. We stay so focused on Bette and Tina that I wouldn’t doubt that she has that idea in mind…shock us when we’re not looking. I am a big Bette and Tina fan and I sometime feel guilty because I really don’t give the other storylines a shot if they don’t involve them in the scene somehow…lmao! I’m working on it! I think the show is going to be great and we just have to sit back and let things unfold. The car accident always catches you off guard. You know you shouldn’t be watching, but deep inside at that moment you wouldn’t want to be anywhere else…that is why you will be eyes wide every Sunday at 9…and that is why we have been blessed with 5 seasons of greatness. I hope other shows take the queue and start making more series as addicting as this. I mean, if you look at it, people ARE trying: Noah’s Arc, Exes and Oh’s…etc, but we haven’t had a show of this magnitude and symbolism since Queer As Folk. Right now I am afraid for The L Word to end because I wouldn’t know where to turn for OUR kind of entertainment. Its like people don’t bother doing a GREAT job on our shows but put so much into Nip/Tuck, The Wire, The Sopranos…AHHhhh! Give us something we can hold on to for as many seasons as the Simpsons have been around! I commend The L Word for hanging in there, and I shake the hand of Showtime for having the cahoonas to bring us one great series after the other…YEAH!!!
January 28th, 2008 at 10:41 am
[...] Darcangelo Every Monday, I feel compelled to write about the L Word. This season started off a little shaky for me, but I am loving it now. (Even if Jenny is a crazy [...]