The L Word: Generation Q - Episodes 7 & 8 (Grand finale!)
*MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD*
So, it turns out that I was wrong about a few things. Which I suppose is good in a way because I like surprises... sort of.
First of all, WOW! I loved it. I genuinely LOVED IT. The storylines, the drama, the build-up, the scenery, the houses, the wardrobes, the banter, the music, the characters, the friendships, the sex, the battles - both internal and external - the humour... EVERYTHING!
The fact that they included a handful of the original cast members alongside the addition of the new characters made it what it was for me - nostalgia mixed with intrigue, a winning combination in my opinion. They all seemed to gel and complimented one another really well; from Bette and Dani's torrential start to then becoming the ultimate professional powerhouse; Shane and Finley's comical friendship; Alice's work bond with Sophie; Tess and Shane's blossoming friendship (by the end); Tess and Finley's *ahem* collaboration; Finley and Sophie's bromance... in fact, Finley with everyone was a gripping and entertaining watch. Angie and her mamas; Micah and his mama. The casting was on point.
I wanted to see a few more celebrities from my wishlist, though - and before the show started, I hoped that we would get someone on it that would have been unexpectedly amazing - Sarah Paulson, for example. Imagine if she had turned up arm in arm with Peggy Peabody (seeing as they are a couple in real life anyway). Kate McKinnon on The L Word would have made my year. Hopefully her face will grace our screens next season. We did get Roxane Gay at the end but, to be completely honest, I didn't know who she was... I had to Google her. (I hope that doesn't make me a bad lesbian.)
Overall, the reboot managed to hold onto its original style yet also distinguished itself from the original series by bringing it into present-day and opening up the Queer inclusivity umbrella amidst current issues, humour and ongoing stigmas within the Queer community.
On a side note, every time I watch something that is brimming with Queerness - and there isn't much of it - it makes me wish that I lived in my own little Queer bubble. Like in Tales of the City or Wonder Woman's Amazon home of Themyscira - wouldn't that be nice? I also desperately crave a show like this as a permanent fixture, like a Queer soap opera, rather than having the same old same on offer; Eastenders, Coronation Street, Emmerdale and Hollyoaks. *eye roll* I'm not expecting it every day, just once a week, or even once a fortnight - I'm a reasonable woman - as long as it is continuous. Why don't we have this option? I want a Queer channel available to me - twenty-four-seven Queer streaming at the touch of a button, please. If I ever manage to have a considerable amount of money/power or my own TV broadcasting network, I am going to make this happen, my dear Queer family. Pack up your rainbow luggage and jump on my Queer train...
Destination: Queersville.
Anyway, let's get into my previous predictions shall we:
Dani ends things with Sophie and tells Bette that she's falling for her and they kiss
Nope. Turns out Dani is a good egg.
Micah gives us something about himself other than Jose and Jose is going to have family issues and that's why he's being so secretive. Or maybe he has a boyfriend who is terminally ill and that's why he's being distant all of a sudden.
Yes! Finally. It was nice to get a glimpse into Micah's past and although his mum is a sweet little lady, she obviously hasn't grasped how to approach her son's transition quite yet - either that or she was a bit too high from her champagne flavoured weed gummies. But that's beside the point. Showing Jose baby photos of Micah was a bad move and she needs to start thinking before she speaks. Mum did redeem herself a little at the end when she said 'Goodnight my son'.
I guess it's a learning curve for her, I'm sure she will get there and hopefully next season we will see a little more on their improved relationship. JOSE, on the other hand, is a very naughty man. Turns out he has a husband - but I get the feeling there's more to it. There'd better be anyway.
Sophie ends up kissing Finley and they possibly become a couple, ready for a new season two relationship - they're getting VERY close and Sophie muttered 'Everybody loves you, you’re the best part of my day'. Mm-hmm. Will a relationship between them be a bit awkward considering that they are such good 'bro' friends or will it be a case of 'Monica and Chandler' syndrome?
Well, they did kiss - expected. They also slept together - unexpected. I didn't see this whole thing coming, however, I do think they work well together. Their relationship has banter, fun, years of knowledge of one another's lives, feelings and secrets... even their love scene was endearing, and you could see the slight awkwardness between them at times but then Sophie uttered "This feels too good," and it just made the whole scene feel very real and raw and as though it had been a long time *ahem* coming.
Lena and Tess get back together (Tess can do better, in my opinion)
They didn't, and I'm glad.
Shane realises that she has actually agreed to be a mother and gets cold feet... and if the old Shane crops up, she's bound to do something damaging. Yikes! Yep. Though she didn't technically do anything to mess it up. Quiara turned up pregnant despite Shane telling her from the start that she didn't want children - and she should have respected that decision as much as Shane respected her decision to want them. I mean, wasn't that the reason for their divorce? With such a difficult subject, both parties need to be in agreement and if only one party wants such a life-changing commitment, then I'm afraid it's not going to work out.
Bette and Tina don't get it on (as much as I hope they do)
Unfortunately, I was right with this one. But Tina is going to be buying a house in LA so she can be near Angie during the hiatus at work - whatever that means. I don't ever have a work hiatus. Either way, will she be able to resist Bette once she visits LA more often?
Angie and Jordi make things official and become girlfriends
Yes. Well, I assume they did seeing as Angie was curious about virginity. Also, the conversation between Alice and Angie on the topic had me in stitches:
Angie: When did you lose your virginity?
Alice: Okay, um... I haven’t yet.
Angie: I know you're lying.
Alice: Oh, yeah. I was, um, like... thirty-seven.
Angie: You know what, I'll just ask Shane. I think that’s perfect.
Finley has it out with one of her family members and we FINALLY find out what happened to her when she was younger
I guess we will see this in series two as the final episode ends with her catching a plane to go home for her sister's wedding... which she knew nothing about until the last minute.
We did also see Finley apologise to Rebecca for hurting her and confessing that she really loves Sophie and deserves no-one. Rebecca finally gives her some advice - about time - and informs her that she needs to address 'the shame' and that she needs to start small in taking responsibility for things she has done because that is what makes us feel good. And so Finley decides to start by giving back the bike she stole from a one night stand in the first episode. Come on Finley, I have faith in you to heal from your wounds.
Alice, her two girlfriends and their two kids live happily ever after - and even welcome a litter of puppies and/or kittens as an addition to their fairytale relationship. (Well, someone's got to have a happy ending.) No, they did not. I guess I should have seen that one coming really, shouldn't I? But no, I was as oblivious as Alice. You just knew something was going to happen between ex-wives Nat and Gigi when Nat is standing there watching Gigi reading a bedtime story to their child and you can see from her expression that she had missed those moments... of course they were going to have a one-on-one sexual encounter. Even I know that’s a broken rule of a throuple, and I’m not even in a polyamorous relationship. (Unless a throuple have discussed it and agreed that this situation is okay - which these three lovebirds had not.)
Their sex scene was hot, though. You could feel the yearning love between them and I don't think Alice even crossed their minds at that point. They were utterly absorbed in their own 'ex-wives-making-up-for-lost-time' bubble. Eventually, Alice comes home and sees the two in bed together talking, and very much naked, and they even have the audacity to ask Alice if she wants to join them, completely unaware that what they had done was wrong. Alice quickly realises that it's over between them when she states 'No Gigi, you should stay - it’s your house - your wife - it's your whole fucking life!' before storming off.
A few days later, they all meet up at a cafe to discuss their relationship and, as usual, Alice delivers the classic one-liner when the waitress asks if she would like anything:
Alice: I’ll have a coffee. You know what, I’m actually going to start with nothing, let’s see how this goes.
Alice concludes that she was used by the pair in order to fix their broken relationship and doesn't feel needed in their lives, and the final straw is when the waitress comes back with Nat and Gigi's order of a salad and a soup with two spoons.
So, dear Alice is left alone, again, but fortunately, she gets her happy ending when Nat interrupts her during a recording of her show telling her that she loves her and is going to fight for her... and only her. Yay.
One of the last scenes is Nat and Alice in a romantic embrace on a plush sofa in an empty studio and they seem so in love. Let's keep our fingers crossed that the storm stays at bay in season two.
What else do I want to say?
1. Well, Bette didn't become the blimmin' Mayor, did she? I was genuinely shocked at the result… but I guess they had to portray the reality of politics.
2. We finally found out why Dani's dad has a problem with Sophie; it's because Sophie comes from a broken home and therefore doesn’t know stability, and when things get hard, she’ll do the only thing she knows which is to leave. Will daddio be right in this instance? (On a side note, I really admire Dani's relationship with her dad - she tells him how it is and she does not hold back. Feisty Italian lady, just like my mum and aunts - where did I go wrong?)
3. The final scenes with Bette and Angie made my heart melt; Bette is clearly distraught from her campaign loss, the confirmation of the end of her romantic relationship with Tina and her mourning for Kit. Everything finally takes its toll and she passes out on the sofa in exhaustion. Angie knew this would happen, "I knew it would hit you eventually. It's okay to be sad, you know." She obviously knows her mother very well and that's because Angie is very smart and intuitive - so she forces Bette to get up and go for a hike with her.
There were a few sombre moments between them, such as when Angie admitted that she was sad about mama T getting married because 'a tiny part of her always hoped that they would get back together'. And also when Bette was talking about Kit and revealed that she 'never allowed herself to get sad' and 'she didn’t let herself grieve because it would mean saying a final goodbye and she wasn’t ready to do that.' Then mother and daughter participate in a screaming session (a tactic she learnt from an earlier series when Bette screamed her head off on the way to the bus stop to go home following a short stay in a silent retreat). Bette then attempts to have a 'birds and the bees' talk with an embarrassed Angie which was a sweet-but-funny moment and we end with Bette being asked out on a date by Maya and Angie is overcome with excitement saying ‘you just found the love of your life’. I just want to squish those adorable little cheeks! Anyway, it was a sweet last scene between the pair and it was good to see Angie opening up a little more to mama B.
4. And last but not least, who would have thought that Sophie would end up being the cheater?! Is it because Finley has been there for her during Dani's recent and frequent absences or does she have a genuine 'romantic' love for her which has surfaced because of these circumstances? I guess we will have to wait A WHOLE YEAR to find out.
Sophie and Finley have a very loveable friendship and they both manage to pull one another up from their internal battles... and there were a few scenes which I thought were rather touching;
Sophie is trying to remain composed amongst her frantic family as they are stood by grandma’s hospital bed, but as soon as she steps outside, she breaks down. The sadness briefly falls from her face when Finley turns up with a stash of snacks for them all.
Finley tells Sophie how it is in that she can’t play games with Dani by hoping that Dani will do the right thing and do what she expects her to do - because it’s messed up. She has to ask for what she wants, not assume that Dani will know. Wise words.
Finley offers to pray with Sophie to try to make her feel better about her grandma. Sophie’s response tells us that it’s obviously a difficult thing for Finley to do (in regards to what happened to her in the past) and tells her that she doesn’t have to do that. But Finley, being the amazing friend that she is, tells her that she wants to and given that it’s just the two of them, it doesn't make it scary.
I would also like to take this moment to share the conversation between Finley and Dani when they are discussing being at the hospital for Sophie and her grandma:
Finley: Dude, it’s her grandma. Even I knew to be there.
Dani: Yeah, you should be there. Your life is nothing like mine.
Finley: Okay.
Dani: Our circumstances are different.
Finley: Yeah I’m not her fiancé.
Talk about a reality check, right Dani?
What else?
I absolutely loved all the music used in the series and I found a website that lists the entire soundtrack - categorised by episode, and with Amazon and iTunes links for your convenience. Browse the playlist here.
The L Word always manages to make me fall in love with the LA scenery - even though LA didn't win my heart during my trip last year. I really wanted it to, guys. I truly thought I would want to live there, and before I arrived, I was planning my new exciting life in my head. Twenty-four-seven vitamin D. But alas, in the rain I shall remain until the pain seeps from my veins, mainly in vain, hoping that my brain will stay sane... in the UK rain. (Sorry.)
The closing snippets zooming into every characters' prevailing situation was a nice round-up to lead us into season two, full of the inevitable mixture of ups and downs to the fervent tone and lyrics of Pinks' 'What About Us':
Jose and Micah — down. Will Jose have a good reason behind the surprise appearance of his husband?
Shane — down with her divorce from Quiara and up with her new dog. Will said pooch be her one and only true love?
Bette — up as she arrives for her date with Maya, the reporter, in her delightful figure-hugging dress. Will she start to 'see' Dani in a new light? Will Tina want her back?
Angie and Jordi —— up as they laughed and chatted away whilst listening to music/watching a film, sharing a set of headphones. Will their new relationship run smoothly?
Alice and Nat —— up now that they have decided to keep their relationship to a 'two-people maximum'. Will Gigi be able to stay away from Nat?
Fin? Sophie? Dani? - What's going to happen with this little triangle? Only Dani is one hundred and ten per cent oblivious to it all. Yikes!
MY FAVOURITES
Favourite scene:
The opening scene of episode seven when Sophie is in the shower and Finley walks in and stares at her in astonishment.
Finley: Damn! That ass is tight. You look fucking goooood.
Sophie (smiling): You're so stuuupid!
Funniest scene:
Sophie reading her favourite lesbian love story to her grandma so that 'when she wakes up, she yells at me'. (Does anyone know what that book was? I would like to read it. Thanks.)
Favourite line:
When Alice and Bette are about to rekindle and Bette explains that she didn't tell Alice about Felicity because she thought she would judge her.
"Why would I judge you? I’m in a throuple… with two ex-wives! I mean, you should be judging me." - Alice
Line I resonated with the most:
"There are a lot of voices in the room and I am having a hard time hearing my own." - Alice
I totally get that. At times, I find it difficult to express myself and occasionally I feel as though others speak in place for me in life, especially in certain situations that I won't delve into. I don't like it, and it makes me feel as though I am not heard. Not quite sure how to overcome that one just yet, but life is for learning and I am hopeful that I will surpass this one day.
Hottest scene:
Nat and Gigi in the throes of passion. I felt that.
Saddest scene:
When Bette had a glimmer of hope, encouraged by recently appointed Mayor Milner, in heading up a team to look into the opioid crisis, until Dani informs her that it's all a set-up as Milner's connection to big pharma runs deep, which leaves Bette wondering "Was it worth it? Was any of it fucking worth it?" Her reason for running for Mayor was for a deeply important and serious issue that she hoped she could begin to amend, not just for herself, but for everybody that doesn't have a voice, and just like that it got taken away from her.
Most heartfelt scene:
The whole conversation between Angie and mama B during their hike - a special place for the two of them where they had scattered some of Kit's ashes.
Season two hopes:
Dani and Bette end up together.
I will also accept Tina not going through with her marriage if she decides to pursue Bette again
Sophie confesses to Dani, and Finley and Sophie become 'official'
Micah gets a happy ending with Jose
Alice and Nat live happily ever after
Tess finds a new girlfriend... maybe Shane? Hmm, interesting. That would be a slap in Lena's face, wouldn't it? Especially if she finds out
Shane and Quiara stick with the divorce and Quiara ends up having quadruplets
Finley confronts her family and gets the closure she needs to heal herself
Dani chills out a bit and has some fun - I would love to see her dating a few people - maybe even attend a speed dating event - and one of the women is Bette. Cheeky!
Angie and Jordi experience their 'first time' together and fall madly in love
Tina gets her house in LA and we get to meet her fiancé - who potentially causes some trouble between the Porter-Kennards
ROSY'S FINAL RATING - 9/10
There's still room for some improvement but overall, it was pretty epic.
