Tuesday, March 11, 2008

The Final Word

The end is near. As you’ve probably already read, discussed and psycho-analyzed, “The L Word” has been renewed for its sixth and final season. The show will bow out with an abridged eight-episode season in early 2009. The renewal makes the series the longest-running scripted gay show in television history. For all our collective bitching and moaning and groaning about TLW (We love it! We hate it! We have no idea what Mama Chaiken was thinking!), that is pretty fucking amazing. Were there problems? Indubitably. But it was also a show that finally gave gay women and all their talking, laughing, loving, breathing, fighting, fucking, crying, drinking, riding, winning, losing, cheating, kissing, thinking and dreaming the spotlight.

So much of the lexicon of the gay culture is focused on gay men, which I don’t necessarily begrudge. (Seriously, I love my gay boys. Hi gay boys!) Still it’s nice to have a proverbial Room of One’s Own where you can kick off your shoes and just be ourselves. OK, fine, glamorous, beautiful and fashionable versions of ourselves. Still, if nothing else, the series showed the wider world the unparalleled talents of all the women playing the women who long, love, lust. So thanks to Jennifer, Leisha, Laurel, Kate, Mia, Pam, Rachel, Rose, Cybill, Marlee, Daniela, Sarah, Erin and all the other lovely ladies who have inhabited The L. And thanks to Big Mama C, without whose vision of impossibly gorgeous women getting it on week after week, none of this would be possible.

p.s. OK, the there/their issues are all better now. I actually do know the difference between those two, for honest. But get me around a which/that and I break into a cold sweat.
p.p.s. Those looking for their (see, see, I know) Tina Fey Tuesday fix should hop over to AfterEllen today.

13 comments:

  1. Anonymous6:28 AM

    psst! second half of the first paragraph: there, not their. :)

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  2. Yes, thank you to everyone involved with the L Word. I want the movie now! Please!!

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  3. Anonymous8:32 AM

    It's nice that you've chosen to just post positive words about the show. I agree with you. And it's such a shame how much complaining so many fans do about 99% of the time.

    Yay for EVERYTHING about this show!! :)

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  4. They are so ending this with Dana floating around in the clouds.

    I'm glad it's the going to be the final season. No more fooling around with the plot, no more personality transplants and missing characters!

    I'm just glad they have a whole nine episodes to finally resolve everything. Too bad they're making history without the talented Erin Daniels. I've always wanted it to end with the three musketeers (Dana, Alice, Shane) just talking about something.

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  5. All good things must come to an end...

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  6. I agree with Anne. I love this show to death. Without it, I would have so many more questions about my sexuality, let alone come out in the first place.

    I'm just sad I'll never have a guest spot on the show... it was my ultimate tv goal. Oh well I just have to stick with theater!

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  7. Anonymous11:53 AM

    Dorothy Snarker! Shame on you.

    I can't believe you wrote this:

    talking, laughing, loving, breathing, fighting, fucking, crying, drinking, riding, winning, losing, cheating, kissing, thinking and dreaming

    and then this:

    women who long, love, lust.

    By Tuesday morning, I'm just getting that crap-song out of my head and then you come along and push it back in. SO *not* fair! *wipes away tears*

    This is going to require an extra session this week...and probably the whole "lie down" on the couch.

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  8. Anonymous1:08 PM

    Agreed, Snarker. As much as I beyotch about the show, IFC has done something with her disfunctional gaggle of lez girls. (Although if I you quote the theme song again I shall have tears in my eyes, and not in a good way.)

    As for that/which, a lot of it comes down to whether you're using a restrictive or a non-restrictive clause.

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  9. Anonymous8:57 PM

    I just remember illegally downloading the first season in my bedroom as a junior in high school - scared shitless that someone would catch me watching a show about lesbians.

    It's so funny to me that four years later I now watch it with my girlfriend, and am perfectly content with my life.

    It sounds cheesy, but it had a huge impact on my coming out, and I'm so glad I I got to see it when I was questioning my sexuality.

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  10. Anonymous5:21 AM

    Ahh shane come on be happy but will craman come back!!!!!I loved the L word.Well I just started to wach it but who cares!!I'm just wondering why 8? no 12 come on drag it on a little.Come on trilogly movies!! *Praying hard for more shane and a happy ending for her.*

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  11. Anonymous1:58 PM

    oh no, only one more season??????
    what will I watch????

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  12. You've no idea how very, very sad it makes me that they would even CONSIDER ending The L Word.

    I became an addict last year. Hadn't seen an episode of it before. Let me tell you...after watching one episode on TV, I rented the previous 3 seasons within a week.

    I still can't get enough.

    It's so unfair they are taking it away from me!

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  13. Anonymous1:46 AM

    Je suis dépitée à l'idée que la série s'arrête.
    C'est la seule série qui traite de l'homosexualité féminine. Certes, ce n'est pas toujours réaliste mais cela a permis de donner une visibilité.
    Le scénario est parfois décousu mais la plupart des actrices ont sublimé cette série notamment Jennifer Beals et Laurel Holloman tellement convaincantes qu'on ne peut s'empêcher de penser qu'elles ont aimé ou aiment les filles.

    Cela me déprime de savoir que la 6ème saison est la dernière et qu'il n'y aura que 8 petits épisodes.

    Et après ?
    Si seulement il pouvait y avoir un film à la hauteur de "Brokeback" pour les filles.

    Un film servi par de bonnes actrices avec un bon scénario, un film qui soit à même d'aborder plusieurs aspect: le coming out devant la famille, le mariage, l'adoption.

    Ps: Désolée je devais dire ce que j'avais sur le coeur, et j'ai dû le faire en français.

    Merci Dorothy pour votre superbe blog que je prends énormément plaisir à consulter.

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