Edie Does it

Middle-aged sapphic shenanigans starring Edie Falco and Sepideh Moafi? Yes, please. I’ll even endure Michael Rapaport as a potential romantic foil. I don’t know much about “I’ll Be Right There” other than the few seconds of chemistry between Edie and Sepideh proves that “The L Word: Generation Q” had no idea what to do with Gigi. She’s the annoying ex! She’s the throuple hottie! She’s with Bette?!? So I’m thrilled to see her in bed with Edie and calling Bradley Whitford an “old man.” I hope we get to see more of her in this movie. A lot more.

Honestly, it’s just criminal it has taken Edie this long to play gay again. Again, you say? Yes, again. Unless we’ve all memory holed her role in “Tommy” as the first female and lesbian police chief of LA. That show was so well intentioned (like a West Wing but for Cops), but boy did it get promptly canceled. I mean, the pandemic hitting right then probably did not help either. Anyway, welcome back to the sapphic side, Edie. Bring Dr. Eleanor O'Hara with you too, while you’re at it. My Eve Best crush the “Nurse Jackie” days was vindicated thanks to HOTD.

My Weekend Crush

We’ve all been giving our cable and streaming services a workout during these – as what every single commercial on TV keeps telling us are – unprecedented times. Now, more than ever – as every one of these damn ads keep reminding us – we are looking for distraction from our sad realities. If only for a little while. So, again, to celebrate the start of Pride Month please enjoy all of the queer media I’ve enjoyed through all of this. Perhaps in at least what we’re watching we can be – again as they can’t stop saying in these ridiculous ads – all in this together.

“The Half of It,” Netflix

The long (long, long, long, long, long) awaited cinematic follow-up for “Saving Face” director Alice Wu debuted while most of us were all still safely sheltering in place. This is a sweet teen story of sticking out and sticking up for our true selves grows on you with each watch. It’s a very solid if at times achingly earnest look at teenage love from a viewpoint so rarely seen in mainstream cinema. While the story has some tonal issues – it can veer from almost campy teen satire to sincere spiritual philosopher in a flash – it’s innate sweetness wins out in the end. And I am always going to relate to a story about a nerdy Asian-American girl who realizes she is gay while living in small-town America. Always.


“Vita & Virginia,” Hulu

This stylish retelling of the love story between writers Virginia Woolf and Vita Sackfield-West plays more thirsty than romantic. While there is admirable chemistry between its stars Elizabeth Debicki (as Virginia) and Gemma Arterton (as Vita) – I mean at least the ladies have The Look down – the passionate story can get tripped up in its own theatrical telling. There’s some style over substance happening, for sure. But at least Elizabeth and Gemma know how to telegraph their desire – and flat-out lust – for each other effortlessly. In fact it’s these looks that are the films strongest suit. And, while this may make me sound like an old fogey shaking my fist at those kids on the lawn, I was also put off by the film’s insistane that this period drama should be set to a relentless EDM beat. I was not expecting this literary longing to be set to techno, but here we are.


“Never Have I Ever,” Netflix

Yes, I know, another teen comedy. But this sweet (I know, another sweet thing, but I’m gravitating toward sweet stuff – OK?) comedy series from Mindy Kaling is another example of why our diversity is our strength. The show centers around a 15-year-old Indian-American teen girl dealing with the sudden death of her father, the cultural pressures from her family, and normal teenage dramas. But instead of being just another teen show, it’s a very funny and very smart and very refreshing take on the universal horror of being a teenager in America. Plus, there’s a lesbian storyline which I wish there was more of, but then I always wish there was more gay stuff. Always.

“Tommy,” CBS

So, I’ve decided “Tommy” was trying to be the “West Wing” of police shows. The series about the first female police chief for the city of Los Angeles, played by Edie Falco, who also happens to be a lesbian wants to make liberal folks feel good about law enforcement – like what Aaron Sorkin’s hit drama did for politics. It was admirably acted, though its emotional arcs were uneven. And, not to sound like a broken record, but there needed to be way, way more gay stuff.

So, what LGBTQ stuff have you been watching? Share, kittens, because we’re stronger united – as every corporation won't stop telling us. Happy safe and healthy weekend, all.

TV Review: Tommy

So, it’s only two episodes in so far, but I rather like “Tommy.” It’s a bit like “The West Wing” of police procedurals – the white liberal dream of what law enforcement can be. Like, I know they’re feeding us the fantasy resolutions to intractable real-world issues, but I’m happy to let them help me dream. Basically, it’s like someone set out to make the political opposite of “Blue Bloods.”

As such it’s definitely striving to be the “wokest” cop show I’ve watched in a while. So far they’ve taken on ICE, deportations, police shootings, political corruption, sex trafficking, PTSD, suicide, sexism, sexual harassment, and I know I’m missing some other Hot Topic. And, again, it’s only been two episodes. If nothing else it sure knows how to pack a lot of plot into each installment.



But the good news there is more than just progressive takes on hot political topics (not that there’s anything wrong with that). It also allows the always excellent Edie Falco to bring her unassuming competence to the role of Chief Abigail “Tommy” Thomas , the first female chief of police for Los Angeles – who also happens to be a newly out lesbian.

The pilot episode made Tommy’s sexuality one of the – many – major plot points. And it even lets her get convincingly flirted with by a woman (and, y’all were right, the elevator lady was definitely not Katrina Lenk). But, alas, her sexuality is nowhere to be seen in the second episode. Still earlier reports have promised her and Lenk’s characters would become something of an item this season. So that’s something to look forward to.

If these stills from the March 5 episode are any indication, we won’t have to wait that long.



Also, damn, looks like Tommy suddenly got a lot less tired.



All in all, this feels like a solid CBS show, which is no way meant as an insult. It’s just surprising.

So, thoughts? And, man, what it is it with ladies totally blowing their shot with other ladies and elevators?

Hail to the Chief

Hey, well will you look at that, more good news for 2020. This time it comes in the form of Edie Falco who is the star of the new CBS series “Tommy,” about the fictitious first female police chief of Los Angeles who also happens to be a lesbian. Yes, folks, this appears to be the first drama on a major network about a lesbian woman who does not possess superpowers. (Yes, I know, there have bee comedies starring LGBT lead characters without any superpowers, but again those were comedies.) Granted, being chief of police comes with its own distinct powers, but you know what I mean.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter last week Falco (who is pretty much great in everything she does), said she was happy to be playing a lesbian character saying:

“I think it's important that every single person — large, small, different colors — gets represented in our television. I think everybody in the world wants to look at television and be able to find themselves somewhere, and I think we've been leaving huge swaths of the population out of that experience. I could always find myself on television as a kid. The world is changing; we've got to change with it.”

Damn (not-)straight!

They’ve even already hired Edie’s love interest in the show (Tony-winning Broadway star Katrina Lenk), which every single queer gal already totally picked up on in the trailer. Hello, we saw that look in the elevator, hello!



Also good news is this crime drama on the most staid of TV networks (I mean, it’s CBS) features a writer’s room of eight that is half female, half LGBTQ-identifying and a quarter African American. Representations matters in front of and behind the camera, always.

So, thoughts? From the trailer it looks like a really solid, and dare-I-say heartfelt entry in to the cop show TV canon. I know I’ll definitely give it a shot Feb. 6.

p.s I'll be honest, I am not sure if the elevator/hand-in-pocket lady is Katrina Lenk or Audrey Marie Anderson. Neither has "Tommy" listed on their IMDB, but Katrina was listed by the showrunner in that THR article I quoted as playing her on-screen love interest. They are both attractive brunettes, so consider it face blindness on my part.