I would like to take a moment and congratulate The L Word: Generation Q on not introducing an Unnecessary Man in episode five. So often lesbian relationships on TV expand beyond the couple to include the men who were boyfriends and husbands before, the dude someone in the relationship has an affair with (while freaking out about no longer being a lesbian, even though queerness can cover all manner of sexualities and there’s no need to pull anyone’s queer card), or some random male roommate who is gonna tape our favorite television friend — ahem, Mark. Anyway, Gen Q didn’t do that!
See, Shane’s wife is pregnant. Well, they just signed divorce papers, so maybe Shane’s ex-wife with whom she’s currently sleeping is pregnant. Also, Shane doesn’t want kids and that’s why they broke up. But when asked, “How?†Quiara answers, “By a donor,†with such speed and clarity it healed me from at least three wounds inflicted by Unnecessary Men storylines past.
However, Quiara then goes completely off the rails by insisting that her forthcoming child doesn’t have to have an impact her relationship with Shane, or at least that Shane doesn’t have to co-parent that baby. Friends, that’s wild. Quiara is going to be really shocked when she finds out babies notice people being around and bond with them. Like, it’s maybe possible that Shane could sleep through a screaming newborn without helping out, but I’m trying to imagine what it would look like for the child to not really direct any normative baby needs (love, conversation, silly songs) at the small boxer who sleeps with their mom.
Really hoping we get to see this dynamic!
Speaking of dynamics, last week’s all-time most stressful threesome seems to be resolving in a way that works for all. (The characters, that is — I’m still stressed as hell.) Alice, Nat, and Gigi wake up in the same bed and then hustle around trying to hide their adult sleepover from the kids. Nat is also angry with Gigi for working her way into her relationship with Alice, but that anger dissipates pretty quickly when they all decide to all operate as partners. These three have a lot of chemistry, even more so as a throuple then when it was just Alice and Nat, and are pretty funny and cute together — but I am still STRESSED OUT by this situation. Good luck, everyone!
On the topic of chemistry, Tess (the remaining unfucked-by-Shane member of Dana’s managerial duo) and Finley meet in this episode, or maybe already knew each other? I don’t think we’ve seen them interact directly, but maybe they did in the pilot? Tess is trying to stay sober in the aftermath of heartbreak and calls her sponsor, or a friend in recovery, for support, who suggests she help someone today — just as Tess walks in on Finley sleeping it off in the bar’s back room. They head to Brite Spot for food and conversation, and, for me, this scene is the one where Finley starts to make more sense. Her vibe with other characters on the show has been detached, so it’s great, and a bit of a relief, to see some real connection happen for her.
Of course, that relief is wiped pretty clean by Tess frantically calling Lena repeatedly, not getting an answer, and then making the decision to drink. Tess has Finley come work at the bar that night, and after a day spent being compassionately and very honestly broken up with by the priest she was seeing — “Work on your own shit; I need to be with my equal†— and calling her dad but getting hung up on when her mom gets near the phone, Finley shows up ready to booze.
By the end of the episode, Tess and Finley have sex, and it’s tough — they are likable together, these hot people, and their off-the-wagon/never-on-the-wagon connection makes sense, but Generation Q keeps giving me sex scenes I can’t guiltlessly horn out to. Guess I’ll go watch some porn; never any guilty feelings there!
You know who else feels guilty? Dani does! You see, her father has furnished Sophie with the family prenup and it includes a biological child clause that provides no financial support to any kids birthed by Sophie. Dani is PISSED and goes to throw the papers in her dad’s face — like actually throw them — at that same office building where she used to work.
Elsewhere in Los Angeles, Bette’s nonbiological-but-definitely-hers child, Angie, is stage crew and her crush, Jordi, is acting in a play that everyone — Alice’s two ex-wife partners, Shane’s one ex-wife partner — attends and loves. All is well with the world until that pesky husband of Felicity, the married but newly separated woman Bette just stopped seeing, shows up and tries to push Angie. Bette steps forward and flashdances him away from her baby, accidentally pushing him down the stairs. He lies there, head busted open, and the camera pulls out to reveal Reese Witherspoon, Laura Dern, Nicole Kidman, Zoë Kravitz, and Shailene Woodley giving a thumbs-up from within some nearby bushes.
And while that last part didn’t happen, the dude is definitely bleeding from the head, and we’re left to wonder: Did he just get Danaed? We’ll see next week!
Other Notes
• Favorite dialogue from the episode is between Finley and Rebecca. Finley: “Am I the first girl you’ve been with?†Rebecca: “Did you hear a thing I said?†Felt like a nice, subtle nod for lesbians to the pride of being someone’s first and how gross and patriarchal that is.
• Micah is experimenting with vaginal sex. Also: on the living room couch. Maybe take it into the bedroom, where’s there’s sheets, fellas? Or maybe that couch is Micah’s thing; we’ve seen him fuck on it before. Ah, roommates. Always fucking on the shared furniture.
• Throughout this episode, Bette wears a suit that looks like scrubs, with this oversized, baggy-armholed top. I truly love it. And I love the suits Dani wears and the hip, professional Hollywood clothing we see Alice and Sophie sport at work. One thing I would love to see on this show, however, is an unmessy butch. All the characters I just mentioned display rad moments of masculinity and femininity. Many have strong top energy that is fun to watch. But so often on television, I find that professional clothing and female masculinity stops at a suit from the women’s section and long or longish hair. Finley’s heavily patterned shirts are fab — I wear those myself — and I’d love to see a professional, got-their-shit-together butch character who isn’t messy and figuring themselves out. Who wears suits from the mens’ section. Who organizes their belts by width. Who always texts back and always, always remembers your birthday.