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The L-Word Season 1 Episode 4 – Longing
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I enjoyed the entire Alice/Gabby group intervention scene at the breakfast table. It was a classic Bette/Tina scene as we see them in-tuned and operating on the same wave-length when talking to Alice about Gabby in such a fashion that they can complete each other’s thoughts and pick up where the other has left off.
We see Bette in “protective mode” and taking time out for her friend, even though she is distracted with work issues. I love the dichotomy that is Bette Porter. In one breath we get that super-intellectual, yet humorous banter that Bette delivers so well, and in the next she says something like “step off bi*ch”.
Shane and Lacy were comic relief in this episode with the flyers and posters, and banners – but I liked how Shane handled Lacy. Shane was really sensitive to Lacy’s feelings, and she didn’t brush her off. She dealt with it head-on which I thought was a credit to Shane. I really liked the scene with Shane sitting at the window in underwear smoking and Lacy laying in the bed looking at her.
True to character, Shane leaves and Lacy accepts that this is the only way she can have her.
I couldn’t really get into the Dana/Lara interactions. I know they were likely playing their parts in a comedic way to be purposely awkward but it didn’t play well for me.
We got another glimpse of Kit and more insight into the roller-coaster relationship that can result from having a sister that is an alcoholic. One minute she is on the program trying to make amends, and the next falling off the wagon and drinking again. It gives a bit more understanding to Bette’s reaction to Kit in the previous episode.
My absolute favorite part of this episode was the introduction of Peggy Peabody. I loved this character, and I loved her and Bette together. Their scenes expressed such a range of emotions, passion, humor, understanding, shared interest, and their love for art was palpable. Holland Taylor as Peggy Peabody was one of the best recurring guest appearances on the show. I also fell in love with James (Bette’s assistant) in this episode. There was just something about him that played off Bette’s character so well.
Overall I liked this episode and I think it was appropriately titled “Longing”. Everyone is longing for something that is just slightly out of reach, but they are putting themselves out there and taking chances. In some cases it’s just a matter of time, and in others it’s just a matter of coming to the realization that what you are longing for is not meant to be, and you must pursue a different course of action.
I am longing to see what Bette does next.
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I too loved James. But I got the impression that Bette did not appreciate what a friend he really was to her. She was always in her alpha work mode and James was her gopher. But I certainly can see that Bette would grow to love and depend on James just as she depended on her self to make the right decisions.
Peggy…she was a dynamo. I always wondered what would go through her mind when she discovered that Bette was not who she thought she was. Fortunately they clicked and were bound to be linked together forever. Peggy was really perfectly cast.
Dana and Lara had such an awkward beginning. It took a few scenes for me to see any attraction between the two at all. Dana with her constant desire to remain in the closet and Lara with her almost the devil may care attitude about the world. I had always wished that the writers had given Dana a little more intellectual approach to her character. She did not seem to be a college graduate unless she spent her entire collegiate years on the tennis court. Remember in these scenes she is about 29 to 30 years old. She died at the age of 32…. Her character has the experience and maturity of someone in their early twenties. The only thing that seems to reflect her age is the fact that she no longer lives with her parents.
Thanks for this…
I’ll take your lead on this episode since the title doesn’t remind me of anything in particular. One thing that I thought from day one was how IC tried to make Bette emulate her own life, only Bette was not a movie producer who has to work 16h a day. Bette was a museum director of a small museum! I’m sorry, but that to me is a 9 to 5 job except perhaps when a major exhibit is being planned. But still … So, the idea that Bette never has dinner at home and Tina has to beg her to come home in a later episode … was forced to me. Or one time when she says that she came home early to be with Tina, but Tina is leaving to go to the gym.
Peggy Peabody did not impress me back then. I loved her later on, when Helena entered the picture. In this episode, she was an entitled wealthy woman that Bette had to suck up to. Certainly, some of the scene was funny. I laughed with the “hasbian” comment. Holland Taylor of course impressed me: she is a real actress.
Remember that Bette’s problems were of her own making. She disobeyed the Board of Directors and created that whole mess that contributed to the demise of her marriage. That was grounds for being fired. It matched her personality in S1. I’m not sure how to qualify Bette’s behavior/personality, but seeing how she was treating Tina, how she was acting at work, how she would treat Dan Foxworthy, and how she ended up having an affair, it felt to me that she was a little manic during that period. The fans loved that she was this alpha person, this type A personality, but this is not what a professional person does. I think that a real stress for her would be trying to get grants, following the desire of the BOD but not being able to perform, to qualify for a grant. They chose to go for the dramatic, and Peggy saves her ass, eventually. Not very professional. Now, had Bette been a TV producer, her stresses at work would be a lot more real to me, as the ups and downs of ratings, budget and shows being cancelled are real pressures on producers who may lose their jobs at any moment. In fact, IC mentioned losing her job while being the breadwinner of her family.
I also loved when Tina came to talk to Jenny. I thought that Tina would be the perfect friend for Jenny as she entered the L world, from the very first time they met in the backyard. It is a shame that Jenny didn’t accept the offer.
As for Tina’s top that you mentioned, I wouldn’t know without a description, but I do remember one of her tops that I really liked, on Tim&Jenny’s party. The back of the top is like a corset – quite pretty. I also liked her black top when she was watching Bette’s lecture. I remember it from the photos that JB&LH took together Bette was wearing that awesome white suit. Bette’s working clothes were magnificent, but I don’t recall liking her casual clothes much. I tended to prefer Tina’s style. There was one of Bette’s blouses that I really liked: the one that she wore in the S2 sex scene with Tina (no other love). I liked when she wore jeans. And she also had some horrendous blouses in S2 (which I believe are more JB’s personal style). But I digress … ????
OK, so the step-off bitch was on this episode? I loved it. And I loved it how Alice repeated B&T’s speech word for word when getting rid of Gabby. Leisha’s acting on that scene was brilliant! So funny, both moments!
I think that Bette saying step-off bitch was very Bette. She is confrontational and knows how to fight. Remember, she is the same one who called the guy a midget in front of the Board. Bette saying that Shane looked like the Unabomber was also funny!
Oh, I liked Dana and Lara so much! Dana’s shyness was so Dana! And I felt that her attraction for Lara was convincing. Have they kissed yet? I liked that kiss and I was happy for her. As for Dana’s intellect, she represented the “dumb” athlete of the group. After all, someone in that group had to be the clueless one. I think her cluelessness played well against Alice, who was always correcting her. I remember her calling Jenny “crispay” and Alice shaking her head. Funny! I did think that Dana could have been younger, after all, you can’t be a 27-28 year-old tennis player still starting your career. It would be easier if she were 23-24. It would help explain her naivete. But her naivete also comes from living in the closet and having had so few personal experiences in the L world. In many ways, she is still a teenager.
Let me guess: the episode ends with Jenny. Does it?