Peggy is currently hooked on a drink introduced to her by Jose (who has the night off as he’s out with his girlfriend at sea) which is a mix of mango juice and vodka.   Peggy refers to the drink as “Roadkill.”  We finally get the name of the person Peggy is mistaking Bette for, which is a “Miss Reynolds.”  Miss Reynolds is the identity of the person with the Kandinsky piece that Peggy wants to add to her collection.  Peggy checks her answering machine and we get Jose’s voice requesting for callers to leave a message.  The “Miss Reynolds” in question is fully named Abby Reynolds.  Abby has left a message having to cancel their meeting for this evening and wanting to reschedule.  Comprehension kicks in with Peggy asking Bette “Who the hell are you?”

At this point, Bette lets go of the dog she’s been holding and introduces herself.  Peggy thinks for a moment about the California Arts Center and points it out as being located in Bergamot Station.

This gives us a definitive idea of where the CAC is actually located and also keep in mind that Peggy (as will be revealed later on) knows Xandra from the CAC Board of Directors and also, as we learn in Season 2 provides the CAC each year with a Peabody Grant, which turns out to be vital to the CAC’s existence.  So she’s familiar with the CAC if only a little bit.

As for Bergamot Station, it’s located in Santa Monica and this also means that the CAC is the analog for Bergamot Station Arts Center.  This means the CAC is located at 2525 Michigan Avenue in Santa Monica.  It’s more or less a straight shot, though a bit of a drive between North Genesee Avenue where Bette lives and the CAC.  From Bette and Tina’s to the CAC, it’s a short drive South to Santa Monica Boulevard, past The Planet and Laurelwood Farms Market, and West to Santa Monica.  It’s also very possible that along the way, Dan Foxworthy’s office would be close to Santa Monica Boulevard.  The commute also means going through Beverly Hills.  Once in Santa Monica, Bette’s likeliest route has her taking a left turn at 26th Street which takes her past Pennsylvania Avenue and on to Olympic Boulevard, where she takes another left turn before arriving at the CAC on the right.  In the L-Universe, Franklin Phillips may have become the owner of that property, transforming Bergamot Station into the CAC, with Peggy, still able to remember its old name referring to it as such.

Also on the way to the CAC/Bergamot is LA Fitness, which may be the real life version of the Fitness Center Dana and Tina worked out at in Episode 101/102.

Worth noting is that Bette has quite the commute to and from work.  Depending on traffic, it’s anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour getting there or back, which puts Bette’s overall commute between 90 minutes to 2 hours…just about everyday.  This could explain to an extent some of Bette’s stress when having to deal with that on a regular basis.

In any event, Peggy refers to the CAC as “obscure” which could be a point of conention between herself and Xandra.  Peggy also points Bette out as a lesbian.  Given Bette’s status on Alice’s Chart, Miss Porter did garner a reputation for herself, so be she gay, straight, or bi, her sexual escapades practically precede her, even to Peggy Peabody.  Either that or Gina told Peggy about that time Bette used sex to snatch an exhibit away from her.

Peggy mentions being a “lesbian once in 1974.”  This will pay off in all sorts of ways in Season 3.  Bette mentions the term “Hasbian” which Peggy finds amusing.  Peggy mentions “Joanne” who may be another of her assistants, or friends.  Peggy has Bette order food.

Alice’s apartment, which is presumably somewhere in West Hollywood.  Given her tendency to hang out at The Planet a lot, it would have to be not too far away.  Perhaps near The Crescent, though not necessarily those apartments.  It’s a 1-bedroom apartment.  Alice’s apartment number is 4.  Her apartment is roughly ground level as some perspective shots (including the Whether You Fall sequence in Season 3) will reveal.

Gabby arrives with flowers,  calling Alice out on  “running out the other night.”  Alice mentions “12’s a crowd,” meaning that Alice, Gabby, Clarissa, and 9 others (possibly including Joanie).  Gabby notes that it was Clarissa’s birthday.  Here, “the other night” is actually the previous night at Milk.  Time tends to fly by very fast for Gabby, especially when trying to keep her relationship with Nadia away from Alice (and vice versa).  Alice, of course already knows with Gabby acknowledging that her making out with Nadia “meant nothing.”  Nadia brings up both she and Alice being writers, but this all leads up to Alice remembering Bette and Tina’s breakup speech for Gabby, including the “Step off, bitch.”

Gabby references “Dr. Phil” when reacting to Alice calling her an “emtional cripple.”  Dr. Phil, of course is a reference to Dr. Phil McGraw, also known as Dr. Phil, host of his own talk show after becoming famous with his guest spots on Oprah (hosted by Oprah Winfrey).  Dr. Phil is a psychologist and perhaps the most famous in Hollywood, even surpassing Dan Foxworthy, who may be Dr. Phil without the TV show.

Gabby exits and won’t be seen again until Season 2, bringing Lara back with her, also noted this episode for similar calendar issues.

As Alice makes her way to the Macbook, the name on the Chart Whiteboard that had been previously obscured by a plant is revealed to be the name Ilene.  Ilene’s direct links are to Rhonda and Marla, which is consistent with the links from Episode 101/102.

Alice accesses her Chart online database, where we now have Nadia’s full name revealed as Nadia Miertschin.

Other names showing up that I don’t recall being as clear until now are Jolia Ames and Nell Brownwaller.  Nell is linked directly to Mara Atwood and and also has 2 other links.  Jolia has 1 link and it’s off screen.  Eliona Zwirn is also on the screen, linking to Peggy Sue Mohanty.  The name of Samantha Onken (2 links, including a 1 to Peggy Sue Mohanty) is also better visible.

Alice clicks on Gabby’s name, which lights up as powder blue and her direct links (at least the ones noted on this Chart) going with a darker blue.  There are 4 direct links, which are to Alice, Nadia, Etienne Dubeau, and someone off screen, which should be Tamara, whose last name still hasn’t appeared on screen yet.

A closeup of Gabby’s name reveals other names that are listed elsewhere on the database in much the same way Melanie Caplan’s does in Episode 103.  The names in question (with no links) are Peggy Banta, Deanna Dupere, Christy Briggs, Linda Curry, Colleen Lyon, Julene Oliver, Sara Jane Crawford, and Claudia Burton.

Alice adds a new link to Gabby with the suspicion that it is, or at least could be to either Clarissa (it was her birthday) or Joanie (she’s also related to the whole “we’re writers” thing).  It isn’t revealed here what name Gabby is linked to, but it jets West on the database Chart past the space in between the names of Kaye Rich and Nazila Hamid, as well as as Nell Brownwaller.

Jenny’s writing studio, as Tina checks on Jenny.  Jenny has on glasses momentarily.  This leads to the Tina and Jenny conversation concerning Marina.  Apparently neither are aware of Alice’s Chart database which already has Jenny and Marina linked (or at least Jenny isn’t).  Tina goes over the local rumor hotbed among lesbians in West Hollywood with Jenny feeling uncomfortable and leaving for the house.  With Tina still in the studio.  The windows are still stained.

Meanwhile, off screen, one can only assume that Dana and Lara are enjoying themselves in Koreatown.

Back at Peggy’s suite at the Los Alamendros in Santa Barbara as Peggy goes over photography being her “new passion.”  Peggy has purchased an etching by Salvador Dali, and something done by “Duchamp” or Marcel Duchamp.  Duchamp had the L.H.O.O.Q. parody of the Mona Lisa, among other works of painting and sculpting.  Both Duchamp and Dali, along with Kandinsky fit right in with the Early 20th Century theme Peggy seems to be going for when it comes to most of her art shopping spree.  A notable exception from the late 20th Century however is her favorite purchase which she mentions being from Carla Marie Freed, the photography artist (and as it turns out, the photographer from the Random Act scene at the start of this episode).

Bette puts Freed over as “brilliant” with Peggy noticing that Bette is also a fan of Freed’s work.  Peggy prompts Bette to provide her with the name of her favorite Freed work, and Bette mentions “The Last Time I And You.”  This makes Peggy grin.  Freed is noted by Bette as having destroyed her negatives and then talks about Freed photographing “the same woman for 12 years.”

Freed is acknowledged as being deceased with Peggy making that note of seeing Freed “just before she died.”  They met at “some little bistro in New York.”  Freed was wasted or “high as a kite” at the time and upon being introduced to Peggy, tells Peggy to “go fuck yourself.”  Despite this, Peggy remained a big fan of Freed and her work.

Peggy then shows Bette the Freed purchase, which is The Last Time I And You photo work.  This completely pays off the Random Act flashback to New York City in 1986.  The lady in the photograph’s name is never revealed.

My own personal theory is between that photograph, its title, and Freed’s death may have been a bitter breakup between Carla and the model, leading to Carla’s downward spiral and death.  Just when all that happened is a matter of guessing, at best.  This will also seem to link up in some way to Marina and Jenny, given the editing between Jenny’s departure from home and eventually toward The Planet and Peggy and Bette talking in just a bit.

Lacey’s house (or apartment), presumably in Pasadena where Shane and Lacey have just finished a sexual romp.  Shane is leaving and Lacey is off to the Land of the Dead Marios.  She’ll be mentioned again in conversation during Episode 501.  Otherwise, it’ll be as if she never existed or if there was any interaction between Lacey and Shane, it would be in between seasons, especially between Seasons 1 and 2 when Shane isn’t in the best of shape herself.  Lacey’s bedroom is in the corner of the residence, including a corner window.

Jenny meanwhile takes the keys and locks the door to her house.  No word on Tim’s whereabouts, though he could be asleep by this point.  Jenny leaves the house, her destination being The Planet.

While Jenny walks, Bette and Peggy continue talking in Santa Barbara.  They make mention of “Stendhal,” a French art critic who went to Florence (in Italy) and saw the “Carvaggio” (the name of an artist whose first name was Michelangelo, but not to be confused with THAT Michelangelo, last name Simoni, then promptly burst into tears and fainted from the beauty of the artwork.  Bette has just suffered a form of “Stendhal Syndrome” upon viewing The Last Time I And You up close.

Stendhal Syndrome is a real apparent thing and named after a guy named Stendhal, penname for an author whose real name was Henri-Marie Beyle.  And now, some words from the man himself when describing seeing first hand the frescoes of Giotto.

“Absorbed in the contemplation of sublime beauty… I reached the point where one encounters celestial sensations… Everything spoke so vividly to my soul. Ah, if I could only forget. I had palpitations of the heart, what in Berlin they call ‘nerves.’ Life was drained from me. I walked with the fear of falling.”

Peggy gives the following as attributed to Stendhal when seeing Carvaggio’s work.

“My head thrown back, I let my gaze dwell on the ceiling.  I underwent the profoundest experience of ecstacy I had ever encountered.  I had obtained that supreme degree of sensibility where the divine intimations of art merge with the impassioned sensuality of emotion.”

Peggy is exhausted and Bette makes a plea for Provocations to make its way to the CAC.  Peggy reminds Bette that Gina Ferrara is in charge of making that decision.

As all of this is taking place, Jenny appears to have walked around in a circle, perhaps to clear her thoughts, or maybe she’s unsure where she is walking.  Either way, she still winds up at The Planet where there is no Radar event of any kind taking place (or perhaps there was one and it’s already long over with) and instead, it is Marina, sitting quietly in her office with the establishment closed for the evening, but the door still unlocked.  Marina is jotting down something into a book with her ink pen.

Marina is left handed when it comes to writing.

Jenny confronts Marina about confiding in someone their brief affair and Jenny still fighting within herself about her feelings for Tim and now the feelings for Marina.  At least until she admits feeling “completely dismantled” when seeing Marina.  Jenny removes her shirt, which in the spiritual sense is the “letting of her hair down,” which itself is a Biblical reference to sacrificing freely to God (well, that’s one interpretation anyway, other interpretations may vary).

Also, Jenny’s necklace, though only seen briefly is again, backwards.  Prior to Marina, the necklace had the symbol for life, “Chai” on proper, but with Marina’s entry into her world, the symbol is now backwards.  Jenny, with Marina’s initial encounter as the catalyst has basically hinted strongly at her death.  At this point, she’s practically dead already.

This serves as a strong possibility that The L Word, along with all of the other stories is ultimately about the death of Jenny Schecter with the inverted Chai serving as the clue hiding in plain sight in front of us, the viewers.