Showtime was not available to me, so I did not see The L Word during its original run. I have been viewing it four years after it aired, and it has been a real pleasure. I am rating this show "9" for the first two seasons only. If I graded the entirety of the show's run, I am afraid my score might discourage someone from viewing The L Word, which would be a shame, because the first two seasons are extraordinary.
Some have compared The L Word to Sex in the City. Although I enjoyed SITC, it had nowhere near the depth of TLW, which is a comedy and a tragedy, full of choices and--like real life--is not about simple answers. The characters deal with real issues (loving, living, dying) in a realistic way.
As a straight male, I cannot judge whether TLW has its finger on the pulse of lesbian issues, but I can judge it as a piece of art, and I find it witty and disarmingly engaging. Also, I am not immune to the charms of the women who so honestly portrayed the primary characters.
The characters are multi-dimensional, but Alice is funny, Shane is vulnerable, Bette is an achiever, Tina is the earth mother and Kit is artistic. I do find Dana's wackiness to be a little over the top.
Jenny, played so bravely by Mia Kirshner, is the intense one, who in the course of the first two seasons goes through a multitude of incarnations. These women become a family and Jenny is the sister who gets left behind. Since she is also the main character of the show, I find it sad to find that the creators of the show eventually took her where they did. She is a reflection of the values of the show, which become too pessimistic, in my opinion. I have noted other reviewers who were also disappointed with some value choices made in later episodes.
But that does not negate the positive experience that is the first two seasons. The show celebrates human (not merely women's) rights, the arts in all forms, and the exploration of challenging issues. It even chronicles the lesbian experience of its time, integrating real venues and events into the narrative, e.g. a Gay Pride event and a lesbian cruise. It includes an array of enjoyable guest artists, like Ossie Davis. I did cringe when TLW dabbled in politics and became a roundtable for Gloria Steinem and other feminist figureheads. That seemed a false note, but overall the approach was balanced. I loved the background music used.
Lesbianism is presented as a spectrum of orientations, which it is. We meet a self-identified lesbian who is a man. And a cross-dressing, non-op transgendered man. At least that is the best description I can give for those who feel a need to pigeonhole the character.
TLW defends lesbianism against some of the more common attacks. To a bigoted theist who wonders how one might answer to god: "I am your creation, and I am proud." Beautiful writing. At the same time, TLW reveals all the warts of lesbianism: "Most of us have more shame than pride." It rings so true.
This show makes you care for the characters, to care for them. We travel the dark path of Jenny's internal torments, hoping that she will find redemption. When she explains to the roommate Mark what he must do to understand being a woman, we finally see just how damaged she is. Unfortunately, the story becomes erratic. There are jumps in the narrative that are frustrating. The dialogue becomes less natural, till it is difficult to believe a character would say that. In the trivia notes, it says that Kristana Loken asked to be written off the show because of the interactions with the crew. I suspect such problems eventually changed the show. But that does not change the fact that the first two seasons, at least, are great TV.
Some have compared The L Word to Sex in the City. Although I enjoyed SITC, it had nowhere near the depth of TLW, which is a comedy and a tragedy, full of choices and--like real life--is not about simple answers. The characters deal with real issues (loving, living, dying) in a realistic way.
As a straight male, I cannot judge whether TLW has its finger on the pulse of lesbian issues, but I can judge it as a piece of art, and I find it witty and disarmingly engaging. Also, I am not immune to the charms of the women who so honestly portrayed the primary characters.
The characters are multi-dimensional, but Alice is funny, Shane is vulnerable, Bette is an achiever, Tina is the earth mother and Kit is artistic. I do find Dana's wackiness to be a little over the top.
Jenny, played so bravely by Mia Kirshner, is the intense one, who in the course of the first two seasons goes through a multitude of incarnations. These women become a family and Jenny is the sister who gets left behind. Since she is also the main character of the show, I find it sad to find that the creators of the show eventually took her where they did. She is a reflection of the values of the show, which become too pessimistic, in my opinion. I have noted other reviewers who were also disappointed with some value choices made in later episodes.
But that does not negate the positive experience that is the first two seasons. The show celebrates human (not merely women's) rights, the arts in all forms, and the exploration of challenging issues. It even chronicles the lesbian experience of its time, integrating real venues and events into the narrative, e.g. a Gay Pride event and a lesbian cruise. It includes an array of enjoyable guest artists, like Ossie Davis. I did cringe when TLW dabbled in politics and became a roundtable for Gloria Steinem and other feminist figureheads. That seemed a false note, but overall the approach was balanced. I loved the background music used.
Lesbianism is presented as a spectrum of orientations, which it is. We meet a self-identified lesbian who is a man. And a cross-dressing, non-op transgendered man. At least that is the best description I can give for those who feel a need to pigeonhole the character.
TLW defends lesbianism against some of the more common attacks. To a bigoted theist who wonders how one might answer to god: "I am your creation, and I am proud." Beautiful writing. At the same time, TLW reveals all the warts of lesbianism: "Most of us have more shame than pride." It rings so true.
This show makes you care for the characters, to care for them. We travel the dark path of Jenny's internal torments, hoping that she will find redemption. When she explains to the roommate Mark what he must do to understand being a woman, we finally see just how damaged she is. Unfortunately, the story becomes erratic. There are jumps in the narrative that are frustrating. The dialogue becomes less natural, till it is difficult to believe a character would say that. In the trivia notes, it says that Kristana Loken asked to be written off the show because of the interactions with the crew. I suspect such problems eventually changed the show. But that does not change the fact that the first two seasons, at least, are great TV.