Review: #TibetteisEndgame, but is this The End?
Showtime's 'The L Word: Generation Q' Season 3
Oh, Pit Crew! Reminder that after this review is our new segment, ‘The Elephant in the Werkroom’. Read on for our thoughts on this week’s episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 15!
The Yearning Rating: ✰✰✰
Romance ✰✰✰
Sex ✰✰✰✰
Storytelling ✰✰
Performance ✰✰½
Yearning ✰✰
We’re happy to be bringing you another joint review of Showtime’s The L Word: Generation Q Season 3: Finale Edition. As with our previous mid-season review, we’re also providing a mini-podcast, which you can listen to below.
If you don’t have time to listen to the whole thing, we’ve transcribed and edited down the conversation between us into bite-size vignettes. i.e., if you’re here for a particular storyline or character, just scroll down to find the right section.
Some pretty major spoilers ahead—but if you’re sapphic and have an IG, then you’ve probably seen everything already ♥
- Meg and Ali
As If We Never Said Goodbye:
Interested in hearing just this bit? Listen from the 0:00—3:30.
Both: Helloooo!
Ali: Welcome to Part Two of The Yearning’s The L Word: Generation Q Season 3 Review: Finale Edition. Earlier this year, we did a mid-season review of The L Word: Generation Q Season 3 and now we’re back with a review of Season 3’s—and possibly the series’—finale. Meg, how does it feel hearing me say that?
Meg: You know…it doesn't feel great. I know I went on record a few weeks ago saying that the end of The L Word was in sight for me, and that I thought that we were ready to move on, but I'm prepared to eat my words here once and for all on The Yearning Substack. I'm not ready for it to be over.
Ali: I would have to agree, even though I was fully ready to lay the show to rest a few weeks ago. And there are two reasons for my change of heart. First, I think it has dawned on me that, if it's done, then these characters and stories that I love will never come back. I think that the reality of that kind of set in. And the fact that, for so long we've had these characters to keep up with…it would be a tougher goodbye than I was willing to admit. But I also think that the way the finale ended is a reason in itself. I'm just like…we cannot end on that note. It would be 1) devastating, and 2) if that was the legacy of Gen Q? Comparing what the show set out to do with that ending would just be an absolute travesty.
Meg: I agree. But I feel scared because with Bette and Tina finally getting married—Tibette being endgame—and them riding off into the sunset, it feels like…how else do you end the show? Also, I have to say that the social media presence surrounding this season finale feels very…final to me. As somebody who works in film and television, I’m like, you're all not saying something. It's tricky, because it feels like such a good way to end the show, and to open these chapters back up in another season with Bette and Tina both totally gone feels sticky to me. But I also agree that it's like, where are we right now? I feel so upset with how they've left the “endings” of so many of our treasured characters. It just feels so messy to me.
The Kids Are (Not) Alright:
Listen from the 3:35—22:52.
Ali: Nothing gets my blood boiling like talking about the younger characters in Gen Q. We were texting as we were watching the finale, and we had very strong opinions on the relationship between Micah and Mirabel—a couple that has been jerked around this entire season with chaotic and honestly sloppy storytelling. And this finale, in many ways, was the icing on the cake for me in that regard.
Meg: Watching their pivotal scene in the finale, when their sperm has arrived and they’re ‘unboxing’ it, if you will, and it leading to this explosive fight…I felt equal parts relief and shock. I felt relief, because this entire season has been them not dealing with the very real truth that they are not ready to have kids (and that Mirabel is extraordinarily emotionally immature). I saw Micah’s reaction as coming from a stress perspective. I think Micah finally hit his wall during this confrontation, especially when Maribel eventually throws the sperm on the ground. It’s a real wake-up call for him. He’s forced to ask himself, “why would I consider entering into a parenthood dynamic with this person? There's just no way that we're ready for it.” But it's hard for it to feel 100% satisfying, because we as viewers have been feeling that sentiment throughout the entire season. We’ve been constantly wondering, how are you two making this work, and what are you two seeing each other?
Ali: I feel like what could have been a nuanced conversation about topics that they hadn't been willing to touch on before turned into a very quick breakdown of the relationship. It rubbed me the wrong way that Micah was implying that Maribel didn't know enough about her own disability. I understand that it’s partially a nod to these important conversations that they're not having, but because the scene was so quick, and because that particular issue hadn't been one of the issues building throughout the season—it felt like any of their previously discussed issues could’ve been what this final breakdown was about—this choice felt a bit out of nowhere. There were so many other issues: her unwillingness to confront her feelings toward her father; the fact that she needed to be in control of everything; the fact that there wasn't a conversation about who is going to carry. To me, it seemed like they were using this very complicated issue of disabled pregnancy as a kind of cheap explosive. I did love when Micah said to Maribel, “You can't make every single life decision for me.” Because that is what we've been seeing throughout the season. She was the one who said, “I don't want to get married, I want to have a baby,” then it was her who decided, “Okay wait, I actually do want to get married.” And finally, it was her who destroyed the sperm. So we’ve seen that she's controlling. That moment felt earned to me, whereas the rest of the conversation didn't.
Meg: Yeah. I agree with you. It falls in line with what we've said about this relationship, which is that it doesn't reflect the people we’re being told are in it. Micah as a therapist. That background would hugely influence the way that he would lead these conversations with his partner. The entire pregnancy storyline has been rushed. And I think the whole finale was like this as well. It was sort of resorting back to some classic L Word motifs: let's throw in some yelling! Let's get Bette throwing something! Let's do the Gen Q equivalent of TINAAAAAAAAA! It just felt like, okay, we're diving back into this bag of tricks. Everywhere you turn, someone's falling into a cake, somebody’s fucking someone against the side of a wall, and it's just like bing–bang–boom! It felt like the writers were defaulting back to this standard because that’s the way they know how to write a TV show.
Ali: As we segue into discussing the rest of the show, I have to point out how isolated Micah and Maribel have become. It really is their storyline, and then it's the rest of the show.
Meg: I know! I agree!
Ali: It’s weird. It feels like we’re watching two different shows. It’s now so glaring that they have not done a good job of integrating these storylines, which is something that we lamented in our last talk—how siloed everything feels this season especially, but also just in Gen Q in general. Touching on that, we can move to the rest of the characters now that exist in this…other show, I guess. I want to go back to the point you made about how zippy and all over the place this episode felt—it did. I felt like that almost cheapened the finale? I know so many people have been waiting for this episode—Bette and Tina’s wedding—some for 20 years! And it was so full of filler content. Why did we have a whole scene of Dani tripping on molly? Why was so much time dedicated to this filler when there was enough actual content? If this really is the finale, I guess I felt a little bit cheated. I’m not sure I got what I wanted, as selfish as that sounds.
Meg: When you have characters as beloved as Bette and Tina—and I’m using the word “beloved” cautiously, nobody jump down my throat—I would have taken the opportunity to really luxuriate in a wedding. Especially if it's going to be the end of the show all together. These old L-Word-tricks would have made for a great addition to episode 6 of the season, when things were feeling kind of slow and segmented, like you said. Throw molly in…literally any other night. The molly trip only serves as a device for Dani to call Dre and confess love to them which, by the way—that was a lightning-fast friends-to-lovers arc. I remember when they were skinny-dipping in the pool two episodes ago. Dani could have just gotten drunk if that really had to happen. If Dre really had to show up as she was kissing her friend from home…what is that character's name?
Ali: Ahhh…I don’t remember!
Meg:…Rosie??
Ali: I don't know…but that just serves the point that this love triangle holds absolutely no emotional weight. Not only did we just meet Dre, we as an audience also just met this other person who Dani has apparently loved all of her life? But we only see their relationship in one other episode, and it was while we were still mourning the fact that Gigi was gone, nowhere to be seen, never to be heard of again. Until this episode, when she's apparently…engaged to Nat.
Meg: It feels super strange to me that Gigi and Nat wouldn't have been at the wedding. If Chrishell & G-Flip managed to score an invite—which, by the way, I just have to say I full-on screamed at the TV, I was absolutely thrilled. No notes. Perfect addition to the finale.
Ali: I loved it.
Meg: But yeah…where were Gigi and Nat?
Ali: Yeah! Where were Gigi and Nat? And also remember that 2-second period of time when Nat was polyamorous and then they just never addressed that again? Anyway, just thought I'd bring that up. Back to Dani. They wanted to play up this love triangle, but I truly don't care! I don't even know this person's name—
Meg: Roxy!
Ali: Roxy! Thank you. I don't even know Roxy’s name—well, now I do, but not until this very minute—
Meg: We’re learning Roxy’s name live.
Ali: My theory, which I brought up in our last conversation, is that the actress who played Gigi [Sepideh Moafi] was kind of over it and wanted to leave. If the writers were told that and they had to quickly figure out something to do with Dani, I wonder why they didn't decide to slow burn her with one other person. Or make her just fully alone instead of doing this messy, sloppy love triangle that no one ends up caring about. I feel like it just goes back to the point that the writers do not know who Dani is. And if she was single, that would’ve been too painfully obvious.
Meg: Dani feels even further away from the rest of the community in these last three episodes because of exactly what we're talking about. Where is Dani’s place in the world? If Dani's not endgame with Gigi—which again, I personally feel is a huge mistake—where is she? Her friendship with Sophie feels so fake to me. Their romantic relationship seemed fake to me too—I guess it was. There are no two people I can think of with less chemistry, friendship or otherwise. Also…Dre just came to the wedding? This is just such a free-for-all? Pippa Pascal came to the wedding of the girl who ditched her? The art rep who just ditched her??
Ali: Also her ex-girlfriend!
Meg: She was like, “We’re gonna rule the world, we’re gonna be in love, and show my art everywhere!” and Bette was like, “No!” But she…still came to the wedding.
Ali: When Sophie turned around and it was Pippa Pascal who was talking to her, I knew that this episode was about to be ridiculous. Because…what? That didn’t make any sense. I felt such weird vibes. Pippa [Vanessa Williams] was horribly treated last season with Bette being all over the place, but putting her with Sophie was not the answer.
Meg: No…I don’t know what it is about Sophie’s character, she is just the most sexless character on The L Word. Like, I don't know who the right fit for her is.
Ali: I feel like the back half of this season for all of the younger characters was the writers attempting to tie things up and just doing it in the weirdest ways possible, especially with Angie. I just want to put it out there—I work in book publishing—if a Big Five publisher is interested in your book, that's great. You do not need to move to New York. I edit people from Wisconsin, from Chicago, from North Carolina, from Connecticut, from California…It's so stupid. I am getting so annoyed with the trope of, “Oh, I'm moving to New York because someone might publish my book.” That’s not going to help you at all.
Meg: Also, not Dre writing a song that morning in Dani’s apartment and then performing on the Alice Show that night [in episode 9]? Incredible turnaround. The songwriting prowess…
Ali: Their performance was great though. I really did enjoy it.
Meg: I was going to say that I loved that song. I tried to track it down yesterday, and in case anyone is wondering, it's not on Spotify yet.
Ali: So basically, all of the Gen Q-ers get messy ends to their messy storylines. None of them are, in my opinion, respected. And if that’s what they're going to use to hook us for subsequent seasons (that may or may not happen), I feel quite nervous.
Meg: Me too. But, I will watch.
You’re Invited! (No, Not You.):
Listen from the 18:40—20:00.
Meg: I want to take a moment to reflect on the guest list for this wedding. Pippa Pascal, G-Flip, Chrishell? Yes. Gigi and Nat? No. Mirabel and Micah? No, not invited, never heard of them. Tess is not invited, but has to come be a bartender. She doesn’t just drop off alcohol, she's also now inexplicably tending bar.
Ali: Finley is not invited but also comes to tend the bar…
Meg: It’s so silly to me.
Ali: I feel like this is one of those instances where the writers could have just lied and pretended the characters were all closer than they were. Instead, they decided to tell on themselves and admit that they actually haven’t connected these characters at all.
Tasha is The One!
Listen from 22:53—28:34.
Meg: I want to congratulate you on being right about Tasha.
Ali: I have to gloat a little bit. When we talked about this in our last conversation, you said, “Don't you think it would be a bit on the nose to have Tasha be brought up in the very next episode after Alice saw Dana?” I see your “a bit on the nose” and raise you the fact that Tasha literally said, in the finale, “I felt like I knew her, in a way.”
Meg: I know…
Ali: Obviously the show is throwing all subtlety to the wind, because I don't think you can get more on the nose than that.
Meg: Yeah, I know. I was disappointed by that. I still stand by what I said—I'm disappointed in that as a choice. You couldn’t have waited one more week to bring Tasha up? I think they could have fed us any number of red herrings to make the reveal of Tasha more satisfying. Regardless, I was so happy to see her. I think she looks amazing as a super hot firefighter, no surprises there.
Ali: She looked incredible.
Meg: Did you love/hate/somewhere-in-the-middle the instant tension and animosity between them? Does that still do it for you or were you looking for something softer?
Ali: I loved it. I'm sorry, but I am at the point where I’m watching the show for pure nostalgia reasons. So now, I'm lapping up whatever nostalgic thing they’re giving me. So I really enjoyed the fact that they had Tasha and Alice greet each other with the same kind of animosity that was so present in the original series. Do you remember how often they had that energy of, “Let's fight and then fuck”?
Meg: Totally, which is so original L Word.
Ali: In the beginning of episode 9 [where Tasha first shows up], I feel like they made Alice act like the more petulant version of herself that existed in the original series, just so they could manufacture that classic dynamic between her and Tasha. Because Alice hasn't really been that immature version of Alice for years, at least that we've seen. I feel like ever since this iteration of the show started, she's been a lot more mature, a lot more thoughtful, and a lot less entitled or selfish-seeming than she was in the old show. And all of the sudden, that part of her comes back in full force, and then Tasha shows up…I feel like they were trying to set her up as a counterpoint to Tasha. I wonder if you noticed that as well?
Meg: I agree, and it sticks out a little bit. I think you and I have talked a lot about how one of the best parts of Gen Q has been seeing Alice grow into herself and really having the opportunity as a viewer to love all the amazing parts of her. She’s a more mature and grown up version of herself. That’s been really rewarding, because it's what we all hoped for out of the reboot. But they definitely built this ‘regression’ in from the beginning of episode 9, starting with when she's fighting back and not willing to apologize for outing somebody in the past. It is funny though, because the instant that Alice and Tasha looked at each other, you can literally see Leisha Hailey’s face change. I feel like she settles into this expression and instantly, I know her. I have seen that Alice a thousand times. And it actually made me really miss the seasons of The L Word when they're together. It made me want to go back to rewatch. Alice really is a fiery character and it was funny to see that come through again. But I also liked where they took it in the end. While it's nice to see that flash of who Alice used to be, it was really special to see them together on the dance floor.
Ali: I really was happy that it was Tasha. That was the unspoken reason for why I was so adamant that it was going to be Tasha, because I wanted it to be Tasha. They hadn't brought up Tasha in the earlier seasons of Gen Q, and I wondered what had happened to her, so I was really happy to see her back on the screen. They still had that fiery chemistry. I’m sad to say it, but I feel like they’re were wrapping up Alice's arc by giving her “the one.” I feel her character arc could end there, with them going off together as well. But I would love to see them together! That would an undeniable value-add to a potential Season 4, but a part of me almost feels like, if the show comes back, it’s going to be without any of the OGs.
Tess Deserved So Much Better (& So Did Viewers):
Listen from 28:34-37:24.
Ali: Shane's story arc, along with Tess, was really the only of the OG characters that I felt wasn't tied up. If this is the end-end, that will be a huge detriment to the show’s legacy, because the way that they left Tess is horrible.
Meg: Of all of the new characters that they've introduced, Tess is far and away my favorite. I think she was one of the most developed characters and one of the most talented actors out of the new hires. And she just holds a really special place in my heart, as does Jamie Clayton; I feel very connected to her. So I felt heartbroken watching her demise over the last three episodes. It's one of the more well-paced plots, in my opinion, because you see her slowly but surely unraveling. Even in the super weird Thanksgiving episode, she's acting kind of like herself, but gives Finley really bad advice. It doesn't sit right with you, and you just kind of know instantly that it's not going to go well, and then it's just a slow descent through episodes 8 and 9. But in 10, when she's pulled into the wedding—obviously to add to the drama of Shane hooking up with the wedding planner—and is chaos-bartending…you almost don't recognize her. I think what’s so sad about where they left Tess in the finale is that it's not a testament to the strength of her character. Obviously, everybody makes mistakes and there's no shame in “falling off the wagon,” so to speak, or slipping back into a substance abuse problem. But I think to see Tess push the people close to her away, to be so angry and so violent, doesn't give her the credit that she's due. I just don't think she would be the person who would get so wasted at someone's wedding1, draw attention to herself, cause chaos and fall into a wedding cake. I thought it was so disrespectful and also a little predictable!
Ali: Absolutely. I was about to say—it's one thing to tell a story about “falling off the wagon” and the reality that it can happen. But I feel like the way they did it—and I'm going to use harsh words here—made a mockery of that very real struggle. Because how many times have we seen this melodramatic storyline play out? Of someone getting drunk and ruining a big party, or bringing attention to themselves and making chaos for everyone else? Gen Q did the same thing with Finley, when she was trying to get sober. I feel like it's a tired storyline. The more interesting storyline is to look at the reality of “falling off the wagon”; how that person is feeling, and what's happening internally. I just think that it made a mockery of sobriety, and a mockery of how people falling back into substance abuse behave. It was a performance of drunkenness.
Meg: I agree. It was just sloppy wedding guest, instead of someone who is grieving the loss of her mother and going through a painful breakup. She’s lost in this world, she's an addict and she needs support. Instead, her behavior at the wedding just made me think of Marnie in Girls—like, let me just walk into a party and blow it up because I'm not doing okay. We can write better for Tess, she's a beautiful character.
Ali: They made it so that viewers could be at peace with saying goodbye to so many of these characters, but Tess did not get that same respect and care. And now people who watch the show and look up to her or who see themselves in her don't get to feel good about the way that she was treated and I think that’s shitty.
Meg: To have the very last moment of the episode be, “Is she dead? Is she arrested?” Either option is predictable, uninteresting, not going to add anything to her arc and it just does a disservice. It would be a terrible way to end the show. Instead of ending it on, “And they all lived happily ever after”—which is trite, but effective for a series finale—they landed on: Bette and Tina off into the sunset! Alice finds “The One”! Tess might be dead. Aaaand that’s a wrap.
Ali: And Shane's trying to get back into hair, and trying to figure out what she wants to do with her life, and she's extracted herself from what is now a toxic relationship. Whether or not the fact that it is toxic is bad writing or not, whatever, but her character arc at least has a little bit of closure. But not Tess—she might be dead and we may never know. I just think it's shitty.
Meg: It’s a good point that you made as well about the hair salon—that was the moment I stopped believing in the way they were writing for Tess. Drunk or not, Tess wouldn't feel that way about Shane following her gut. She wouldn't be that selfish. In the moment, I was like no, you got it wrong.
Ali: I agree, they lost me there as well. I was really shocked when they had her respond in that way. Even if she felt like Shane was taking something away from her, I don’t think she would’ve been so negative about Shane wanting to go back into hair.
Meg: And also, why wouldn’t Tess be open to the possibility of not having two identical lesbian bars right next to each other?
Ali: Yeah—competing for customers? Tess is nothing if not a good businesswoman.
Meg: Now, neither bar breaks even. Great!
Ali: Fabulous! So now, not only have they maybe killed Tess, but they also put her in the red.
The Blushing Brides (Blushing = Hot Flashes):
Listen from 37:25-43:45.
Ali: I do want to talk about why everyone—or almost everyone, not really everyone—was gathered that day to celebrate, which is Bette and Tina's wedding! If you are a longtime fan of The L Word, like we both are, you know that this is something that fans have been absolutely begging for, for many years. I'm really happy that they did it. I actually ended up feeling more emotional about it than I thought that I would and I'm a little bit angry that in some ways, at their wedding, Bette and Tina took such a backseat. Even though it was satisfying to see them finally together and see them walk off into the sunset with this nicely wrapped up ending, there was a part of me that just felt a little bit underwhelmed. That's what we've been waiting for?
Meg: I think we can attribute it to the pacing of the episode as well as the writing. The way the episode opened, I'm instantly here. I love someone walking through a venue being like, “Hey! Are we good with the flowers? Who has the cake?” (I love a wedding rom com and that’s so straight of me, but whatever.) But so much gets lost in the middle—we've been thrown a molly storyline, Dani’s uninteresting love triangle, Mirabel throwing sperm on the ground, and we have to see Pippa Pascal for the first time in nine episodes. I've heard the phrase tossed around that your wedding is for everybody but yourself, i.e. it ends up being so much about your family and your friends having a good time that you don’t enjoy it. It feels like that's what this episode’s ethos was, but I don’t think they meant for that to happen. It was so packed full of punchy moments, that there was no substance. I saw spoilers on Instagram before I watched the finale, and I kept seeing pictures of the vows that Bette and Tina read to each other and they are really beautiful. But they just don't get a moment in the actual episode. The ceremony took 10 seconds and they didn't have a plan for who was going to officiate? Alice was just like reading off of her phone? It was funny, but we've all been waiting for this and it should have been even grander. Even though Bette has chilled out, she's still a fancy lady, you know? She still loves a little Pomp and Circumstance. And then they sat in that…really strange getaway vehicle that did not feel like them at all! Any other car probably would have been a better match than that weird ATV. The ‘Just Married’ ATV.
Ali: I got what they were going for, which is that this relationship has kind of been all over the place for so many years. This relationship has taken a winding road to get here, and now the wedding is a mess, and it's just kind of like, Oh, Darn.
Meg: At least we got it done.
Ali: Of course this would happen! I felt like that’s what they were trying to do, but it just felt so odd. And is it just me or would the Bette and Tina I know and love have fucked in that freezer?!
Meg: They painted them as such old ladies. With Bette being like, “I stock up on candy at duty-free!” Who are you? What about fingering somebody at the opera? I think they needed to strike a balance. I wanted to see more youthful, celebratory energy from them. This is the thing they've been waiting for for so long, they finally come back together and are going to have their happily ever after. I think they could have wilded out just a scooch more.
Ali: Instead they have Jennifer Beals in a cable knit cardigan making a charcuterie board in that freezer; “Here, I made some cheese!” I will say, these actors still have great chemistry, and I wanted to see that utilized more. There's a reason people cannot get over this couple, and it's not necessarily because they're a great couple. It's because these two actors have incredible chemistry and that was not showcased as much as it could have been in this episode.
Meg: They had that moment in the freezer where they were striking a balance between Bette chilling out a little bit and also still being the fiery boss babe that she is, but it would have been very funny to follow that conversation up with sex. And it would have been worth it [being stuck in the freezer].
Ali: It would have been old-school L Word, in a good way.
Meg: It would’ve been the right choice for these old-school characters.
Waxing Poetic About The L Word:
Listen from 43:46-the end.
Ali: I want to take a minute to reflect on how important, despite how infuriating at times…and problematic at times…and underwhelming at times…and disappointing at times, this show has been to sapphic viewers. I want to get a sense of where and when were you, when you first saw an episode of The L Word?
Meg: I was a senior in high school and dating my very first girlfriend. It was very much what you’d imagine that would look like in suburban New Jersey in 2011. Neither of us were out to our parents, we were very very very afraid of getting caught, and also spooked in general. We were drawn to each other and obsessed with each other, but still nervous. Sometimes we would get a lucky couple of hours alone in her parents house—and I remember those afternoons and evenings being really special because we could do whatever we want; nobody could see us. We were lying in her bed and she asked me if I'd ever seen this show that was about lesbians. And she put an episode on, and was like, “Oh it's just like, really good sex in this show, I feel like I've learned a lot from it.” And no shade to her because she's not wrong, I mean there's a lot of good sex in the show, but I think for me it was more than that. I was at a very scary time in my life where I was confronting my potential future: is this going to be my reality, am I going to have to find a life going forward that looks like this? In that way, the community that I saw in the original L Word—this group of friends who felt safe enough to be themselves—was so aspirational. I just remember craving a place like The Planet so much. I remember wondering if it was based on a real place because I wanted to go there! It was really important for me to see that there was a path forward, because I was so sure that if I was honest about who I was, that I wouldn't know who to be. A queer life looked so different from the Christian, married-to-a-man, suburban life that I'd always pictured for myself. It was really important in that way to have an example of what it could be.
Ali: That's beautiful.
Meg: Ali! Where were you in life, physically, emotionally and spiritually, when you first watched The L Word?
Ali: The joke, which you obviously talked about, is that a lot of people watched the show secretly in high school. I watched the show secretly in college, so very different. It wasn’t my parents who I was hiding watching the show from, but my peer group at the time. When I first got to college, I joined a sorority, and very much like you, I had one idea of what was even possible; I just followed the path I'd seen other people follow. I discovered the show my sophomore year via a friend (who also introduced me to South of Nowhere, lol). I would sit in my bed while my sorority sisters were out at frat parties, and watch these shows. I’d feel this intense but confusing longing—yearning, even—for another way of experiencing the world and for these other conversations that weren’t the conversations I was having. It was interesting to feel like I couldn't really share that with the people that at the time I was convincing myself were my friends. Eventually I paused my watch of The L Word and, in that time, I came out, got my first official girlfriend, and set out on a life that I felt emboldened to pursue. I had this knowledge that I didn't gain from being out in the world, but that I gained from watching these people on television. And then I actually finished my first watch of The L Word when I moved to New York after college. That was when I really felt like I was able to mirror—well, not everything, because you don't want to mirror everything you see on The L Word—but really curate a group of friends that were queer, and spaces that were queer, and really pay attention to those things that I felt like I wanted to reflect in my own life.
Meg: Boobs. Sex in closets, fingering people at the opera…this could be you!
Ali: They just made it look so fun! And now we sound like those people at The L Word wrap parties, waxing poetic. Which is another reason why I think the show is probably ending. Another L Word conversation in the books. I think that if it’s over, we'll be happy that we spent this extra time on it.
Meg: I agree. And if it's not over…we will be back with Season 4 Gen Q coverage. Just you wait!
The Elephant in the Werkroom
The Snatch Game is here…yes, really. Read on for our thoughts on this week’s episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 15.
Episode 4:
Okay, seriously, who is producing this season? Not only do we have more queens and less time than ever, but now we have two Snatch Games? Make it make sense.
Notably absent: judges’ deliberations, confessionals, RuPaul’s Werk Room walkthroughs, runways that last more than 2 seconds…
Was it just us, or did the fact that they had fourteen girls play make it so that some real stinkers got off easy? They gave very forgiving edits to girls who would’ve been eviscerated in any other season…(Gorgena Ramsey, I’m looking at you).
How many seasons of Drag Race has Calix been a Pit Crew member?
My toxic trait? Spice’s absolutely bonkers (literally) performance of Miley Cyrus made me laugh harder than any other impersonation. Was that an Amanda Show reference? We love the subtle Disney vs. Nickelodeon discourse. (Nickelodeon, obviously).
So, it happened. The inevitable Sugar vs. Spice lip sync. And that’s pretty much all we have to say about that….
Possibly an unpopular opinion, but am I (Ali) the only one who was starting to get bored of Sugar and Spice’s coordinated Spirit Halloween looks?
I (Meg) wasn’t bored of them yet, but acknowledge skinny twink privilege may be in play here.
BONUS: Mommie Dearest, indeed. Mistress Isabelle Brooks has adopted Sugar and Spice as her drag daughters and we are tickled ♥
Next week on The Yearning, Ali will tread where no Yearning co-author has tread before—reality television—with a review of Season 8 (the queer one) of MTV’s Are You the One?
In the audio recording I accidentally said funeral. Hopefully this wasn’t a prophetic R.I.P to The L Word: Gen Q?