“Really? I’m Eeyore?” —Shane McCutcheon
Get your tuxedos and dresses ready—it’s prom, The L Word style! But first, Angie is trying to meet her donor, Alice is coming out as bisexual again, Bette and Pippa are protesting big pharma at the California Art Center, Sophie is searching for Finley and Gigi has a recorder concert to get to. Will they slow dance the night away in this penultimate episode of Season 2? Xtra‘s senior editor Erica Lenti and managing producer Chelle Turingan host.
Transcript
Chelle [00:00:09] Welcome back to ‘Off The Chart.’ We’re here and we’re ready to unpack episode nine of ‘Gen Q’ season two.
Erica [00:00:15] This season, we’re once again watching ‘The L Word: Generation Q’ with you, bringing you our unfiltered take on the new series reboot every Tuesday. Because of course, we can’t get enough of those L.A. lesbians.
Chelle [00:00:27] I’m Chelle Turingan, managing producer at Xtra, and I want Gigi to hold me.
Erica [00:00:32] Oh, me too. I’m Erica Lenti, senior editor at Xtra, and like Shane, I think I am too like Eeyore.
Chelle [00:00:41] Aww, me too.
Clip [00:00:43] This is a disaster. How could you have let this happen? I’m handling it. Make it go away. I want to know why you can’t be happy for me and Carrie. Are you still in love with me?
Chelle [00:00:52] All right, Erica. Episode nine moved at breakneck speed. In terms of themes, what stuck out to you the most?
Erica [00:01:00] I think it’s a little cliche, but what is ‘The L Word’ if not a little cliche sometimes? Everyone is kind of fighting for what they believe in. Obviously, that’s front and center for Bette and Pippa at the CAC. We’ve got like artists who are protesting their own gallery. But I thought that it was also pretty clear with other folks within their own relationships. I mean, obviously, Angie and Jordi, we’ve got Bette and Tina fighting for Angie with Marcus in the hospital. We have Maribel standing up for Micah in front of her family. So lots of folks who are fighting, what would ‘The L Word’ be without a little bit of fight? We’ll have to see what that leads to in the next final episode of season two.
Chelle [00:01:48] Oh, I can’t believe we’re here already!
Chelle [00:01:51] OK, let’s start with our favorite lesbian, Bette Porter. She has gone full provocations 2.0, and she has artists protesting their own work in the new Nunez wing of the gallery at CPAC. But she manages to convince the CAC to shut it down, which is actually a nice win for Bette. Meanwhile, Andy is off to prom, but first she wants to meet her donor. But moments before she’s about to walk in, Marcus’s wife turns her away and kind of puts a damper on prom. So Angie ends up lashing out at everyone: Bette and Tina, Jordi, until she finally has a meltdown in her bedroom. But of course, Shane and Alice come to save the day, talk to her and convince her to go to prom, after all. She shares a beautiful moment with Jordi. Emboldened by her win at the CAC, Bette and Tina try to convince Marcus to see Angie, and while waiting, Tina asks why Bette doesn’t like Carrie. Is she still in love with her? They get interrupted when they see that Marcus, who is finally agreed to talk to Angie in the worst cliffhanger ever, dies. Well, that was a lot for episode 9. Let’s talk about our favorite ship of all time, Tibette. Is Bette still in love with Tina? What do you think’s going to happen with Carrie in the in the finale?
Erica [00:03:12] Yeah, I mean, I don’t think it would be ‘The L Word’ if Tibette wasn’t a will they, they won’t at the end of the season. I mean, when hasn’t that happened in the show? Even in the original series, I feel like they were constantly teasing us with whether Bette and Tina were going to break up or get back together. It’s tried and true. The lesbians love it. So I think that they’re going to go down this road again. We had some foreshadowing which we can talk a little bit about later that Carrie is maybe afraid to get married. Having some cold feet, maybe isn’t totally in it, maybe thinks that Bette is still in love with Tina. I think we’re going to see the reprisal of Tibette’s maybe they’ll get back together again, moment. I can’t see it happening any other way, to be honest. Chelle, what do you think is going to happen with these two?
Chelle [00:04:08] Well, I’m not sure, but I’m pretty sure that our audience agrees with you, Erica. Over on our Twitter and Instagram polls, about 70 percent of you believe that Tina and Bette is end game. So no surprises there. And while we are questioning Tina and Carrie, I’m wondering what you think is going to happen with Bette and Pippa?
Erica [00:04:28] Yeah, I mean, the thing I love about Bette and Pippa is that Pippa brings out this passion in Bette. And I know that we’ve been teasing Bette this whole season saying, oh, she only cries at art or she gets angry at art, or she has sex in art. But it is probably the most passionate, you know, side of Bette, and I love that there’s someone who is challenging her and getting her to think and making her so emotional over this thing she loves. Someone who understands art in a way that none of her other partners, aside from maybe Jodie understands. So I like that about them. But, I don’t know that the audience is as sold on them as they would be on Tina and Bette. I don’t know, like Tina’s really grown on me this season and the last season, it was like such a breath of fresh air to see her for some reason, when I know in the original series, everyone hated Tina. So I kind of want to see it. I kind of want to see the drama. I like Pippa as a character. I think she’s really interesting. She stands up to Bette in a way that not a lot of people do, and I love seeing that. I love seeing Bette getting taken down a peg. I hope she doesn’t go far if Tibet does happen. Maybe she’ll launch provocations part three at the CAC and she’ll be back.
Chelle [00:05:50] We can only hope, Erica. I agree. I love Pippa, too. She seems like a really fantastic character. So even if that doesn’t pan out, hopefully they can find a way to, like, integrate her into the ensemble cast. Who knows? But let’s turn our attention over to your favorite character, Angie. Angie’s going through a lot in this episode. What did you make of everything going on with Angie?
Erica [00:06:16] Well, I think it was only a matter of time before she had this meltdown. She has so much pressure on her that, like no 17/18 year old should have, you know, thinking about identity and inheritance and who, you know, who her donor is. Like all of these massive things that are hard to grapple with as an adult, let alone a young adult or teenager. So it was really only a matter of time before she had this panic attack. I really felt for Jordi because I know that she cares, and she loves Angie so much and she doesn’t want to hurt her. I think she’s just trying to ground her back into her teenage reality, which Angie is just so disconnected from at the moment. So I feel for the two of them. I’m so glad that Shane and Alice managed to convince Angie to go to prom. I can’t say that I had super amazing memories from prom myself, and it’s like, I know it’s like this overwrought American tradition, but I think she probably would have regretted if she left Jordi hanging there. I’m glad that they had their own little moment in the hallway and not in the center of the dance floor. Like, I felt like that was really nice for them, and it was something that Angie really needed. But I just feel so bad that Marcus died before he could meet her. Like she had all those questions written, like my heart just broke. And so I think we’re going to see a lot of Angie trying to process more than she’s already processing now, which is really difficult. And I think Tina and Bette have been great parents that we’ve seen so far, so I’m sure they’ll help her through it. But if it’s going to be, it’s going to be heavy for Angie and, you know, figuring all that shit out. How did how did you feel about all of it?
Chelle [00:08:05] Well, I’d have to agree with you pretty much on all fronts, Erica. I did really love that, of course, Alice and Shane, they kind of play this like auntie/uncle role, to Angie in this really like, lovely beautiful way. Like, we talk a lot about our chosen family in LGBTQ communities, and this is just like a beautiful example of how that works and what that looks like. I can’t say that I’ve ever had an Alice or Shane in my life. So it was really, really nice to see them like, take care of Angie while Bette and Tina were arguing. Like, you know, she’s got this whole village around her. So like you said, it’s not going to be easy for Angie to get through these moments, but she’s got a whole team behind her. OK, let’s move on to Sophie and Finley now. After their huge fight, we’re left to think, where in the world is Sarah Finley? Sophie spends the entire episode looking for her to no avail. Finley shows up wasted at Dani’s new condo, proceeds to pee in her hallway and then makes a total ass of herself. So that leaves Dani to call Sophie to come over and pick her up. This is perhaps one of the most heart wrenching Finley scenes we’ve ever seen on ‘Gen Q.’ Erica, what do you think is going to happen with Sophie and Finley? Can they survive this?
Erica [00:09:37] I don’t know.
Clip [00:09:39] Hey it’s Finley, text me. She’s got a lot of stuff that she needs to work out. I want to make sure she’s OK.
Erica [00:09:46] It was interesting, you know, Tess had brought that up to Sophie that, like in large part, Finley’s got a bunch of shit going on that she needs to work out on her own and she needs someone who isn’t just going to pick up the pieces and enable her to keep doing that. And on one hand, I was like, oh, that’s kind of unfair. Like, I think anyone who’s going through addiction or struggles with substance use deserves a support system, but on the other hand, I’m like, I get it, because in many ways Sophie’s just enabling Finley to keep doing this and she’s not going to get better. So perhaps these two do need a bit of a timeout so that Finley can be like, This is why I’m doing what I’m doing. I am grateful, we’ve talked about this before, I was worried that Finley would end up with Sophie and everything would be fine and like Sophie would be like, this cure all for Finley. I’m glad they haven’t gone that route. I’m glad that Finley is not OK because it’s just way more realistic that no relationship is going to stop you from abusing alcohol if you have deeper seated issues, if you have issues that are not connected to any of your relationships that you need to address, so I’m grateful for that. What did you think, Chelle?
Chelle [00:11:06] I think it’s interesting that you’ve mentioned that it’s not, an addiction doesn’t just affect like your romantic relationships, it affects all of your relationships. And you can see that in episode nine, like, Alice is concerned Shane and Tess are concerned. Like Micah is concerned. All of the people in Finley’s clan are worried about her, which I don’t think we’ve ever seen that concern before. I think you’re absolutely correct in that Finley obviously needs help beyond what everybody else is able to do for her. Whether or not she’ll actually take that help or find that help is another question. I think we’re going to see an intervention possibly happen in the finale. My question to you Erica is, do you think Finley will be into it or not?
Erica [00:12:00] Probably not, if we know Finley, but hopefully she does. Like, I think she clearly needs to get to the core of what’s driving her to drink and get to the core of her addiction and try to sort out her feelings. Because I do think it’s fair to say that there is emotional and mental stuff that’s going on for her that is leading her to drink more. Whether that’s like a depression or that’s related to trauma of her past, which was alluded to in the last season. So I hope that she goes for help. I don’t think it’s going to be so straightforward. I mean, this is the girl who took off to Missouri and then showed back up and crashed a wedding and was like, Did I not do the right thing? So I think it will take some convincing to get Finley some help that she needs. That’s my take. What do you think?
Chelle [00:13:01] Please make good choices. Like, I can understand why you’d be pissed if everyone’s going to come at you, you feel like you’re being attacked from all directions. But I hope that she realizes that like everyone’s doing that because they love and care about her. And I think maybe this was the first time that my love and care for Finley was like rejuvenated because again, like you, you really see that struggle when she goes off on her bender. And I think that that was the struggle that we were missing this season. Like, this problem is big. It’s huge, it’s bigger than I think anyone else has been letting on to. So I do hope she gets the help she needs. OK, let’s move on to Dani and Gigi now. Dani is still playing girl boss, which her dad is not having any of. He asks her to sort out this whole mess with the bad press around the CAC ASAP, but the CAC makes that decision for her and decides to retract their sponsorship of the wing. Meanwhile, Dani is still being hot and cold with Gigi, but the pair reconciled before Finley wattles into Dani’s place, completely drunk. So our communication with Dani and Gigi seems much more mature than the rest of these couples. What do you think is going to happen with them?
Erica [00:14:28] Yeah, they communicate the best. I’m really impressed, and I think part of it is just Gigi’s character. Like, I don’t want to give Dani too much credit here, because Gigi really does seem to be like the driving force in keeping things together and keeping her cool and giving Dani space to screw up and then come back. I’m a full Gigi stan this season. I think like a majority of people are, if the stuff I have been reading on social media is any indication, people love her and it’s because she’s really empathetic and she gives space to Dani. She communicates with Dani. She talks things through in a way that, like none of these lesbians do, they’re all just like in a hurry to get in bed with each other and then things go wrong and no one talks to each other. And then they split up and then they cheat on each other. Like, we’re finally getting a normal arc for a couple here, and it’s really nice. But I will say, maybe unpopular opinion. I, too would have skipped Eli’s recorder concert. I’m just not interested in seeing some kid play the recorder.
Chelle [00:15:36] I mean, I would have been OK to that concert if I also had edibles with Gigi, so there are always ways around it. I like that when Dani is like, How do you get me to do that? Like, how do you get me to talk? And Gigi’s like, Well, I dated a therapist. And while that’s a funny quip. Like, it’s probably true. You know what I mean? Gigi, to me, seems like perhaps the only character in this L.A. crew who has done the work of therapy and like, you know, and talks and communicates. I thought it was funny a couple of episodes back where Bette and Gigi break up and Bette is like, Oh, she’s probably playing mind games with somebody else. It’s like, do you people think that communication is a mind game? Like, What’s going on? So I will totally agree with you, like Gigi is just so levelheaded, is very empathetic and communicates really well. So I hope that these two last into season three. But Erica, do you think that Dani is going to testify against her dad in the season finale?
Erica [00:16:41] Yeah, this will be the big test. I mean, it’s kind of been a recurring theme. Her going to work for Bette Porter in the first season on the mayoral campaign was supposed to be like a slight against her dad. Now she has to testify against him. You know, if Dani is going to just like be the girl boss she wants to be and stick it to Big Pharma, like just testify against your dad already. I’m ready to see her finally just assert her independence already. She keeps getting tied back to her dad in this corporate way. It seems like he doesn’t really care about much but saving the company. So yeah, I kind of hope she does testify against him. Do you think that’s going to happen or do you think she’s going to be a good daughter and testify for him?
Chelle [00:17:32] That’s a good question. I mean, I will say that all of this back story around Dani and her dad and their relationship has been really interesting and exciting to see in season two. We knew that there was tension in season one, that he would get involved in in her relationships and her life decisions and all of that. But we didn’t really get a sense of like kind of what their family dynamic was like. And the writers have been doing a really bang up job of showing that very complicated and complex relationship throughout the episodes. This one in particular, was so funny when the lawyer was like prepping Dani with questions just like really nailing at her, and you know that she is trying so hard to essentially lie. And then, her dad, just storms in and is like, What is this? And she’s just like, Hi, dad, we’re just talking about what a great father you are. I just think all of the nuance in the writing between those two has been really, really interesting. It would be nice to see her break away. But I mean, I would suspect that Papa Dani was the one that bankrolled that gorgeous condo. And like, if she cuts ties from her family, like where will that leave her? So it leaves a lot of questions open for what might happen to Dani in season three, and I’m excited to see what happens.
Erica [00:19:00] It’ll leave her in Gigi’s arms, where she belongs.
Chelle [00:19:04] OK, let’s move on to our favorite bisexual, Alice. She is heading out on her book tour, but she is being hounded throughout her press junket to talk about her new girlfriend because she’s afraid to be honest about dating a man given her lesbian audience. Eventually, she decides to give in and tells a reporter that she’s dating Tom. Dun dun dun. The show seems to be meta hinting at Alice’s character overall. You know, the lesbian audience not completely loving that Alice is a bisexual. What do you think of these takes, Erica?
Erica [00:19:38] Yeah, I thought it was actually really interesting because I do know that there are some fans of the show who are not pleased with the fact that Alice is dating a man.
Clip [00:19:47] Are you seeing anyone now? What? Who’s the lucky lady, right lady? Right, lady, um.
Erica [00:19:54] So I thought it was actually, like, really smart of the writers to to hint at like, you know what the press is doing, assuming her identity, assuming she has to be with a woman, and all the pressure on Alice as a character who was bisexual, like, I thought that was so smart of the writers to be like, you know, she contains multitudes and she’s allowed to date men and women and anyone else on the gender spectrum and we shouldn’t assume. So I liked it. I thought it was cheeky. And and I’m pleased that Alice decided to come clean with one of the reporters about her new partner. I especially loved Angie, who is just like, the best little zoomer being like, no one cares that you’re bisexual. And I know she was like in her in her feelings and was having a moment, but it was also just like true, Angie, like who gives a shit who Alice is dating so long as she’s happy and she’s found someone who understands her? Like, you know, message to the viewers who don’t like Alice’s bisexuality. No one cares. No one cares. We just want to see Alice happy.
Chelle [00:21:05] Totally. I think it’s interesting that like right off the top, like after her first interview and she runs into Sophie, she’s like, Oh my God, I think I have to come out as bisexual again. So I think it’s a sentiment that perhaps a lot of people that identify that way have to do. They feel like they have to come out over and over and over again. So I thought that was like an interesting like line to write in. And what I found most interesting actually is the scene between Bette and Alice just before Angie comes in to put in that amazing one liner. We’re talking to our quintessential L.A. lesbian, you know, our favorite Bette Porter, and Alice is having the conversation about like, you know, it’s you. It’s the the lesbians with the capital L that are the that are the problem. And our beloved Bette is like, that was 20 years ago. And like, if you’re happy, then we’re happy for you. I agree with you. I think it’s really smart of the writers. Perhaps they’re talking to their audience through these conversations and through these scenes. It is 2021. You know, it’s it is LG”B”TQ. You know, you mean, that letter’s in there, they’ve been a part of our queer family since time. So I really think it’s great that they’re using Alice’s character and her sexual identity to have these conversations that I think are happening in the real world as well. And like as far as bisexual representation, I love to see it. Like, I think we love to see it. And I think our audience loves to see it. Over on our Twitter and Instagram polls. About 80 percent of you think that Alice and Tom together are biconic, which is amazing. I totally agree. And of course, Alice would go to prom all four times.
Erica [00:23:04] That’s like some real bi energy.
Chelle [00:23:08] Totally, with men or women? We don’t know. We just know that she went four times. OK, moving right along to my favorite ship: Shane and Tess. These two are making it happen. They’re officially together and adorable. Shane foreshadows a bit asking Tess if she should be honest and tell Tina that Carrie was having doubts about the wedding. So Erica, do you think Shane is going to tell Tina?
Erica [00:23:33] Oh, it’s so hard to know because Shane, on one hand, does like to sort of keep things close to her chest. Like she doesn’t, she’s not a gossip type. You know, if this was Alice, I would say, of course, Alice is going to tell everyone what Carrie said while she was drunk. But then, on the other hand, Shane is also intensely loyal. And if she thinks that Carrie is going to hurt Tina, she would totally tell her. So I think it could go either way. I’m leaning more towards Shane not saying anything and just letting it unfold and then probably getting shit from like everyone else around her when they find out that Carrie had said this stuff to her. OK, OK, theory: she can’t tell Tina because she’s at the poker game.
Chelle [00:24:26] Oh my god! I hate you, dude. OK, finally, let’s talk about Micah and Maribel. Micah is at Maribel’s family’s place, helping out with lunch. Maribel’s family is grateful she’s not dealing with relationship drama, much to Michael’s awkwardness. Eventually, Sophie outs that Micah and Maribel are dating, and Maribel tells her family that she loves him in Spanish. Erica, this scene felt very familiar. It felt like perhaps an updated version of, you know, Carmen’s family, you know, seeing a big Latina family having a fam jam from the OG series? What did you think of this scene?
Erica [00:25:07] Yeah, I liked it. I thought it was such a nice, modern day rendition of that scene when it comes out that Carmen is dating Shane, and Shane is actually her girlfriend. Like, I really liked that they they incorporated an actual Latina family this time around. We know that, you know, the casting wasn’t always the greatest in the original series. You know, Sarah Shahi, who we love as Carmen is actually Persian in real life. She’s not Latina, so I’m really grateful that they had, you know, everyone at the table speaking Spanish, and it felt really realistic. And it felt, you know, really of the moment. I really liked it. And I thought that like Micah was really sweet in that moment, too. Like was probably the way I would be if my partner was just like, outed dating me and I didn’t know what to do and I didn’t speak the language. So it was really sweet. And I’m really glad that ‘The L Word’ has kind of caught up on, you know, doing the right thing in these cases around casting in and around representation. How did you feel about it?
Chelle [00:26:23] I agree with you. I really love seeing the dynamic with Sophie’s family. It reminds me a lot of my immigrant family. Big, loud, you know, sometimes you’re yelling at each other, sometimes you’re saying hurtful things, but it’s kind of all happening at once, loudly over like a dinner table. And you might say things that are slightly inappropriate, like, isn’t he gay? Isn’t he “a trans?” To which Sophie and Maribel immediately like, don’t say “a trans,” and yeah, don’t say that. But like, you know, that’s like, I can relate to that, you know, to my older titas and titos trying. It’s like a form of not just tolerance, but acceptance, like they’re trying. They don’t have the language yet, but they’re trying. And so like, I really like seeing this scene. I do love hearing the Spanish. Obviously, that’s very authentic, but just a note to the showrunners. Please, please include subtitles because most of us cannot speak Spanish. Most of us cannot speak Persian. And I would love to know what the hell they’re saying. OK, it’s our favorite part of the podcast, The Superlatives Round, where we each pick our best and sometimes worst–Erica–moments from the episode. Erica, what was your pick?
Erica [00:27:43] OK, so our producer Lito was like, you can’t pick anymore worst. So I have a best. Best dressed of the season goes to Angie and Jordi. I’m crowning them both prom queens. Look, Angie looked so good in a suit, arguably better than Sophie on her almost wedding day. I said it. I said it. I just loved these two. Angie and Jodie’s makeup was on point. They both looked so good, they both looked so comfortable and happy. It’s what I wish I had for my prom, so they get all the props for that. What was your pick Chelle?
Chelle [00:28:23] Totally agree with you, by the way. I had been brave enough to wear a suit a million years ago at my prom, I would have. So she looks great. And sticking with the prom theme, I will say that the best chosen family members go to Alice and Shane. This pre-prom party is like, lit.
Clip [00:28:41] Where do you want that? OK, what is wrong with you two? They are children. Bette, it’s prom. Thank you.
[00:28:47] Of course, Alice and Shane both bring booze to the pre, which is like just so on brand, so them, they’re just like, it’s prom. Of course, you guys have booze. So props to Alice and Shane this week. And my top comment from the week comes from amiedheloise over on YouTube. She says, Thanks, ladies, for your review. I watch it every week. Oh, thanks so much. I love the idea of Shane being a vampire. We agree, tt’s a pretty funny theory. Over here at Xtra Magazine. We do like to fact check and I just wanted to clarify and say that I identify as non-binary and my pronouns are actually they/them.
Erica [00:29:26] Yeah. And for the record, I am she/her. I identify as a woman. Thank you guys so much for all of your comments. If you have something to say about episode nine, let us know. Leave a comment down below. There’s only one episode left, so get your comments in. We might pick it for the top comment of the week.
Chelle [00:29:45] OK, that’s it for this episode. Tune in next week when we talk about episode 10 of ‘Gen Q.’ It’s the season finale. Hold on tight everyone I’m Chelle Turingan.
Erica [00:29:55] And I’m Erica Lenti. ‘Off The Chart’ is produced by Chelle Turingan. Our technical producer is Lito Howse, our executive producer is Rachel Giese, and our music is by KidKulit.
Chelle [00:30:05] If you’ve been enjoying ‘Off The Chart,’ please do all the things: like comment, subscribe on YouTube. Leave a review wherever you get your podcasts. Check us out on Twitter @XtraMagazine. If you want to see us do season three, please guys, like and comment. We love you! We love doing this podcast! Until next time… bye.
Erica [00:30:27] Oh, Chelle, I wanted to ask you. Do I look very Shane today?
Chelle [00:30:31] Yes!
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