Fresh off the return of Tina Kennard and the announcement that the show was renewed for a second season, episode 7 of The L Word: Generation Q really rocked the boat, and not necessarily in a good way. With one episode left this season, this week’s installment, “Lose It All,” left me with mixed feelings about which couples belong together and questions about what the show is aiming to accomplish.
My biggest complaint about this week’s episode is that it did not feature enough of Tina. When Laurel Holloman returned to The L Word last week, it was like a shot heard around the world for the queer community, and I was really hoping she would play more of a role in this episode. But alas, the long-awaited reunion of Bette and Tina was short-lived, as Tina was only featured in two scenes this week: one in which Bette and Tina joyfully reminisce about the day they first heard Angie’s heartbeat and and another where Tina tells Bette she is engaged. Bette was absolutely crushed by this revelation, as was I, but considering the ups and downs of their relationship, sometimes I wonder if the two of them are just better off without each other.
But without a doubt, the relationship that perplexed me the most this week was the one between Finley and Sophie. Though it’s clear that Dani and Sophie want different things from each other, I’m really not sure I want Finley and Sophie to be together. The two of them share a kiss during this week’s episode after Finley accompanies Sophie to the hospital to visit Sophie’s grandmother. While I appreciated the emotional support Finley provided Sophie in Dani’s absence, I just don’t feel like there is chemistry. Instead, I was mostly left wondering why Finley can’t just be a supportive friend to Sophie.
As the season is coming to a close, I’ve been thinking a lot about the revival’s legacy. While the new show is more diverse than the original in terms of race and gender identity, given the expanded of LGBTQ characters that have come and gone since the show ended in 2009, this show’s improved representation doesn’t feel so groundbreaking.
After episode 5, I thought the show was making strides by portraying various relationship structures, including a throuple. But this episode really failed at pushing those boundaries. Ex-wives Gigi and Nat sleep together without discussing it with Alice, and Alice decides their history is just too complicated for her. And when Quiara and Shane go for Quiara’s ultrasound, Quiara repeatedly calls the baby “our baby,” despite her earlier promise that she just wanted a partner, and Shane didn’t need to be a parent. It’s unclear what’s going to happen with these storylines next week, but both seem like a missed opportunity to showcase the range of queer relationships that are possible within the community.
Sexiest Scene: Nat and Gigi having sex without Alice.
Most OMG-Moment: It’s a tie between Tina being engaged and Finley and Sophie making out.
Funniest Moment: Micah’s mom getting the munchies.
How We Know We’re in 2020: Alice is tasked with creating a viral video so her show can get picked up for a second season.
Who will sleep together next? I can feel it in my bones, after that whiskey together, it’s going to be Dani and Bette.
