I have returned from my Covid journey. I felt terrible for many days, but I did not lose my sense of smell. I moved in with my girlfriend and did many feats of packing and lifting boxes at diminished capacity. Will my period ever return from the war? It’s anyone’s guess, but I am back to work and will be writing this newsletter regularly again :) xoxo, Maddy
Episode 8 is called “L’Ennui.“ A lot happens! Dana breaks up with Lara, Bette and Tina have a blessing ceremony for their unborn baby, Shane throws a “private girl party” on a yacht, and Jenny is sooo annoying. There’s even an opening vignette. It takes place in Italy. A seamstress is doing dress alternations on a woman who looks a lot like Marina. Initially I wondered if this was a younger version of Marina, but I think it’s another lady?? Anyways, the seamstress begins to summarize the plot of “The Gift of the Magi”— a classic American short story about a couple who can’t afford to buy each other gifts for Christmas. The wife sells her hair to buy her husband a chain for his pocket watch. The husband sells his watch to buy his wife a comb for her hair. It’s not a sexy story!! As a cultural reference, it’s quite middle school. The seamstress starts rubbing the brunette’s leg and trailing her fingers up her dress. The brunette starts convulsing with pleasure. This show is bonkers.
Back in Los Angeles, Tim is taking out the trash. He looks sad!! He looks tired!! There’s a knock at the door. It’s Jenny. They haven’t seen each other since Tim left her at a motel a week prior. She starts talking about her week. She says she climbed a mountain and had a profound spiritual experience in the Sierras. Actually she did shrooms in the back of a Honda Pilot and hung out with high schoolers?? She presents Tim with a chain for his stop watch. He tells her that he no longer has a stop watch—he broke it after learning about her cheating heart. It’s a “Gift of the Magi“ reference and it doesn’t really work.
Next Tim is like, “I got your letter, Jenny. I don’t want your glands or your sweetbreads, I just want you to stop lying to me.” He asks if she and Marina only had sex that one time (remember he already found out from Bette that it was an ongoing affair, so he’s testing her). Jenny says that it only happened once. Tim is like, “LIAR!!“ and throws the trash bag onto the lawn. It’s full of her clothes. Jenny begs to stay for one night and Tim is like, “You mean nothing to me, but you can sleep in the garage just for tonight.“
The next day, Jenny stops by The Planet and resumes her fling with Marina. They have sex and Jenny broaches the idea of living together. Marina is like, “My partner is coming home from Italy any day now and this condo is simply not big enough.“ This is news to Jenny. She suddenly notices an entire wall of photos of Marina and Mrs. Marina, who is revealed to be the seamstress from the beginning of the episode. Yowza!!
Bette and Tina rent a yoga studio and have a ceremony to welcome their baby’s soul to Earth. Alice, Shane, and Dana join hands and chant, but inside they’re rolling their eyes. They confront Bette and Tina for being boring and baby-oriented. They miss the old Bette and Tina, who were fun. It’s hard to imagine Bette ever being fun, but okay. Also feels hypocritical because Dana is the least fun person in this episode. When Lara wants to kiss and hold hands at a restaurant, Dana freaks out and ends their relationship.
Shane’s career has really taken off since last episode. She’s doing everyone’s hair now, including Madonna. She throws a party on a yacht and invites several dozen lesbians. Women are just making out and walking around shirtless like it’s Michfest. Dana is wilding out in a sad, drunk way. Alice and Lisa, the lesbian-identified man, abscond to a bedroom and start having sex. Alice wants to do penis/vagina stuff. Lisa wants to use a dildo. Alice, um, assaults Lisa? It’s played as a gag? Speaking of Michfest, I’ve always read Lisa’s character and plotline as straight-up transphobic. Others see more nuance!!
Bette and Tina pretend like they’re having fun, but they leave as soon as the yacht docks. The episode ends with Dana vomiting over the edge of the ship. Alice holds her hair and rubs her back. Shane waxes poetic about stable, monogamous relationships and its tragic because she really wants to be married, but she can’t stop being a slut lesbo? Idk, I think she’s 24 and needs to calm down.
Other Stuff That Came Up for Me:
“Gift of the Magi” but with fingerbanging
When Shane is talking about cutting Madonna’s hair, Marina walks up and says “Madonna? The little blonde who sings?“ in French. Reader, I screamed.
Discussion Question:
I’m feeling really bored watching these episodes in order. Do you have a favorite L Word episode, one that you put on for comfort and joy? Mine is “Land Ahoy,“ the lesbian cruise episode with the cello lady.
I'm Watching The L Word!! Episode 8
“Land Ahoy” is also one of my favs. The whole Dana and Alice captain roleplaying always felt kinda sweet. And the Betty cellist (and the Betty band subplot in general) just feels so peak L Word.